Since the song is a pop song, the beatboxing to simulate the drum/bass lines is important, and very well done. I like how he was even pretending he was playing the drums, by using his 'air sticks'. Using the women to do the higher instrumentation was inspired, even though there was no lyric parts for them.
All that said, the storm bit was fan-freakin'-tastic. The wind/rain with their hands was cool, and using the creaky risers to do the thunder? Genius.
I was a bit nervous at first, I've stood on too many of those creaky risers! That looks like a fun piece to do in a chorus, I've always liked the harmonies in that song anyway.
Oh, it was well choreographed. Notice that they start off with rubbing their hands together, then the finger-snapping, then thigh-slapping, then jumping on the risers, and then they back off to the finger-snapping again. The lack of synchronization between all of them is what really makes it work, as it sounds more like natural rain falling rather than a bunch of people making hand noises.
I have been part of a rainstorm-in-a-room before, many years ago. Must have been a Westercon or something, Los Angeles, the Masquerade half-time entertainment was a storyteller, I forget his name, Mark Something. Quite a departure from the usual noisy bands they used to get. He engaged us all in the storm, and if you think this sounds amazing with mere computer stereo speakers, try it all around you.
At some point or another, I am going to do a concert DVD. I want very very much to do this with judifilksign. And I think having her lead the audience in something like this as an intro to "Storm Dancing" would fuckin' rock.
I was about to look that up - I thought there was a bit of an unusual phrasing, kind of a lilt as they hit the power chords at the end of the quieter verses going into the chorus that sounded like English wasn't their first language.
And you're right, that makes it even more awesome...
Interesting; thanks for the post. The 'special effects' at the beginning were very well done, and I salute them for making the fact that choral risers are often noisy into a feature. :) I found the actual singing part somewhat lackluster, though; they could have done a lot more with it (e.g., increased the dynamic range, maybe kicked up the tempo just slightly and/or added some rubato in spots).
Awesome! I always loved this song and the first couple minutes were really inspired. I closed my eyes to really listen to it and even though I knew it was them and I am sitting in 85 degree sunny weather it was like listening to the rain. Thanks for the pick me up on a Monday!
It's actually a fun story. They did this back in the 1998, it hit YouTube and went viral in 2006, and they recently (2008?) signed a deal with a record label. (See Wikipedia.
Gorgeous! Damn, they're probably not likely to do a concert in Chicago... no, I just checked--not even in any place I can pronounce correctly. I am not likely to make it to Ljubljana any time soon.
back in Cub Scouts we used to have all kinds of cheers to keep the energy up at Pack meetings, one of which was very much like this that we called the "rain cheer". it started out snapping fingers like that, or "clapping" with onyl one finger against your palm, then two fingers, then three, and so one until a full clap. then after a couple of seconds, you went in reverse, which made it sound like when the rain is blowing in waves like in a summer thunderstorm here in Florida. awesome to see it put to such a beautiful purpose!
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Beatboxing ftw
Using the women to do the higher instrumentation was inspired, even though there was no lyric parts for them.
All that said, the storm bit was fan-freakin'-tastic. The wind/rain with their hands was cool, and using the creaky risers to do the thunder? Genius.
Re: Beatboxing ftw
That looks like a fun piece to do in a chorus, I've always liked the harmonies in that song anyway.
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I wonder if it took specific direction to get the rain effect, or if it was just "snap your fingers and sound like rain".
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I suspect there's more than one kind of lack of synchronization. "Like rain" probably isn't the same thing as random.
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And Africa has always been a favored song.
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Way cool video!
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And you're right, that makes it even more awesome...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-lRKTauow
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Thank you for posting that, Tom!!
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cub scout rain cheer