Some videos of me singing and playing, with apologies

I’m not sure what possessed me to do this (it must have been one EVIL spirit, I’m sure you’ll agree), but this morning I decided to test out the video (and audio, I guess) hardware on my desktop computer, by recording myself playing and singing a few songs.

Unfortunately, the video is pretty good, which made me realize that I’d trimmed my hair badly two days ago, but I have no one to tell me about such things, and I also can see only too well how I look.

I want to remind any viewers that the camera adds 10 pounds, and I have no fewer than three cameras on me!

Seriously, though, I finally had to tell myself, “If I don’t like how I look on camera, rather than avoid sharing such videos*, I should use it as added impetus to get in better shape.”

Weirdly, I’ve found that I make more mistakes when the camera is on, probably because I can see the video out of the corner of my eye, and I’m a bit tenser.  Also, the singing is not my best, because a) it’s early in the morning, and b) I kind of had my neck cricked a lot to keep my eyes on the guitar.  I’m not a good enough guitarist yet to do it without looking.  Maybe someday.  And then again, maybe not.  (But, hey, Jonny Greenwood always looks down at his guitar when he plays…or he looks down at something, anyway.  You almost never see his face when he’s on stage.)

The sound quality is marred by the background buzz of office equipment, and possibly some electronic noise in the system and the amp.  Not sure.

I also didn’t even get much of the guitar in at least some of the videos, which is a shame, because it’s a Strat replica by my housemate, who is brilliant with guitars.  He plays better than I do, too, but he’s been doing it a LOT longer.  I’ve only got really about three years or so of playing in spare time when I’m not writing, working, commuting or (occasionally) sleeping.  At least I don’t have any social life to get in my way!

I’d be interested in any feedback, if you have any.  I’m not sure that I want to upload these onto my YouTube channel…that feels a little too public.  But really, I guess it’s not much more public than this.  I don’t know.

Here they are, in order of performance, if I remember correctly:

Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead

[this may sound like excuse-making, but this was my first one, and I REALLY made more mistakes than I usually do on this, and also didn’t sing nearly as well as I usually do on this song.  I felt like my throat was alternately dry and full of phlegm.]

Blackbird by the Beatles

Julia by the Beatles

Exit Music (for a film) by Radiohead

and finally,

Polyethylene (Parts I and II) by Radiohead

I hope you like them, and apologize again for video, audio, and musical quality.

I forgot to put this in the first time, I have no idea how it could happen, but here is:

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

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*This has been my general practice.