|
Post by Catfish on Dec 2, 2015 1:50:00 GMT
I made a living as an artist for a long time rather than music because it was much easier as it turned out. Just me and some materials often. Many times not even that as they were supplied by the venue. Lots more opportunities for gigs too. I got tired of trying to get four people together on the same page in order to make a living. Having kids I just didn't have the time to try and fail. Last music things I did were playing acoustic at gallery openings and working with at risk kids doing music videos. Still too much trouble as I was hauling equipment just like a gig and then organizing hard headed gangsters into a focusing on a creative pursuit. I have ideas for artists to get work, but not musicians. The only art I'm good at is music and poetry. The latter makes even less than the former. Outside of that, fabricating and legal work and voice work, all of which makes life unbearable. Luckily, my decision to put it all on the line is starting to pay off. More financial success to come. I was prepared to die for this. Expected to die, really; maybe even hoped for it. I do think that has contributed to the progress made so far. We'll see.
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 2, 2015 2:15:46 GMT
If I hadn't been so under the gun I would have kept at it. I planned on doing both, plus restoration hoping one area would cover the other in dry times. The only two that were paying off were..well, not music. I wasn't willing to play what my locale called for which was another hindrance plus the fucks I was playing with didn't have the mindset to become professionals. Both my stepdad and brothers were professional musicians so I never thought making a living at it was out of the question.
But popular music is different that classical. And I didn't want students. Turns out that's what I had to do in the visual arts anyway. I wouldn't make a very good music teacher. I know how to teach, but music is a different animal to me. For one thing I can't stand to listen to the halting grinding off key screechings of a student muso. Art..I can look at crappy art all day with few ill effects.
The only guy I ever partnered with that was very competent was level headed and a nice guy. Multi instrumentalist, invested in a nice 8 track Fostex reel to reel etc. for a home studio. Even had contractors build the room in his basement. But dead boring. I'm a little wilder.
|
|
|
Post by Harmony on Dec 2, 2015 5:03:00 GMT
Lefty, Lefty, Lefty!! Man, I could slap you! lol In my defense, no never mind that... Seemed a very sensible and effective response to what had been said prior; neither of us was consciously interested in monogamy. The fallout was unexpected, brutally painful for both of us, but we talked it through, and both learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and the depth of our feelings. Never will I cross the line we made after. I need to figure out emoticons to give the Frigg his well-earned due for that pic of Spock! Awwww....now I am happy Happy for you both! Glad you managed to sort things out and open up to each other.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 2, 2015 13:22:32 GMT
If I hadn't been so under the gun I would have kept at it. I planned on doing both, plus restoration hoping one area would cover the other in dry times. The only two that were paying off were..well, not music. I wasn't willing to play what my locale called for which was another hindrance plus the fucks I was playing with didn't have the mindset to become professionals. Both my stepdad and brothers were professional musicians so I never thought making a living at it was out of the question. But popular music is different that classical. And I didn't want students. Turns out that's what I had to do in the visual arts anyway. I wouldn't make a very good music teacher. I know how to teach, but music is a different animal to me. For one thing I can't stand to listen to the halting grinding off key screechings of a student muso. Art..I can look at crappy art all day with few ill effects. The only guy I ever partnered with that was very competent was level headed and a nice guy. Multi instrumentalist, invested in a nice 8 track Fostex reel to reel etc. for a home studio. Even had contractors build the room in his basement. But dead boring. I'm a little wilder. I often take for granted how many of the prerequisite variables were in place over the course of my life. I spent my early years on the road, which formed my personality in various ways. I knew by my mid-teens what my passion is. I made a decent living fronting original bands for a few years. Married a woman who supported my music in various way. Even the big hiatus I took during the early years of my son's life was spent working as a session player and engineer. I was always honing my craft as a songwriter. The only real break I ever took from music was during the years right after I separated from my first wife. Too busy and bitter. Even then, ran a project studio for other players to get demos done on the cheap. Once my son was grown,when I was 40...everything started to align for me. I don't have any of the concerns about age that plague Rock players; for me, that's an advantage. "You're free, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?" I get to do it, and I can't begin to describe how sweet it is. All that said, I've been working my ass off since I was a child to be the best singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer I can be. But, lots of people do that. Few of us get to see the stars align as I have, and that's surely out of our control.
