The Sonic Microphonic Society rescue mission (part one)

We are privileged to have, over the next few weeks, the Boneyard column come courtesy of Tucson Arizona’s very own cosmic cowboy, Howe Gelb.

He is currently touring through Europe with his giant band, Giant Sand, and took the time to send us a message in a bottle with the following tale from the road.

Take it away Howe…

The Malmö Sonic Microphonic Society: Rescue mission

There I was… minding my own biz ness

And by MMOB, I mean having that part of the day with nothingness intended, along with my good ol’ friend, Anders Pea Soup Pedersen…

All we needed was an old man’s bar… ya know the kind… where they still allow smoking and sailors… just to keep out the pesky knot top hipster annoyance.

In any case… there’s always an older looking woman behind the bar, younger than I am, pulling pints and smiling to show off how grubby her teeth are from tobacco joy.

We instantly feel at home.

She sets us up, and we head back and sit alone from the clustering crustering elders and discuss the tour we just had in a way to savor all the moments that blurred by…

A tour primarily all set up by the good man, Anders, there amidst the turmoil of his lovely albeit sick mother passing away.

The amount of work done with his signature panache was inspiring per usual.

All the Danes providing equal amounts of workload and sonic splendour.

Just one thing. My mic was left behind in Malmö coupla nights ago after our gig… the ripple effect of which adds to a chaos revved up by the following jet lag sound check, ‘cause that’s when i finally notice it’s missing.

Welp.

There goes half my ability as a psuedo singer for the Copenhagen/København set.

Ya see, it’s a Lombardi microphone.

Made at a very small factory in Forli Italia. They are like guitars… in that each one has a little personable nuance to it.

A nuance that I, as a traditional non singer.. well, actually, as a traditional non-player of any instrument… rely on hidden nuances of the instrument to make good/better use of it.

In this case, it’s the same with the Lombardi mic.

In other words… By careening in closer to the mic or coming at it from an angle it makes my voice available in melodic ways that I normally struggle with.

Other mics certainly have their own nuances… I mean, who doesn’t?

So that night in the Dansk capital city with friends and fam amongst the hyggilig crowd, they will never know how masterful my sputter delivery couldve wouldve been.

But we are champs in the field of nightly improvisation concerning gear going wrongly, and never let on.

The young sound man woman was also adding to the jet lag bluster by not considering the impact of eventual crowd surrounding the stage concerning my amp placement… but when ya object during the annoying jet lag hour(s), it comes across ulikke.

Very.

There’s no panache.

No sir.

Aaaaaaaaaanyway…

We muscled through it. At least the lag disappeared a few moments before set time and it was a fun sweaty gig with lots of lovely smiling faces, all duly inspired by the opening set of Desoto Caucusing.

After our set, this cranky old bastard about collapses so tuuuuuuuuckered.

Is what it is .. is all it is.

Gotta get that tank of oxygen on the rider. Side of stage. .. a blast now and again.

To be continued…