The Return of Johnny Orwell

I've had a chance to look at the video of my "comeback performance" from last week's open mic night, which my pal John Rosborough kindly videotaped. It wasn't as bad as I thought, although it was still cringe-worthy in some places for me. I don't mind the singing so much - that's not what I'm good at, so I can live with it. The guitar playing was the problem. At the beginning, I was so sloppy it's not funny. Years and years of rust. Honestly, I was never a Hendrix or Clapton, but missing an F#M? Ouch!

However, by the time I started the third and final song, things were sort of in a groove, which was fun to watch, for me at least - especially as I played an old Tall Poppies / Julia's Rain song, "Mysterio", which was the last song I played live, in the last Julia's Rain set, back in February 1998. The really fun part for me, however, was watching what I did at the end of that song, and at the end of the second song - I basically started busking, i.e. just winging it. At the end of the second song ("Darkest Hour"), I slowed the tempo down and ad-libbed my way through a verse of Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart". Then, at the end of Mysterio, I started to string together verses from a couple of songs I wrote this year, which tied the old days to the new. I watched it with an old pal today, and he commented that I almost seemed comfortable by then, because I wasn't trying to be perfect, I was just going with the flow - which is what I used to do, many years ago, at coffee houses or variety shows in university, or busking when I was in Scotland (and other places).

I've always been most comfortable in a band, as just one of the guys in the rhythm section (albeit the one who wrote all the songs). But it's nice to know that I can still play the guitar on my own - and even stay more or less in key for most of a song when singing.

And, best of all, I had fun doing it. Despite what I said at the end of the last song ("Thanks - see you all again in another nine years"), I think Johnny Orwell is back to stay.

Truth is, I missed him while he was away.

- Paul Kimball
aka Johnny Orwell