|
|
|
Post by melvindale on Dec 2, 2015 13:31:59 GMT
Wow catfish, that's so nice to hear that things are working out the way they are for you
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 2, 2015 14:09:21 GMT
Awwww....now I am happy Happy for you both! Glad you managed to sort things out and open up to each other. [/quote] I suppose this all more relevant to the general bent of the thread than I realized; I was just sort of sharing with my friends. But, so much of my personality is based on my experiences as a performer, that I'm a bit warped. Thinking back, I was always spoiled when it came to my interactions with women. I was raised by groupies. Watched how Rock stars in the 1970s got along. By the time I hit puberty, I was into theatre, where straight males get a LOT of attention. It wasn't until my late teens that I fell in love and discovered I was monogamous by nature, but that fell apart, and I was back to my old ways. My wife was a groupie when we met. We never cheated on each other, despite all the temptations, but that too, fell apart. Probably the most influential experience regarding all this, was the time I spent working as a DJ in a strip club. In many ways, it was like being a kid again, surrounded by women who doted on me, in an adult way. Lulz. My relationships after that, the two that matter, were frustrating...well, the last one especially. I was simply too jaded and self-indulgent. I didn't cheat, but didn't exactly waste any time moving on, and surely left the problems that destroyed those relationships unattended. An unconscious process by then. After that last one, which really ended in 2008, but lingered on til 2011, I was done. I'd experienced love, passion, marriage, fatherhood. I had better things to do with my time! Indeed, the issues that prevented me from seriously entertaining a relationship with my girl, were pretty ironclad. A matter of policy, if you will, developed over a lifetime. You can see it in my callous remark at the top of the thread. It's a very real professional hazard; for any straight male performer, the gender roles get completely perverted. Women pursue you, you get to dictate the terms of the relationship. Do whatever you want, knowing there's another female always waiting for you after the show. It gets even weirder than that for musicians who play bars, specifically. 20-somethings don't hold their liquor so well as their older counterparts, so they are more likely to make a poor decision about whom to have sex with at the end of the night. The very first thing most of my friends asked when I changed my relationship status, "How old is she?" Lulz. Anyways, still processing all of this, myself, instead of taking it for granted. I'm sure my personality is warped in other ways, as well, as a direct result of being under stage lights for so many years. A friend of mine recently asked me to recommend a friend she might like to date. I replied that most of them are musicians. She asked, "Is that a bad thing?" I just laughed, and laughed...
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 2, 2015 16:16:59 GMT
My brother , a classical oboist, was really no different than a rock musician in that way. He was a total horndog. Married four (or is it five?) times. And always had a younger squeeze in between. In the mid '60s he lived in Hell's Kitchen in New York and his lifestyle was pretty hip. He had a stint with The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and now when I see the scene of drunken debauchery of Mozart in 'Amadeus' I always think of him. <lol> I had a period where women pursued me (believe it or not!) but eventually didn't find it flattering. It was a superficial thing and I found after a short 'relationship' like that I was just more lonely than before. When I met my wife she 'got' me immediately. Even though we have our differences and knock down dragouts we are still together. My family being devastated so young made me unnaturally predisposed to 'riding it out ' I guess. < lol> didn't want that to happen again. Here's a crappy pic of me after we'd been married about 3 years or so. I was still playing music with some morons. I cleaned up pretty good! The guy next to me was a fighter pilot. Commited suicide. His brother next to him....also suicide. On the right is my wife's brother. Died in a car wreck about a year later. So...am I a Jonah?
|
|
|
Post by Maxwell on Dec 2, 2015 18:57:08 GMT
You did dress up real nice... Can't even tell you're wearing lift inserts from hell in your platform shoes...
|
|
|
Post by gooner on Dec 2, 2015 22:57:51 GMT
You did dress up real nice... Can't even tell you're wearing lift inserts from hell in your platform shoes...Nah, looks like it's been photoshopped, Frank never had a job as a waiter
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 3, 2015 4:01:43 GMT
I'm on the left ya pie. That's my Sister in law's wedding.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 3, 2015 7:06:49 GMT
Nice Neckbeard.
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 3, 2015 7:51:19 GMT
Jealous much?
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 3, 2015 7:53:17 GMT
No. I have an active sex life...
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 3, 2015 7:57:05 GMT
Prove it. I have four kids ffs.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 3, 2015 8:02:19 GMT
Prove it. I have four kids ffs. All from the same woman. I rest my case.
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 3, 2015 8:19:31 GMT
Hey. That counts.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 6, 2015 21:39:28 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2015 21:53:54 GMT
nice site!
|
|
|
Post by Grand Toad on Dec 6, 2015 22:10:45 GMT
Looks great, my friend.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 6, 2015 23:28:05 GMT
It's a very novel concept for me.
