Recording at Concerts [was Re: Bird Brain - been produced yet?
J. Spencer Love
If we're collecting filk anecdotes, especially ones which have been
immortalized in song, there's Claire Maier's "And the Band Played During
Our Filksing", not to mention "Slow Elevators" and "The Ballad of Egor"
from the NESFA Hymnal(s).
And Gary McGath wrote another one, I think in honor of the elevators at
Contata. There must be a dozen more songs in this category.
-- Spencer
John C. Bunnell
I've done several of those. "Gypsy Filking" (to "Rocket
Rider's Prayer") is one version of events at an infamous
Norwescon where things got very strange (and many stairs
were climbed). "The Third World Coffeehouse Concert Song"
(to "Brannigan's Special Ale") describes a unique Heather
Alexander gig, featuring weight machines and a motorcycle
helmet. And "The California Fire Drill" (to a Marty
Robbins ballad, "Running Gun") is technically mistitled,
since there really *was* a fire in the hotel at the Baycon
in question. True stories all....
--
= John C. Bunnell
= JCBu...@sff.net
= <back on the on-ramp to the Infobahn>
= Filk Peasant, Orycon 19 (Nov. 7-9, 1997)
J. Spencer Love <j...@lovesong.com> wrote in article
<19971009033...@lovesong.com>...
Kay Shapero
On <Oct 08 11:52>, lcou...@freenet.columbus.oh.us wrote to All:
l>We were getting ready to filk in someone's room when aforesaid
l>obnoxious taper appears with his reel-to-reel and microphones. He
then
l>proceeds to make everyone move so that his mikes can be in the
"best"
l>locations. We were not amused. So once he was all set up,
Juanita
l>launches into "Herbs & Simples" and when she reaches the witch's
shriek
l>all the needles on the machine go redline and it dies...can you
say
l>repair shop, boys and girls? I knew you could....
Now there's a scene I'd have liked to have seen - and then again
maybe my
hearing would have gone the way of the tape machine. I've never
heard the
song, but I *have* heard Juanita... You folks were lucky not to get
inquiries from hotel security as to who was being murdered up there.
:->
--
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Kay Shapero
On <Oct 08 22:33>, mam-DIE-S...@world.std.com wrote to All:
m>Has anybody ever compiled a collection of filk ANECDOTES? This is
m>obviously a prime example. A related category would be the events
m>that led to real-life filks, such as "Bouncing Potatoes" or ... I
can
m>never remember the name, "four above and six below", which I think
of
m>as "Welcome to the Hotel Moebius".
I'd like to see that myself - I do know about "Bouncing Potatoes" -
it was
written by Poul Anderson after the con banquet at Westercon XIX
(Stardust
Hotel, San Diego 1996), noted for things like the aforementioned
rubbery
potatoes (I'm told Astrid dropped one and Poul informed her that for
the
first time in his life he had heard a dull, sickening thud), and the
glass
desert models inadvertantly served to several fans as a replacement
for the
real thing.
Let's see - some of my stuff:
Naturally "Blubber" was based on the Oregon Coast Exploding Whale as
immortalized by Dave Barry (who was not making this up). Some idiot
had
posted the article to the net and not even attributed it, so it was
several
years before I found out who the inspiration was. Now, of course, I
have a
copy of the book which contains Moby Yuck, among a lot of other..
things...
"Snakes Alive" ambushed me while I was out for a walk, and happened
for
some reason to notice that "Yes, Madam, I'm aware that there's a
snake
around my neck" scanned to McNamara's Band. The rest of the walk was
spent
thinking "ok, that's enough, better wait until I get home and can
write it
down.. oops, there's another verse." The whole thing was done by the
time
I got back, and did write it down.. and it's better than a lot of
things I
wrote on purpose.
I wrote "Furry" for the second ConFurence filk contest - I wrote most
of it
one evening during the first ConFurence, and woulda entered it then
except
that I still needed ONE line.. which took me most of the year to come
up
with. The Tenth Muse strikes again... :->
Contrary to rumor, "At The Con" was NOT written about a specific
convention but was more my reaction to maladroit conrunning in
general.
Amusingly enough, the first verse I thought of (involving the
then-shabby
treatment of parents with kids at many a con) is one I've
subsequently
deleted from the song both because things have improved enormously
and
because it was the weakest verse of the lot.
I wrote "The Gifties Gie Us" several years ago for a friend who'd
just been
dumped by a boyfriend who was mingy enough to take back a number of
rather
personal presents he'd given her. Theorizing as to exactly *why* he
wanted
him cheered her up considerably. :->
"Stairway To Babble" was kinda fun - there was this endless argument
going
on over on the MODERATOR echo, much to the annoyance of those of us
who
were trying to carry on peaceful converation, and I finally took the
whle
mess and turned it into a song to the obvious tune. Got several
snotty
complaints, a lot of cheers, and the flamewar died. (I may have to
do this
again if certain people don't settle down and act like sapient
lifeforms...
if I do, I'll be sure to repeat it over here... :->)
I've got reasons for most of my other songs too, but they're either
easily
deduced by the content or else really not all that important (though
despite appearances, "Mob" has more to do with personal memories of
anger
and frustration than any specific riot.)
