“…so because this venue is sh*t and want to take 50% of the merch sales I use to feed my family, and because they won’t let me do a signing where I can meet you all, we’ll have an illegal merch stand just outside the venue after the gig.”
Just a few keyboards for Nils Frahm then…
That was Nils Frahm, a German neoclassical keyboardist at one of the few recent gigs I’ve been to. This was just one of the many memorable moments, and is up there with being conducted by Jacob Collier to create an improvised choir out of the audience. Both were quite museo-y, but were a lot of fun nonetheless. Out of everything that happened, there’s one thing that stood out from each of them as far more memorable and impactful than the crazy solos, the deeply intimate artistry, or the terrible smell of the person standing too close next to me (not someone I went with, in case they’re reading!).
It was that feeling; knowing that I’m there, in the moment, and being there wholly. Sure, I took out my phone and took some videos. But there was an inescapable immediacy to the situation, knowing that the sounds being created in front of me were strictly for this room, and this time, only. I knew the songs, but something about them being re-created live in front of me was pretty magical.
Keep with me on this one – I know I sound pretty artsy fartsy, but hear me out! It’s taken me a while to figure out how to communicate this properly, so here we go.
You can see more of what I mean about being conducted here…
Music is always better live: fact. There doesn’t need to be any stats to back that up, it’s just true. Music being made in front of you makes music you don’t like bearable, and the music you love even better. I’ll happily confess I hate acapella music, but I was quite happy to sit through 3 songs by a 13 voice acapella group in Manchester the other day that were so incredibly arranged and performed. There’s a reason why people remember the music at parties with live bands compared to DJs. Don’t get me wrong, the studio has its place and purpose – but something about live music is so, well, alive.
For me, I love that whatever the music is that is being played, it arrives and leaves in an instant. There is no way of reliving that experience. Lots of people try – that’s why you see crowds of iPhones at gigs, and the horribly distorted Instagram stories that follow. But looking back on the videos I’ve taken, they don’t give me anywhere near the same level of excitement as I experienced there. When you record something like that, it’s no longer alive. Taking in-the-moment art out of its moment is like having a super car, but not having any fuel to use it. It’s fine to look at, but within that context, it can’t achieve its purpose.
So because of that feeling, yes, live music is absolutely worth it. But what now? If music in the moment is better, then I wonder what else is? Maybe we should incorporate some of that inescapable immediacy out into real life. For me, I’m going to try being more present, more wholly in the moment. It’s not about seeking the same high somewhere else, but more about trying to live life to its fullest, and to try and enjoy every moment, in the moment. Maybe putting my phone down more often might help me see something I missed in the art of everyday living.
What about you? Do you feel the same about live music? And how do you feel about living more in the moment? Share your thoughts below - if you’ve liked this blog, leave me a like so I know!