The Fat Blog: Learn in suffering, Teach in song

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Learn in suffering, Teach in song

“I love music, it means everything to me, I live it, breath it, eat it. I want to be an artist when I grow up and have everyone listen to my music”. I hear that a lot. After the first few times the reaction is more ‘yeh? Ok! Let’s see where you are this time next year’. Then after the hundredth time I just can’t be bothered!

You see, amongst other things I do, I also work as a AnR, well, I don’t call myself one, it’s more like sourcing artists for labels, and session musicians for studios, that kind of thing. All different genre’s and styles, why limit yourself right? The point is, some, no, a lot, of people who want to be artists, whether its music, drama or contemporary art, don’t really realise the amount of work, pain and blood that they would have to go through to even get to the point of being labelled an unsigned artist, or up and coming for that fact.

I’ve seen the pain with my own eyes, seriously. I wouldn’t want to be an artist even if they paid me and told to go stand next to Chris Brown. Maybe not Chris, I’d end up looking like Shrek standing next to him. This is though, why I do admire all the artists I come across who have gone through ‘the wall’ so to speak and are still trodding on hard as the day they first realised their dreams and ambitions. Make no mistake, for every live music night you go to, every time you go to a gig, lose the mind set that these are the lucky few, or glory hunters. I’ve yet to meet an artist who has been in the game for more than a few years who’s in it for the glory. The ones who are, usually quit after their first bad gig.

I mean, I used to play rugby in secondary school. I trained for five months and got onto the first team. First ever game, it was snowing, ankle high. I get the ball in the second half, run down the centre of the field, and just as I’m about to make my pass, a huge 14 stone kid lands me with the heaviest blow to the ground. I played just that one game, had stud marks on my chest that were still visible after two days, but I don’t call myself a rugby player, and I certainly don’t tell that story on dates. But those who get past the pain do deserve a lot of love and appreciation. So for 2009 I want you to take the time out and have a butchers at a few select links that I’ve picked. These guys shine through and they’re still doing their thing. Long live UK music.

G Range
www.myspace.com/gr07