Steve Dixon
Kay Shapero wrote:
>
>
> "Stairway To Babble" was kinda fun - there was this endless argument
> going
> on over on the MODERATOR echo, much to the annoyance of those of us
> who
> were trying to carry on peaceful converation, and I finally took the
> whle
> mess and turned it into a song to the obvious tune. Got several
> snotty
> complaints, a lot of cheers, and the flamewar died. (I may have to
> do this
> again if certain people don't settle down and act like sapient
> lifeforms...
> if I do, I'll be sure to repeat it over here... :->)
>
I would dearly love to see the lyrics to "Stairway to Babble". I'd
rather not act like a non sapient life form to do so however. How about
if I just grovel? Please, please, please???
riot nrrrd
Explain this to me. How could he *make* you move?
The proper response to obnoxious tapers who wish you to move from
your perfectly good seat so that their microphones can occupy that
location for some minimally better recording is (pardon my French
here) "Fuck off and die".
Microphones are *not* filkers, and should be given the same courtesy
as a human being (i.e., "Can you please move over a little so I can get
inside the circle?" is OK by my and if I've got room then of course
I'll move).
--
73 de Dave Weingart KA2ESK, ex KB2CWF "Can you find the Valium?
mailto:phyd...@liii.com Can you bring it soon?
mailto:phyd...@emerald.princeton.edu Lost Johnny's out there
http://www.liii.com/~phydeaux Baying at the Moon"
-- Hawkwind
W. Scott Snyder
In article <01bcd60f$bb983820$45f72599@default>, JCBu...@sff.net says...
>
>I've done several of those. "Gypsy Filking" (to "Rocket
>Rider's Prayer") is one version of events at an infamous
>Norwescon where things got very strange (and many stairs
>were climbed). "The Third World Coffeehouse Concert Song"
>(to "Brannigan's Special Ale") describes a unique Heather
>Alexander gig, featuring weight machines and a motorcycle
>helmet. And "The California Fire Drill" (to a Marty
>Robbins ballad, "Running Gun") is technically mistitled,
>since there really *was* a fire in the hotel at the Baycon
>in question. True stories all....
Heh... I believe you. I wrote "Banned from Argo, Again" to the tune of
"Lodi" after Westercon in 1994 when the infamous song was a program item, with
the warning that it would be sung at this time, and this time only, and don't
ask for it any OTHER time... It was my first con, my first filk, and I didn't
get the whole thing... And of course, I wrote "Musicon Passage (The ballad of
SnowCon)" about the wonderful Musicon 5, which had the misfortune of being held
during the Blizzard of '96... most of use were snowed in for one extra day ...
some more. We had a Sled Dog Party on Sunday...
-Scott
Marie Martinek
In article <61ga88$a...@login.freenet.columbus.oh.us>, lcou...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Lori Coulson) wrote:
>
>
>
>: 02 Oct 97 13:27, lcou...@freenet.columbus.oh.us wrote to Multiple
>: recipients of Filk discussion:
>
>: l> : Juanita Coulson once imposed an even better penalty on an
>: obnoxious taper.
>:
> l> : (Do not meddle in the ways of loud singers, for your microphone
>: may go up in smoke.)
>
>: l> Microphone, hell--She fried the guy's entire system....(Herbs &
>: l> Simples, Martha Keller, Marcon 1975...yes, the one immortalized
>: in "Ballroom")
>
>Asher Densmore-Lynn (Asher.Den...@f115.n130.z1.fidonet.org) wrote:
>
>: What's the story here?
>
>We were getting ready to filk in someone's room when aforesaid obnoxious
>taper appears with his reel-to-reel and microphones. He then proceeds to
>were not amused. So once he was all set up, Juanita launches into "Herbs
>& Simples" and when she reaches the witch's shriek all the needles on the
>machine go redline and it dies...can you say repair shop, boys and girls?
>I knew you could....
An addition, as I heard it ...
The nimnoe asked for a sound check, so Juanita, in her quietest, most demure
voice, said "all right. test, test, can you hear me?" while he twiddled his
sensitivity far up...
Marie Martinek
mv-ma...@nwu.edu
(or sometimes, Ross Martinek tria...@nwu.edu)
same account, different alias...
Marie Martinek
In article <cd0_971...@bdragon.shore.net>, kay.s...@bdragon.shore.net (Kay Shapero) wrote:
>
>
>
>On <Oct 08 11:52>, lcou...@freenet.columbus.oh.us wrote to All:
>
> l>obnoxious taper appears with his reel-to-reel and microphones. He
>then
> l>proceeds to make everyone move so that his mikes can be in the
>"best"
> l>locations. We were not amused. So once he was all set up,
>Juanita
> l>launches into "Herbs & Simples" and when she reaches the witch's
>shriek
> l>all the needles on the machine go redline and it dies...can you
>say
>
>Now there's a scene I'd have liked to have seen - and then again
>maybe my
>hearing would have gone the way of the tape machine. I've never
>heard the
>song, but I *have* heard Juanita... You folks were lucky not to get
>inquiries from hotel security as to who was being murdered up there.
