Good luck, I certainly don't envy you but I'm sure it'll work out.

You will surprised what a human being can do under pressure!



If you have just a week to learn... then it will take you exactly a week to succeed!

Will this programme be shown live online, i tried watching fridays programme but could only see an empty studio. i love the midnight cowboy theme and have total confidence that mark can pull it off.

I suppose the main things are a) have the correct harmonica, and b) be able to play it! The Midnight Cowboy theme needs a Chromatic harmonica, since the tune doesn't follow a normal Diatonic scale. A bit more involved than your usual Blues Harp ...

"Whoopee-tee-yi-yo. Get along little dogies. It's your misfortune and none of my own."

Mark - this is what you really need for the performance:



https://www.donald-black.com/

As others have said, I'm sure it will work out, Mr. Kermode. I mean if it is a fairly simple melody... Still, I can imagine the pressure! Anyway, good luck and have fun!

Good luck. It's a much harder piece than I remembered it too. If you can pull it off half as well as this guy with just 10 days practice you should be very proud!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu0hO3BpFpg

My comment.



Mark, perhaps being able to play it well is less suited to the occasion than that it is played badly. And with the others instruments I look forward at times, to a well tempered cacophony to enhance the celebratory spirit of the evening.

Best of luck Mark, I'm sure it will be fine. Book a few lessons or something :)

I recently started to play the harmonica. I thnk I must mave bought a bad one, because all MY notes seem to be wrong.



Not jealous at all, mate...

Flip! Good luck, just going to have to practice hard till the show. Just imagine the feeling if you acomplish this tune on that harmonica.

Is having a big mouth helpful or problematic for playing harmonica? Ba-dum-tish.

Mark, to rev up, administer some Dr Feelgood (band.)

Surely it can't be any harder than the bagpipes? Oh sorry, I forgot...

It could be worse, Ratso Rizzo himself may have used the harmonica before you.

somefellacalledlime

On Friday to see the programme you had to use the link on the 5live homepage. If you used the link on the programme page you just got the empty studio.

Mark,



In relation to the excellent podcast extra, I think you were being a bit harsh on Forrest Gump, it was more than a collection of pop songs - I know it featured a lot of off the shelf music, but Alan Silvestri was deservedly nominated for his original score, which really set the tone for some key moments in the film, and, in my opinion, standout in their own right.

No doubt that The Kermode will do smashingly. Incidentally, having to learn the new instrument in a week before performing live in a promising event as this sounds ideal for a comedy. Someone should film Kermode for the next week including the actual performance. The footage would make for an entertaining documentary for the Kermode Uncut blog. Maybe then, Mark will win himself a Kermode Award for Best Docu(or Mocku)mentary.



Just a suggestion and wishful thinking...

May I add my encouragement along with everyone else for Friday 10 June.



You'll do wonderfully. With your undoubted knowledge of a non-chromatic harmonica already, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to find your way through the piece of music.



Thank you to @cybermyth for the recommendation to view the livestream from the Five Live homepage. I too just went to the usual Kermode/Mayo site and saw the empty studio. Now I know where to go, and yes, I've been told, many time ;-D.



Looking forward to the program.

Maybe get some pointers from Toots?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu0hO3BpFpg

Perhaps you could use your regular harmonica and just bend the notes, blues harp style. You'd still be missing some though.

this has nothing to do with your video but thought you would enjoy it



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGb8pMIeY6w



good luck with the performance :S

mmmwwaarrr hhaaarrrrr !!

When I posted my earlier comment, I did it on a browser that didn't display the video, so I didn't know that Mark was already aware of the need for a Chromatic harmonica. So it's good to see he was ahead of me ... just!

Play all the wrong notes on your ordinary harmonica... or just tell them you can't play it