Earliest version of "we're gonna take a swing at Macbeth"

[Pottel]

just listening to 1999.07.21 Ronnie Scott's and to my surprise i hear Mark say this famous (in the meantime) line...
anyone heard an earlier version??
(it is at the beginning of the show when they come onto stage)

[dustyvalentino]

Ooh, was just listening to something the other week and remember thinking "God, has he been saying it that long?". Trying to remember what it was now...

[superval99]

And we're all still chuckling politely after all these years!   

[Jarle]

I suppose I should have known this, but can anyone tell me what that sentence is actually about? I have never really understood...

Thanks!

[dustyvalentino]

"Taking a swing" at something basically just means trying to do something. So what he's saying is, he wishes they would just come out at the start and say "Tonight we're going to try to do Macbeth".

Funny line, the first 20 times.

[Love Expresso]

I heard it the first time at the Boothbay Opera House Gig recording and thought that it fitted very well. But I heard about a bootleg from 2001 where  Mark already tells the same story. That must be very hard stuff for Guy, Richard, Glen and the other ones, to hear it almost every night on every tour...

LE

[Simon]

It sounds like an age thing - I am sure that if he was reminded that he had said it so many times before and on so many different tours he would be horrified.

We have the Glenn thing now as well about his lady beating him up every night.

What really makes me cringe though is when he tells us that Guy can mend your watch and fix your bicycle - I actually feel sorry for both MK and Guy at that point because I am sure he believes he is saying it for the very first time each time! And then of course there is the 'It's you and me Richard and everyone else, good luck' - oh dear! The list is endless. He did change the 'good luck' bit to 'bon chance' once though when in France:-)

[Justme]

To my mind this all is part of his rituals. Being the perfectionist he is, he doesn't want to think about what to tell between songs. I guess, that otherwise he'd feel also a bit uncomfortable as it would disturb his 'flow'. Another point may be, that the other artists know word by word what happens next and they can rely on these rituals.

[superval99]

The latest one is "The other night a guy at the front said - Just play everything! -  err, so we didn't"!        I think this one may have a bit of life in it yet!   

[Love Expresso]

Good point!
It is difficult sometimes for him I can imagine: People complain if he says nothing or is not too talkative. When he talks it is the same stuff every night...
Not that he would care about what people think of his shows...

But sometimes you can hear him in a very talkative mood. Nashville 2005 for example, or Boothbay... (I really love what he says before "Devil Baby"---
"Sorry Jerry, but..." and when he is so funny to call Romeo & Juliet "this is another first" and gets a good laugh from the audience...

I imagine it must be very funny to have a beer with him in a pub or two  and have good fun ... I am sure he knows a lot of stuff to tell...

LE

[Justme]

Yes and please bear the discussion about the length of setlists in mind. So he has to be 'efficient' when it comes to the talking. I suppose that he makes the best compromise out of it. It's a bit like in a well-oiled theatre. That means, that the occasional visitor is entertained, we get-a-lifers hear some new songs and the band have fun (almost?!) every evening.

[KitKat]

Hi all,

I only know this courtesy of the Frankfurt Symfy recording, but did any of the other tour stops get the "Doctor" story?...

It goes:

"My Doctor, he says...

......... pause.............

... "no dancing".

...... pause..........

"My Doctor, he says...

........ pause ...........

..."no running, no walking".

.....looooooonnnng pause....

"But I can cycle!.... I've got a bike"...

.... another long pause......

"But I like this.  I'm just telling you because I like this"....

"And every once and a while"

..... pause .........

"there's an accident"    (took me about 8 listens to realize he said, "accident")

"with my elbow and the stool"...

............ pause .............

"it makes me play things differently"

"but these guys, you know, they never play the same thing"

"so it's all, alright"...  

"alright..... Prairie Wedding!"............

(I might have some of it out of order but you get the general drift).


Somehow I think it was better if you could see him as he tells the story.  But just on the recording, it leaves you guessing what the actions were that went with it.  I'm sure it was better in person.  I don't mind hearing it at all, it's just a little out of context not having the visual.  But what a voice!  Personally, I like it when artists chat a bit during the concert.  Since I'm usually only at one, it's always new to me!

[Dutchessy]

Hi all,

I only know this courtesy of the Frankfurt Symfy recording, but did any of the other tour stops get the "Doctor" story?...

It goes:

"My Doctor, he says...

......... pause.............

... "no dancing".

...... pause..........

"My Doctor, he says...

........ pause ...........

..."no running, no walking".

.....looooooonnnng pause....

"But I can cycle!.... I've got a bike"...

.... another long pause......

"But I like this.  I'm just telling you because I like this"....

"And every once and a while"

..... pause .........

"there's an accident"    (took me about 8 listens to realize he said, "accident")

"with my elbow and the stool"...

............ pause .............

"it makes me play things differently"

"but these guys, you know, they never play the same thing"

"so it's all, alright"...  

"alright..... Prairie Wedding!"............

(I might have some of it out of order but you get the general drift).


Somehow I think it was better if you could see him as he tells the story.  But just on the recording, it leaves you guessing what the actions were that went with it.  I'm sure it was better in person.  I don't mind hearing it at all, it's just a little out of context not having the visual.  But what a voice!  Personally, I like it when artists chat a bit during the concert.  Since I'm usually only at one, it's always new to me!

Did he say that?? Wooow! That's new to me

Kidding

-------------------------------------------------------------

In amsterdam third night he said to someone who was shouting...

That's a very good word english you speak there sir......staggering!

That sentence was really new to me, and i'm sure it was voluntarily (is that the right word?)

[Jarle]

"Taking a swing" at something basically just means trying to do something. So what he's saying is, he wishes they would just come out at the start and say "Tonight we're going to try to do Macbeth".

Funny line, the first 20 times.

Thank you for sorting that out 

[Simon]

I don't think that being a perfectionist has anything to do with his ad libs between songs. To tell a bunch of people 'what a great place this is to play in, what a lovely theatre' is one thing - but to tell another bunch of people the next night, the same thing basically suggests he was just passing the time of day and looking for something to say - yet this is not the case - he is quite eloquent when being interviewed and never lost for words. His ad libs lose their value each time they are repeated. And yes, we got the 'play everything' story in Newcastle too.