First off, I want to say we are by no means perfect. Any professional of any trade who thinks they are, are sorely mistaken and are setting themselves up for a very rude awakening. Never have we claimed to be perfect.
Sometimes, it seems, the universe likes to give you the great, and then pull the rug out from under you. This is the universes way of seeing if you will be able to keep on your feet. We have known many musicians who fall when this happens and they are unable to get themselves back up. It is a tragedy, but for some, it is for the best.
Before you put your heart and soul into anything you should know a few things. 1: Is this what I truly want and for what reasons? 2: Can I work toward this if it takes all my life? And most importantly 3: Can I handle all the bull shit that is inevitably going to come my way from every direction possible when I am least expecting it.
If you want to be a musician, you unfortunately have to deal with the following on any given night at least once in your career and if you tell me at least 90% of these have never happened, they will or you’re a liar lol:
Cancelled shows, shows where you play to only the bartender (99.99999% of this happens when starting out but every once in a while you have a fluke show or last minute at an unknown venue), People texting during your set, people talking during your set, people laughing at something other than you and in some cases at you during your set, unprofessional musicians, unprofessional booking managers, unprofessional venues, free shows, paid shows, paid shows where the pay becomes an issue, agents who don’t come through, agents who come thorough with things you didn’t expect, agents with little or no skill, agents with lots of skill and bad luck, agents with great luck, bad sound, bad sound men, broken equipment such as bad cords, bad mics, etc, stinky mics, ill suited venues for your style, misunderstandings, missed shows for one reason or another, bad shows for one reason or another, missing gear, missing picks, missing songs, tough crowds, drunk crowds, obnoxious fans, no fans, great fans, head colds, sore throats, sore fingers, missed chords, missed verses, nay sayers, getting sex eyes from someone, getting sex eyes from someone you do NOT want them from, loud cheerers, no cheers, no applause, ‘free bird!’, ‘Skynrd!’, Crazy people, Cool people, new connections, LESS connections, clash of personalities, bad pictures, no pictures, bad video, no video, long drives, running out of gas, car breaking down, no place to sleep, bad moods, fights between fans, fights between people you don’t know, the need to put your foot down with a venue or a booking agent, firing people, hiring people, missed opportunities, being left out, being forgotten momentarily, being referred, being denied, being dissed, being complimented, being new, being hit on, being neglected, feeling like a #........ Need I go on?
Many of these have happened to us at one time or another in the 3 years we have been playing together and to me in the 2 years before that I played on my own. I’m sure Ty has a few things to add to this list lol. I’m not trying to be discouraging. I’m trying to tell you that these things happen.
So what do we do about them????? We are professional no matter what! We shrug off the bad, and look toward the good and we understand that in ANY venture, bad things happen and good things happen and good can not be constant. It’s the way of the world. But, if we train ourselves to rise above the immaturity and the high school attitudes we sometimes come across we are the better for it. No one can stop you if you are talented and act like a human being. You have a right to stand up for yourself, but no one has a right to act like an ass hole, think they are a God, to walk all over you, or to slam your good name if in fact you have one. On the same note, no one has the power to ‘ruin you’ unless you let them. If you are doing the right things, any slamming that may come from someone’s ego will be dismissed because you have already set a foundation that no one but you can destroy. On the same token, you shouldn’t do it to them either.
The point to today’s blog? Some days suck. Some days you will want to give up even if for a split second. Some days, you will hate everything. But there is one constant. Karma is a bitch. Lol.
I'm sorry January was a rough month for you. Wish I could have made it out to some of the shows. It's going to be hard for me to make it to shows for the next few months with my new work schedule, but I will try. I hope I fall into the great fans category. Oh and I'm sure things will get better for you. Keep up the hard work.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat Mel. But the high number of obstacles is why success is so hard to achieve in the first place isn't it? But, luckily, you guys are retaining your professional ethic which means that when you do achieve success it'll actually mean something.
ReplyDeleteWell said & AMEN! :)
ReplyDeleteAlways wise words, Thanks Mel!
ReplyDeleteYou were right. I loved it. This is exactly how I feel. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. I thought this was was pretty funny lol. Cause its true!!
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