Sadly, true. Too many people use they're eyes to tell them that a player is good, not their ears. They see a certain type of gear and automatically go into the frame of mind that "this musician must be good", or "this band must be bad". Sometimes the gear gives an adequate clue, but not always. Down here in Austin, I can't tell you the number of times I've seen amazing players that play on what consider to be "subpar" gear. I've also seen a number of mediocre (or worse) players with top notch equipment.
Highly unlikely - but you know this.
You know how many musicians are - they stand watching, arms folded, with the words "I can do that" basically tattooed on their foreheads. In their minds, good equipment "must" be the only reason that you're on stage, and not them - because CERTAINLY they are "at least" as good of a player as you.
Ain't that the truth.
I was honored when I had my own personal hater a few years back. He'd come to one of my weekly gigs and complain to anyone who'd listen (including a close friend of mine
) about me. Why did I need so many basses, why didn't I turn my treble up, he could do what I was doing, etc. It was pretty funny.One week I had to go out of town on dayjob business and he subbed for me. I stopped by on the way home from the airport. He made a gesture like he was handing me his bass. I told him it was his gig, I was there as an audience member. Apparently what I was doing wasn't as easy as he had thought. It involved playing any song we had to play in any key, following vocalists wherever they may roam and things of that sort. The complaining died down after that. Lots of things seem easy until you're under the gun.
