Shadowing Practice: Chris Holmes: The REAL Reason I Quit W.A.S.P. - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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When you talk about those days where it was all the chaos and you and Blackie had all that friction, are you surprised that it actually lasted as long as it did between you guys?
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When you talk about those days where it was all the chaos and you and Blackie had all that friction, are you surprised that it actually lasted as long as it did between you guys?
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Well, he knew what he was doing from day one.
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Okay.
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And he knew what he was doing to me on day one.
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But I didn't.
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I trusted him.
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The tensions boiled over with him and I at the House of Blues in Chicago,
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where he's embarrassed me once in front of a security guard, and that was it.
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I quit at that moment, and then I decided to still play, but I didn't go out on stage.
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We're doing the encore.
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We're off stage, and I'm humming a song, and the security guard's next to me, just a huge black guy, and he's humming the same song good mood laughing
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and black he leads over goes will you fucking shut up god damn it you know
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and uh yeah yeah yeah
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and it's just you know i was like that's it fuck
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you i don't need this fucking guy i don't need this arrogance arrogant uh lsd
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and i quit right that's done right then right then i was done i went to the dressing room
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and i looked at the elevator dressing's on the fourth floor
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and i was like fuck what would the better man do
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if the dressing room was there i would have probably
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that would that would have been it that's been the last show i've played
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but uh i came back i went to what would a better man do um i'll play okay
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so i played but i played backstage
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you were actually plugged in backstage playing the music well i
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i had a cordless wow i had a a chord list
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and i heard the drummer one two three four you know i played been on the road i played
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so i played the three three songs uh i don't know
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what they were could have been blind in texas animal some other song
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that was the encore i don't i don't even know what they were it's been 20 years you know uh
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and uh you know and then
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and then they're all getting an elevator go to the fourth for the dressing room i was pissed
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and blen dandy
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and roadies dan's going come on get in i go fuck you i'm not getting in with
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that cocksucker and then the elevator came down i got in i come in the dressing room
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and black he goes i'm not apologizing i go you don't have to apologize to me
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uh now but i go
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but you know i go you will someday you know for
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doing what he's for embarrassing for doing what he did
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and i just don't need it anymore i don't i don't really care
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that was the tension
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that was the tension of him getting rid of me totally where he didn't want to to play with me
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because he couldn't control me.
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You know, and I'm just sick and tired of being, I'm not as little sidekick

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing English speaking with this video offers a unique opportunity to engage with authentic, conversational language—the kind you’d hear in real-life discussions. The speaker, Chris Holmes, shares a personal story with raw emotion, using casual phrases, contractions, and natural pauses that mirror everyday speech. This makes it ideal for english speaking practice and mastering the rhythm of informal communication. Whether you’re using the shadowing technique (repeating phrases aloud in real time) or a shadowing site to refine your skills, the video’s unscripted flow helps you adapt to natural speech patterns, a key step in sounding more fluent.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The dialogue is rich with practical grammar and expressions. Here are 3 key structures to focus on:

  • Past Continuous Tense: Phrases like "we're doing the encore" and "he's embarrassing me" show actions in progress at a specific moment. This tense is crucial for describing ongoing events, a common challenge for learners. Practice repeating these to feel how it connects past actions.
  • Contractions & Colloquialisms: "I'm not," "don't need," and "fucking shut up" reflect casual speech. Contractions make your English sound more natural, while colloquial terms (though some are informal) teach you how people express strong emotions. Note how they’re used to convey frustration or urgency.
  • Conditional Statements: "What would the better man do?" uses the past conditional to imagine a scenario. This structure is useful for hypothetical questions, a skill needed in debates or problem-solving. Repeat this line to master its rhythm and meaning.

Common Pronunciation Traps

The speaker’s accent and fast pace create tricky pronunciation moments. Watch for these:

  • Reduction of "would have": "woulda" (from "would have") is a common reduction in speech. Listen closely to how "would have probably that would have been it" is shortened—this helps you understand fast, connected speech.
  • Stress in Emphatic Phrases: Words like "DONE" in "I was done" and "APOLOGIZE" in "I'm not apologizing" are stressed to emphasize emotion. Practice stressing these words to convey intensity, a key part of clear communication.
  • Slang Pronunciation: "cocksucker" and "sidekick" have unique stress patterns. Slang often has informal pronunciation rules, so repeating these terms (with caution, given their context) helps you recognize them in real conversations.

Final Tip for Shadowing Practice

To make the most of learn english with youtube content, use the shadowing technique: pause the video after short phrases, repeat them aloud, and focus on matching the speaker’s tone, pace, and stress. This method trains your mouth to move like a native and improves your listening comprehension. The video’s emotional depth makes it engaging, so you’ll stay motivated as you practice—an essential factor in consistent learning.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.