what you guys DONT see, is that she's thinking to herself the WHOLE time. "eww, I dont think so because he is _________. Insert reasons why here. (or something to that effect) for the record, he isnt picking up chicks with it, hes telling her, whether she wants to hear it or not, that he'd like to nail her...and he doesnt care that her husband or boyfriend knows. he would not be so bold without being the headliner at the show. this clip above is very much more a description of bad boy behavior than anything else. ADDITIONALLY!!!!: this has been covered EXTENSIVELY in another RECENT thread, and SURELY the OP knows this and still REPOSTED THE SAME VIDEO WITH THE SAME QUESTION. Is this really happening???? ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
I agree with Keyser here. I don't think her face is saying "wow this is hot, I'd love to be sleeping with this guy"...I thought she was viewing it more like she was looking at a circus act.
I'm not saying blues/rock/harp/guitar players can't projext sexuality...i just don't think he was doing a good job of it here.
The kissy pop sounds (if that's waht you call them) were stupid and annoying. But then as a guy, I realize they weren't intended to amuse the likes of me. Still, I've been to many shows over the years where I've thought to myself "I want what THAT guys got." I don't feel that way about this vid.
Personally, I read in her face "well!, this is mildly embarassing..i'd better smile...everyone's looking at me"
And finally...yeah I know, a lot of the blues cats were tough dudes in their day....so were a lot of the people that went to hear the music (though maybe not the guy who is apparently her boyfriend/husband in this vid).
i've been in plenty of places where the botfriend would be only too happy to make sure branch would have a pretty tough time playing the harp after that display,and with the support of a number of the locals.
Last Edited by on Aug 14, 2011 5:10 PM
Most boyfriends/husbands are fairly dialed in to where their woman's attention is at. If he was confident she wasn't interested he wouldn't be touching her back repeatedly trying to get her attention back.
If she wasn't moved she wouldn't of applauded above her head and continued to rock back and forth in a musical trance. Note again boyfriend touches back, and never once does she respond to the cue and move in closer to him.
He may not have had a chance to "nail" her in reality, nor would he need to. He won the moment with successful seduction.
Meanwhile the gal with the mullet looks like she wants to nail Billy and he backed off.
I think the kissy pop noises are funny because it's sounds like calls a horse trainer makes.
I guess in a moral context you could call him a "bad boy", but I think more accurate is a bold boy and that is the real sex appeal.
They made a connection and he gave her full attention and was bold and she was enrolled and it made a magic moment for everyone that was there. The song was after all, "I'm a Man".
Not that I'd want to be the boyfriend, lol. I've been there and worse with an old hell-raising singer girlfriend of mine back in my twenties, but that's another story! ---------- Shane,
all i have to say is... she knew she was on camera. nuff said. ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
OK so this is guitar playing not harp, but from 2:06 - 2:12 THAT's the look of a chick that's feeling the sensuality of the music. Not that stupid kissy pop shit.
I've seen Billy do that same thing about three dozen times over the years. Women seem to eat it up. Most of the time, the woman seems to enjoy the attention and I never saw him have a problem with an angry boyfriend or husband. Most of the time, the guys were totally cool.
Anyone that would be stupid enough to try to act like a tough guy would have been making a huge mistake in those days. The guy playing guitar behind Billy is Carl Weathersby. If you know anything about Carl, you know three things. First, he is a truly gifted blues singer and guitar player. Second, he is a former US Army Ranger who served in Vietnam. Unless your an idiot, he is not the type of guy that you mess with. Third, he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He is the also type of guy that has the back of his friends.
Having grown up in Chicago and having been a patron of a lot of blues clubs, many of them in shady neighborhoods, I can tell you that I never had a problem in any of them. I didn't always feel safe on the street. However, once I got in the club, I never had a problem.
That being said, I knew people that had guns pulled on them and got shot, but that rarely happened in bars. I knew of a guy that got shot playing with Magic Slim, but he might have been the only one. In those days, many of the bar patrons, musicians and bar staff were armed. Pulling a gun or being stupid in a bar wouldn't have been too smart.
