Over the last few weeks, Foo Fighters' frontman, Dave Grohl's comments from an interview that he did have emerged into perhaps one of the most widely circulated 'memes' to come out of the World of music. He makes some 'right under your nose' remarks that so many people wouldn't even consider in this age of reality show pop manufacturing. Obviously, this post is, in many ways, jumping on the bandwagon of support for Grohl and the 'anti-idol movement's', but, as a musician, it seems worthwhile to throw in a few cents as well. Grohl's comments resonate with me personally is because of the simplicity of the concept of "becoming a credible musician".
Cliché Background Story
To give a little back-story to my situation. I started 'singing' at about 17 years old. It began when I was out with some friends, drunk no less, and at we were at a karaoke night in a local bar. Being a fat kid with a bit of a I-could-give-a-fuck attitude about it (remember, I was drunk), I got up and sang a song by Justin Timberlake (Yes, I am a fan of JT). It went down well and every week or two I'd go back and sing other songs, which also went down well. Eventually, I was hooked. Not to the karaoke nights or the booze, but to singing and the idea of performing in front of people. So, I started practising and giving myself lessons in vocal stylings. I was a student of the greats; Frank Sinatra, Donny Hathaway, Lionel Richie, and Michael Jackson were just some of my teachers. It started to get a little more serious. People would say "why don't you enter 'Pop Idol'?" (which had just started to air on television at the time). To which, I'd reply, "Nah, I don't like those shows". At times, I'd get funny suggestive looks, as if to say, I was crazy and that this was how you make a career out of music. So, I thought about it and eventually pandered to the idea. I started entering karaoke competitions with judges and, to my delight, won repeatedly. I eventually started to believe that this was all leading to a career in singing. Of course, all good things must come to an end. In my case, reality struck. I'd entered a competition in my University, that I'd won the previous year by what the Emcee called "a landslide", and was eliminated after the first round. In my heart and in my head, I knew I was better than the people who were put over me. One of the people who moved onto the next round was so drunk that he could barely move his lips to sing the song he was 'rapping'. I was a mix of amazement and fury. Arrogantly, I went to speak with one of the judges to ask what the issue was and I was told "You're not what we're looking for this year". What the fuck did that even mean? "We're looking for someone a bit edgier". By edgier, in my mind, they clearly meant that they wanted someone who couldn't sing but, maybe, had a sad back-story? WTF? This was a crumby University karaoke competition and these "credible judges" were telling me that I wasn't good enough. But, in spite of my anger and disbelief, I was also heartbroken. A dream, albeit not particularly well thought out, was shattered and I was left with an even deeper dislike for reality talent shows. In hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to me, from a music perspective. Eventually, college caught up with me and I was distracted by assignments, exams, the girls sitting in front of me in lectures and amazing experiences, like study and work placement abroad. Music took a back-seat although it was always in my mind. For a while though, the only time I would sing in public were when I was out with friends and we were trying to consume the last remaining moments of merriment as the nights would draw to a close. For all intents and purposes, that dream of performing on the stage in front of thousands of adoring fans was gone (I go *sigh*, you say *awh*; *sigh*...??)
Fast forward a few years, 6 to be precise, and I'm a post-graduate student. I got a call from an old friend asking me to spend a Summer managing his bar in one of the most beautiful locations in the World. Months rolled on and I was back singing the occasional song at a karaoke night held in our bar. I'd started going out with a great girl who, like people in the past, had suggested I enter one of the talent shows on television. Still feeling the slight burn (you can't get a cream for it) from my past life as an up-and-coming karaoke king, I explained my feelings about the whole reality show thing and expressed no desire to take up singing 'properly' ever again. She thought I had a foolish attitude about it but respected my opinion about those shows. At the end of the day, I was focused on other things like making a career for myself in other areas. That was fine and I was happy.
A few months later and I'm back in Ireland. Being a bit older and (arguably) wiser, I started going out to bars and clubs with live music rather than the local jager-dives, where the music is so loud that people communicate through groping and mouthing words. I'd see bands playing with members who were years younger than me but exhibited so much talent and had their audiences enthralled, including me. Slowly but surely, the desire to perform music started to re-emerge. So, I dusted off a guitar I'd bought from a guy through the University email circulars, put on some new strings and tuned it. I started learning chords and would practice every day for about an hour or two. This was, and still is, one of the hardest things I've ever tried to learn. In fact, learning Spanish was easier! Of course, I sounded SO bad, but I was slowly learning. As I began to feel more comfortable with the chords, I'd put them together and ended up playing melodies which, to me, sounded like songs that I had heard on the radio. For any musician who has just started learning an instrument, this is ground-breaking! After a while, I'd become confident in playing the chords that I knew and would talk about the craft of music with friends a lot more than I would about actual bands or musicians. This must have caught the attention of some people as all of a sudden I was re-introduced to a guy, Daz, that I never really knew well growing up (I am a few years older than he), but was interested in playing live music. We chatted and became friends. We started meeting up in my parents' house and jamming for a couple of hours every week or so. We'd learn songs and have a moment of self-entitled smugness before going for a drink to celebrate our fine accomplishments...learning how to play "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry, for example.
After a few months, we'd amassed about 15 or 20 songs that we could play quite well. By quite well, I mean, we could play the melody but there were no elements of difference between his guitar work and mine. Moreover, I couldn't sing and play guitar at the same time. Daz assured me that "it could come eventually" and I believed him. So, we started going to a local bar on a Wednesday night to watch some people we knew play a, sort-of, jam session. Sometimes I'd sit in and sing a song or two but that was it. One night, me and Daz were a little tipsy and I suggested that we call a musician friend of ours who played on a Thursday night in a neighbouring bar. His shows, while he was and still is an amazing vocalist and guitarist, weren't drawing a great crowd. So, I decided to send him a text to ask if we could sit in. The rationale was that I didn't think anyone would notice. Luckily, he said "Yeah, definitely, come along". If we sucked and sounded like crap; who'd notice?
