Playing what you DON'T Like

[chrisgrimes]

Hi Guys

Steel may need to move this to the "Off Topic" section but here goes.

Anyone ever had the experience of playing live, music you just do not like and cannot relate to !!!

Happened to me last night, after I had posted to say how busy I had been I was looking forward to a big "relax". Had a call from a very old friend, used to be a funkateer like me but now re-living his youth trying to be hip with "Nu-Metal" !!

The rhythm guitarist of his band "Attack" !!! broke 3 fingers (he is a brick-layer and had an accident a work) asked if I would stand in just for one gig as they had this venue booked a month in advance, I said , under protest, that I would have a go.

It turns out I just spent the night churning out power chords with little fills for covers of Blink 182, Linkin Park, Green Day, did a couple of Foo Fighters numbers which cheered me up a little.

It went well, I got pretty hammered on Stella and the audience didn't seem to suss that I had HATED nearly every minute of it !!

I guess we all get used to playing our own "set", I suppose that if you really like what you are playing you don't get tired of it.

I don't know how I got through just 75 minutes !! How some of these guys can do this night after night, playing what they don't like is beyond me, on the local band scene you are only getting GBP 150 plus free beer to split between you, so it's not as if it is the filthy lucre that is driving you on.

Anyone got a shared experience here ??

Chris - Dover UK

[ZacAttack]

First of all to answer your question, yes its happened to me. I wont go into detail other than saying I did not like the music I was playing so much but I got over it because the crowd was really into it and it was fun.

Second I would like to ask what kind of music a "funkateer" likes to play? Is that like maybe Funk or Trash Disco. If so that is ironic because that is the type of music I had to play and did not enjoy so much and the set you described is closer to what I like to play.No slam intended. Blink and Linkin are not so much my thing but we do play a Green Day song now and again. I dig the Foo Fighters but we don't cover any as of yet.

[chrisgrimes]

Hi Zacattack

That's incredibly ironic isn't it !!

We mainly play early Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, Massive Attack, Parliament, Meters etc. Sounds great when we can get the 3 guys who do the horn section.

I've been trying to get the guys interested in Steely Dan, because selfishly I love them, problem is in this country hardly anyone would have heard of them.

I don't think I could go through it again, but I agree getting a buzz from the audience does compensate.

Thanks for your input

Chris - UK

[ZacAttack]

Yeah audience buzz is great. Don't get me wrong I don't dislike that style of music I just can't get into playing it very well. In fact I love doing lights for funk and disco bands, I used to make a meager living doing just that working for a semi local band called "Professro D". There is nothing like funk to make a LD get creative and work out a lighting rig. ;D

KEEP IT FUNKY!

Zac