I'm a rockstar on hiatus - Ask Me (Almost) Anything

[SweetnSaltyPopcornPlease]

I'm a semi-successful musician in a rock band. It's my only occupation, has been for some years. I've been a lot of places, seen a lot of stuff and met a lot of people. Ask me anything. I can't answer everything for various reasons but let's see how it goes...

@Yorkshiremummyof1

Ooooh have you been on never mind the buzzcocks?

I have been asked, I can't say whether I accepted the offer or not.

@PinkPanther27

Hi, I'm quite interested in this thread as I love indie rock and spent my younger years (and all my money ha!) going to numerous festivals and gigs. I've managed to blah my way backstage a few times and met lots of cool people- my best was probably meeting Damon Albarn- my biggest ever crush 🤭 I still love indie rock and go to Britpop nights when I get a rare night out- my fave bands were Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Dodgy, Ocean Colour Scene, Bluetones etc but I also love heavier stuff like Foo Fighters and System of a Down. My question- when you were a teenager did you ever imagine you'd make it? Were you confident back then?

Brit Pop is a bit before our success. I love Song 2 and My Hero by Foo Fighters is one of my favourite songs of all time.

I remember seeing an awful performance on Top of the Pops and thinking "what?? I can do better than that!". That spurred me on to be in the music industry. Then one day we went on there, and did.

@OVienna

Boo hiss, I hope the OP comes back. What does it matter which band they're in?

I am also interested in the press question - has anything preposterous been reported, that is. Also: is there a person you've encountered that we would all know whose public persona is wildly different from what they're like in real life??? That we'd be shocked by.

I have two DCs each play two instruments - one is a music scholar. I feel like if anyone would know people who would start a band, we would. When I was growing up it seemed like I knew dozens of people who started bands, played gigs albeit as 'non professionals'. My kids don't know ANYONE doing that. Most of these kids were boys, to be fair.

I am wondering if online gaming has replaced some of this for entertainment???? Where are the guitarists???

It could also be that rap music, which I am less in tune to, is driving youth creativity in this area.

Very curious if the OP thinks the bench is thin in terms of new bands coming through.

Yes please gossip about the X-Factor. It's fucking appalling.

Yeah that's interesting. I was asking my label about that some time ago. They said that music has cycles. It does seem to be rap and pop music right now. I couldn't wait for Dubstep to pass. Band music will come back around at some point. I guess it's easier to make digital music during the age of technology and get Tik Tok famous than to master a physical instrument. But art comes in many forms and there's something for everyone. I'm grateful for the large variety that inspires me to create original music.

Hm, music does have cycles but now that anyone with a laptop can produce from their bedroom, I think it’s (sadly) going to be a while before bands are “fashionable “ again. Technology has made collaborations between people who never meet possible and songs get written by committees in Nashville and Denmark and that will never be the same as a band in a room. Labels are inevitably going to tell the talent what they want to hear. Even an A&r you have a long-standing relationship with.( And of course the chairman will say what they think you want to hear and then get someone else to tel you the whole thing needs re-recording)

Such an interesting AMA!

Do you ever have musical differences and disagreements? You mentioned that you are one of the songwriters - do you ever hate something that one of your bandmates has written?

@TryAnotherNickname

Hm, music does have cycles but now that anyone with a laptop can produce from their bedroom, I think it’s (sadly) going to be a while before bands are “fashionable “ again. Technology has made collaborations between people who never meet possible and songs get written by committees in Nashville and Denmark and that will never be the same as a band in a room. Labels are inevitably going to tell the talent what they want to hear. Even an A&r you have a long-standing relationship with.( And of course the chairman will say what they think you want to hear and then get someone else to tel you the whole thing needs re-recording)

And that's the beauty of independent labels. They answer to no-one, they take chances, they follow their passion, sign who they love and keep the industry fresh.

@AnotherMarshmallow

Such an interesting AMA!

Do you ever have musical differences and disagreements? You mentioned that you are one of the songwriters - do you ever hate something that one of your bandmates has written?

There are definitely a couple of songs I dislike. I am honest and we just don't play them live. We had a song picked as a single (radio PR helps let you know which song off an album radio will be most likely to play) which I strongly disliked. It did well and we were forced to perform it constantly for live sessions. Great.