Tangential anecdote regarding "Herbs and Simples" and Juanita:
At OVFF 1 (or was it FilkCon 2? The one at which "The Title Will Follow" was
written), Marty Burke was GOH, and instead of a Guest of Honor speech, he did
a Guest of Honor gig (I guess that may have been the start of Filk Concerts).
He did a standard half-hour gig after the banquet, and then there was a break
while the room was rearranged, everyone went up to their rooms to get
instruments and songbooks, and we sang for Marty for the next four hours...
Stuff like, since he sang us "Windmills", we made sure we sang "Circles".
Anyway, he was also being fed Tullamore Dew, and as he got blearier he at
times ended up hooked into Doug Rice's recording board (when you're unfamiliar
with a song I guess it's easier to make it out with a direct feed from the
microphone with less background distraction). Some kind and generous soul
sneaked up in back of him during "Herbs and Simples" and gently lifted the
headset away from his ears at the Appropriate Time so that his brain was not
turned into pineapple yogurt. Doug had, of course, unhooked himself at the
start of the song; he knew what was coming (and also knew he had to pay Real
Close Attention to his meters in order to get anything usable with as much
volume variation as that song has). Marty ended up leaning around the divider
with an incredulous look on his face...
Gary J. Ehrlich
W. Scott Snyder wrote:
> get the whole thing... And of course, I wrote "Musicon Passage (The ballad of
> SnowCon)" about the wonderful Musicon 5, which had the misfortune of being held
> during the Blizzard of '96... most of use were snowed in for one extra day ...
> some more. We had a Sled Dog Party on Sunday...
Ah yes...a memorable weekend, that was...I was one of the unfortunates who
didn't escape 'til Tuesday. Got to know Lee well, though, since I spent
two nights on her living room floor 8-)
Meanwhile, from points further Northeast, there was the proof that lightning
**can** strike twice. I refer to the pair of slanderous parodies of "Don't
Push That Button" Spencer Love was hit with at consecutive cons--first Rennie
Levine's "Don't Move That Mountain" immortalizing Spencer's ConCertino efforts,
followed a year later at Conterpoint by "He Lost Our Money," which earned me
a near-garotting with microphone cord...
-- Gary
--
"Gorgeous" Gary Ehrlich
Visit Electro's Hideaway!!
http://www.access.digex.net/~electro/electro.html
"Life is a bowl of Oreo cookies" -- Urban Tapestry
Kay Shapero
On <Oct 12 11:07>, steven....@boeing.com wrote to All:
s>I would dearly love to see the lyrics to "Stairway to Babble".
OK, here you go. I guess it has been awhile since I posted it in
here.
The words refer to a specific incident: the current situation is
different
so I'd have to write a new one. I'm not *quite* annoyed enough yet,
but
should inspiration strike... :->
STAIRWAY TO BABBLE....
Words: Kay Shapero
Tune: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zepplin
(mostly - either elide "moderator" down to three syllables or expand
the
two notes in the original to a triplet; your choice)
There's a laddy who's sure
That a user was screwed
And he's telling the Moderator echo
And he says that it's true
That she threatened to sue
But that this simply counts as "dissention".
Ooh, ooh, and he's telling the Moderator echo.
And the Mod thus involved
Says he wants to be sure
That we all know both sides of the question
Though we've seen this before
Still he posts quite a listing
Of the things that the user is doing.
oooo... hit the (N)ext key.....
oooo... hit the (N)ext key.....
There's a feeling I get
When I (L)ist Moderator
And I see how all the traffic is growing
As the others join in
With their own tales of woe
And you wonder just where this is going
oooo... hit the (N)ext key.....
oohhh.. think I broke the (N)ext key....
And I wonder how soon
Posts would stack to the Moon
If I printed them out in hard copy
And I wonder just what
I'm expected to do
With the things that I find listed in them.
Is there a nuisance in your echo?
Don't be alarmed now,
They're often found in just such places
Yes even if you wait and watch them
Know in the long run
There'll be time to kick the fugghead OUT.
And no one will wonder.
The newbies watch this and they don't know
What to say so
They sit and watch or drop the echo
Or wonder if their labor's own fruits
Could be lawsuits
What have they let themselves in for now?
And as I scroll on down the page
I read the user's in a rage
Or that the other users say
They hope that she will go away
Or that she insults all the throng
Example posts 5 pages long
And all that I can do is ask
Exactly how long this will last.....
And they're flooding the Moderator echo....
Words copyright Kay Shapero, 1993 with sincerest apologies to Led
Zepplin