Darling Harbour - Day 2 - For the love of it

Well, the sound guy did a better job today. Still lots of issues, but who cares?

I certainly don't. Playing live in front of possibly 10,000 people (not 200,000 like they said.... perhaps they meant overall) was fun for me and a new limit to the amount of crowd I've played music to. The previous record being 500 people at a charity event many years ago.

So, what was it like?

Well, people were still fretting over being late, being unprepared, going over time and being more late. I think the thing I hated the most was seeing people who help organise the events rolling their eyes and saying "I can't wait till this is all over". Which kept me thinking "Why are you here if you're not enjoying yourself?", "Why did you put your hand up to do this if you're going to hate the experience?"

I guess there's always that sense of accomplishment or something to prove when they can say THEY organised the festival. But truth be told. They hated almost every minute of it.

I on the other hand loved the whole experience. Even watching people fretting about, stressing, as if a life was on the line. I love that the sound guys are trying their best. I love that there was feedback, and no sound, I love that all the performers coming off stage were sweating in the heat of the afternoon. I love that everyone was on edge.

It seems so surreal, because I stand there and watch it all while staying cool. I'm not sure what it is. I'm excited about the whole thing. Performing music, live, on stage, and in front of hundreds if not thousands of people is like a drug for me. I get nervous. I'm not going to say I don't. But I'm just as comfortable playing music in my room alone as I am in front of 10,000 people. I can say that now, 10,000 people. hehehe. I guess it's because I've been performing live since I was six years old. But I know people who've been performing just as long and still get nervous.

In the end, we did our performance. We helped each other out, and thanked each other in the end. It's that kind of support I love the most.

I loved the whole experience and even though in a way I'm happy to not be around those people who found the whole thing a chore, I'm still happy about the whole experience, I'd do it again. However out Sax player made a good point, "You do this for the love, what happens when the love runs out?"

I said "It won't, but if it does, I want some money for it." However, I think if the love ran out for me, I wouldn't have been up there yesterday and today doing the shows for nothing. In fact I'd have asked for the money up front. So, I can safely say, I'm still in love with performance and have been for the last 25 years. I think the love would have worn off already if I wasn't.