REN X CHINCHILLA BLOW ME AWAY! HOW TO BE ME----PRO GUITARIST REACTS I'm a former interscope recording artist, LA session guitarist and music teacher #ren #chinchilla #renreaction #chinchillareaction #cosmicmiko
You get too little cred Chinchilla. But I hope you watch all of the reactions to your duets with Ren. You make so many people emotional, and even cry. I am one of them.❤️
Ren acts out his songs vividly as a storyteller, and I don’t mean that to say he doesn’t feel his music (the outro on Hi Ren is proof against that!), but Chinchilla FEELS it. It knocks her around, back and forth, in and out, and in her duets she zeroes in on her partner and you’ve never seen such empathic eyes. I always get the sense that Ren is asking “who will share my pain and sorrow” and Chinchilla is like “right there for you, mate.” It’s so beautiful to watch. This song’s vocal melody feels really old to me, almost a Cole Porter sort of thing. Ella Fitzgerald does a song called Azure by Irving Miller that reminds me of it tho that song is much more languid and peaceful of course.
I think Ren is a little more reserved singing this song because it's actually very difficult for him, especially the end. When he says it stayed with him the rest of his life he means it. It seems like it hurts as much today as it did then.
I saw that Chinchilla put a post out on her community tab the other day. She said that she will be putting out new music soon as a completely independent artist and she had been worrying about it. But since this new flood of support has come in she's not worried anymore. Both great artists. This is a heavy song but a beautiful song. I think music is a great healing force when it comes to grief. 🤘
I lost my nephew 3 yrs ago. He was begging for help and one quick decision was all it took. This song is exactly how it feels. You do forget how to be you when you lose someone so close to suicide. I keep hearing it as the first verse is Ren (I've been talking to the dead, my kingdom has turned to dust etc or do sad eyes blind me, I forgot how to be me) then the second verse could be his friends pov. ( I wish I could move, get up and walk right out of this tomb, my sins surround me) a lot of suicide survivors will tell you they immediately regretted that one quick decision. I think they are both screaming at God, angry he wasn't there. I'm sure I'm reading into it with my own experiences but thats they way I keep hearing it. Great breakdown as always!❤
Phillip's wife Susan here. I am so glad you have done this beautiful reaction to this amazing song. I first listened to this live version last year when I was feeling very lost in myself and thinking I needed to go on an antidepressant. The words hit me deeply. I related to the part about the bruises on the walls and bodies in the floors in the sense of the loss I experience due to having ME/CFS and knowing other patients have died due to this. It was very cathartic instead of going on an antidepressant I allowed myself to listen to lots of Ren's music. Then found "The Big Push" busking videos and felt like I got to live in Brighton for a while emersed in great music. I noticed that as I drank in the words "I forgot how to be me" I actually reconnected with my inner strength the part of me that is solid and not lost. The final words of Ren's reminded me of my Dad who I lost when I was a young girl to suicide and how much I miss him. This was also helpful in enabling me to reconnect with my true self.
That’s powerful stuff Susan….Ren was sent to save us all…..I’m so glad you’ve reconnected with yourself and happy to get to know you….I’ve been doing this for a month and you and a handful of other ppl make it all worth while….I have loads of self doubt but hearing your story reminds me of how important music is. Thank you. The line you referenced is supposedly taken from Edgar Allen Poe. Btw. :)
I think one of the many endearing points about the lyrics is that for the most part they could apply to so many people and so many different/desperate situations ... and it's only in that very last verse that you realize Ren is singing about something very specific and personal to him. It's for his friend and it's also for everybody. I like that.
What a great insight! I could not agree more, I've already stated how I perceived it but everytime someone points out something different, I play it again and it's like seeing the story through a new lense. It's a really cool thing to witness all of the effects his songs are having! Much love from TX!❤️
You are correct about Chinchilla on her own. There is a live version of her song “Fingers” which is very emotionally charged. An incredible performance where she leaves nothing on the table (except some fingers) and in which you are dug in with her 100%.
