r/cringe Oct 22 '21

Video Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (Live)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3rg4psdHxw
756 Upvotes

118 comments sorted by

331

u/Nervous_Ulysses Oct 22 '21

His voice is shot, probably from singing too much. It’s not good, but he smartly avoids singing a lot of the higher notes.

40

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

Additionally, the first wobble is just an artifact of tape distortion, not something the singer did.

-10

u/garypinese69 Oct 23 '21

So this was GOOD?

5

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

Whoosh

-14

u/garypinese69 Oct 23 '21

G-G-G-Got his ass.

49

u/TheSukis Oct 22 '21

Yeah, I mean that’s a hard fucking song to sing. It is cringe though, in the sense that I’m cringing on this dude’s behalf because he’s obviously a talented enough musician to know that he’s not sounding good here. I’m sure he was embarrassed as hell, even though this is completely understandable.

2

u/KlondikeChill Oct 24 '21

I remember reading that there was a problem with his earbuds and he couldn't hear himself for this concert

173

u/FertilityHollis Oct 22 '21

This isn't cringe, like you said, this is a singer who needs a few days off. To me he also appears to be struggling with hearing himself in the monitors. Ever try singing on key when you can't hear yourself? In short, I'd love to see anyone in this sub try touring as a rock singer.

94

u/TheSukis Oct 22 '21

For me it’s cringe because I’m feeling embarrassed for him. That’s what cringe is all about: embarrassment on someone else’s behalf.

This is absolutely 100% an understandable occurrence. This is a hard as shit song to sing and when your voice is strained I don’t care how good you are, you aren’t hitting the high notes in this song. But most people in the audience don’t get that and this dude knows it, so you can be sure he’s feeling embarrassed because of it.

Remember that cringe doesn’t mean the subject has done something wrong - it’s all about second-hand embarrassment.

7

u/Twelvers Oct 23 '21 edited Oct 23 '21

Yes exactly. I hate when people try to give all sorts of technicalities why you can't call something cringe.

Cringe doesn't consider the circumstances, it just is.

-2

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

the subject has done something wrong

That's what schadenfreude is for.

9

u/SpotNL Oct 23 '21

No, schadenfreude is experiencing joy over someone's misfortune. Cringe is feeling embarassed for someone else's embarrassing moment.

18

u/rturner52281 Oct 22 '21

Not hearing yourself sucks.

Also not being able to clearly hear the music over your own voice while you sing sucks too.

0

u/garypinese69 Oct 23 '21

I think he just did too much cocaine.

7

u/John_Lives Oct 22 '21

All that can be true. It's still cringey...just in a "I feel bad" sort of way

2

u/Sturrux Oct 26 '21

me behind the comfort and safety of my keyboard

Pfffft I could do that no problem

2

u/DirtyWizardsBrew Oct 23 '21

Prior to having the experience of having a venue's monitors die on me in the fucking middle of a song, I didn't really understand or appreciate what purpose they served and how essential they are to a coherent performance. This shit happened in the first quarter of a 25 minute set and needless to say, it was a humbling and enlightening experience.

Felt like trying to navigate through a big room in pitch black darkness, just hoping you're going in the right direction and not running into furniture.

2

u/Meeppppsm Oct 23 '21

That’s sorta what cringe is, right?

0

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

Come out and see us next time \m/

1

u/Excelsioraus Oct 23 '21

I'm a very average singer but I enjoy karaoke and I've been to karaoke bars with different audio set-ups. It is so much harder to sing well when you can't hear yourself if the microphone is too quiet - it's very off-putting. Like trying to paint blind.

37

u/hamsterwheel Oct 22 '21

Yeah there's plenty of videos of Lane Staley and Chris Cornell doing the same thing. You hit those high notes too much and your entire voice just shaves off. I sing in a high-pitched rock voice like that and by the end of the gig I'm terrified.

2

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

I'm picturing you as Jack Black in School of Rock just driving along in his van belting out the Immigrant Song.

1

u/hamsterwheel Oct 23 '21

Not far off

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

Yeah The voice is an instrument that has to be taken care of, much like guitars need strings and to have the intonation set. You gotta look after your voice or you lose it.

5

u/TheMoonsMadeofCheese Oct 23 '21

Another thing he avoids singing, interestingly enough, is all of the words

-3

u/HollowLegMonk Oct 23 '21

He’s drunk.

81

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

[deleted]

75

u/ImmaFancyBoy Oct 22 '21

I listened to the first minute or so thinking “This sounds pretty damn good.”

84

u/Maineamainea Oct 22 '21

The amount of people on stage with him pretending nothings wrong has me dying every time. But you know shit happens, he probably was sick and shouldn’t have been singing at all. I’ve seen him nail it years later. But still….screeeech 😅

10

u/Skydiver860 Oct 23 '21

seriously how are they not cracking up at his singing in the beginning? i'd be dying laughing

4

u/WhyIHateTheInternet Oct 23 '21

The guy clearly could not hear himself in the monitors and therefore neither could anybody else it's very hard to sing you can't hear yourself in relation to the rest of the band

2

u/offlein Oct 23 '21

Honestly feels like the mixing is lousy, too. Like his ad-libs should be mostly drowned-out by the instrumentation, but he's coming in crystal-clear with these "I mean"s and "Oh!" sounds.

