All the world’s a stage
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be on a stage in front of a dozen, a hundred or even thousands of people? Many fans over the years have said things to me such as: “I don’t know how you can do that!” Or, ”I would be scared to death out there!” The truth of the matter is, I don’t really know what possesses me to have the courage to do it.
It’s certainly different for everyone, but for me, it’s a drive that has only gotten stronger over these many years. As a frontman and singer I can tell you that you are the one the crowd depends on to entertain them and your backing band expects the same. It’s a lot of responsibility but that’s the job. So I would like to take a few minutes and try to explain what it’s like for me.
The day of a show usually starts out the same way. You meet the band at your practice hall to start tearing down and loading up hundreds of pounds of gear then head out to the venue. This takes at least a few hours. Next, you set all that gear back up and do a sound check. The sound check requires that every mic, every guitar and keyboard and every drum is tested individually and then together to ensure that your sound is loud enough and is balanced so that every instrument is heard evenly. Click off another couple of hours from the day.
After this task is finished you SHOULD have an hour or two to get yourself ready to perform. Showering off the work of hauling equipment around is almost always necessary. Then, in my case, I start pacing around backstage and warming my voice up with an occasional scale until it’s almost showtime. At this point I find a place to lay my head down where I can go into a trance so deep it’s close to sleep.
I’ve thought a lot about that part and I have come to the conclusion that there’s two reasons I do this. One is most certainly to settle my nerves and the other is the way I conserve the energy I will need over the next few hours to be able to run around the stage and sing my butt off all night. Singing, next to drumming, is the most physical role in a band (If you do it right).
At five minutes to showtime, I have a band member lightly tap me on the shoulder and it’s off to the bathroom for a nervous pee. I have never figured that part out. At this point I can hear the crowd noise. My heart begins to race and the band begins the first chords and beats and out I go!
Once I am performing it feels as if the whole world melts away. I see the faces of people in the crowd but rarely really SEE them. It’s all a blur. The one thing I do seem to notice, again, it’s my job, is the crowd’s reaction. If they are not paying enough attention to us, I work harder. If the crowd is really enjoying us, I still work harder. They came out, paid money and waited for this show. They have earned the right to get every ounce of sweat and every calorie my body can possibly give them and more! When they dance, stomp their feet, clap their hands and better yet, SING, you know you are doing your job!
The show is over quicker than imaginable! The old adage “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun” certainly applies to me here. Now you would think my job would be finished by this point but….nope. Now I always make it a point to try and visit with as many members of the audience that my fading adrenaline will allow me. That’s one one of my favorite parts of the day!
So the show’s over and I have touched base with crowd members. Now it’s time to tear all of that equipment back down and get it loaded up. You stop by and pick up your pay, looking at it sadly because many times when you do the math, your pay is pitifully small once you split it up between band members, Especially after you have all worked brutally hard for ten hours or more .
Why, you ask do you bother at all? Because making music is like a drug. One so addictive that you can’t wait until tomorrow night when you get to do it all over again. It’s worth it!!!
So that’s me. What about you? What is your passion - the thing that you feel called to do no matter what may come?
Peace Love and Music, Kevin