This song was written about Ren’s friend Joe Hughes (the song and album Freckled Angels are also about Joe) who took his own life after a party one night by jumping off the bridge where this was filmed (edit - not this bridge actually). Joe’s body was never found which just added to the pain. The emotion in this performance is almost unbearable. Pretty sure we see a tear on Ren’s face at the end. The part where Chinchilla starts belting really hits me every time I watch this. Another great reaction Michael, keep up the great work. Much love from Scotland 🏴
Hi Gordon, this wasn't actually filmed at the bridge where Joe lost his life - that happened on the Menai bridge in Wales. If you Google images of the Menai bridge you will see that this was not filmed there. I agree with everything else you say - an incredible song/performance
@@sammyd8860 thanks for the info, I’d never been terribly sure about that bit of the story, but I’d seen it so often recently I’d just assumed it was true
@@bewilderedboy1 No problem, wasn't criticising you personally. I have seen a few people tell the same story and because I knew it wasn't right I thought I should say something
@@sammyd8860 glad you did, I appreciate the information. I’m a big fan of everything Ren, and I’m astounded and fascinated by his story, so I’m happy you were able to keep me right
I'm glad you mentioned whether it was from the perspective of Ren or his friend, because I think that's one of the most clever things about this song - it could be either. I've listened to it numerous times now and everything seems to fit either, it could be about what his friend was experiencing, or it could be about Ren's experience of losing his friend. We know Ren is a very skilled writer, so I don't think the potential dual meaning is accidental. And the end of this song gets to me every time, I just want to give him a hug.
There is some serious trust between them for their collaborations to be so intensely felt by their audience ( US). At times their vocals and expressions mirror one another and at other times it feels like smoke swirling into the ethers.
I've seen Ren do this song on IG and he broke down... so I think having Chinchilla sing it with him was actually a mercy on his heart, to let her be his "wailing wall" (sounding board) or even "banshee," truly Going there For him, as he holds back on his vocals to give her room, but it's for her to speak / sing for him... just my take. Think I've heard elsewhere that the writing can be from both perspectives, all the way through, except at the end, when it's clearly Ren's broken heart speaking / singing. (LOVE this song, as it speaks to me and for me, but for different reasons)
Yo! I've been waiting on this one. It's my fave, for sure. Chinchilla is just... Woof. Sensational. My ears, my eyes, my heart, all in bliss when I watch her vids. Especially with Ren's words on her tongue and his breathy voice bouncing off of hers so perfectly. I just love this. I need a whole album of these two together. I adore them both on their own, but together they are perfection turned up to 11. Great reaction man!
A whole album would be a great start!! :) Chinchilla left a comment which I pinned if you wanna say hi to her. She’s as sweet as she is talented. I agree with you 💯. Cheers yo!!
Yo Michael, a beautiful painful heartfelt song, and you presented it with sensitivity and empathy. Thanks also for the technical breakdown which always fascinates me. Be well!
We've all been there ( lost one's tragically, who we loved ) & watching your response, you have to. The emotions evoked are laid bare for all of us. Thank you Michael for your response, love to all the people involved in this ❤
I never thought that this song might be written from the point of view of being dead. That makes a lot of sense. I also appreciated the sensitivity you approached this with. I may have to arm-wrestle you if you keep pausing so much, though. Keep 'em coming. I have a Ren habit to feed.
I hear ya but there’s a lot of information to process…..lyrics music melody harmony video. Plus I don’t want to talk over the video….AND my arms are stronger than they look so watch out! 😂 cheers yo.
@@michaelgoyettemusic I can see you are determined and it's true you don't talk over the video. The important thing is that you react to Ren and I have debilitating Ren habit. If you keep me well supplied I will overlook the pausing. Deal?
Ren's friend Joe Hughes was believed to have jumped from a bridge (possibly the one on which this was filmed). His body was never found. I think the most powerful thing about this song is that you can read it from either the perspective of someone losing their way in the darkness, or the people left behind who spend the rest of their lives looking for them. For a more personal song about Joe, Ren wrote Freckled Angels in tribute to him. It's a lovely, but bittersweet, testament to their friendship. There's a live version recorded at the Regal Room the year Joe left them, and a studio version. He broke down in the studio version but chose to keep it in, which was such a brave option.
