Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Slightly Fewer Heroes

I went to see one of my all time musical heroes in concert tonight.
He was superb. His band was superb, the sound was superb, it was a, you guessed it, superb gig.

It was the exact type of music I used to play myself, and a genre I've always thought was about as good, musically, as it's possible to get.

I was a not that great but okay guitarist. The guy playing guitar tonight was roughly eighty thousand times better than I ever was.
The drummer was as good as I've ever heard; the bass player was verging on genius; the keyboard player found notes, chords and sounds I didn't know existed.

And the man himself, the main man, was (and is) a legend. He played the finest harmonica, the most beautiful piano and organ, and when he sang - Jesus, did he sing.

My reaction?

Unmoved.

I don't know why, and it worries me.

Okay, it wasn't the biggest crowd I've ever seen and that affected the atmosphere. But, still. This was both a hero, and a man who had possibly the finest musicians I've ever heard on stage with him, and my honest reaction was - meh.

I was bored.

So, what does that say? Does it say something about me, or him?

It's my blog, so I'm going to go with me (I can't imagine he gives a flying fuck).

My point, if I have one, is this: A thing I thought I cared deeply about is suddenly boring, apparently. Even when the best in the business does it, it's boring. Not terrible at all, but boring.
How bloody boring must I have been when I was trying to do the same thing, but not nearly as well?

Is this a sign I've moved on? That my tastes have matured? Sadly, I don't think so. Yer man tonight is older than my dad, and he was loving it (yer man, not my dad).

Is it a sign I've clung on to things I should have let go long ago? Should I be listening to more modern music? Almost certainly. I hear that Duffy girl is very cutting edge.

So, that's how music has got me a touch disillusioned, tonight.

As for writing ...

5 comments:

  1. I don't like ice cream any more. Once it would have excited me beyond reason

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  2. I feel exactly the same way about 'Champion the Wonder Horse'. And Spangles.

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  3. It might have been the venue. Yer man sounds better in a small folk club. Did he have any new material?

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  4. No new stuff I don't think, Mary. You're right, it would have been much better in a more intimate venue. Shame. I feel like a traitor even suggesting I was underwhelmed, but there it is.
    It wasn't too hot either, JD, though the beer was crap, which certainly didn't help.

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