What's it like being a rockstar?

[cirrusb2002]

Had the pleasure of working with some "stars" years ago, before rock dominated, & they seemed to be pretty well grounded. Ran into some of the other type later on & was NOT impressed, so it was easy to go a different way.
Since I was working in the military for most of the last 40 odd years, common sense & staying grounded has been pretty easy. The local ego trips are laughable no matter where you go, but it usually catches up at some point. I've been asked, when doing some high profile local stuff, "what's it like being a rock star?". My stock answer is to thank them for the compliment, & say I'm just a guy/with a band that likes what we do.
We were able to open for some high profile bands on the summer circuit, & they were all pretty cool, but the best was Chilliwack, fronted by Bill Henderson. Probably the nicest "rock star" I've met to date, professional & pleasant to deal with. Props to ya, Bill!

 

[erock138]

I'm currently playing for a living with a solo artist, this is my first big gig, and I love it. But one expression i can say:

Hurry up and wait.

Drive drive drive, gas stations all the freaking time, on a crunch to get there, then arrive, and wait. Set up, wait. play, wait, tear down, wait. Leave, drive on again. It's good and bad I supposse. alot of patience, and ALOT of people say that they want to do it, get the chance, and say wow, I didn't think it'd be like this, i'm out.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[contrapposto]

Hurry up and wait is right.

I worked my ass off in a local band, got to the point where we were decently buzzing on the west coast... and it was very hellish. I'd spend all my time at home waiting tables and bartending and rehearsing, then spend it all out on tour getting our name known.

...then had the opportunity to join a friend's band in February of this year, and was on my first tour in a bus in March. We toured Europe in May, played the entire Warped tour, and had a 2 month long tour scheduled starting Nov1 that just got cancelled. Making money for what you're passionate about is an incredible feeling. The band is taking a break now due to a drug addict singer that got himself arrested, and while I feel like I'm going to miss it, there's a lot I had to give up to be touring constantly like that: family, friends, a relationship, a steady paycheck, etc.

I mean all of those things that you 'give up' to do it may not seem like a lot to most people... but I'm just hitting my mid twenties and am at the point in my life where I kind of want a stable home life too. I'm still really unsure of how I feel about it (the tour was only cancelled as of a week ago) but am going to spend a week down on a beach in socal to clear my head and figure out what's important to me at this point in my life. With all the contacts I've made from those tours I could jump right back into it, but am really going to think on it before I do.

 

[fhm555]

I've been giving this one some thought and I think I now know what being a rock star means...

I think being a rock star is looking forward to fussing with your platinum blond poofster doo all day and never forgetting to slip a cuke down one leg of your trousers whenever you leave the house.

 

[Lon86]

Man... A lot of angry, jaded people on here!

I almost hit a few times, lived the dream for a while. A lot of my friends are big musicians.

It is awesome!!!
Good money, fame and all the perks...women, free stuff, fun times...

It is everything it is cracked up to be. The quality depends on the person.

The problem with it is when and if it stops, nothing in your life will be the same. Hopefully you have money stashed.

A few of my buddies are now depressed, bad. Even the money they have cannot make up for the high of being on top of the world.

Anyway...

 

[DeadGoonz]

No rockstar here, but think about it like this, once you turn something you love to do into a job it becomes just that, a job.

I am sure pro fisherman though it was going to be awesome getting paid to fish all day, until they realize it sucks when you "have" to do it. Or the pornstar who though how great it would be to, well you get my point.

 

[Von Felgenhauer]

No rockstar here, but think about it like this, once you turn something you love to do into a job it becomes just that, a job.

I am sure pro fisherman though it was going to be awesome getting paid to fish all day, until they realize it sucks when you "have" to do it. Or the pornstar who though how great it would be to, well you get my point.

My father always taught there were jobs, then there were careers. If you don't like what you are doing its a job, however if you love what you do its a career. Give me a job to jump around and play on a stage and ill be in heaven.

