Acoustic troubadour cover tunes - go

TimmyO

Help me put a list together of open-mic fodder.

This is my aim for this year (to do one or two) 

I've sung live before, but only ever with the 'protection' of a full band. 

Lewy

Have you got an idea of the kind of ballpark you want to be in? You were getting into Darrell Scott recently...that sort of stuff or more mainstream? 

richardhomer

May You Never by John Martyn - and make sure you dedicate it to @ICBM every time you play it! It's one of his faves....

TimmyO

I am 100% going to work on Down To The River in any case :-)

Happy to hear suggestions for good stuff off any type 

Lewy

I'm currently obsessed with the John Hartford song "Let Him Go On Mama". That makes a nice solo acoustic number.

BigLicks67

The logical choice is "Troubadours" by Van Morrison.

Lewy

I tend to think about these things when looking for songs to put into solo sets:

Can I relate to the content enough to perform it convincingly as myself rather than having to bring a different persona to it? It doesn't mean I have to have lived everything I'm singing about, but have I lived the emotions being described? Does the song makes sense coming from me....there's a load of songs I love listening to but wouldn't perform for this reason, and a load that I used to play that I either don't play any more or play very differently now. For solo performance especially, if you can't bring this element of authenticity and truth, you're just not really giving the audience anything (except maybe a bit of ambient background noise)

Instrumentally, I usually like to be able to play a break during a song - does it have some interesting changes that I can create hooks out of, or a melody that lends itself to the guitar's strengths? Audiences really respond positively if you use the instrument for more than just self-accompaniment but it's easier to do on some songs than others.

Does it fill a gap in my set(s)? Maybe I could use a funny song, or a weepy, or a story etc. Thinking lazily, could it fulfil multiple purposes ... could I play it on a blues gig and a country/bluegrass gig?

Masters of this kind of troubadourism: Chris Smither, Jackson Browne, Ian Seigal, John Hiatt, Doc Watson, Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell, Norman Blake, Steve Goodman, Richard Thompson, Courtney Hartman, Sarah Jaroz, 

TimmyO

Cheers Lewy 

We are setting off for Swanage shortly - look forward to seeing your show :-) 

Lewy

TimmyO said:

Cheers Lewy 

We are setting off for Swanage shortly - look forward to seeing your show :-) 

Awesome - which one you coming to?

TimmyO

Dunno - planning the weekend is this afternoon's job when we get there

TimmyO

Will let you know