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I have to assume, of course, that it was a sarcastic post.
Not at all Shroomy. I think he is a great showman and a decent player. I mean he can improvise ok. I didn't title the youtube video as an "Amazing Guitar Performance by Alex Fox and David Fox".
Not sure if Juan's being ironic, but showmanship is pretty important for musicians. I have noticed that many pretty good flamenco guitarists actually have negative stage presence. That means, it's worse to watch them than an empty spot on the stage. Maybe the dancers and cantaors have just beaten it out of them.
There's a busker in town with a pony tail, dressed in a long black coat and stupid trilby hat who plays cheesy "Spanishy" guitar muzak in a similar pose, with a pick. Reverb is turned up to 11 with copious, over-produced backing tracks (so much so, that you cannot easily tell which bit he is playing).
He always draws a crowd and makes more money than anyone else. People like stuff that reinforces their comfortable stereotypes.
Maybe the dancers and cantaors have just beaten it out of them.
or maybe they can't jump around like an idiot while playing a hardcore falseta and rasgueados. or maybe they are looking for a less superficial audience which appreciates the music more than their showmanship. or maybe both. or maybe they simply don't give a sh!t.
or maybe we are all idiots who chose this kind of music.
All I can offer as showmanship repertoire, is a smile or a severe look or few seconds of closed eyes from while to while (depending on the falseta and palo lol)
I think the only group of musicians who suffer more than us are classical guitarists lol
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Now that's what I call flamboyant! This is some of the most flamboyant flamingo-style fingerpickin' I have ever witnessed. Does he put the guitar behind his head at any point? If so, please post the elapsed time reference.
You guys are a bunch of snobs, if these guys came to my town I would be there getting so drunk and taking in every note and trying to dance with those women. Of course I don't like the music, but I am so bored I would go for this scene.
These guys must have honed those chops in a tourist road house in Punta del Este, but I could care less. I want to see if I could get that platinum blonde in the red dress away from the douchebag she is with without my woman killing me. And then make a pass at the young one in the white frilly dress.
What I really marvel at is that someone could hold a camera up to this for half an hour without committing suicide.
There are two women in leopard skin print dresses. I wonder if they fought in the bath room?
You lost it JG... why did I even open that video? All I experienced was that gagging reflex one suffers when sipping a presumably fine glass of wine, which has gone bad, and the hideous taste is exacerbated by the misplaced expectation.
Horrible, repulsive, disgusting. I took a shower of Vicente Amigo and Paco de Lucia's fandangos, but that revolting aftertaste isn't going away.
Please, post a warning next time, JG, because you have spoiled me/us to always expect refined work and references from you. It could read like this:
If you ate too much and are concerned about your weight, this will help you rewind what you ingested, and free your stomach. However, yes, it is a PAINFUL procedure!!
I couldn't watch the whole video(first 7 minutes) and i realize this guy is a show pony but i like that style of music they are playing which resembles Russian gypsy music rather than Spanish gypsy music.
I couldn't watch the whole video(first 7 minutes) and i realize this guy is a show pony but i like that style of music they are playing which resembles Russian gypsy music rather than Spanish gypsy music.
You lost it JG... why did I even open that video? All I experienced was that gagging reflex one suffers when sipping a presumably fine glass of wine, which has gone bad, and the hideous taste is exacerbated by the misplaced expectation.
Sorry gj Michelob.. Will do.. I was looking at it more from an entertainment angle. @Todd: I had to say something because people are getting the wrong impression here. I am not being sarcastic at all nor am I saying he is a great player with fantastic improvisational skills. Simply saying he is a great showman.
Oh JG, you have scored enough points on my book with your wonderful and prolific contribution to your falseta-swap-shop thread, that you could film your self burping, and I'd forgive you
I'm with GJ, JG, being a perpetual 16 year old I'm gunna poke fun at anything I deem "not cool" but seeing as your YouTube page is my bible/encyclopedia you can do anything you want and I ain't gunna be mad at ya.
You guys are a bunch of snobs, if these guys came to my town I would be there getting so drunk and taking in every note and trying to dance with those women. Of course I don't like the music, but I am so bored I would go for this scene.
These guys must have honed those chops in a tourist road house in Punta del Este, but I could care less. I want to see if I could get that platinum blonde in the red dress away from the douchebag she is with without my woman killing me. And then make a pass at the young one in the white frilly dress.
What I really marvel at is that someone could hold a camera up to this for half an hour without committing suicide.
There are two women in leopard skin print dresses. I wonder if they fought in the bath room?
I was just thinking is was good music to get drunk and hit on horny middle aged women with. Because that is what it is made for! He did what he was supposed to do. The pathos of the whole thing is messed up and sad and corny, it really deserves to be on a cruise ship for singles over 45.
Clearly the back and forth between the bandstand and the audience was the interesting thing happening. The music was a mess and the audience was a hot mess so how did they interact? Everyone did what they were called upon to do; the video guy kept going back and forth so whether he knew it or not he was directing the scene to really show the social contract between men and women and audience and band. And everyone behaved perfectly. Overall it was a good evening, you may not like the music, but that was to me not the interesting part.
Maybe this Alex guy goes home and puts on Bartok string quartets and drinks conyack. He could be really cool to drink with after the show. After shows like this the players go to another bar and say "Wow did you see how drunk the chick in the black dress got?" "Oh hell yeah, she about dropped them out of her neckline."
I picked up a Greek/Balkan vibe which I kinda liked, in another context staying out of rumba territory he might be a profound player. The guy is making a living, cut him some slack. I've had to do jobs I did not think were super high minded. I have friends who have to play music in these contexts in order to make enough money to pay rent, then they go home and play Bach or Scirabin on the piano to amuse them selves.
At the end of the night driving home they think, "Well I'm glad the loud mouthed drunk blonde fell on and crushed ______'s guitar and not mine." HAhahahah