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Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:43 pm
by Niveous
The final two will battle it out!

Submit an original song by June 28st at 11:59 PM (EDT) that fits the following criteria

Title: Pistols at Dawn
Challenge: Bring your A Game

Send your MP3 to nurein.sidefight@gmail.com

Good luck!

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:04 pm
by JonPorobil
The first Nur Ein happened while I was in college and not paying much attention to Song Fight! and sidefights. I think I became aware of Nur Ein between III and IV. I know that the first time I participated was for Nur Ein IV. Looking over the titles and challenges, I remember getting goosebumps at seeing the Round 7 challenge: simply "Bring Your A Game." As we're all well aware, that challenge became part of the Nur Ein formula - the last remaining directive for the two remaining from the fold.

I never imagined that I would ever get far enough in a Nur Ein to begin work on one of these Round 7 songs. It remains to be seen whether I'll be required to finish mine or be able to submit it as an official entry (for the fifth straight week, I'm betting probably not). But to have made it this far, and to receive that familiar challenge for the first time, has given me chills.

I can't wait to see who the final two turn out to be and what they (or — do I dare to dream? — we) come up with for this title.

NUR EIN!!!!!!!

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:08 pm
by Niveous
People, let's see some shadows. All sorts of shadows! Never-ending Listening Party.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:16 am
by furrypedro
I'm not sure what this challenge is supposed to mean. Is it to sound like the band A?
Do you have any examples of bringing a your game? *
I think clarification is needed, and I'm pretty certain I'm not the only one (naming no names).


* I think now would be a good time to reminisce about Nur Ein finalists who actually wrote their best song of the competition in Round 7

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:41 am
by vowlvom
furrypedro wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:16 am
I'm not sure what this challenge is supposed to mean. Is it to sound like the band A?
Yes.
furrypedro wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:16 am
Do you have any examples of bringing a your game?
"5 in the Morning" - A
"Bad Idea" - A
"Number One" - A

I saw A live once. Supporting Symposium. Bonus points if your song is about that gig.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:49 am
by furrypedro
vowlvom wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:41 am
I saw A live once. Supporting Symposium. Bonus points if your song is about that gig.
I adjust my mind
To the Killing Position
Cos pistols at dawn
Is Jason's Addiction

p.s. I don't get bonus points cos somebody eliminated me by 1 point back in round 4 :P

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:55 am
by vowlvom
furrypedro wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:49 am
p.s. I don't get bonus points cos somebody eliminated me by 1 point back in round 4 :P
Aww, don't be so hard on yourself.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:08 am
by JonPorobil
furrypedro wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:16 am

* I think now would be a good time to reminisce about Nur Ein finalists who actually wrote their best song of the competition in Round 7
Three come to mind for me, and two of them are Frankie Big Face songs.

Frank's "Heart of a Lion" is one of my favorites of his, and I'm still honestly a little surprised he didn't win that year.
Frank's "Source of the Light" truly feels epic, like the ending song to a concept album.
Also I wanna call out The Tydon Docks' (Caravan Ray) "The Usual Bravura" for being a great capstone to a great year for him.

I truly don't think anyone has ever failed to rise to the challenge of Round 7. There's just something so dramatic about that final showdown, how could you not bring your A-game?

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:16 am
by vowlvom
I really struggled with the final round two years ago. After having all of the actual challenges to guide me the sheer possibility of being able to do whatever I wanted was terrifying. I thought my song was pretty good in the end but not one of my favourites from that set of songs. We (Vowl Sounds) totally brought our A-game last year though!

Anyway, looking forward to hearing the final songs this year, whoever it may be. And hoping for a good set of shadows too!

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:52 am
by furrypedro
Generic wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:08 am
I truly don't think anyone has ever failed to rise to the challenge of Round 7. There's just something so dramatic about that final showdown, how could you not bring your A-game?
That's probably because you're a very kind a generous person, unlike myself :D
But while the event itself is certainly dramatic, I have on occasion felt underwhelmed by the end product, a little like a world cup final, it can sometimes be anticlimactic. This is perfectly reasonable given the gargantuan effort that the competitors have made just to get there, which you well know is pretty energy sapping. Also the dynamic changes. Instead of being scrutinised by 5 judges, the final is basically a 2 band song fight, albeit against a very strong opponent.