Michael and everyone else reading this, Chinchilla is an incredible artist whose solo work I feel deserves to be covered or at least listened to. The studio recording of her song, "Fingers," is fantastic but watching her perform it live is as stunning as this. Here's a link and yes, friends, we know she has deadly nails. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KK56SwMFzdc.html
You seemed to be really touched by this performance.... like...like we all were, right? Beautiful song. Sad story. What an unbelievable mixture of sadness and beauty.
Just came to drop a comment so I don't forget. The Ren rabbit hole is wild. My algorithm suggested his band Trick the Fox (his super early years), which are very fabulous, and one of his best performances in The Big Push in my Opinion, Swan Song.
Yo, man. This is what losing someone close (by minutes) can do to you;, completely change you. "A force to be reckoned with" is a great way to describe Chinchilla. Such a trip going back a few months to watch you discovering these songs compared to the recent reactions. Rock on.
What a tragedy. I can’t even imagine….I miss seeing them all for the first time. ❤️ The music school I teach at is setting up a media room so I’m going to try to introduce some new people to the artists I’ve grown to love. If there are any negative changes I’ve made or things I’m better at….gentle critique is helpful to improvement. 🙏 ❤️
You just opened my mind when you said this is from the pov of someone deceased… I knew the over arching theme, but that makes so much sense with the bodies in the floor…🤯
"Intense Dispair" was a perfect description. I found you through these Ren reactions. I'm a Ren Reactor addict.... I'll check and see if you have more. Nice job.
It really helped when I remembered someone mentioned it with their request. I think I think of music similarly to Ren because I dont get this much information from everything I listen to. Cheers.
I know it’s against the general consensus but for me this song perfectly encapsulates the grief of losing a loved one the inability to breathe the fear and anxiety the inability to leave your room and inability to remember how to be without them. Being in the midst of such grief when I first heard this it felt like a gentle hug and excruciating release simultaneously. Thanks to Ren and Chinchilla this connects and aids healing.
Yo Micheal! 🤘🏼I think the words are Ren describing his years of being stuck in bed, being so ill physically & mentally to go further than his room. ‘Bodies under the floor, breathing loudly’ Ren thought he was going to die.. he went misdiagnosed for 10 years & was just told that it was all in his head
Glad you did this one. They’re really nice together live, preferably with sound up !! 😂 CHINCHILLA & Ren - Chalk Lines is great too - we need more from you & Ren. Get yourselves to Bond Street, Brighton on a sunny day this summer for a packed street raw Big Push style epic 👍🏻 ❤ 🇬🇧
@@michaelgoyettemusic Love it ! Record labels troll social media and talent shows for the odd lucky find. The real talent with joy in what they do seem to find each other street performing in bomenian run down enclaves of often seaside towns. You'd know as a guitarist - music's a calling and a passion with maybe the hope of acknowledgement. Grafton Street in Dublin - wow ! Have fun Michael 😊David 🤝
A haunting, beautifully realised performance from this duo. I enjoyed your reaction and analysis. An amazing song that always gives me the shivers. Losing oneself is very meaningful to me personally and I’m sure for very many others. It resonates. ❤
Yeah as an entertainer who went from playing stadiums to empty rooms….I feel it too. Finding purpose is always the best way out I think. Hope you’ve found an effective tool as well. I think us Ren fans are all facing challenges. That’s why he speaks to us. Cheers Lisa. I appreciate your insight
This track I always play straight after Chalk outlines it was written about a friend who committed suicide by jumping off a bridge his body has never been found.
Those intro harmonies sound create an uncomfortable dissonance that sets the perfect tone for the uncomfortable lyrics. I love watching these two sing. It is just as expressive as the story being told. This is one of my favorite Ren tunes, it has a maturity that you wouldn't expect by just looking at the cover of the song book. Every time I see REN do his thing I can't help but think that he would probably be a quick study in the cinematic arts as well. I had a dream where Johnny Depp did a random cameo when the Big Push were performing, and the ensuing mentorship led to us getting to see Ren explode as a Triple Threat (Actor, Rockstar, Advocate).
