Ten biggest reasons I hate gigging

[deeaa*]

Yeah, I also used to enjoy the rides with the band...some priceless memories of the bus and backstage activities indeed ;-)

I could definitely work as a soundman for a nice band...and 3-5 times a year I tag along with a friend's band for a gig or two just for that bus ride fun time and backstage and all that jive...but the thing is, in those occasions it's not your a$$ on the line onstage...

It's exactly all that anxiety that comes with the task of singer/guitarist/frontman...everything relies on you and your ability to deliver just then, because without you it's nothing. So it's pretty much all up to you to make it or break it. And then you have your hands full, gotta remember the words, songs, and do the pedal dance while singing and trying to do your best...that's mainly what makes it sucky.

My previous band, Crankenhaus, started with just the idea that since my band before that I swore I'll NEVER become the singer/songwiter/guitarist/mixer/manager again; in Crank I just played the guitar, and it was WAY less stressful, although stressful enough.

But, I guess I clean forgot what a load of work and stress it is when I got talked into the very same position again...and now I have to reap what I've sown.

Seriously, I can already foresee that if we get into gigging more the band will likely just break up at some point because I just can't take the workload and stress of handling it all myself once again.

[Eric***]

Yeah, I also used to enjoy the rides with the band...some priceless memories of the bus and backstage activities indeed ;-)

I could definitely work as a soundman for a nice band...and 3-5 times a year I tag along with a friend's band for a gig or two just for that bus ride fun time and backstage and all that jive...but the thing is, in those occasions it's not your a$$ on the line onstage...

It's exactly all that anxiety that comes with the task of singer/guitarist/frontman...everything relies on you and your ability to deliver just then, because without you it's nothing. So it's pretty much all up to you to make it or break it. And then you have your hands full, gotta remember the words, songs, and do the pedal dance while singing and trying to do your best...that's mainly what makes it sucky.

My previous band, Crankenhaus, started with just the idea that since my band before that I swore I'll NEVER become the singer/songwiter/guitarist/mixer/manager again; in Crank I just played the guitar, and it was WAY less stressful, although stressful enough.

But, I guess I clean forgot what a load of work and stress it is when I got talked into the very same position again...and now I have to reap what I've sown.

Seriously, I can already foresee that if we get into gigging more the band will likely just break up at some point because I just can't take the workload and stress of handling it all myself once again.

Well at least it seems we've gotten to the bottom of it. You put a lot of pressure on yourself to have a good performance, and you are the leader of the band. Even with my limited experience, I can understand that.

Just last night, I was playing with my "band", and they were asking what we should play next. I said I didn't know and they said, "Well, you're the leader." My response was kind of like what the heck? When did I become the leader? Their answer? "Uh, you've always been the leader."

So yeah...I guess I get it. You want the benefits, but not the pressure. I think that's normal, and I can relate. Maybe you could talk to your bandmates about giving you some more support in this whole thing. Sometimes something as simple as sharing the burden can do a lot to relieve stress on you. Share your goals and what you are stressing about, maybe explain some of the details, ask them for help. It's worth a shot, because right now it seems like your hobby is making you miserable.