FTW
The best part was seeing how the crowd had increased rather than decreased. The following week, we had double the numbers. The third week, the bar was at capacity. THREE MONTHS playing music in front of a capacity crowd. We were the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin, Mumford and Sons, Justin Timberlake, Otis Redding all at once, gathered around this tiny rectangular table that could barely hold all of our drinks, cigarettes, bits and bobs. Over those twelve weeks, we'd played in front of, actually, thousands of people from all over the World to raging applause and had written a couple of songs that brought tears to their eyes. Perhaps the biggest star-aligning moment for me was the first time I managed to play a song and sing it at the same time. I shit you not, it almost made me cry! In my eyes, I had become a bonafide musician. Eventually, we set up a band, picked a name and borrowed an old PA system from a friend so we could plug in and play in bars around the town. We found a third member, Derek, to play percussion. He was new so we were back to rehearsing every week or two and trying to build up a decent repertoire of songs to play together. As far as my dream from years past; it was realised. We'd made it! As
far as being a musician goes, that's how you should measure making it.
Play songs, love doing it and make people feel something inside
themselves when you do it. It's pretty simple.
Back To The Show
To revert back to the original theme of this post. I suppose, when you look at the "reality-talent show dynamic", you can see some rationale behind it. Although that rationale may be fucked up, from business perspective it can make sense. The people who win, regardless of the fact that the audience participates in the voting process, are picked because they are considered the ones who will be a commercial success. This idea has become instilled in the audience who participate in this public flogging of the contestants. Time after time I see headlines that read things like "Shock X-it from the Factor" or "Dreams Shattered, Judges Confused". The people that vote on these shows understand the business model whether they realise it or not. The shows themselves aren't necessarily the problem. Talent and variety shows are one of the oldest and dearest forms of television and have been since the 1950s. In fact, musical deities like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, the list goes on, got their start from televised talent and variety shows. The problem with these shows is simply their saturation of the market and the manner in which contestants lose. If you simply "lose", that's fine. But, when you're mocked for not being "talented", that's cruel and a subjective truth. What's more, is that there is an angry mob on hand to encourage this public slaughter of self-esteem. But, it's all about money at the end of the day. This current wave of shows isn't about the performers, they are about ratings, advertising, shock-value and, most of all, money. To be fair, this sadistic format of television has been on the air for about a decade now, performers only have themselves to blame for voluntarily putting themselves up, only to be made spectacles of by a panel of judges who are either not 'peers' or are too young and lacking experience to have any true insight to sufficiently nurture an new artist. But, that's not why they are there anyway. The judges are there for the money too!
NSFW or Are You?
Playing music for money is fine. It's nice to make money from doing something you love. In fact, I deny anybody who wouldn't want to make money from doing something they absolutely love doing. After we'd learned more about our craft and put together a steady portfolio of songs, we approached a number of bars about playing there. They immediately would ask "O.K. How much?". It was never really an issue. We just want to play music. Still, to this day, we play in some venues for ZERO and even get media coverage, by way of ads, just because we love what we do. Strangely enough, people have a very hard time believing that. Some venues will insist on paying you because some career musicians on their rotation will think that there is a "fiddle" going on between the performers and the venue. In fact, even the government will call you a liar and think you are taking them for fools when you say that you really just do it for fun. That's how money oriented it has all become. It's one of the saltier sides of performance arts. We, as a society I suppose, are so consumed with the idea of commercialism that we ultimately believe that if there is no money involved there must be some kind of other pay-off. This cynicism makes it sound like a front for a drug cartel! I can only speak from my experience and for myself, but I do think I speak for the great majority of musicians, when I say that we have never been in it for the money. At the end of the day we just want to entertain people and play in front of crowds of people who want to hear US an OUR MUSIC. If we can make money, that's a wonderful bonus. But, if you're in this game just to make money, you won't make a cent. If you're in it to get better at doing something you love and be appreciated for it, then that material success like money will follow if it sees fit.
When All Is Said And Done
I like Dave Grohl, he's a super talented musician, lyricist and he's nothing short of a Renaissance man. His views on the whole talent show thing are very true, even if he doesn't just sum them up for what they really are; money-making schemes. The grander point he makes, however, is about artists' self esteem and their self belief. I've given a seemingly lengthy version (although, I could give you an excruciatingly detailed account) of my story because I very nearly became one of those people who put themselves up to be sacrificed in public. I'm so glad I didn't. I love the fact that I get to meet up with some of my best friends and make noise. I get to make noise and people clap and cheer when I'm done. I make noise, receive cheers and get messages from people on Facebook or on the street (yeah, that's happened a few times now) telling me how much they loved hearing my band playing "the other night". That's what it's all about for me; making people happy by doing something that makes me happy. I've also had people tell me that I suck and make petty criticisms about a note I might have missed or they mightn't have liked the way I played a certain song. And you know what, that's fine, but fuck them! I play music because it makes me happy. I don't play to make money. I don't play to be popular. I don't play to be famous. I play because I love it. That's my belief and I think most musicians feel the exact same way. If you are someone who wants to be a musician or a singer, then go and fucking do it. If you want to go on a talent show, that's fine. But, be prepared to be disregarded like garbage when you've passed your apparent "sell-by-date" because, believe me, you will have one as fas as the promoters and labels associated with those shows are concerned. If you decide to do it the old fashioned way; put the work in and gain a following of people who appreciate your shit. If you work hard, you'll get better and better. If you're kind and not cynical about it, people will listen to you and learn to appreciate what you do. If you do those things, you'll be a success and play in front of thousands of people who are there to see YOU.
