Sing-a -longs

[Lou Purplefairy]

All of us can sing along to our favourite James songs, whether we can hold a note or not. What's everyone experiences with a singalong or even giving their own renditionss of a James/Tim Booth number? Come on don't be shy, lets hear about all the funny, tragic, memorable, emotional or whatever moments when you were caught out singing!
Who's been so lost in a James number on their Ipod on the bus or in the supermarket when you have fogotten which reality you are in and just burst into song and totally could not give a toot what you sounded like, but just felt the music coursing through your very soul?

[johnny_yen]

James sing a longs!!! I actually serenaded my (future back then) wife with Johnny Yen!! Back in the day, late 80s, drunk whilst carrying her home over my shoulder.... both a litle worse for the wear!! It always was my fav James song and seems to get overlooked at lot at gigs.

[Lou Purplefairy]

See? That's what I am talking about!
Serenading your future spouse and carrying them home over your shoulder! ace!.
last winter Solstice, I was a Stonehenge on the byway ( where we Druids, Pagan and Revellers gather the night before an open access event) and I met a wonderful man playing guitar who could belt out a few James numbers. We sang "Laid" together in front of 50 very cold people, and all through the night I entertained the many revellers by the campfire in temperatures of -8 with as many renditions of as many James and Tim Booth songs as I could remember to keep people from slipping into hypothermia as we waited for the sunrise. The said guitarist and I are still in contact and are in the beginnings of a beautiful friendship. Coincidentally is name is James. I can see that its fate!
I am frequently known to spontaneously burst into song whilst wandering around a supermarket, mind numbingly bored out of my wits with the mundane repetition, of the row upon row of endless brands of washing powder, tinned beans and toilet rolls which festoon the consumerist jungle. Usually i have to drown out the brain melting musak and endless drivel sweating from the speakers in the shop, so I don my life jacket of an ipod full of James and Tim to swim and dive the depths of this sea of "special offers" that lurk from every shelf and hanging display like some form of hypnotic marketing mind control, which can make you believe that you really have an incomplete existence, if you don't purchase at least half a dozen packets of overpriced chemically laden ready meals for a fiver.
Also, how many of us lose ourselves completely whilst driving in the car with the band on the stereo, while other drivers watch bemused at the nutter next to them at the red traffic lights, belting out "Sound" or 'Sometimes" or a myriad of other songs at full volume and "dancing" whilst strapped into a seat that serves the dual purpose of a straitjacket?
Or is this just me?

[nic]

he he I like ur writing Lou purplefairy and was very impressed with your singing with Tim (seen a vid) - well done to u! I am quite shy and althou that wud be so fab, i just dont think i could do it! (or the stage invasions) . . . .But i do feel that when Tim connects with the audience , there are times it feels he is singing right at me! ''she's a star'' or ''sometimes i look in your eyes and see your soul'' . . . he is prob looking at the person behind lmao!

. . .as for out and about gosh I am always singing Tim n James stuff- in the car, in work trying to spread the word!

[Lou Purplefairy]

he he I like ur writing Lou purplefairy and was very impressed with your singing with Tim (seen a vid) - well done to u! I am quite shy and althou that wud be so fab, i just dont think i could do it! (or the stage invasions) . . . .But i do feel that when Tim connects with the audience , there are times it feels he is singing right at me! ''she's a star'' or ''sometimes i look in your eyes and see your soul'' . . . he is prob looking at the person behind lmao!

. . .as for out and about gosh I am always singing Tim n James stuff- in the car, in work trying to spread the word!

Thank you for your compliments.
I reckon you could sing your heart out with Tim, too, if you just let it all go and reached for your dreams. Dream a dream and make it real.
Confidence is like a piece of glass. All shiny and perfectly clear, until it is shattered, and then its impossible to mend, so you replace it with a new one.
And yes, I do agree, that Tim connects with you in the audience. Its a spiritual thing, ad thats something we all have whether we acknowledge it or not.
Performing is a two way street, without that connection its a very sterile environment. Having performed in different types of ways a few times, (I am a Druidic Bard) I can tell you that unless you get some sort of feed back from your audience, you might as well be singing into a hairbrush in front of a mirror. Having audience participation, whilst quite unpredictable is a buzz for all concerned. Its how you develop a live set and make it fantastic.
I like intimate gigs, where you can feel as a member of the audience that you make a difference, and that whoever is performing is reacting in a human way with you. We are all connected in many ways and the pedestals are only in the mind. Frank Turner once said that there are no rock stars, just lucky musicians. Each of us is a spirit having a human experience, just looking for that connection with other souls who can comprehend what yours is expressing, especially when you are on a stage as a fan, I make it my business to inform the artist ( whoever they are and whatever their medium) how its made me feel, and what I think of it. As an artist myself, feedback is important. I understand that and so the interaction is a two way street for me. I've met many of the artists, writers and musicians whose work I enjoy. We are all human, interaction is important because its gets damned lonely at the top.
Keep belting out the choons, and keeping the music alive and fresh for those who have never heard of them ( and yes there are people like that!) to experience and collect. It's what keeps the members of James off the streets and away from the Jobcentre. And thats not a bad thing

[nic]

he he I like ur writing Lou purplefairy and was very impressed with your singing with Tim (seen a vid) - well done to u! I am quite shy and althou that wud be so fab, i just dont think i could do it! (or the stage invasions) . . . .But i do feel that when Tim connects with the audience , there are times it feels he is singing right at me! ''she's a star'' or ''sometimes i look in your eyes and see your soul'' . . . he is prob looking at the person behind lmao!