1. Branch looks silly doing those noises. 2. The girl is laughing AT him, not WITH him. 3. You do not have to try and "pick up chicks"...if you're cool enough, they will pick YOU up. 4. As for the big bad tough guy guitar player... You think anyone is going to go marquis of queensbury with him? Not hardly...they'll just wait until break or when he isn't on alert, then walk up smiling and stab him in the nuts with an icepick. "Army Ranger...ohhhh let me run and hide". HORSEDUNG! ---------- Democracy==> 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what is for dinner. Liberty==> A well armed sheep contesting the outcome of that vote.
This IMHO, and it is just an an opinion, is one of the most asinine threads I've seen in a while. First off,as was pointed out, this video clip was posted and discussed at length in a previous thread not that long ago. Secondly, we seem to have a bunch of mind readers out there, speaking with utter authority in their knowledge of what the woman, the boyfriend, or Billy were thinking. It's show business folks. The man is putting on a show.
@Joeleebush - For a man who chooses to display his political views at every turn, on a harmonica forum of all places, I find your comment "'Army Ranger'...ohhhh let me run and hide. HORSEDUNG!" surprising to say the least. Just for openers you are grossly disrespecting an individual who has served his country in combat, done nothing to you, and as far as one can tell from the description provided by one who knows him, is unlikely to present himself as a "bad ass". True bad asses rarely do. Blowhards on the other hand....
Joe, are you going to answer my response to your statement, "You are wrong"?
How is it that actors Cannot portray sexuality? Are there NOT acting clinics specifically designed for successful portrayal of sexuality?
You have been dodging for some time. Seems to be the Only thing you ever do. Make an Outrageous claim and then dip off. -------------------------------- You are gettin old man. The PRETTY women sure as hell do not care about You. You think you have more juice than Billy? Ha!
Last Edited by on Aug 15, 2011 8:59 AM
It can be dangerous out there making music. People get all sorts of tripped out on the stuff. Recently, an acquaintance of mine was almost destroyed after a late night gig in the hamptons. A crazed man wacked him upside the head and torso with a crowbar. Paper says he a was jealous x.
There are many nut jobs out there....and in here
Last Edited by on Aug 15, 2011 10:07 AM
Thank you for acknowledging my mind-reading skills, LSC, I'm normally not one to blow my own horn, unless of course I'm up in my office on that band stand!
Yes, this is an asinine thread, and I guess I'm a big fan of the asinine sometimes.
I'm just trying to have a little fun in a world with plenty of bad news, staying upbeat as a relief from the sweltering heat I'm working in (do you hear the tiny violins yet?)...
I hope you and others aren't too offended by this encore of Billy Branch's mysterious snake-charmin' panty-droppin' hoo-doo harp skills. Some of us hard -working grunts just need a little suspension of the day to day grind!
Now all I'm saying is chicks, horses, and possums can't be wrong. There is just something primeval about those kissy-pop noises that cuts to the bone, that signals to the reptilian brain to surrender, the alpha is running the show, it is time to rut! ---------- Shane,
@shanester - Actually you were not one of the mind readers of which I spoke. Sorry to disappoint :).
I actually liked Billy's routine and at a guess, not a certainty, think the object of his attention did too. It was a bit of fun, pretty clever really, and she appeared to me to be having fun. The point of the exercise.
One of my most memorable moments was years ago using a wireless and coming off the stage on the encore onto a packed floor. This rather well endowed young lady was dancing like a mad thing. So I go down on my knees in front of her. She moves up close and I bend over backwards on a long draw. She comes closer and straddles me but my back starts to give out and I have to come up. With no place else to go, I arrived with my face smack in the middle of the great chest that her momma gave her. She immediately proceeds to shake 'em up smacking repeatedly on both side of my head, wat ta ta wat ta ta wat ta ta. I managed to get to my feet, back to the stage and finish off the tune.
When we hit the dressing room the guys in the band were laughing their collective asses off. I mean just wetting themselves. My drummer said, "That's it. I'm gonna be a harp player and get me one of those wireless things."
Hey LSC thanks for sharing that, that's hilarious. I am a little disappointed that I'm not one of the mind readers but oh well, sigh.
I noticed you're in Austin, that's where I'm from but I've been working in Houston for several months. I took note of some of those jams you mentioned because I am going to be coming back for a couple of months to work on a project there.