You make good points….especially about Ren acting…… Johnny Depp…..maybe……I picture Guy Ritchie discovering him though. ;) Thank you for your insights. Always on point!! :)
@@michaelgoyettemusic I agree Guy Ritchie is a great director. I'd love to see Ren get and opportunity for a cameo in one of those Jason Statham pics for sure. Even a minor role to start. I was just thinking about Depp's work with the Hollywood Vampires and Beck ... and how Depp landed his first movie roll (strolled in off the street to audition with a buddy as a joke) ... maybe there would be some chemistry and nostalgia ??? Who knows, I just hope that we get to see this Ren fella do big things. (If he even wants that ... right ??? Some guys aren't motivated by HUGE VISIONS OF GRANDUER. A little more 'Humble Pie'.)
I love what you do Mike. I created a channel, not unlike yours, not too long ago. I'm not nearly as chill as you are. For some reason I could only criticize myself through my youtube videos And it really has been an amazing way to improve myself as a person. You, sir, are an inspiration. I just found you today. Welcome to my short subscription list.
Nice. Good for you! I’ve been doing this for about 7 months…there’s a lot to learn about what ppl want and what you have to offer. Best of luck to you. ✌️
Great reaction you were spot on. To put it in context here's a video he done in his room after writing it and breaks down on the last verse and couldn't finish it. I saw some comments that it was filmed on the bridge where his pal ended it. It also shows how much Chinchilla brings to his music she's fantastic ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HxawFv-zoEs.html
As usual, great reaction. As for "How to Be Me," Ren's best friend, Joe Hughes, committed suicide; Ren alluded to it in one of his songs, stating that he lost his best friend before he was 25. The pain of this loss is evident in a few of his songs, "Freckled Angels" being one examples. It is dedicated to Joe Hughes, who committed suicide on the 27th of December, 2010. Someone else commented that the video was shot at the bridge that Ren's friend jumped from. His body was never recovered. Their live performance of "Chalk Outlines" is still my favorite song, partly because I can relate to it due to my own daily struggles. Although, losing your best friend to suicide is also something I experienced when I was 19 y/o (almost 38 years ago). “How to Be Me” definitely runs a close second, though. I would also recommend their busking sessions in Brighton, performing “Sexual Healing” (Marvin Gaye cover) and “One Dance / Drunk in love” (Drake/Beyoncé cover); those performances are of a much lighter mood and very enjoyable.
That’s so sad…..I think Chalk Outlines is my favorite song in the world right now….I play it and sing it involuntarily throughout the day!! :) So sorry about your friend. That’s a tough thing to deal with. Thanks for sharing.
@@michaelgoyettemusic I agree; Chalk Outlines is a very special piece of music, and I listen to it daily. I only wish that the live version were available on Spotify or Pandora. I like it much better than the lyric version because it is much more raw, emotional, and visceral. I appreciate your empathy. God bless you.
I do think this resonates with so many because, well, who hasn't felt out of sync, like things aren't lining up correctly inside, deeply uncomfortable in your own skin? As one with a close family member who committed suicide, this song is piercing. You're right, the desperate despair they sing is Joe's, the darkness he could not get free of. The last line is Ren expressing his own heart.
I'm not sure which perspective it's from, but yes it's about Ren's friend who at 19 jumped off of the bridge they recorded this video from. Unfortunately his body was never found.
I've been on the Ren train for the last three weeks--and now I'm on the Ren and Chinchilla train.🚂 Chalk Outlines ran through my head all day today while I was at work. I hope they continue to collaborate! Great reaction. 🤠Subbed.
10:33 He is describing someone deceased in this song however not this part. Here he is speaking from his friend who took his life. He is talking about being trapped in your own prison. "Laying in my bed voices in my head", "I don't feel safe in these hall's bruises on walls bodies in the floor and the breath so loud", "I wish I could get up out of this tomb". The tomb here is not his grave but his own prison; His mind... That is why Sin follows him everywhere he goes... "Over the hills and the valleys below; back home", and it suffocates him... This song is song from the perspective of Joe until the last line...