. . .as for out and about gosh I am always singing Tim n James stuff- in the car, in work trying to spread the word!

Thank you for your compliments.
I reckon you could sing your heart out with Tim, too, if you just let it all go and reached for your dreams. Dream a dream and make it real.
Confidence is like a piece of glass. All shiny and perfectly clear, until it is shattered, and then its impossible to mend, so you replace it with a new one.
And yes, I do agree, that Tim connects with you in the audience. Its a spiritual thing, ad thats something we all have whether we acknowledge it or not.
Performing is a two way street, without that connection its a very sterile environment. Having performed in different types of ways a few times, (I am a Druidic Bard) I can tell you that unless you get some sort of feed back from your audience, you might as well be singing into a hairbrush in front of a mirror. Having audience participation, whilst quite unpredictable is a buzz for all concerned. Its how you develop a live set and make it fantastic.
I like intimate gigs, where you can feel as a member of the audience that you make a difference, and that whoever is performing is reacting in a human way with you. We are all connected in many ways and the pedestals are only in the mind. Frank Turner once said that there are no rock stars, just lucky musicians. Each of us is a spirit having a human experience, just looking for that connection with other souls who can comprehend what yours is expressing, especially when you are on a stage as a fan, I make it my business to inform the artist ( whoever they are and whatever their medium) how its made me feel, and what I think of it. As an artist myself, feedback is important. I understand that and so the interaction is a two way street for me. I've met many of the artists, writers and musicians whose work I enjoy. We are all human, interaction is important because its gets damned lonely at the top.
Keep belting out the choons, and keeping the music alive and fresh for those who have never heard of them ( and yes there are people like that!) to experience and collect. It's what keeps the members of James off the streets and away from the Jobcentre. And thats not a bad thing

If it came down to it I reckon i could sing along with Tim, who wouldnt want to as it is a dream to isnt it!
You seem a very nice person, deep and thoughtful and ur right about so many things . . .we are all just human . . .although Tim is a bit god-like haha (either way I'm in awe of him )

I shall never tire of belting out the choons and hoping for more live soon . . .. . . . .

[Lou Purplefairy]

he he I like ur writing Lou purplefairy and was very impressed with your singing with Tim (seen a vid) - well done to u! I am quite shy and althou that wud be so fab, i just dont think i could do it! (or the stage invasions) . . . .But i do feel that when Tim connects with the audience , there are times it feels he is singing right at me! ''she's a star'' or ''sometimes i look in your eyes and see your soul'' . . . he is prob looking at the person behind lmao!

. . .as for out and about gosh I am always singing Tim n James stuff- in the car, in work trying to spread the word!

Thank you for your compliments.
I reckon you could sing your heart out with Tim, too, if you just let it all go and reached for your dreams. Dream a dream and make it real.
Confidence is like a piece of glass. All shiny and perfectly clear, until it is shattered, and then its impossible to mend, so you replace it with a new one.
And yes, I do agree, that Tim connects with you in the audience. Its a spiritual thing, ad thats something we all have whether we acknowledge it or not.
Performing is a two way street, without that connection its a very sterile environment. Having performed in different types of ways a few times, (I am a Druidic Bard) I can tell you that unless you get some sort of feed back from your audience, you might as well be singing into a hairbrush in front of a mirror. Having audience participation, whilst quite unpredictable is a buzz for all concerned. Its how you develop a live set and make it fantastic.
I like intimate gigs, where you can feel as a member of the audience that you make a difference, and that whoever is performing is reacting in a human way with you. We are all connected in many ways and the pedestals are only in the mind. Frank Turner once said that there are no rock stars, just lucky musicians. Each of us is a spirit having a human experience, just looking for that connection with other souls who can comprehend what yours is expressing, especially when you are on a stage as a fan, I make it my business to inform the artist ( whoever they are and whatever their medium) how its made me feel, and what I think of it. As an artist myself, feedback is important. I understand that and so the interaction is a two way street for me. I've met many of the artists, writers and musicians whose work I enjoy. We are all human, interaction is important because its gets damned lonely at the top.
Keep belting out the choons, and keeping the music alive and fresh for those who have never heard of them ( and yes there are people like that!) to experience and collect. It's what keeps the members of James off the streets and away from the Jobcentre. And thats not a bad thing

If it came down to it I reckon i could sing along with Tim, who wouldnt want to as it is a dream to isnt it!
You seem a very nice person, deep and thoughtful and ur right about so many things . . .we are all just human . . .although Tim is a bit god-like haha (either way I'm in awe of him )

I shall never tire of belting out the choons and hoping for more live soon . . .. . . . .

