Sometimes the memory just decides that it's not going to function properly. When this happens on stage, as Kieth Urban explains, he has found that he forgets his lyrics, requiring some quick thinking.
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During an interview with Jenifer Hudson, Urban explains that although he can often forget his keys, he rarely forgets his lyrics. The huge library of songs he performs are all safely tucked away in his mind, ready to be plucked out and sung.
However, nobody is perfect, and as he explains, sometimes those lyrics just don't come to mind. Keith Urban explains the panic he feels when he forgets his lyrics. He describes it as a glitch, as the guy in his mind fingers through the filing cabinet of lyrics, looking for the next bar.
But, while he digs for the words, Urban has a clever little method to fool the audience. Rather than just stutter and splutter into the mic, he pins the problem on the hardware. Imagine a phonecall, when someone starts to break up due to bad reception. That's how Urban copes when he forgets the lyrics.
By breaking up his vocals, and making it sound like the mic has become faulty, nobody knows that he's actually not singing. It sounds, instead, like there is a problem with the cable, or the microphone itself. It's a genius technique, and pretty much faultless.
Mic Check One Two
In the interview with Jenifer Hudson, he explains how well his technique works. While pretending that the mic is broken, he will attempt to 'fix it' by giving the cable a wiggle. This gives Urban a minute or two to remember the forgotten lyrics and pick back up where he left off.
However, sometimes this has worked a little too well. In the past, he mentioned that one roadie ran on stage and replaced the microphone. This surely gave Keith Urban plenty of time to recover any forgotten lyrics he may have ended up struggling with during the show.
I think I'll try this one next time I am ruining a bar's ambiance with my karaoke. Although, they usually try to take the mic from me, rather than replace it.
