Adam: I thought of you on this one. I just set up a regular saturday all acoustic gig at the farmers market here and just this one out of excitement to be back playing on the streets. I used a thumb pick to get use to it again. I use one when playing the streets but rarely in an amplified set up. It is reflective of the vibe I put off when playing the streets -the sun is shinning, people smiling, life is good........ Walter
Maybe it will give some inspiration to the guys working on the one man band thing.
here is the first part of the song. It went about 15 minutes total. I do that on the street more than in clubs because the audience is always changing and holding one groove for a long time feels good.
drinking that bottle down ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
thanks tookatooka! I was having fun. Thinking about playing the streets legally is very exciting. Most of my street career has been stressfull on some level with the possibility of getting kicked out at any moment. Everywhere I have played (NYC, Austin, SF, Santa Rosa CA, Paris, London, and various small towns around the world) had either no policy, a vauge one, or one so wierd it didn't make sense. If just one person complained the cops would have to shut me down even though most of them dug my music. I never allowed people to congregate around me to drink or get high. That is a plus with the cops because most homeless addicts will plop right down next to you for a day of free entertainment and they will work the crowd to get high, money, girls, or whatever it is that turns them on. When I lived in Brussels I bought a permit. That was the only place at that time that required one and let you play amplified. We use to use mouse battery powered amps. I am sure things have changed in these places since I played them because some go back almost 40 years ago. Now I am offically legal and can really dig the experience with no worries. I have recently disconnected from trying to get gigs. If they come my way great, and this came just in time to give me the faith to keep on this course. Walter
here is one of my old street partners as he is today. I did a youtube search today that was inspired by my new gig. I thought for sure he was dead. We played together in Brussels alot. Red Archibald, a great unknown to most, harp player would often join us. TT in this video is shell of what he was. He use to sing like howling wolf and play some mean blues slide guitar. Alcohol has really wrecked him. I can't believe he is using backing tracks. This is a guy that every major label courted when I was hanging with him. He told them all to go to hell. He liked the street. He would play long enough to get smashed. Responsibility was not a component of being an alcoholic. It is sad because he has a great heart and we were very close. We had quite a steet scene going in brussels - tt, king solomon, luther tucker (little walters guitarist), red archibald). When we weren't touring, we could be found on the Rue Nevre walk street downtown. TT is back in SF I gather from this video
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
I was in a bad mood because of that thread on ''talent or hardwork''. And then, your street corner stomp reminded me of what it's all about. The MUSIC (and not the people or the issues around it). ---------- Heart2Harp
Heart2Heart: I am glad it picked you up! I preach play what makes you feel good. that is what music is all about and what I do. What the world thinks I could care less than less :-) . Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
The bass player of my band mentioned Red Archibald, telling me how he used to see him play in Brussels back in the days (he probably saw you, too), and how he was a great harp player. I did some research on the man, and found very little : just an allusion on some forum, saying that he died some 5 years ago...
By the way, I saw Roland Van Campenhout live on stage two weeks ago, and he looked in good shape, playing great (I didn't have the chance to meet him and say hello from you, though). He has this new project with Steven De Bruyn (one of the best harp players in Belgium) and with a very fine drummer ; it's a kind of avant-garde blues, weird stuff but very good.
The Gloth: Red had a deep history in the Bay Area scene. He played with guys like elvin bishop in the heyday. He was hooked herion when I was around him. That made for some good and bad times... I heard he had cleaned up and was performing in the bay area before his death.
Good to hear Roland is doing well. He was definetly the king of the belgian blues at least when I was there. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
I saw Red a number of times around northern California. He was a fantastic harp player and entertainer. He was even generous enough to give me lessons after a show at the Torch Club in Sacramento while his band slept in their camper. He had a true passion for the harp and sharing his skills with others, much the same way folks here do...
jordan1397: Red was a good guy. He was one of the better harp players in the Bay Area. Walter
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
