My first public performance of “When I’m Cleaning Windows”

Posted by: Scott    Tags:  , ,     Posted date:  March 20, 2013  |  13 Comments


I returned late Monday afternoon from a magical weekend at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, where I attended one of the George Formby Society’s quarterly conventions. I met in the flesh many friends I’d already made through Facebook and Twitter, made many new friends, sung with a group atop the famous Blackpool Tower, bought my first banjolele (which I’ll tell you more about another day), saw some of the best live ukulele performances of my life, and was generally filled with so much joy that my face hurt from smiling so much.

Oh, and I performed “When I’m Cleaning Windows” in public for the first time.

Those who’ve been following my brief ukulele career (it’s only been about 15 months, remember) will have seen my overwrought thrashing out of that song early last year. But playing in front of others was going to be a lot different, even though the folks in Blackpool were about the kindest, gentlest, least judgmental bunch you’ll ever meet.

I didn’t dare do it on the big stage—that will come in the future once I’ve gotten my brain and fingers around the Formby style of playing—but luckily, the convention holds what’s called an Up and Comers session so that those of us who are still trying to figure out what the heck we’re doing can perform just for each other, rather than in front of the uke masters, who can be intimidating even though they don’t mean to be.

So on Sunday afternoon, I got up in front of two dozen or so players who were also as nervous as I and strummed and sang. You’ll note that the strumming here’s a bit different from my earlier home performance. The Formby friends I’ve made have advised that there’s no need to flail about madly throughout the song, that I should save any strumming pyrotechnics for the eventual solo. So I’m more restrained here, though I do make my way through a ragged solo. And once I get the hang of Formby-style, I’ll be dropping triples and other riffs back in along the way to liven things up.

Thanks to my friend Mike O’Dwyer for recording this and providing evidence I actually managed to get through the entire song. (And if you’re wondering about the false start, it’s because the banjo uke I only owned for 24 hours is a different size instrument than the concert uke I’m used to, and as a result, my fingers started off exactly one fret down the neck, which it took only a few bars for me to realize.)

And now that you’ve watched that, you deserve something far better. So I’ll be sharing some performance videos here later that’ll show you how it’s really done!





13 Comments for My first public performance of “When I’m Cleaning Windows”


Mike O'Dwyer

It was great meeting you too, Scott. I’m sure EVERYONE appreciated you making the ‘pilgrimage’, and I KNOW everyone admired you for getting up and performing. Come back to England soon.

    Scott

    I’ll be back there as soon as funds and vacation time allow. I loved it!

Danny Breton

I wish I could ‘like’ your video more than once Scott. I’m so happy to see you getting the technique down!

Your friend,
Danny

    Scott

    Thanks! I have a feeling now that I have a banjo uke with proper action, I’ll be able to make more progress on that Formby-style playing.

Mike Warren

Hi Scott I just had to come and say It was a great pleasure meeting you for the first time. I thought you were one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. The meeting in Blackpool was fantastic and will go down in Ukulele history for many of us I’m sure. Loved the video’s by the way. Keep at it my friend and you’ll be a great uke player before you know it. Until the next time.

From your new friend.

Mike Warren

    Scott

    It was great meeting you, too! I was a little nervous going in on how well I’d fit with the group, but I immediately felt as if I was surrounded by old friends. Plus, I feel I made great progress just being there watching everyone play and absorbing their knowledge.

    I wish I could visit on a regular basis to learn what I specifically need to do to get to the next level, because there’s no one here to guide me. Believe me, I plan on bugging you for advice! Because the next time I’m there, I want to be able to do a creditable solo on the main stage!

    Thanks for everything!

Tim Austin

Hi Scott . It was really great to meet you at the GF convention.
I was very impressed that you had travelled all the way from USA .
But now I have read about you on your blog I understand why.
You have a real obsession for the ukelele and this is just how the uke has hit me too.
I remember your Cleaning Windows well. I played 3rd at that session. Sadly my rendition of Little stick of Blackpool rock was no where near as good as I can play it at home. Playing first time in public is a bit nerve wracking isn’t it.
Well you later did a very good performance on the main stage, so was a lot braver than me.

Keep playing your new banjolele Scott.

Kind Regards. Tim. (Nottingham )

Scott

Yes, I remember your performance. Plus, you were near me during that final Thrash and I was trying to crib from you, right?

As for not being as good in public as we are at home, I felt exactly the same way. I didn’t at all think I was ready for the big stage, but three of my new friends said I should go up anyway, and I feel the result was cringe-worthy — on a song I’ve played perfectly at home at least a hundred times. I even strummed it for Caroline and Mike right before going up! Yet once there … poof! All the chords vanished.

I think a part of me thought I was wrong when I was right, since my home wooden uke is C tuning and my new banjolele is D tuning, so it all sounded wrong, I thought I was off and went even FURTHER off!

Anyway, yes, it is an obsession. I think I’m a lifer now.

Look forward to seeing you the next time I can cross the pond. Or in the Facebook Formby group!

    Tim

    Yes you was following me on the final thrash. I must say I really enjoyed those thrashes, they really get your fingers moving. There is a big satisfaction in the feel and sound of your uke with all the others around you.
    I realised like you that tuning to D had fazed me. I normally play my banjo uke and wooden uke in C . I retuned back to C when I got back home , sang Blackpool rock again and all was good again. phew!
    My wooden uke is a kelii soprano that I bought in Hawaii last year. It has a really warm sweet sound.
    Yes will be good to speak online or meet up again when you cross the pond again.

      Scott

      Yes, the Thrash definitely pushed me to attempt a splitstroke far faster than I’m comfortable with yet — which I guess is a good thing! Whether I made music or not, I sure was having fun!

James

Well done!

Lewis Clifton

Hello Scott,
On behalf of the George Formby Society, I would like to say how honoured we are to share your company. Your a brilliant person and a fantastic guy to talk to. You are more than welcome to come and see us again.
You did fantastic on stage, very well done, you were brilliant.

I send my kind regards to you in the USA

Lewis Clifton

    Scott

    Thanks, Lewis! Kind of you to say so. I had a marvelous time, and if I could wrangle the vacation time (well, and the funds) I’d be there every quarter!

    Not sure when my next visit will be. I’e looked at the calendar, and see that I will be in Brighton for a convention related to my work exactly one week before the November GFS gathering, but as tempted as I am to hang out in the UK for the week between, I don’t know that it will be possible. I _do_ plan to bring my new banjolele with me, though, and am hoping that there are enough GF lovers close to Brighton that perhaps I can break away and we can gather somewhere for an afternoon or evening.

    Don’t know whether anyone lives close enough, but as that weekend nears, I’ll put out the call!

    Again, it was great to meet you.