I wonder how many of the Round 0 eliminees will remember to vote this year. They get a reminder email right?

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 7:21 am
by frankie big face
Jon Eric, you’re bringing back some tough memories! Of course, I was robbed in the Nur Ein 2 final. That is common knowledge. ;)

It is hard to do anything in the final round other than what you’ve been doing all along. I could not have remembered that “Source of the Light” was the final without looking it up. And I think that’s a good song but probably not my best song of that Nur Ein. I also wonder if I would have made it to the final that year in this environment where the competition is so tough.

I would like to think I “bring my A game” every time but sometimes you get an A- or a B+. That’s life. Like Vom, I think the challenges help shape the songs and when you don’t have that, it can be harder (at least for me) to come up with a good idea.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:41 am
by mo
Glenn might feel differently, but I thought our final song last year served best to put more focus on Vowl Sounds' song hahahahahaha

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 11:43 am
by seemanski
furrypedro wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:52 am
I wonder how many of the Round 0 eliminees will remember to vote this year. They get a reminder email right?
Glad I just had a quick skim through the forums, I didn't know about this. Strictly speaking I was a round 0 eliminee but came back from the dead. Anyway, I digress. How does this work? I'm going to take a wild stab and guess we vote on the nurein site.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:08 pm
by Lunkhead
The final round is a battle between the two remaining competitors with the votes of the eliminated competitors and the Nur Ein Judges choosing the winner (one vote per "act," whether you're a band or a solo competitor; if you're a duo, trio, quartet, quintet, or more, you'll need to discuss internally how to allocate that one vote).
viewtopic.php?p=216411#p216411

I guess what's missing from that info is how people vote. Email your vote to nurein.sidefight@gmail.com by 9pm Pacific Tuesday.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:00 pm
by seemanski
That's the bit I was missing, thanks for filling in the gaps.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:11 am
by grumpymike
“Bring your A game” is a tough challenge, IMO, because it leaves no direction if you aren’t inspired by the title. RIP Nur Ein XI.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:36 am
by furrypedro
grumpymike wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:11 am
“Bring your A game” is a tough challenge, IMO, because it leaves no direction if you aren’t inspired by the title. RIP Nur Ein XI.
Surely it leaves any direction, but I understand it can be tough. Obviously Nur Ein is not meant to be easy and one test of any songwriter is what they can produce when given no instruction, so it feels appropriate to symbolise the path to (temporary) mastery. I always felt that since there were no more judges the challenge was to write the song you really want to write and execute it to the best of your ability in all aspects.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:40 am
by Adam!
Shaddow Liner Notes: as threatened, I gave myself a hard timebox of two hours and wrote a song about an... old cowboy? Not what I expected to write.

Very unfortunately my video recording screwed up so there will be no Behind The Screams video for this one, which really bums me out.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:44 am
by crumpart
I’ve set a challenge for myself to write a normal song. Let’s see how that goes.

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:45 am
by BoffoYux
Link to the Nur Ein XV Final Listening Party. Plus a history lesson for NE 8-14 thanks to Niveous!

'Pistols at Dawn' is at 9PM Monday, June 29. Preshow should start a bit earlier.
Drop by and hang in the chat to talk about the song - and don't forget to vote! Any artist who submitted a song for NE XV gets one vote.
You have to fight amongst yourselves if it's a band as to who you vote for (1 vote per band)



https://youtu.be/S1HEbAne6uQ

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:33 pm
by Lucky Spoon
Adam! wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:40 am
Very unfortunately my video recording screwed up so there will be no Behind The Screams video for this one, which really bums me out.
Fake it

Re: Nur Ein XV Final Round "Pistols At Dawn"

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:30 pm
by crumpart
Final Hot Pink Halo shadow sent! I have this extended project going on where I'm making songs about artworks, and I've had the idea for this one on my brain backburner for a while. It's based on a photo called Young Farmers 1914 taken by German photographer August Sander, and detailed in this video: