Performance vs. Music

[Caesar]

Since a lot of you are in bands, and some of you aren't, I wonder what your ideas on performances are. Do you get off on the rush of the crowd the energy of the performance, or do you prefer the quiet exploration of music away from the glare of people. Personally I hate being around people. Music helps me forget about being around people. It is an end unto itself. A friend of mine in a fairly popular local band loves to perform. His goals are about being heard by other people.

What say you?

[McSpunckle]

I'm just here for the samurai.

[tim]

I started playing guitar to bang some hot groupies and I fail to see how playing guitar in my bedroom is going to help me fulfill that dream.

[StopReferencing]

Somewhere between one and two. I really enjoy playing for people, but I don't think anyone SHOULD hear my music.

[leastwise]

Somewhere between one and two. I really enjoy playing for people, but I don't think anyone SHOULD hear my music.

I'm the same way. I play music to play music. Playing for people is fun, but it's not why I do it.

[bigchiefbc]

I fucking love gigging in front of a rocking crowd.

But when I'm listening to music, I prefer to be by myself in quiet with no distractions.

[Big Mon]

hmmmm...when I was younger,I totally got off on the energy of a good live performance. It's hard to replicate that feeling of leaving everything on the stage. But now,I like to get baked and just play. On the flip,I do think my stuff is good and have sold some cd's because of it. But when I recorded those 2 cd's,I did so for me,first and foremost. I do think that maybe one day I'll play out somewhere again. But for now,I'm completely satisfied doing like I do

[snipelfritz]

I like playing music that I want to play for my own selfish purposes and fulfillment. If other people want to listen to it, that's awesome, but I'm not going to do things musically just to please the crowd.

As for performances, I like it when it's almost like a party and a couple of people just happen to be playing instruments. Fun, high energy, you play off the crowd's energy and they play off yours and it creates a feedback of fun.

[mathias]

I only ever performed in school brass band and jazz band, and never on guitar. I maybe played a few piano recitals as a child.

I don't know. I don't think I want to perform? I just do it for myself.

[theactionindex]

This makes writing with my drummer kind of difficult sometimes. His main concern is always the audience's perspective and he has this weird obsession with keeping songs under four minutes, even at the cost of sacrificing decent additions to the song for the sake of self imposed time constraints. Weird. But yeah, as much as I'd like everyone to enjoy what I create musically, it isn't the driving force behind how or why I write in the first place. What I really want is to fuck a musician.

[CaptainWampum]

I fucking love playing live. Literally more than anything else in the world. I get really frustrated with the recording process and writing song, even though I love it, but playing live is true freedom to me. It's acting, playing music, connecting with people on a visceral level, all the things I love. I wish I played out more than I can.

[01010111]

I probably fall more on the side of option 1. I love playing, period. If I'm in front of people and they're diggin' it, it's cool because there's a kind of energy being communicated between the audience and the band, but around here the only music that'll get people goin' is either metal or country.

I would just play by myself if it weren't for two things, I can't do everything i want in music by myself, and the connections between people that come from playing together is mystically fantastic. I usually schedule shows for the sole purpose of getting my bandmates to come to practice, if they just came to have a good time playing music and were willing to experiment with every sound conceivable I don't think I'd ever care about playing music in front of people.

[The4455]

I like being on stage it's the best part about music, but I don't like when the lights shine in my eyes.

[foomanfat]

I'm all about playing live. There's nothing like it.
For me, it's an intense, physical form of worship. (Don't worry, I'm not gonna get all Christian-y on you guys.)

[MEC]

I like playing music and I like playing in front of people but I don't really care if those people like me playing music or not.