never give up dreaming. Your dreams are answered in ways you cannot imagine or guess at. Just be ready to recognise when its the moment to catch them
I always dreamed ( and I mean dreamed!) one day I'd get to sing a few lines if I ever got to a gig. My heart almost exploded when he handed me the mic and I felt like I was going to be sick with excitement. I was like a kid who had just met the real father christmas in lapland with a talking set of reindeers, real elves, fairies and was just offered to drive the sleigh on christmas eve for him. Twice in one night was very, very surreal and unforgettable, especially as the lyrics of many James numbers have been with me (they take on a life force all of their own) for many years pulling me thru some scrapes and holding my hand in this car crash we call life. For me, t was very very personal. "Point of darkness' has already a special personal meaning for me in regard to my spiritual work because I work with light both as a photographer and as a bard and druid priestess of Stonehenge. Singing those lines in Birmingham, was for me a deeply moving and spiritual experience which had me pulsing waves of healing light right throughout the midlands and beyond from the gig venue, which is why i let it go and let the my spirit sing. That is why I sing, because it enables me to send out waves of healing to this world. I was literally buzzing and pulsing positive healing love energy in proportions commensurate with that of an atom bomb! No wonder it took me almost a week to stop going far out into interstellar space on the wake of that cosmic wave! Maybe Tim sensed it, I don't know. Only he knows the answer to that! I have deep respect and understanding for him as a spirit, a human being and an artist because I can relate extraordinarily well to the stuff he produces and his thought processes in his work, so, maybe he got a glimpse of where i am at too! The whole world is in a process of waking up so who knows, eh?
we can but dream....

[nic]

i reckon Tim could sense it, he seems spiritual too - ur prob on the same ''spirit level'' he he x
I agree that many James lyrics help , whenever i feel down their songs pick me up . ''Point of darkness'' will be a fantastic song for that as it is about feeling low, until ''here comes the light'' and things start to pick up!
James songs have helped me so much, some are so so meaningful! then there are the fantastic lively sing alongs like ''all about time''
At the moment I feel very happy , life is looking good, April has been fab for me and Tim booth live was awesome - and because of ''love life'' and the tour I have a few new found friends xx

I love ur positve vibes Lou purplefairy!
hope u enjoy ur other free ticket gig!

[Lou Purplefairy]

i reckon Tim could sense it, he seems spiritual too - ur prob on the same ''spirit level'' he he x
I agree that many James lyrics help , whenever i feel down their songs pick me up . ''Point of darkness'' will be a fantastic song for that as it is about feeling low, until ''here comes the light'' and things start to pick up!
James songs have helped me so much, some are so so meaningful! then there are the fantastic lively sing alongs like ''all about time''
At the moment I feel very happy , life is looking good, April has been fab for me and Tim booth live was awesome - and because of ''love life'' and the tour I have a few new found friends xx

I love ur positve vibes Lou purplefairy!
hope u enjoy ur other free ticket gig!

Dingwalls was out of this wolrd. Tim spotted me in the front row, grinned at me and we repeated our duet on "Bless Em all" and finished the song together singing accapella as the band laid off the instruments for the last bar to let us both sing. We both went into free fall and really lost it with the singing. I think Tim enjoyed it as much as I. Met him afterwards and he signed my cd inserts and told me I had a beautiful voice, which has confirmed my ideas for singing on a more pro level now and I have been offered studio time and some jam sessions with a band in North Devon. I don't think life gets much better than this! The gig was a magic affair and he didn't want to get off the stage. After all the encores they he still came back with a Smiths number which had us all bouncing. What a banging last night. Tim was buzzin and the audience was too! We rocked each others boots off! I wish I could go to Greece to see him play, and I wanted to do the Kent Farm festi, but I am already booked to do another in Southhampton where I am performing as part of my healing work. Keep dreaming your reality Nic, as we co create it. Like Tim says, everythings connected.

The reason I am still breathing is because of a James song. It literally saved my life, no wonder I have a very very special connection toward the band. I saw them twice last year Beautiful Days and again at the o2 in Brum for my 40th birthday, and have seen Tim gig twice now this year too. I can say that I enjoyed his solo gigs as much (if not more, only because they were so intimate) as his work with James, and as much as I love James, Tim's solo work and collaborations with Lee (who I also met along with the rest of the band) and KK have a deeper meaning which I relate to far more than the James albums they have released since the Reformation. I dunno, something about Tim's writing has a deep resonance which mirrors my own style of writing and creative thought processes. I reckon you are right, we both seem to be on the same "spirit level". Being an artist myself( multi media), I do know how important it is to feel that connection with your audience and get feed back from your work, whatever your medium. Its a language and its all about communication and expression, which ultimately is so that we can all feel connected. I like the fact that Tim seriously doubts his sanity. Its a trait we both share. We have also the fact in common that we have both only ever written one song completely by ourselves, he used an omnichord, but I can play mine on my guitar! Its the only song I can play and it only took me 9 years to write it! lol!

[timboothweb]

Lou, What's The World is a James song, that The Smiths covered.

Good on you for taking the singing further. It was good to hear someone in the crowd sing in tune at a tim/james gig