I started this thread last Friday 8pm and have decided to let it run for 1 week so will drop in throughout to answer questions and give final words this Friday around 8pm. Haven't decided what I'm going to say to finish it off...👀

You say you've toured and played all over the world. Which country have you enjoyed playing in the most (as opposed to which one have you enjoyed visiting) - which country has the best fans/atmosphere?

You mentioned that other bands of your generation had fizzled out. What do you think has kept your band fresh and relevant?

I think it's only fair you tell us who you are before you go 😂

Have you toured to any African countries?

If I am correct in my thinking, you have a link to my country.

Haven't decided what I'm going to say to finish it off

Just a heads up for you:

Your thread will run on for as long as MNers are prepared to ask you questions and to make comments - threads in this place don't just stop when the OP decides to wind them up!

Just say when you won't be coming back, we'll just carry on without you

We were once described as a nest of vipers (which we certainly can be sometimes), we're being more like a nest of kittens here, but I'm afraid once a thread is started no one much has any control over it!

Oh, and I meant to also thank you for answering so many questions, and for the insight you have given into your world. (Am I being creepy, people? I just want to be polite, I think OP has been great.)

Will you start another thread if this one fills up before Friday OP?

Are you sad that Q magazine has gone down the pan? I subscribed for a long time and still have some amazing free compilation CDs.

Do you know Sophie Ellis Bextor?

The Magic Numbers is my guess

@SweetnSaltyPopcornPlease

I started this thread last Friday 8pm and have decided to let it run for 1 week so will drop in throughout to answer questions and give final words this Friday around 8pm. Haven't decided what I'm going to say to finish it off...👀

Have you ever recorded a song and then overdubbed an orchestra or big string section on it?

I only ask because I spent years as an assistant (and then finally as an) engineer, I used to work in the major London recording studios, studer A800 machines, SSL desks, Protools rigs. All of which can now be simulated in a little box. It seems all those big studios have closed, which is a shame, as there used to be a real skill of old school recording engineers that may have been lost forever.

In my day, Napster was the platform the music industry was fighting against, and the tech developments of the last 20 years have been astonishing. Post COVID, (as long as they can design better goggles/ headsets.) I see some geeky tech person, designing an immersive experience VR Gig. The band performing in one chosen Venue, and the rest of the world buying in via the VR headsets. Do you have any vision of what the future of touring could possibly look like?

@evilharpy

You say you've toured and played all over the world. Which country have you enjoyed playing in the most (as opposed to which one have you enjoyed visiting) - which country has the best fans/atmosphere?

I have answered this above. But I'll add on to the 2 countries I mentioned (gotta scroll up) - China don't often hear western music, so they go wild at shows. Ireland are amazing, Brazil, South Korea, and in Spain their evening starts at 9pm so they don't tire out as it gets late. We haven't played in Africa yet but I would love to. We got offered a festival in Malawi but an ex band member didn't want to go because it would be 'too hot'. So we had to turn it down.

Thanks SweetnSalty, sorry I thought I'd read all your answers but must have missed that one. Love that you said Ireland, I'm Irish and we do go wild at festivals and gigs, even an Abba tribute night

@Lurkerlot great question! So I spoke to someone who has developed a technology for virtual gigs. It involves special cameras that create a giant 3D holographic projection with surround sound. The people are really there but the artist can appear to be multiple places at once, potentially performing 1 real gig but thousands of people around the world in a specially adapted venue feel like the artist is there. It seemed very futuristic at the time of conversation a couple of years ago but now with COVID, we could see it sooner than I realised.

I think I may know who you are (band wise) so I do hope you do a reveal !

So not gonna be able to do a reveal

@AnotherMarshmallow

You mentioned that other bands of your generation had fizzled out. What do you think has kept your band fresh and relevant?

Maybe the fact that we have just kept going? Lol. We all get on really well, we enjoy what we do, we have sanity breaks, we like our record label/management and we've no reason to break up. Even various solo projects aren't enough to break up the band. But I think the biggest reason is that big festivals keep booking us and we still headline, albeit headlining smaller festivals now. We are awesome live and exciting to watch. As long as we can make people happy, we'll keep doing what we do.