Yo, when I was in my early 20’s my best friend killed himself. I was the last one he spoke with on the phone, I told him not to be a coward. 30 years later, I still miss him everyday.
I've watched so many reactions to this and all the other Ren/Chinchilla songs. This is the first one where I haven't scanned down through the comments before the end!
@@michaelgoyettemusic Oh yes, it's good. I love reading the comments in reactions to Ren, more than any other artist, as usually the comments can be a tad competitive. Ren's fans genuinely relate to all the other fans. I just got so connected to your reaction.
@@toniyoung5131 thanks 🙏 ❤️ I still see a little narcissism in the comments for Ren videos although less so than most other artist’s fans. I can’t remember a single nasty comment on any of the Big Push videos I’ve done…..they seem to be the nicest of the Ren fans.
Yo... you definitely had the key elements of the story. This is a tough one, its probably one of my favorite songs, but as you said the emotions just overtake you. I would definitely be a mess at one of his concerts lol
Loving your reactions, thanks! Can you please react to Casey Chambers live cover of Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’, it’s a phenomenal performance that will leave you speechless 🤯
Didn’t read through all the comments so not sure I if anyone mentioned it yet, but apparently the bridge they are performing on is the one Joe jumped from. 😢
They're not on Menai Bridge itself. It looks like the balcony of The Freckled Angel restaurant that is in the town of Menai Bridge. They'd be able to see the bridge from there though.
Ren's friend Joe Hughes sadly took his own life at the age of 19 (by jumping off the Menai bridge at around 3.00 a.m. on 28 December 2010). Ren's song Freckled Angels was written about Joe and the album of the same name was dedicated to him
❤ I look forward to seeing your reactions. Small request: is there a way to turn up the volume of the video? I hear you clearly and up front...it's harder to hear the artists . I say this with all due respect and keep up the good work ❤
I think that the perspective could be both. If you listen to the words from someone that is suicidal (depression, lost of any hope, etc.)I know the last line is Ren. Joe Hughes was just 19, I am assuming Ren was around that age also. Joe was calling his friends and saying he was going to jump. Other friends said he was depressed a couple of weeks before this. Suicide in itself leaves friends and family always wondering if they could have prevented it and then not finding his body. There is no closure. Ren and Chinchilla are out busking. Ren x Chinchilla - One Dance / Drunk in Love (Drake / Beyonce cover). And Chinchilla X Ren - Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye) Live. Both of the are good.
But did anyone see him jump?(wouldn't just walking into the water be faster and just yourself go if ya wanted to drown) I don't understand how his body never showed up, unless it got snagged on something. I am guessing they did a thorough search and found nothing. A body never stays under water long. It eventually floats to the surface, and I don't know how the river was at the time, but still it would show up.
@@michaelmardling3152 This happened in 2010 in the UK. There is news story about it. The Menai Bridge is 100 feet from the water, some water ways it isn't possible to just walk into the water. He had also been drinking. The article said there was a house around the bridge and they heard someone yelling. They might have been the ones that called the police. I don't think logic really applies if someone is depressed and suicidial. It is just really sad.
@@michaelgoyettemusic yo, sorry to here you're not feeling well , and no power Damn ! Hope by the time you read this you are feeling better, and the power is doing it's job . I could be doing better, but who couldn't . At least my power is on .
No not at all. In university music program I was about a B- when it came to ear training so there are folks way better than me…..I hear things on guitar fairly well…. But I can only get the right notes first try if I already know what key it’s in or if I get lucky! Also I can see his hands in the he video. So no. I don’t…. :)
Had to stop watching this reaction. I understand the need to pause and comment occasionally but this was excessive and seemed more about you trying to prove that you could match the melody with your guitar than anything else, which added nothing. This song is about feeling, flow, incredible transitions and emotional build. Your reaction was killing all of that. I should have realised it wasn't going to be great when you paused before they even started to sing, to make a superfluous comment about Ren counting them in. This was followed by several more pauses and rewinds before the lyrics started, just you you could give a pale imitation of the music on your guitar, for no good reason. When you paused right in the middle of the incredible 'I can't breath transition, to fiddle around with your guitar again, I gave up...