 

[Dan Horboychuk]

Your right the onstage part is amazing but its the other 23 hours of the day that can potentially suck.. getting screwed by promoters, club owners, booking agents, etc.

 

[Von Felgenhauer]

Your right the onstage part is amazing but its the other 23 hours of the day that can potentially suck.. getting screwed by promoters, club owners, booking agents, etc.

If you love it you will find ways to deal with it or other ways around. Working with bad people should never be the reason to detract you from doing what you love.

 

[Dan Horboychuk]

For me it was enough to leave not only touring but I also was partners in a small music store and taught full time when home from tours. I left it all didn't touch a bass for nearly 6 years. But I'm back now so I guess all is good lol. Except now its local cover bands no more tours.

 

[mpdd]

it is a job, you write your butt off, you practice your butt off, and play your butt off

if your priorities are elsewhere it's going to show in the quality of the music

 

[guitardefector]

Well...lemme tell ya,

No, actually I'm not a rock star, but I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night...



Honestly, I imagine it being alot like being a slave. You have a whole network of people who are controlling various aspects of your life and they all have expectations that they push you to meet. You are a product for them to market and make money on so they work you like an ox in a grain mill. The pressure and the temptations to screw yourself up with drugs and alcohol are probably overwhelming. All the while, you just want to be happy like everybody else but instead you end up settling for a series of one-night-stands and gold diggers. The risk of getting AIDS and dying like Freddie Mercury or overdosing on drugs and alcohol like Jimi Hendrix becomes a daily threat. Unless you're a total wussy, then you commit suicide like Kurt Cobain.

...then you either DIE or give up "the life" and retire to Australia to herd sheep (like the Thompson Twins).

Man, I should stay at the Holiday Inn Express more often.

Sounds a lot like the US Presidency, minus the assassination attempts??

 

[TNCreature]

For me:
Really Really Really Hard.
Rarely financially rewarding.
Often creatively rewarding.
Necessary Evil.
P.S. I met my wife at a gig.

 

[somegeezer]

For me:
Really Really Really Hard.
Rarely financially rewarding.
Often creatively rewarding.
Necessary Evil.
P.S. I met my wife at a gig.

Certainly not in the rockstar life then. Having labels and producers telling you what to do - not creatively rewarding at all. But them giving you large amounts of money to put up, shut up and sell the damn crappy music? - Financial reward all over.

I doubt there is really all that much, other than not having all the say in how the music goes, that could really be all that bad about ACTUALLY having that lifestyle. Unfortunately, very few ever see that point.

 

[addylewis]

My old bands drummer's dad was in a big-name band back in the day - he's still playing clubs/festivals with most of them.

All I know is the whole "rock'n'roll lifestyle" is only done during the first couple of years if that...afterwards its pretty tame and maybe "put on" a bit for show - otherwise you'll just burn out, NOBODY can do the sex/drugs/drinking/rock'n'roll thing regularly/night after night during their career if they're going to come out ok the other side! Like I say, now they're doing clubs/classic rock conventions using a slightly different name (thanks to their old singer taking them to court and getting the rights to the original name...otherwise they'd probably be doing much better tours & gigs).

The guy's NOT loaded...I don't know how much money he's got or has had (he seems to be doing ok, not particularly "well off" but ok...and I know he's had a couple of "proper jobs" as well since the band stuff), but I know you'll have heard of the band. Should I hint? Er..."Spinal Tap" was based on these guys.

The guy has absolutely NO ego, is a GREAT guitarist and SHOULD be better off IMHO...even better than that he's told me I'm a good player (WOO! - it's really nice to hear that from someone who's name is known in the industry and makes their living from playing...)

 

[fokof]

I know people who doesn't make a living out of music and are Rock stars. I know others who aren't even musicians and are the biggest rock stars.

Attitude.

Just sayin'




I make a living out of music and I'm probably the fartest guy from "Rock stardom"