Skip to main content

Live vs. Studio?

It is often said about artists - particularly the mass-produced pop variety - that they simply can't reproduce the slick sound of the studio recordings when performing live. Be that as it may, I think singer-songwriters (which are not of the said category) have the power to really bring something special to a tune when performing it live. And I don't necessarily just mean through the atmosphere or intensity that is present at a concert, but through the manner in which they perform it - the instrumentation, the speed, the style etc. 

Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter, he sort-of shot to fame in the late 1990's when one of his songs was featured in Bazz Luhermann's remake of 'Romeo and Juliet'. He has had a mixed career since - got back into the charts about a decade later with a cover of Steve Earl's song 'Galway Girl'. His version has become a classic and continues to be heard in country discos in the west of Ireland!!

A song of Mundy's that I have strangely fallen in love with is called July. I suppose what is not unusual for a singer-songwriter is the raw sound of the studio version. The song features Mundy's lone vocal accompanied by an acoustic guitar and very sparse percussion. It ranges from being delicate to quite forced and painful at parts. His vocals are quite raw - very raw, in fact. It's one of those marmite records - you'll either love it or hate it. Have a listen and see for yourself.




Bored and searching the internet, I came across a live performance from Oxygen in 2008. He seemed to captivate the crowd with a re-invigorated version of the song. And this is not one of those standard festival performances that requires you to be under the influence of cheap vodka and various other illegal paraphernalia to be enjoyed. He transposed the song down a few tones and it suits his voice much better - he's also accompanied, not only by the crowd, but by an electric guitar and a fast but steady drum beat. It really adds a few layers to the track and makes it easier to listen to. A huge improvement? I think so.





I think this is fantastic - There's definitely potential for this to be re-released as a radio mix. It reminds me of some sort of stadium anthem - and there's no surprise that everyone is singing along.

I went to see David Gray perform live 2 years ago in Bray. He did exactly the same thing. Some of his songs tend to drag on using the same 2/3 chords- to the listener, sometimes quite monotonous. But at his live gig - he used a lot of electronic instruments to reshape a lot of his songs and in turn create an electro-folk sound. I was really impressed by it as it refreshed old songs that were possibly becoming slightly lacklustre.

Have you been to any gigs recently? Did you find that an artist put effort into making their songs different and unique for the show?

Gavin.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 'A Word'

"YOU support murdering children?"   It was a simple exchange. We were talking about faith in the modern world, and I foolishly dropped the 'A Word'. Hinting my feelings in relation to this controversial topic, I was immediately stopped in my tracks. My words had led to a judgement being made about my character and my personality. This headline from Waterford Whispers News summarises what has happened to the debate in Ireland: It's ironic, because since the debate has come into general public consideration in Ireland, it has almost become more of a taboo. A highly emotionally-charged debate, both sides will shoot the other down with provocative statements. People are afraid to open their mouths about it in case they are ridiculed for their views. This is exacerbated by the far-left and far-right musings on social media, suggesting that there is little or no middle-ground in this debate. Whatever side of the tracks you are on, or whether you have made ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Legal Process and Values

I was struck by a remark made by Jolyon Maugham QC in an interview with LBC's James O'Brien . Maugham is a high-flying tax lawyer turned Brexit crusader, leading a number of constitutional challenges to the English government's handling of matters since Art 50 was triggered. The conversation turned to how great lawyers are not innately good politicians (Keir Starmer's name was dropped with uncomfortable regularity). In fact, the two skillsets might be somewhat mutually incompatible. Maugham noted that lawyers are obsessed with process. By that he means not just the granular detail that the law requires, but a slavish focus on the rules as prescribed by the law and their application, as opposed to the substance or merit of those rules. Though this might seem a somewhat trite observation, it reminded me of a remark made by Michael Kirby, a former Australian High Court judge. Kirby J as he was identified in cases, was a senior judge for many years and was known colloquiall...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daylight Atheism

In a book I'm currently reading called 'Flight Behaviour' by American novelist Barbara Kingsolver, the narrator describes one of the characters as being a "911 Christian: In the event of an emergency call the lord." This quote, to me, represents the context of organised religion in modern society. Religious practice in Ireland has decreased in recent times, with vast swathes of people abandoning the Catholic Church following scandals, becoming disenfranchised with certain rules, or others simply finding purpose and meaning in material goods as opposed to spiritual ideals. Juxtaposing this decline in religious action is the ever prominent level of religious belief in our societies. In my humble opinion, religion has, for many people, developed into a coping mechanism. For non-practising Catholics who don't step foot in a church at all, it still seems to be the 'go to' utility in times of need and suffering. When times are tough, religion provides a ...
Post a Comment
Read more