Dreams, Hopes and Realities.

StefStoep

When i was in high school, in the mid '90's, i had my first "Dreams" of being in a band, but the weird thing is, i never dreamt of being the Vocalist or the lead guitarist, i always wanted to be the Rhythm guitarist/backing vocals. I have always thought of myself as quite a mediocre guitarist at best and i can sing harmonies so i thought that the rhythm guitarist position would be perfect for me. My ideal was to play in a band like "Hootie and the blowfish"(remember them???), which was strange in it self as i never really listen to them, i was more into Pearl Jam/Nirvana/Metallica/Aerosmith(get a grip - album - still awesome!!!!!).

At varsity I discovered Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and some of the afrikaans "singer/songwriters" and suddenly i wanted to become the next Dylan or Cohen or somebody that is worshipped because they wrote such amazing poetic lyrics. So, once again the guitar was more of a second place.

Only recently i started focusing on the guitar and realize that it is hard work to be a "bit-better-than-mediocre" guitarist. I have started about 2 - 3 years ago to learn some scales and now suddenly i wish i was a mixture of BB King, Slash, Gary Moore and Roger Waters.

The reality is, in all the bands that i have ever been, i have always been the main vocalist and rhythm guitarist and my song writing is mediocre. But, now that i am not currently playing in a band, i am practicing more and i am currently probably the best guitarist that i've ever been!

Who did you want to be when you grew up?

Explorerlover

As for what I wanted to be when I grew up, I still have no idea.

Toyed with the band thing and would love to do that again, but the current state of affairs will not allow it.

As for guitars...I started because of James Hetfield and thus I see myself as a rhythm guitarist. I will poke around with a lead here and there, but I'm more comfortable with the rhythm side of things..

Chocklit_Thunda

Dreams: guitar god
Hopes: guitar god
Reality: learn to play scales.... ?

PeteM

I don't want to grow up and I want to be me. ?

chris77

Stefstoep, your story sounds a helluva lot like mine - complete with the bands you listened to and discovering Cohen, Dylan and the not kak Afrikaans singers in varsity. Add Counting Crows, Soundgarden and Soul Asylum to your list and that's pretty much me covered until about my 25th birthday! ?

I have no grandiose dreams of stages filled with fame and underwear, and I don't think I ever really had. Even when I started out playing it was more about the ability to SAY something in a way that touched people the way that music touched me. But ja, obviously that never happened ?

Somewhere along the line though, the guitar became more than just an instrument to me, and I am now as fascinated by it's history and the culture that surrounds it as I have ever been with anything in my life. I now love playing with my guitars almost as much as on them, and I think that will probably be where I end up one day. An amateur luthier buying gear so I can "fix" them, surrounding myself with tons of stuff I love and overinvesting in them, both emotionally and financially.

But if I grow up to be PeteM, that will be awesome as well! ?

Jayhell

PeteM wrote I don't want to grow up and I want to be me. ?

+1

But seriously, I didn't want to be anyone specific, I just wanted to play like them. I also liked the idea of being a bassist or a rhythm guitarist and just lay back and do what needs to be done. I always wrote songs even before I could play. I always wrote them as if someone else will sing them. But later in life I realized that no one is going to appear and do all of that and someone has got to do it, So it became me - singer, songwriter and rhythm/lead guitarist. Singing is still the hardest part of it all, but it is a learning curve. I'd rather be Keith Richards than Mick Jagger but now I'm trying to be a bit of both, if you know what I'm saying. And for the dream, for a couple of hours a week I'm living it; jamming, composing and a gig here and there.

domhatch

PeteM wrote I don't want to grow up and I want to be me. ?

ha ha. classic, and a most inspirational aspiration.

singemonkey

StefStoep wrote My ideal was to play in a band like "Hootie and the blowfish"(remember them???),

Bob-Dubery

I don't really know what this is all about, but I will say this: You can have a satisfying musical "career" (for want of a better word) without being a star or even a professional.

Some points I've made on GFSA previously include the story about Richard Thompson being asked what musicians he hung out with and jammed with when he wasn't on the road. The answer (more or less) was "you won't have heard of them. For whatever reason they can't make a career out of music or chose not to, but they are excellent players who work 9-5 in silicon valley and play in their spare time."

The folky/rootsy areas of the musical world are full of people who play music just for the heck of it, often combining this with a humble, regular job. They have no thoughts of being stars or even having a full time career, and the mainstream music world will never hear a note they play, but they are great performers who take and give a lot of pleasure through music.

You might be surprised at how far such things go. Remember Chumbawamba and their big hit "Tub Thumping"? ("He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink / He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink" and that big chorus "I get knocked down but I get up again / You're never gonna keep me down"). They never made enough money out of music to do it full time, despite having that big hit, but they keep on keeping on even though they have to take a break from their paying, non-musical gigs when they want to tour.

So maybe you won't be famous, but you can still have a good time with music.

PS: When I was a kid I wanted to be a journalist. Preferably somebody likes Charles Shaar Murray and write confident pieces about music that would either fascinate or enrage (or both) the reader. Now I'm a bit more grown up I'd like to have been Joe Boyd or Danny Thompson - they've rubbed shoulders and hung and worked with a long list of the great and good and witnessed great musical things, but they can walk down the street without being molested (as opposed to poor old Mick Jagger who was once complaining that all he wants to do is go down to the local and have a game of darts).

StefStoep

For me it was never about being famous when i started out, and i don't want to be famous like those names i mentioned, i just want to play. The only time that i wanted to be famous was with my Dylan/Cohen era! Weird, i know because they are probably the ones that care the least about being famous out of all the ones i mentioned.

I actually think i just need to start a band again, even if we suck, just to play. I never had as much fun as with my last band, unfortunately we had to split up since i moved away.

I think it was just interesting to me how my "hopes and dreams" have changed through the years.

Damn! Is there anything better out there than being in a band, having a good time with good mates, good music and playing your guitar!

chris77 wrote Add Counting Crows, Soundgarden and Soul Asylum to your list and that's pretty much me covered until about my 25th birthday! ?

Yeah, forgot to mention Counting Crows, but i still love and listen to them! Soundgarden as well, i just love Chris Cornell, he can really sing!!!!!

IceCreamMan

StefStoep wrote

Who did you want to be when you grew up?

David Lee Roth

The idea of being a rock star has always fascinated me ... I think rock stars are prolly amongst the "free est " ppl on the planet ..and that notion of freedom has always fascinated me.......

from a guitaring perspective paul McCartney was my first idol ...although a bassist the fact he was left handed as am I kinda held the attention I guess.

guidothepimmp

I soooooo wanted to be like andreas kisser when i was younger... lol

stompie

I've always wanted to front my own blues band, but i can't sing to save my life. So i just thought il keep working hard till i become a recognised guitarist, i don't mean famous, more like in the movie crossroads where Willy said something in the line of "all i ever wanted was for them to say, that boy can play