Quote: (06-01-2016 07:51 AM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:
More Gold...
Yes, more Gold from AB. Thanks for sharing. I see we possibly have similar sensibilities.
Would it be possible for me to steal this line: "You bastard? Why don't you recognise my genius?", to have printed up on T-Shirts for the next band I produce? Hopefully they get the joke. Perhaps they will think that that catchy phrase is an extension of MY ego, and not theirs. Eh eh, that would be funny. In which case, my T-Shirt would read: "You bastardS? Why don't you recognise my genius?" - that would be even funnier, especially if I was the only one wearing the T-Shirt at the time.
Food for thought. Whatever it takes to get them going.
But seriously folks...
A lot of people want to play this part. Want to be in this game. It's the best game in the world when it works. It's being gifted the keys to the kingdom. Women that would not have pissed on you if you were on fire, stare at you, next to their boyfriends, who are also staring at you, so don't notice. It's just weird. Fame is a serious delusion. Really, women will fuck you just coz you're in the band. So everyone wants a bit of this, if they can.
By this point, you can trust no one. If you didn't have friends before, you never will again. You simply will not be able to take anyone at face value. You will assume that you are being used, if not outright abused, then reflected glory abused.
We are changing and mutating the conversation again.
I don't have much to add to AB's interesting and heartfelt post, except to say this: I know some people who were in some pretty famous bands for a while, way back when. And very soon the party was over for them. They still haven't come to terms with it. And I can relate to that. There for the grace of god, I didn't go. Thankfully.
These people often have drug/alcohol problems, but more than that, and these are the worst - they have attitude problems. By that I mean, they can not readjust to normal society. I sympathize, because very often they are known as 'that guy that used to be in that band' - it's a curse, and I would never judge them or look down on them. I've tried to help one or two of them, but got burned doing it, and I'm just out for myself now.
Apropos of nothing, or maybe it is...
I saw a one man band playing in London - mid nineties. Good looking chap. Charisma. Great voice. Great sound and ability. He programmed his drum machine with all the beats and breaks and he did it live, just him, his beatbox, his voice, and his guitar. He played covers mainly.
Then he did a few of his own songs. Chucked them in. Bit naughty, most landlords don't like you doing that. We are jumping clowns remember? But this guy got away with it coz his songs were so god damned good.
I went up to him afterwards, fighting through the female throng. Guy was a Kiwi, and had that attitude that only Kiwis have - laid back, clever, stoic, witty, sharp, enigmatic, straightforward - he was a super chap. I told him how much I loved his music and appreciated what he did. He was very happy about this.
Then it was time for him to pack all his equipment up. Might have had a mate/groupie helping him, but he was still grafting.
He didn't earn that much, and he went through all that shit, just so he could give his music, hard won as it was to others, often thanklessly.
The guy was the real deal.
He fought to get those gigs, I know.
And he had no ego. Could not afford one. If he had an ego, it would have been much more difficult for him...
I forget the words and the melodies and the chords now, but I do remember it was good, and that is why I'm still talking about it now, 20 years later. I wonder what became of him. I hope he's not fat, with a fat wife, getting his beer rationed by his 'better half', not having picked up his guitar for six months.
No more heroes anymore.
But young lads reading this thread, take heed: This world truly is your oyster, but you need to work at it. You need to really throw yourself into something and keep going. You will gain the respect of others, and most importantly, you will gain the respect of yourself. Something no one can take away from you, and will stand you in good stead.
I think what I'm trying to say, and what I took from AB's post, is, it's about integrity. Musical integrity or personal integrity, but have some kind of integrity in this life.
All the while singing songs about skinny chics, who really should know better, and even though you really do know better, you say fuck it, you'll make an exception in this case, coz, well, Francine...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v--dFfte8rs