Why don't you play live shows?

Oh, I didn’t think of that Khinkhilla.
You’re probably right, why would someone change their user name to be something a little different than a name they use somewhere else.

Obviously you can’t beat the feeling of a live, breathing audience in front of you. But when you have 5 fans, like I do, that becomes less of an issue! :smiley:

1 Like

i’m doing a live performance next month, which is my first in 4 years (my first 2 label-released full-length albums have come out in that time and i didn’t play shows for either). why didn’t i play for those 4 years?

  1. when you’re a solo act, booking/pr/social media/exposure is a full-time job. my full-time job is a lawyer and i’m never billing enough for my employers to be happy as it is, so devoting any time to being my own PR and booking man is an extravagance at best and actively harmful to me at worst

  2. i moved across the US to the west coast and didn’t have any music connections here. in the past i was accustomed to getting offers for shows that i could guarantee would at least be attended by 20+ people. that dried up when i moved

  3. i have (stupidly?) high standards for myself when i perform live - i basically want each performance to be something completely different from everything that went before it - that first of all, you could go to one of my shows and it would sound nothing like a previous show a month earlier - and also that it should be of decent enough quality, whether improvised or semi-improvised or prepared, that i could commit it to a recording and someone could be fooled that it’s an original studio album in its own right. because of these standards, it’s a huge effort to prepare for even a single show, both practically and mentally

  4. i don’t write crowd-pleasing or accessible or entertaining music and i almost have the urge to apologize to anyone who is exposed to it. of course this is absurd, but i’m someone who wants to please people but i’m also someone whose art isn’t about pleasing people and that is always a constant tension for me

  1. turns out i had undiagnosed ADHD which meant i didn’t have the motivation or discipline to follow through with anything that took concerted effort and planning (i’m diagnosed and medicated now). with ADHD i can get into a “superfocus” mode when I’m working on music or when I’m performing, but actually setting up shows and preparing for them can seem insurmountable
8 Likes
  1. I’ve been more focused on my career in IT since moving to the West coast.
  2. I did not think there was an audience for my type of music. I think this has been disproved to me, and is not a legitimate reason. Portland has a lot of people who are into the same kind of music as I am.
  3. I like music, especially live, to be collaborative. I wouldn’t want to open for a stranger, but rather play with or alongside people I respect and want to work with.
  4. Playing live seems like a means to generate money/notoriety. I have considered my musical endeavors to be a hobby. Live shows seem unnecessary for that purpose.

Lately, though, I’ve been thinking I’d like to play out again. This is largely because of the scene in Portland, as I think it could lead to some good collaboration. I also would like to find a means to have my music hobby pay for itself.

3 Likes
  1. I have a family
  2. I have a family
  3. I have a family
  4. I live in Berlin, everything artist ish is for free + a club mate (bah) here.
  5. Also just not something I want to do in my life.
9 Likes

Raves died 20 odd years ago.

3 Likes

I’m nobody famous. Only in my own fantasy.

Oh, right, of course :wink:
Your secret is safe with me “Cosmic”

2 Likes

I’d love to play live

No finished tracks. Not organised
Feelng old and lazy
Mostly my brain telling me my stuff isn’t good enough despite me being at gigs previously where music isn’t so good and all I can think is ‘surely I can do better’

But I do applaud anyone who gets up there to have a go , whether I like it or not.

2 Likes
  1. Feel like my stuff is pretty good by my own standards, but not sure if others would like it.

  2. Would I be hitting play with pre recorded material or trying to really play live? I go back and forth with those 2 approaches all the time.

  3. Do I have the nerves for it?

I would love to do a live show once I can answer these questions and have the confidence to perform.

3 Likes

too ugly and shy to play live.

4 Likes

I perform as a bassist and not as an electronic musician but I can try to help a bit from experience

  1. This part most of the time doesnt matter. The only times that matter when people judge your music is if you are auditioning for something or performing for a school performance (music degree). People that are going there to listen to live music are going with the mentality that they will enjoy it so odds are in your favor. And if you are performing at a cafe, restaurant or mostly background music gigs then you shouldnt care too much either, people dont get out of their way to hate music and the ones that do get out of their way to say something are always the ones that like the music.

