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For rock and classic rock Al Velvetleaf is one of the best musicians you will find in Second Life. He's an all-round musician playing and recording his own drums, keyboards, bass, guitars, to create his own deep, mellow tuneful sounds that most rock musicians would die for !! With his sweet vocals, his great personality and sense of humour his show is a must !!
On Friday I was lucky to catch his show at The Drunken Drow, one of the oldest music venues in Second Life.
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Al's musical inspirations are Journey, Toto, Saga, Night Ranger, WhiteSnake, Queensryche and Rush.
His second song Separate Ways was one of the most popular by San Francisco band, Journey formed by former members of Santana. The song was released in 1983 on the album Frontiers and was used in the 2010 film Tron:Legacy. It's a powerful rousing piece with a great rhythmic drum beat and haunting melody. Al's rendition is formidable !!
Here we stand
Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground
I'm reaching for you, you, you
Feelin' that it's gone
Can change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide love divides
...... ..... ....
I still love you girl !!
I really love you girl !!
" Al U SO ROCK ! "
The Human League were formed in Sheffield, England in 1977 and broke into the pop mainstream on a wave of synthesizers and electronic rhythms ... an electronic New Wave band. Human was released as a single from their 1986 album Crash. This was Al's next piece.......
Come on baby dry your eyes
Wipe your tears
Never like to see you cry
Won't you please forgive me ?
...... ..... ....
I wouldn't ever try to hurt you
I just needed someone to hold me
To fill the void while you were gone
To fill this space of emptiness
...... ..... ....
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| Venus Panther - Al's Manager takes the stage |
At that point griefer PaulMcCartney Aho rushed onto the stage and pushed Al off and right across the other side of the Drow and away !! Al's manager Venus Panther rushed onto the stage to fill his place with some smooth dancing :))
Al laughed :))) .... " Did griefing bug me ? ... not really ... I'm not hurt, I'm still playing. I don't look at the computer screen when I'm playing. Let them have their fun, they're only kids, mom and dad will spank them later. "
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| Nicodemus Cattaneo |
English rock band, Pink Floyd released Comfortably Numb on their 1979 album The Wall. Renowned for it's guitar solos, the piece is a natural one, almost tailor-made for Al's, orchestration, style and voice :)))
Hello,
Is there anybody in there ?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home ?
Come on
Now
I hear you're feeling down
I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
...... ..... ....
The piece has a slow, powerful, rhythmic drumbeat with sinister and foreboding lyrics and guitar melodies soaring around it. In The Wall doctors inject a drug into Pink's arm making him hallucinate that his body is decaying.
Al commented on his playing " Maybe too much reverb ... good to trip out on isn't it :)))) "
" The next is cool and smooth ... pray for me "
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| Live Music Performer - Ugh Yeu |
Legendary Californian rock band the Eagles didn't perform Love Will Keep Us Alive until their 1994 reunion tour.
I was standing
All alone against the world outside
You were searching
For a place to hide
Lost and lonely
Now you've given me the will to survive
When we're hungry...love will keep us alive
Al's performance is as confident, exhilerating and tuneful as the original !!
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| Shandris Dagger - Drunken Drow Manager |
Rebel Yell by English rock musician Billy Idol is a great, rousing song ... yes almost a battle cry !! The song was a major success and Idol's superstar status was established after the release of the LP in 1983.
" Yeah !!!! Woot !!!! "
...... ..... ....She don't like slavery... she won't sit and beg
But when I'm tired and lonely, she sees me to bed
What set you free, and brought you to me, babe ?
What set you free!? I need you here by me... because
In the midnight hour, she cried More! More! More!
With a rebel yell, she cried more! more! more! ... Wow!
...... ..... ....
The audience really love Al's rendition of this .... local chat goes wild with excitement and adulation !!
***!! this tune is soo freakin' hot !!***
+~+ GiGlLeS!! +~+
little rebel yeah
more more more
more more moreeeeeeee
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!!!!!!
more more moreeeeeeeee
In the midnight hour ... cry more more more
screams !!!!!
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| Nyx Zane |
Al's eighth and last piece was a shortened - about 8 mins, version of his original Realms It's an instrumental with something reminiscent of the work of the music of French electronic music star Jean Michel Jarre. Majestic sounds are mixed with those of zapping lasers and rising percussion.
" wowzerrrrrrrrrrr "
" makes me wanna purrrrrrrrrrrrrrr when i hear one played well "
But there were only about a dozen in Al's audience :(( which I find amazingly disappointing for some of the best rock sounds you will find in SL !!
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| Pookie Breadbin |
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| Live Music Performer - Framulox Ezvalt on a raft in the undersea-themed Drow |
Al's music is out-of-this-world ! Strong sounds connect with innermost parts of the brain releasing dopamines and producing pleasure. It is majestic, serene, emotional :))
Al is a very talented musician, his orchestration and own backing tracks are brilliant, his performance powerful and entertaining !!
Further information about Al Velvetleaf and many other Second Life live music performers can be found in my linked blog HERE
Here is the SLURL to get to The Drunken Drow
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