What might have been.....

[Rayman]

Some great posts there chaps.

I guess it's not even fame and fortune with me anymore, I guess like in the OP it's just the chance to walk out onto the stage of a big venue in front of a big audience of people who have come to see you play, rather than a pub or party where people aren't bothered as long as you play something they know.

A good gig, at a decent pub, that goes down well, is a great feeling, and it's funny, we did a gig recently that went down a real storm, a great crowd reaction, everybody up dancing, and we launched into "Mr Brightside" by the Killers for the last song. They went [i]mental[/i], and I couldn't help but close my eyes, as a middle aged bloke playing bass in a covers band, in a pub, and wonder, is this what it's like to be actually [i]in[/i] the Killers? and for a few seconds in my imagination I had a taste of what it must be like to play to an adoring crowd, and like others have pointed out, I could then go home to my bed rather than the back of a van for the night. Not so bad I guess.

Yep, sad I know.

I think as musicians were are largely creative people, and a bit of imagination and escapism from the drudgeries of life isn't a bad thing. Maybe things turned out the way they did for a reason, and I'm better off where I am.

Fame?? Who needs it?

[chris_b]

The arena and stadium gigs (if they're full) are unique for the noise an audience makes when the stage lights go up, and then you realise, it's for you!! You can't get that feeling any where else!

[Rayman]

[quote name='chris_b' post='956048' date='Sep 14 2010, 02:33 PM']The arena and stadium gigs (if they're full) are unique for the noise an audience makes when the stage lights go up, and then you realise, it's for you!! You can't get that feeling any where else![/quote]

That's what I'm missing from my life, just once, a screeming adoring crowd, big stage.....wow, it must be a magic moment.

[Rayman]

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='954282' date='Sep 13 2010, 04:43 AM']Going slightly off topic Russ - it's worth you coming to see Mark and his band The Big Figures - look [url="http://www.bigfigures.co.uk/Gigs.html"]here[/url]. He's a really nice down to earth bloke, you'd be able to have a beer and a chat and his band's brilliant. Been to see 'em a couple of times now, our own Cameron (wayne58) plays bass for him.[/quote]

Yeah I was wondering about Cameron while watching the programme. They're playing in Manc with Wilco Johnson on 20th Nov, but we've got a gig the same night . Maybe Holmfirth a few nights earlier, I could get up there.

[Bottle]

Interesting thread - I'll see if I can catch the program.

Can't say I've had any regrets (apart from one - should have picked up the bass a [i]lot[/i] sooner, rather than leaving it into my 30's).

Nothing better than a Sunday morning, and everyone's up and dancing at the front - yep, that's pretty special.

Started going to a funk jam here in Cambridge (in fact it's on Wednesday night) - it's getting me out and socialising, making contacts, having a bit of a blast TBH. And I'm learning new stuff, so another tick in the box. Also since joining the forum last year, I've bought (and moved on) a bass, bought a couple of cabs, and pedals. And made some new friends at Bashes.

Got a great group of friends, and it's always interesting to see that the bass players all seem to congregate together.

Ian

[mcgraham]

When I left uni I felt I had two options: get a real job, or go to London and try and get in on the session scene. I opted a for a job "at least for the meantime".

I've since realised that I love working for a living, and that I love the freedom and disposable income this gives me to (in my free time) make music that I enjoy. I could never have reliably secured that via trying to make it in the session scene.

I've met a few soon-to-be graduates since that also want to 'make it big' and have told them the 'job route' is a lot more fulfilling, dependable, and even glamorous than it might seem at first.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Rayman' post='956050' date='Sep 14 2010, 02:36 PM']That's what I'm missing from my life, just once, a screeming adoring crowd, big stage.....wow, it must be a magic moment.[/quote]
Ditto. Plus two or three gigs a year in a medium-sized venue rather than squeezed into the far end of the pub lounge.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Rayman' post='953653' date='Sep 12 2010, 04:02 PM']I just watched one of the "First Love" programmes, where celebs go back to thier roots and learn to play the instrument they played as a kid, and perform in public.

The one I just watched was the one where Mark Radcliffe had to learn a Rufus Wainright track and perform it on the drums live on stage with him at the Manchester Apollo.

All the way through Mark is misty eyed while remembering his youth, playing in bands with mates, and wishing he'd "made it" as a professional drummer rather than being the DJ he is now.

Watching him walk up the stairs to the dressing rooms in the Apollo, it was like watching a starry eyed fan living a dream, and the feelings Mark had were the exact same ones I would have too.

I had tears streaming down my face as he walked out onto the stage and perform the song brilliantly with Rufus.

I felt like I was watching myself. I too feel I've missed the boat at 45 to live the dream, and that I'll never walk out onto the Apollo stage with a band, a place where I've been in the audience a hundred times.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I'll never "retire" from music, I'll be in some pub somewhere when I'm 70, with a Precision, playing some old songs to a handful of people, but I do feel great sadness that I never tasted success as a musician. The closest I came was a Radio 1 session in the 80s at Maida Vale, and a couple of brief stints with a couple of "name" musicians.

The younger players on here have got it all ahead of them, so they won't get what I'm on about, but you older guys will know [i]exactly[/i] what I mean.

Ah well, back to work tomorrow.[/quote]

I'm afraid I [b]don't [/b]see what you are on about. And I think it sets a very bad example that you appear to have GIVEN UP! At the pathetically young age of 45.

If you think it is only your age that prevents you achieving success, then you are very sadly mistaken. There are so many variables you can't even imagine.

I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think you have some personal issues to solve. Youth envy and lack of self confidence being two of them.

[Marvin]

I've never got even close to doing anything at all of note musically. Although I did tell the jobcentre, when asked what type of job I was looking for, told them I wanted to be a rock star. The interviewer looked perplexed, so I continued the rouse.

You can't live in the past, you can't change it. There are things I wished I had done and hadn't but there is little point mulling over them. You can only look forward.

[stewblack]

Our new album just came out and is selling reasonably in a few countries, but it's the day job for me and at 47 years old a half decent tribute band on the next one up from the pub circuit is the best I'll ever do. But hey it's better than a lot do and it's good enough for me. But like the OP I wonder how life may have been.
I ran a live music venue for 13 years so I saw a lot of aspiring musicians. One 'made it'.

[BigRedX]

I'm afraid I agree with silddx on this one.

I'll be 50 next month and my current band which was nothing more than a vague idea 6 months ago is on the verge of doing better than anything I've been previously involved in and that includes the band that was passed over by a record label in favour of signing Wham!

Of course it helps if your musical partners are all equally ambitious and your band has something about it both from a musical and image PoV.

I'll have time to give up when I'm dead.

[thunderbird13]

If the OP is simply saying that he isn’t going to “ make it “ simply because of his age then I totally disagree but if he’s saying that its due to a more mature perspective then I agree .I spend most of my teens and twenties deluding myself that I was going to make it big simply because I wanted it so bad and that the only reason it hadn’t happened was because I hadn’t made the right contacts or gotten the luck break . It was in my thirties that I was mature enough to realise that what was holding me back was simply the fact that I didn’t have the talent, the looks or the personality that is required to be allowed a chance to make it in music. It was a bit of a blow initially but once you accept it then you can move on it life . Now I am just happy to play with anyone just for fun and have bassplaying as something I do to forget about work and all the other pressures of life. Of course it would be nice to play a really big gig just to see what its like but I think I have more chance of seeing Northern Ireland winning the world cup than I do of playing anywhere other than a local pub !