  2. Again this doesnt matter because at the end of the day people want to listen to music, not watch music. So no one is going to come up at the end of the show and ask why you didnt bring your whole studio setup to the gig. For bass players its not a big deal but I always have a drummer and sometimes they will take nothing but a snare and ride cymbal, I have never seen anyone ask the drummer why he didnt bring a kick, toms, hats. Gigging with a full setup is fun and exciting, but the logistics of taking all that gear to a gig, unloading, setting up, playing, tearing down, loading is the “job” part of the gig.

  3. I used to ask this myself before playing because by nature I am more on the shy side. I say just try it because in my situation, as soon as I start playing all the nerves are completely gone. Its a weird thing and one of those things that make music so magical. However, 10-20 minutes before playing, the adrenaline is usually flowing and I feel a bit of the jitters which I have learned to deal with because I know that as soon as the first note hits, its all alright.

4 Likes

Playing live never was in my mind as I’m naturally shy. Also, in the beginning there was only a PC, and lots of learning, discovering and tracks making. Never felt like a “real” musician, as the only talent I definitely have is my interest in music and sound. No usuall musicly background at all. Okay, that’s maybe no point.

But, this whole playing live attitude just came around in the last years, with all this smart gear. Especially with discovering elektron.
Now I’m totally out of the box and actually start real playing for the first time. I really enjoy this and can imagine myself doing some kind of Gig.
But I don’t think I can make club music, as I always associate this with delivering a certain purpose. My Approach is more experimental, some kind of sonic experience for the listener. Maybe music for exhibitions.
But otherwise, making lots of people dance is surely a good feeling.

By the way, my kids started to learn flute at the age of 5. And they had some “Gigs” every Year with their school from the start on. Nothing special but this is maybe what I mean with a musicly background.
And of course their dad with his strange machines and those weird sounds… :no_mouth:

3 Likes

You could find a gig at a art exhibit, museum or even small coffee shops on a lazy saturday to have fun. Certainly a lot of performing room for those that dont want to lay down 4 on the floor for hours.

Yes, I also thought about coffee shops or something like that too. Their are possibilities.

I had the same reasons as you until I was asked to play a show I couldn’t refuse. I just threw what gear I had together, patched it up, and made a 40min set.

Since then, I feel live is really fun. You get different feedback, even during the show. It’s more of the immediate response that makes it fun for me.

Go for it! (But, not if it’s not for you lol)

2 Likes

What gear did you use for that set? Was it prepped or improvised? I def. would like to do something live eventually, still working out the logistics.

I play shows when I get booked. I used to chase bookings, cant be bothered anymore. If someone likes my music enough to contact me and book me I will do it. I can take it or leave it though, Im not much of a perfomer, and I really dont care about getting more listeners.
I enjoy playing live at smaller more intimate venues, wasnt so keen on the few years doing festivals.
I have never had an agent, so I guess me not doing any publicity or social media means yep…not many bookings!

  • CZ5000 (with 7 sequencer buttons programmed for one hits and bassline and chord sequences and one left for a bit of improv and soloing)
  • Volca FM (on lead arp using it kind of 303 style)
  • TR8 (on drums of course)

I prepared and practiced, but I definitely just stuck to my intuition and read the crowd for transitions and stuff.

I just wanna hear great music , i don’t care if its live or not, band or comp, i just dont care. Great music is what i whant !!

And also, i agree, internet is full of shity mediocre “live” ( how live can it be if its on my screen ) music. Great recorded music and sexy visuals will do, i don’t care about your gear just about your tits hahha
Edit x 3
Realy, when i think about it , all of the best music i have known in my life is from the recordings, phisical or digital. With i few exceptions.
And the worst also :grin:

1 Like