Re: NYC - get real

[Weiser <weiser@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,
New York City needed to party and at least Paul knew it and got people
together and did something about it.
When some fall in the line of duty, the rest of us who are left to carry on
owe it to them to get back on our feet and remember that we're still alive,
we're still free and we can still party!
It angers me that the lowly criminals who carried out that horrendous crime
upon Manhattan got off with nothing more than losing their miserably
misguided lives.
They needed to see what they had done to normal people who had never done
them any wrong.
Without even trying you could feel all the lost light from the good lives
that were snuffed out by those evil fools.
 
I had already resigned myself before the fact that Zep wasn't going to show.
So what if it was a complicated situation?
For shame, my dear sirs, for shame.
But, let's get real, after all they are only popular musicians of great
fame and so rather than continue to do nothing but berate them for their
shortcoming in not attending the party, I think that they need to be forgiven.

At least, everyone who did participate knew this would be a really tough
gig to play.
Melissa Etheridge was stalwart when both her microphone and her guitar
failed her, she was a real trooper and kept going - to her credit.
John Mellencamp and his troupe were astounding and he's been singing about
America all along. He held his own with Kid Rock even when his lyrics made
the honored guests a bit uneasy with 
"go to work in some high-rise and vacation down in the Gulf of Mexico,
whew yeah,"
John kept his aplomb and everyone let the irony of his lyrics ride admirably.
Billy Joel was totally loveable.
Elton reigned supreme technically. His piano and voice were miked flawlessly,
(because otherwise his technicians would have had to commit hari-kari after
the show).
I wished I could have been there just to get the overall sound more
co-ordinated. 
I thought that supremely uneven sound was infuriating!
They needed about three more house amplifiers tied into the central PA bank.
I think they need to add a little bit more electrical capacity.
Excuse me, we're talking MSG here,
Yeah so what? 
Don't give me the specs. I'm sure they've been upgraded several times since
the last time I've read them, but I would have made it a priority to get
preset instrument sound level integration schemes in place.
So do I start raggin' on Paul Schaffer?
Naw, Mr. Schaffer sleeps with his equipment and without even the drop of a
hat is poised with his cohorts to play with his MSG "house" band in their
sleep.

Get real, EQ levels were too dampened on guitars.

I think that at least Elton's people had kept their notes on all front of
hall and other soundboard combination levels, so when they showed up he
could plug in and be spot-on right away.
His mike man needs to share some tech knowledge and hold some conferences
and symposiums for the rest of the industry.

Same went for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Their levels were on they were staggered correctly and well-blended.

Damn that Mick, he really must let the rest of us in on his secret to being
able to skip like a fifteen year old kid while pushing sixty.
It must be his diet and er... regimine.

But the next time I think about who stands for freedom I'll guess I'll have
to put Sir Paul McCartney at the front of the line.
 
I was bursting proud of Paul. It was ironic yet heartwarming to see the
British manchild that conquered the heart of the U.S. in 1964 return as a
gentle parent to teach his American friends a song about fighting for
freedom in 2001. 
I was also amazed and delighted with grumpy ol' Pete Townsend. As much as
he didn't like being caught up in the politics of the situation, he bit his
tongue, quit rolling his eyes in disdain for a few minutes and joined in.

And John Entwhistle wins the flying fingers competition again.
Roger Daltry didn't sing perfectly, but he sang with gusto if nothing else.
I felt like a kid again, when Paul was teaching all of us to sing,
"I will fight for my right to live in freedom!"
Ehenever we're down, we can sing that little tune and be reminded there are
millions of us who will continue to believe in freedom.
Flaws and all.
Pete was singing his heart out also
at the top of his lungs like an adamant school boy at a soccer meet.
As far as everyone there was concerned.
And Eric came through when they needed some solos right off the top. Grand!
They all tried - they all cared. They all pitched in!
They were all beautiful!
They were all wonderful!
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones missed out on a grand good
time for a worthy cause.
Sincerely,
Shar