Machiniso post gig @ the Botany View Hotel
Machiniso returned to the Botany View Hotel for our second three hour setter on Saturday 4th January 2014. Every time I get to sing is an exciting event for me, so as usual I’d been looking forward to it all week. We had some new songs to debut too, which made it doubly thrilling.
We arrived to discover that the pub had mispelled “Machiniso” yet again on their big blackboard outside. Last gig we were Mashiniso, this time we were Machinso. Close enough I guess. Noone can pronounce it anyway. Although, come to think of it, perhaps it’s all the mispellings that make it impossible for anyone to know exactly what our name is.
Earlier in the week, I’d bought myself a pair of big blue maracas so I was looking forward to giving them a good ol’ shake on stage. It would seem that percussion was raining from the heavens, as RichMachine surprised me pre-gig with a handcrafted rainstick made from a cactus stalk. Very spectacular looking thing, which some audience members mistook for a big whacking stick. Not sure why. I’m a lover not a fighter! Sounded and looked spectacular on stage and I whipped it out for our song “Zimbabayayo”.
Rainstick in one hand during Zimbabayo
Oh. I’ve just remembered that many of my memories of the night are a bit blurred. So, I think I’ll just do a highlights list…
- Debuted a new song “Devil May Care”. I wrote this one a long, long, looooong time ago and have never performed it before. It was a big thrill to have the boys bring it into the originals repertoire and I have to say, what Scott Leishman does bass wise on it just hits the nail on the head for me. Looking forward to doing that one again soon.
- Rich handed me a cowbell sometime in the three hours. Oh, was it during Mundane Blues perhaps? Yes, I think it was. Started off on the brushes, but discovered my maraca handle was much more effective. i.e. more cowbell.
- Sang my high ‘G’ (G5) in Mundane Blues without a care in the world. Of course, I like to make it look much harder. Adds to the suspense.
- Debuted another song which is tentatively titled “Tango” and words were improvised on the night. This one’s a co-write with Scott Leishman. I brought in the bare bones – melody and chords. Scott added a beautiful little “pre-chorus” section and changed my F major in the chorus to an F minor. Also, as I’d written out the draft charts for the band, I’d left out one bar before the chorus and Scott suggested that it stay that way – a rather serendipitous mistake. Really adds to the intensity, urgency and passion of the song. Very tangoesque. Again, can’t wait to sing that one again and finalise my lyrics.
- I love my new very loud, very cheap and very easy to play Maracas! I had a pair of tiny ones before and they were very difficult to control. These ones are great and take very little thought.
- I wore two outfits. First one, a white tiger satin jacket with black satin skirt. Second one, the old fav, red shirt with my zebra skirt. All the animal print bases covered.
- Three Machiniso cushions now on stage. I finished sewing a new one last week in leopard print and leather. Very very sexy thing it is!
- Fantastic audience participation in “Nightcap”. Someone suggested “Fish Milkshake” which had all in fits of revolted laughter. There may also have been some sort of floor dancing – a sort of walking around on the floor in a circle with his shoulder as the pivot by the same person. Hard to explain, but it was most entertaining, at least to the singer.
- I may come back and add some more points…
A few video highlights from the gig below. Terrible lighting although RichMachine on drums seems to be directly in the spotlight.
