Coming to terms with Reality...

[Philly Q]

I've just realised there are a lot of people talking about garden maintenance in this thread....

Anyone fancy sorting mine out?  I HATE gardening, I haven't touched it in 20 years.  I did once pay some old geezer to clear it, but he did of it half then disappeared.... I expect his fox-gnawed bones may be somewhere under the brambles.  :|

He's not under your bed ?

 :lol: :lol:

Can't be, there's no room down there!

And I'd have noticed the smell..... for a while, at least.

[GuitarIv]

I can relate so much to this thread, it almost hurts.

Having started playing guitar with 15 I realised too late what I was missing. My dad and my grandpa would always urge me to pick up the instrument, however I was the fool that rather played videogames. Since then, whilst being still in school, I had so much to discover, to catch up to. That included my first band, first live gigging experiences and the somewhat foolish imagination that we'd be the next big hit in the metal scene (in a music-godforsaken country like Austria). However things went the way they always do, spiced up with a good portion of reality. The band split up, I would attempt to form new groups which failed and fell apart more in the short than in the long run and wasted 2 years holding on to my "dream", or better said my imagination.

Now I'm 21, started my studies at university and stoped wasting time, I finally got my life sorted out and it "only" required 2 years. Still I wouldn't change it, may it be wasted time or not, because I needed that period of failure and reflection to realise how things work and to "grow up".

Now I would never ever stop playing guitar or lose my passion for music, however I have set myself some limits and some goals. I have my best friend and bass player who shares the love for music and relates to me better than any musician I have met beforehand. We took his basement apart and build ourselves a rehearsal room, just for the two of us to write music and jam stuff we love. There's an EP planned, but there's no pressure, no time limit and no urged expectation. It's music for the love of music and a spare time filler.

Now I wanted to study music, but I realised that I would never make a living out of it, especially because I lack the motivation (I can be really lazy) and I'm no freak of nature regarding talent. I decided to go for law, and whilst I might not enjoy it as much as I would enjoy trying to keep up with my dream, I know it's the better decision in the long run. Heck it has even made playing more enjoyable, I have to plan my time carefully hence I charish the moments I play the guitar even more now, and having less time means more productive use of it for practising which has also helped me to become a better player.

I don't see it as a bad thing, rather as a mature decision facing the harsh reality our world has become. I will never stop playing, I will put out that dang EP, maybe even an album. But I will need something I can earn my food with and I know the music industry is not the way that's going to work out.

Cheers

[Alex]

This is a very interesting and honest thread. As someone who always felt that I would never succeed a music, but of course had the dream, I can understand a lot.
I think also the music business in the digital age has so much changed that the classic musician job doesn't really exist much anymore. It is session work and recording work, but not being in a band anymore.

I would also like to point out that quite a number of "famous" band members actually have day jobs that they fall back on - Jerry from the Misfits, for example. I think Chris Amott from Arch Enemy stopped being in the band a while as well due to studying, or Stefan Elmgren from Hammerfall used to do a lot of flying until he left Hammerfall to become an airline pilot. Tim Mills plays in bands, but makes his living (I guess, never met him) through making pickups. The love for music doesn't have to stop.

[Jonny]

In my opinion, I think too many people think they'll end up like Metallica if they joined a band. I don't know from a personal experience but I know some really good bands lose people because members want to form families and it's not necessarily a bad thing.

And as you say the music business is different these days but not always in a bad way, you can always be a bedroom guitarist and all you need is YouTube, a guitar, and a bedroom. I'd say you were making a mature choice, but I wouldn't say that doesn't open up some other choices for you to keep guitar, or making music, etc. a main part of your day-to-day.

Myself? Would love to be in a band, but I'm too much of a cover guitarist. I'll just keep the thoughts in my head.

Oh, and a little extra: Heaven Shall Burn are an awesome band but all the band members have jobs so it's not entirely impossible.

[Philly Q]

Stefan Elmgren from Hammerfall used to do a lot of flying until he left Hammerfall to become an airline pilot.

Steve Morse also had a spell as a pilot, somewhere between his stint in Kansas and Deep Purple if I remember right.

And of course Bruce Dickinson has done some professional flying as well.

[JimmyMoorby]

Stefan Elmgren from Hammerfall used to do a lot of flying until he left Hammerfall to become an airline pilot.

Steve Morse also had a spell as a pilot, somewhere between his stint in Kansas and Deep Purple if I remember right.

And of course Bruce Dickinson has done some professional flying as well.

Chris DeGarmo left Queensryche permanently to become a pilot too.

People never think of bands such as Metallica and Megadeth taking a risk to get where they are today but Metallica would never have made 'a living' from any thing until they made the black album 6-7 years after their debut.

Dream Theater stuck to their guns despite huge pressure from their labels to write radio friendly songs and succeeded but that would have taken a lot of determination.

I wonder about musicians and their business decisions.  Like Nevermore splitting up, to me theyre the best metal band since Pantera but I bet they never made a decent living off it and never would have, I bet Mr Loomis makes a bit endorsing all the gear he does though which is fair enough.

I'd live to know how much money bands such as Testament make no big singles or albums or festivals but constantly touring and eleaing material.

I think with metal though it seems all these bands hit their stride commercially in their 30's all that before you risk every thing to succeed.

One of my mates Dads band (Who shall remain nameless) did big arena's with Def Leppard and Blind Guardian, their debut sold over 100,000 and Metallica used to cover their songs.  I'd call that a success but still not enough to live off.  In summary SUSTAINING a career in rock n roll is unrealistic.