Wow, thanks guys.
Interesting thing about that video.... Last semester was very tough on me. I had a relationship issue (broke up because of crazy schedules) that I didn't know how to deal with emotionally, and I was feeling rather inadequate musically. I mean, I was geting A's, profs encouraging me, etc. but I felt this strange pressure, and I was tired of the playing the guitar all together. I felt very not good enough.
My friend finished the video, and I uploaded it. The response I got from people like Paul Warren, Angus Clark, Tommy Farese, and even Dave Weiner when they saw it just blew my mind. I can see every thing that happened that I had intended to happen a different way when I see that. lol. I was very afraid to show it to anyone, but I knew it was important to risk it. At a time when I was VERY depressed, this scarey decision to upload that video reconfirmed the reason why I went to school (Oddly enough TSO and Tommy Farese had a lot to do with me going to school in the first place...)
It still scares me to show that video to anyone... I don't know why, but it does. lol
Dude, that was some serious solo playing! The travesty (to me) was the sedate, uninspired, and totally unappreciative applause you got when you were done. Where were the lit Bics? Where were the screaming fans? Where were the guys doing air-guitar to your licks and going "Wooooo!" at the end?
Anyway, cover or no, you pulled that one off with skill and aplomb. My hat's off to ya!
Jay
We are required to perform at least once every semester at forum. All music students are required to attend. We are a small department, so there were about 30 people in that auditorium at that time. A few stragglers that heard I was going to be performing this crazy song called "For The Love Of God." lol.
One of the purposes of forum in the eyes of the department head is to teach the students how to be an audience of a wider range of music, and the performer to announce themselves properly, etc. Usually, someone will perform and there are glorified golf claps for a few seconds. That round of applause was litterally a raucus compared to the norm. And, most people were just clapping with thier jaws dropped... they'd never heard a song like that before. The sensation I got when looking at the crowd was that they were watching Star Wars for the first time.... like that Star Destroyer was flying over thier heads for the first time in 1977. lol That's me praising the composer.... the song itself just blew thier minds... the idea that the guitar was written for in that way.
It's just a beautiful song anyway to me.... That's why, if you noticed, my approach is a lot softer than Steve Vai's. He really attacks that song. Really forcefull and aggressive... I hear it more soft and soothing. Especially when compared to the album version. I think it's the power of the song in it's general meaning.... I think he was trying to convey the vast ways people do things for the love of God, and I play it more how I see my love for God. To me it's all the grace, and to Steve he plays sections that are the grace, and he plays other sections that represent the violent histories, and sections that represent the ritual, etc. It's like he composed a song that is designed to be different depending on who plays it, and I think that's brilliant.
Yeah, I like Vai a lot. lol I wish I had a tenth of his magic (not technique, as amazing as it is, that's not what makes him great)....
), and surprisingly a lot of people have commented that the tone was great. I didn't have a lot of time to get setup and whatnot with classes, and I had to share the stage with a bunch of singers throughout the forum, and the thing doesn't last for hours.... So, I didn't bring the Mesa rig and set all that up with mics and whatnot. I just brought my Behringer V-Amp, used the Soldano setting (pretty much stock, I just added more gain and equed it a bit... no chorus), plugged my wah in and away I went. lol.
