David Perdu at Guthrie's Folk Club - 6am Wednesday 7 September 2011

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David Perdu has only been performing in Second Life since March 2011 and I first heard him soon after that when he played alongside Russell Eponym his friend and neighbour also from North Wales.  David is a very accomplished and well-established player of classical guitar in the real world, and fast gaining in experience as a performer in Second Life.  

David is becoming a frequent performer in SL, sometimes with his SL Partner EsmeRose Melody as lead vocal. On Wednesday he entertained us alone, filling the 6am slot at Guthrie's ... 2pm in the afternoon here in the UK.



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David began with an instrumental L'alchemist by french algerian Pierre Bensusan.  This is a lovely gentle, lively, optimistic piece.  A beautiful melody to listen to time and time again :))

As soon as David started to play, the very high quality of his playing was apparent ... wonderful work :))
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Bert Jansch is a Scottish folk musician and one of the two founding members of the very influential folk rock band Pentangle who played from 1968-73.


His St Fiacres Revenge is a more compelling, less relaxed instrumental work though David played it fairly quietly and gently.  Again beautifully done :))

Twinky Waffle - David's Manager

" If you'd like to make a request, I do have a songlist "

In fact David has 14 originals on his song list and his next was his song Only On Loan all about life and figuring out what best to do with it ...

...... fortune favours the bold and this life is only ours on loan ......

This is a good, strong, rhythmic piece with a melody which stays in your head for days :))  David was strongly applauded :))

Another instrumental followed ... The Hermit  by John Renbourn, from his 1976 album of that name.  John is one of the fathers of contemporary British folk music ... a Londoner, later living in the SW of England, John was the other founding member of Pentangle, but released this album post-Pentangle.  

John's work has classical and medieval influences and has a very english folk song feel. David did this piece great justice, and produced all the sparkle and interest of John's original :))

Feet can look good in one Viewer but not another !!

Next was Paul Simon's song Slip Sliding Away


God only knows, God makes his plan
The information's unavailable to the mortal man
We're workin' our jobs, collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway, when in fact we're slip sliding away
..........


David's rendition captured the original with lovely tuneful guitar, relaxed and gentle singing.

Another of John Renbourn's tunes Faro's Rag folllowed on. This was a moderately fast and cheerful instrumental typical of rags, but with David's english classical guitar feel to it :))


Eric Clapton's Old Love is a blues rock song from his 1989 Journeyman album. David's strong guitar playing and confident singing capture the essence of the song very well !

I can feel your body
When I'm lying in bed
There's too much confusion
Going around through my head
..............

Next was a very well-known classical instrumental piece by the influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period, Francisco Tarrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Memories of the Alhambra was written during his visit to Granada around the year 1886.


David's superb playing of this was free-flowing, authentic and accurate !!


Then in total contrast !!  A surprise request for Kings of Leon's Use Somebody gave David the chance to show his great versatility and range of songs :))


Then another cover - Fake Plastic Trees from British alternative rock band Radiohead's 1995 album The Bends. Radiohead singer Thom Yorke said the song was a product of a joke that wasn't really a joke, from a melody he had no idea what to do with ... the lyrics were just whatever was going on in his head ... he wrote the words and laughed, he thought they were really funny.


Her green plastic watering can
for her fake Chinese rubber plant
in the fake plastic earth
that she bought from a rubber man
in a town full of rubber plans
to get rid of herself
...............


This song was an excellent choice for the range and flexibility of David's voice. His rendition was stylish and competent !


His final song was one of Paul McCartney's solo pieces - Blackbird 


And in the last two minutes the instrumental - Lagrima  another of Tarrega's fine classics.

David Perdu is a talented and versatile performer well-worth going to listen to and supporting and I certainly look forward to going to hear him again :))


Further information about David Perdu can be found in my linked blog Here


Here's the SLurl to get to Guthrie's Folk Club

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