Awkward, really. But, a natural extension of what I've become. I'll grow into it, I'm sure.
When I was just starting out, the Rockstar dream was to be in a "band"; frontman, sure, but part of a collective.
Came to find out, bands are super-rare. Most groups are acts. Whatever. I still operated under the premise that my path to success was as a member of a group. Lefty Phillips Trio, not Lefty Phillips, full stop.
It is what it is. The gig I played last night was nominally a Trio gig. But, we had TWO harps! It's me, it's just me and whoever on any given night.
Kinda trippin' on that.
|
|
|
Post by melvindale on Dec 7, 2015 18:01:21 GMT
I like it . . . It's a great start and a place people will be able to find out what, where and when of Lefty Phillips Trio.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 9, 2015 7:10:43 GMT
I like it . . . It's a great start and a place people will be able to find out what, where and when of Lefty Phillips Trio. Well said; function over form. All of my previous branding and marketing efforts (with the very notable exception of our very own artist_xe, who DELIVERED), was handled by a totally ineffective 'artistes'. The results were lovely, but literally took years. Fuck that. I just picked up a sweet gig (rehearsal+performance) that finally puts me back in the range of a living wage. I can't even begin to describe my relief. I totally thought this was going to kill me.
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 9, 2015 7:44:50 GMT
That's great Lefty! I'm happy for you. Now when you make it big don't forget the ol' Mindfrigger. If you could get a house on the ocean that would be sweet. I'd prolly come stay there in the winter. I don't ask for much. I'd buy my own weed.
|
|
|
Post by Catfish on Dec 9, 2015 8:16:34 GMT
That's great Lefty! I'm happy for you. Now when you make it big don't forget the ol' Mindfrigger. If you could get a house on the ocean that would be sweet. I'd prolly come stay there in the winter. I don't ask for much. I'd buy my own weed. Weed's always on me, Uncle Frank. Gots me a card... As much as people like Henry Hill inspire me to reach for a beach house, being happy in my time is enough. Comfort is certainly a part of that. And love. That said, my winters are about to get much colder. Will keep a spare room for all my buddies!
|
|
|
Post by Schidney on Dec 9, 2015 9:49:33 GMT
As much as people like Henry Hill Feck off!!! Reactionary snide two faced arse licking devious little jumped upped tell-tale tongue droller with all the charm & personality of a cancerous polyp on the anus of humanity. And I'm being nice about him. No cvnt likes a grass & he's an out an out Grass. Trust that whore not.
|
|
|
Post by Schidney on Dec 9, 2015 10:02:42 GMT
Here's a crappy pic of me after we'd been married about 3 years or so. I was still playing music with some morons. I cleaned up pretty good! Spot the Frigg competition. Gonna be a lot of winners today it's being forecasted.
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 9, 2015 14:27:45 GMT
That's great Lefty! I'm happy for you. Now when you make it big don't forget the ol' Mindfrigger. If you could get a house on the ocean that would be sweet. I'd prolly come stay there in the winter. I don't ask for much. I'd buy my own weed. Weed's always on me, Uncle Frank. Gots me a card... As much as people like Henry Hill inspire me to reach for a beach house, being happy in my time is enough. Comfort is certainly a part of that. And love. That said, my winters are about to get much colder. Will keep a spare room for all my buddies! You moving north?
|
|
|
Post by Schidney on Dec 9, 2015 15:32:21 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 9, 2015 15:34:56 GMT
The ladies wanted some o'dis bad let me tell you. But I was saving my precious bodily fluids.
I was married then and a couple of chicks were hitting on me big-time at the reception. Never seemed to bother my wife. Is that odd? Or does she just trust me?
|
|
|
Post by Schidney on Dec 9, 2015 16:43:02 GMT
The ladies wanted some o'dis bad let me tell you. But I was saving my precious bodily fluids. I was married then and a couple of chicks were hitting on me big-time at the reception. Never seemed to bother my wife. Is that odd? Or does she just trust me? Weddings are notorious for folks getting randy & trying to get their leg over. Mix alcohol with...with any big occasion I guess & the singles go ape shit with desire. Not odd at all. She trusts you & has peace of mind. Great thing it is, can't be having the jealous monster rearing it's ugly head. That scuppers all good relationships. I'm strictly butter side up old fruit but after seeing that photo I have to confess you could turn a guys head.
|
|