1.2
So you can blat out ‘Loyal’, ‘Hey Ya’, or drop some nice fireside skank on that old guitar that hangs around the bach. You may even fancy yourself a bit of Chad Kroeger. Mum might have made you study Suzuki method piano for a term or two. Or you might just be a rockgod on PS3 or Singstar. Awesome, those are the building blocks from which you can become legendary in the Tron.
You don’t need to be polished, or even expect that you’ll go on to a long and rewarding recording career. Hamilton music isn’t about hours and hours of rehearsal to achieve note-for-note perfection. It most certainly ain’t American Idol. Don’t aim for professionalism, or regular gigs around town with that two piece Jason Mraz good feeling. The more seriously you take being in a band the less you’ll enjoy it.
Playing live you can get away with all sorts of shit that you can’t with recorded music. I recently heard a bootleg of Pearl Jam from last year’s Supertop (RIP) gig; what a mess! It was frenetic and chaotic and loose, but it sounded fun as hell. Then our NZ music gods, the Finns (from near Hamilton), joined Eddie on stage; none of those fuckers sang in tune with either the ratshit guitar strumming, or each other. As far as I can tell it was a great concert.
The point is, its all about performance, interacting with the crowd, stage-craft. And having a good time – if you’re enjoying yourself, often the crowd gets right into it. Oh, and talent helps. And piss. Lots and lots of piss.
And it can start right there in the living room of your flat or hostel. Go on, lift your head from that plate of boiled mince and look to your left. Now look to your right. Each of those people sitting next to you staring blankly at Shortland St might just be bored enough to do something tonight.
This is how most Htown bands start, and I suspect Weezer too. Hamilton audiences have traditionally revelled in the absurd so simply let your inner-Freudian conflict run wild. Originality rules supreme and even the bizarre gets a good hearing.
OATS!