Mixed Emotions
Tonight, I went to see the covers band I had to drop out of a couple of months ago. They had a gig at a Pub which is trying to do the right thing by musicians & actually have real ones playing, not some guy with an iPod & headphones who calls himself a DJ... The bass player in the band is a former long-term musical foil/colleague/co-writer who these days has 2 kids & a wife who doesn't seem to support his musical ventures, for her own reasons I'm sure...
Anyway, I had to drop out of the band because work was being recalcitrantly unreliable with my roster (they still are!!) & I couldn't commit to regular rehearsals with them. So tonight I got to see & hear my replacement
That's him on the left, with the Les Paul & the hat
I know it does no good to think & say that I could do it better than him - that's something that all guitarists say about other guitarists - & a covers band isn't really my thing anyway, but it sure looked like fun... & people were applauding... & they danced!! Come to think about it, I don't think I've had people applauding AND dancing at any of my gigs since my first band... which was a covers band!! I've trod a more esoteric & low-key musical path since that time in the mid 80s, to minimal success & not much to show for it except a somewhat devoted fanbase of European Industrial aficionados, so it was kind of a throwback to see that what most people want from their music is the familiar, the stuff they grew up with on the radio & as long as you sing & play somewhat in tune, they will like it even if it's not perfect, or note perfect
I haven't played a live gig for quite a few years either, so there was definitely a bit of envy about that - even though I kind of swore off gigs after the last one I played where the band outnumbered the audience... & there were only 3 of us
Some frustration too, as I know that until my work situation changes, I still can't commit enough regular time to playing music with other people, so even if I decided to find, form, or join a covers band, I would be the one who was forever missing rehearsals & I know how frustrating that can be for the other players - I've been there
Still, in the end, it was nice to go out on a Saturday night to see a band. I haven't done that in a loooooong time
Anyway, I had to drop out of the band because work was being recalcitrantly unreliable with my roster (they still are!!) & I couldn't commit to regular rehearsals with them. So tonight I got to see & hear my replacement
That's him on the left, with the Les Paul & the hat
I know it does no good to think & say that I could do it better than him - that's something that all guitarists say about other guitarists - & a covers band isn't really my thing anyway, but it sure looked like fun... & people were applauding... & they danced!! Come to think about it, I don't think I've had people applauding AND dancing at any of my gigs since my first band... which was a covers band!! I've trod a more esoteric & low-key musical path since that time in the mid 80s, to minimal success & not much to show for it except a somewhat devoted fanbase of European Industrial aficionados, so it was kind of a throwback to see that what most people want from their music is the familiar, the stuff they grew up with on the radio & as long as you sing & play somewhat in tune, they will like it even if it's not perfect, or note perfect
I haven't played a live gig for quite a few years either, so there was definitely a bit of envy about that - even though I kind of swore off gigs after the last one I played where the band outnumbered the audience... & there were only 3 of us
Some frustration too, as I know that until my work situation changes, I still can't commit enough regular time to playing music with other people, so even if I decided to find, form, or join a covers band, I would be the one who was forever missing rehearsals & I know how frustrating that can be for the other players - I've been there
Still, in the end, it was nice to go out on a Saturday night to see a band. I haven't done that in a loooooong time