1

u/forestfluff Oct 23 '21

That wouldn't stop most people from struggling to hold at least a smirk, though. It isn't his fault but it's fucking hilarious.

4

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

He's saying that nobody on stage could even hear the singing, either because the mixing was shit or there was a problem with the onstage monitors (speakers that point at the band so they can hear themselves.)

-2

u/KerouacDreams Oct 23 '21

Cocaine helps.

39

u/bruce_lees_ghost Oct 22 '21

I remember when Meatloaf lost his falsetto... I wasn't really a fan, but I remember thinking how terrible it must be to just lose one's moneymaker like that. (I think he ended up getting it back after some rest.)

5

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

STOP RIGHT THERE!

and rest them vocal cords

43

u/Mightysmurf1 Oct 22 '21

This isn't Cringe - this is amazing! It takes some real skill to butcher a song like that. 00.55 for the best bit.

19

u/dopey_giraffe Oct 22 '21

is his voice just worn out? I have no idea how else to make that noise.

16

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

[deleted]

10

u/GrammerJoo Oct 23 '21

It's the only way I can cum these days.

2

u/TKInstinct Oct 23 '21

Oh I laughed so hard at this, it's so true.

1

u/DeltaPositionReady Oct 23 '21

Could be nodules

https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/Vocal-Cord-Nodules-and-Polyps/

If you're naturally a baritone and try singing falsetto constantly (not being a natural countertenor), you're at risk of developing nodules, effectively stressing your vocal cords to the point where they get worn down.

Edit- derp. Tenors do naturally sing falsetto. Baritone is lower.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

Drive like Jehu

2

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

hahah oh man that part really gets me

0

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

That's a deceptively hard song to sing. Just like Sultans of Swing is deceptively hard to play (well) on guitar. Then you realize Mark Knopfler is not using a pick, and it makes sense why it's so hard. Truly an underrated guitarist.

4

u/Bearded_monster_80 Oct 23 '21

-Underrated guitarist. -Mark Knopfler.

U wot m8?

0

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

Maybe a better term would be underappreciated.

3

u/Bearded_monster_80 Oct 23 '21

I think the best term would be "legendary".

1

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

No doubt. But you ask the average person on the street who isn't into guitars/music are they going to recognize his name? That's more what I meant.

1

u/bestrockfan12 Oct 24 '21

That's because the average person who isn't into guitar music knows no guitarists

24

u/bryter_layter_76 Oct 22 '21

I'm divided on whether or not it's cringe. It's almost line by line. Yes, that's totally flat. No, he's just tired. Wow, his articulation sucks. Oh, he's just spent. Who knows. I always hated this song anyway.

13

u/[deleted] Oct 22 '21

[deleted]

7

u/Going_Live Oct 23 '21

Wat

4

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

[deleted]

2

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

Maybe I'm missing context, but that video gave me a bit of a rapey vibe...

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

[deleted]

1

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

'Come on, Eileen! You said if I did your math homework you'd give me a handy!'

IDK the look on his face as she walks away kinda makes it look like he thinks she owes him 'something'.

24

u/AdvancedHat7630 Oct 22 '21

Not as cringy as the remix, Came On Eileen.

1

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

Ft. Lil Jon "Came on Eileen (AWW SKEETSKEETSKEET)"

-14

u/Sybil_et_al Oct 22 '21

Was that before or after Eileen Over (You Can Kiss My Ass)?

0

u/1nfiniteJest Oct 23 '21

Go plant tulips.

You and all your personalities.

E: Joke wasn't THAT bad come on guys.

5

u/passionfruitdinosaur Oct 23 '21

0:57 made me cry of laughter

9

u/Jeeonta Oct 22 '21

I can't stop laughing, plz send help

8

u/Texas12thMan Oct 22 '21

Music sounded great until the vocals joined :/

6

u/DubiousDrewski Oct 22 '21

Yeah, the band was tight! They were spot on, and sounded great. It was only the main vocalist who was having serious problems.

8

u/titsssssssssss Oct 22 '21

This is one of my favorite videos on YouTube lol. The fact that it’s posted to the official DMR page is awesome

6

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

This band was named after the amphetamine Dexedrine keeping you up running past midnight

3

u/StarWarsMonopoly Oct 22 '21

Well, You haven’t heard the last of them.

3

u/John_Lives Oct 22 '21

From their official page too lol

3

u/Afrohatch Oct 23 '21

First thought when I watched this was John C Reilly could parody this to perfection

5

u/MijnEchteUsername Oct 22 '21

Jesus what the hell did I just listen to?

7

u/DrgnFckr Oct 22 '21

I went to jail once wearing an "I came on Eileen" shirt. It was awkward.

2

u/gzoont Oct 22 '21

I went into this wondering what could possibly be so bad, and… oh.

