Sometimes when I think of music, it seems like everything worth listening to has already been invented. Lots of metal bands, rock bands or pop artists we meet on tour sound the same, or like something you've heard a hundred times before and you can't help thinking that they are interchangeable. It makes well for a party band to be like that, because when you're in the mood to party, you'll want something you recognize, something that's easy to listen to and doesn't surprise or confuse you.
But a lot of us musicians don't set out to recreate something that's already been sold a million times, we want to create something meaningful, something people would really take in and be touched by in one way or another.
How can we create that kind of art?
It's all about being authentic. It sounds so easy and logical and yet it's one of the hardest things to be—yourself. Because certain things have worked so well over the past, we instinctively drift towards them. How many metal bands have you heard that use the same old breaks, double bass passages and riffs you've heard a million time in every Metallica song before? It's not a bad thing, by all means, but you'd have to be okay with being a Metallica cover band or at least a Metallica-esque band. People will say, “That's classic metal," and some people will love it, and others will be bored stiff.
I often find that I'm afraid of being myself. Not only in making music, but in life generally. People tend to act unnaturally when they feel that their way of doing something might not be accepted by others. That might work well at your workplace or with friends, but in music these things become obvious.
Some of us try to jump around on stage, or look really cool. Others hang on to their instruments for dear life and try to hide that they are actually really nervous; some of us look like statues. But if you're not completely you on stage, people will notice. If you're an Elvis impersonator, that will work well, but if you're trying to pass on a piece of your heart, it will not work well.
A couple of years back I went to a solo performer's gig, and the first thing he said on stage was, “You guys are awesome, but I'm so afraid of you." I loved it. In fact, everyone loved it. He was being himself, honest and, well, afraid. It seemed to make matters easier for him too, because he knew that we knew how he felt and it gave him courage to start his set without having to act secure. He got better with every song he played. It was a very personal concert, he didn't perform a great deal, but he didn't have to. His natural presence helped the audience focus on his lyrics, and because that was the way this guy was going to connect with us, he did. So whenever this guy is playing and I go see him, I know exactly what to expect. A very intimate atmosphere with meaningful music. It's who he is, and if you have a product that is authentic, people will take to it.
I've seen guitarists put on a Gary Moore face while playing and I just know it isn't real. If you make funny faces while playing—great, make them. A couple of months ago, we played a show with an experimental rock band in Germany. They weren't all that good, and I'd guess they were a band for the fun of it; their music was very unorganized and kind of out there, but I loved them so much. One of their guitarists played like he had no control over his limbs, and he looked quite weird on stage. But he didn't care a bit, he just orgasmed his music out right there, and because it was obvious that that was just the way he experienced music, no one else cared either. As I say, you can tell instantly with musicians if they are being themselves or not.
We've all seen lots of bands and heard lots of music, but the music that really gets to me and makes me listen is the music that reflects the people who're making it. So be content—whatever you are like is the best way you can be—it's your asset, because it assures that you will make music the way no one else can. The people who built our music world weren't cool because they were good at imitating others, they were good at being themselves and that's what made us love them. So go out there and be yourself, like you've never been before.