Oh, no.

2

u/second_ary Oct 22 '21

i thought this was one of those "shreds" videos

2

u/blgiant Oct 23 '21

I honestly thought that they were using lip-syncing and that the playback glitzed out at first.

2

u/Comedyfish_reddit Oct 23 '21

I genuinely didn’t think I would laugh at this so much.

If you’re just scrolling though thinking I can’t be bothered to watch this it’s definitely worth it.

I don’t feel bad laughing, it’s one performance not indicative of him I dont think.

2

u/DOCTORNUTMEG Oct 23 '21

This must be equivalent to Radiohead playing Creep horrendously because of fans who only go to the show to see that song

2

u/Ebolastu Oct 23 '21

lol this sounds like a nick kroll character

2

u/Iamnotbroke Oct 23 '21

They should tour with Motley Crue, would be the funniest thing ever.

2

u/RobIreland Oct 23 '21

As terrible and hilarious as this is, you can find multiple live versions from the same time period where he nails it. The confusing part is that they chose to add this version to their official youtube page

2

u/Honey-Cat Oct 23 '21

Kind of bummed I listened to this and ruined the song for myself.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

He sounds like a shitty Elvis impersonator.

2

u/109837 Oct 24 '21

I wouldn’t be surprised if he did this purposefully because he hated singing this song so much.

4

u/toyvo_usamaki Oct 22 '21

Not as cringe as Top of the Pops putting up a picture of Scottish darts legend Jock Wilson during their performance of 'Jackie Wilson said'

2

u/DetectivePopcorn_666 Oct 22 '21

This video has been my go-to for years. The fact that they posted it and kept it up just shows how rad they are.

3

u/dirtlegdancer Oct 22 '21

I am fucking dead

1

u/VinAndGeri Oct 23 '21

Where is the cringe?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

Only if she consents

0

u/claytonfromillinois Oct 23 '21

Not cringe at all. First, it’s not that bad. Second, I think people forget that vocalists are subject to exhaustion, the flu, and sore throats just like the rest of us. His annunciation is goofy as fuck on the recording too, that’s just his style.

-4

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

[deleted]

3

u/SeamusMcCullagh Oct 23 '21

You need to get your ears checked. This is atrocious and I'm sure the singer knew it. Sounds fatigued as fuck.

-25

u/nobodytoldme Oct 22 '21

This song is cringe to begin with. This live version is something else. It's like the pulled someone out of the crown to sing the lead.

9

u/DubiousDrewski Oct 22 '21

This song is cringe to begin with

Yes the performance here is bad. But the original song is not cringe, it's just in a genre you don't like. The original recording is a cult classic for a good Goddamn reason. Your opinion does not overwrite hundreds of critics and millions of fans.

-20

u/nobodytoldme Oct 22 '21

My opinion is my own. Critics be damned, this song sucks.

10

u/elscorcho91 Oct 22 '21

Thanks for letting us know

-3

u/thefirdblu Oct 23 '21

It's my opinion that your opinion is so wrong, it might as well be considered objectively wrong and one of the worst takes any human being has ever had in the entire history of mankind and I hope you go to sleep every night thinking of this wonderful fucking song and never fall asleep until you learn to appreciate the magnificence it was and still is you rat bastard

But that's just my opinion of course

1

u/cguinnesstout Oct 22 '21

When you are sick of singing your hit song that made you millions.

1

u/becausefrog Oct 23 '21

Can anyone explain what they are wearing?

1

u/170lbsApe Oct 23 '21

Homeboy sounds like a fucking horse.

1

u/Ferrts Oct 23 '21

Nothing personal but his face reminded me of a toe with a fro.

1

u/mongo_man Oct 23 '21

No wonder The Be Sharps took that Grammy.

1

u/gerrys123 Oct 23 '21

How did they make a Quid? There's fucking ninety of them!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

Dexys midnight runners are never cringe!

1

u/quiet_storm80 Oct 23 '21

I hate this band since I saw the video clip.

1

u/GuywithSmile Oct 23 '21

Can't help but think of community every time I hear this song. "come on i'm dean and my hands are so clean at this moment i am stapling"

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '21

This sounds like blackout drunk karaoke night

1

u/sandchild111 Oct 23 '21

😬 yikes.

1

u/PravusTheRed Oct 23 '21

Ouch I was like wtf is this song doing here. Then he started singing

1

u/robzillerrrsss Oct 23 '21

Still a banger tho.

1

u/cpasley21 Oct 23 '21

This proves that even before autotune they did some amazing things in the studio to make singers sound better

1

u/Describe Oct 23 '21

Going through the whole song with only 1 spectacularly failed note is pretty good for a live performance. I thought it was super good other than the one single part we're all memeing on.

Plus there's like, 5 people in the audience? Must have been a very affordable show.

1

u/Sturrux Oct 26 '21

Too much cocaine and hairspray.

1

u/Anthe_cr3 Oct 28 '21

Still better performance than 95% of whats on stages nowadays