The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I could sit for hours and days recording songs (if I actually had hours and days...). It gets frustrating, but the only pressure comes from me (and now, songfight deadlines, of course).

I haven't played in front of other people in a long time. I was in a band in college, then played coffeehouses, etc. for a few years. I have played to audiences of two to two hundred and received many positive comments. However, the thought of playing live right now freaks me out.

Though I liked the attention and the opportunity to express myself, blah, blah, blah, I also remember having to learn and memorize many, many songs, always considering what crowds would like and what they wouldn't, and so on. I constantly wondered if the audience would rather just have me shut up so they could enjoy their frappalappacinno in silence.

I had a friend record my show one night, and when I listened to it, I cringed. Soon after, I packed my guitar away.

That was nearly 10 years ago. Right now, I definitely enjoy recording much more. I suppose it has something to do with wanting complete control, etc. Just wondering what your experiences are.

Thanks,

MM

Live.

Totally playing live.

Both. Although I haven't played live in ages.

live is more fun but after recording you have a shiny new song.

While the shiny new song aspect makes recording ultimately more fulfilling in the long term, playing live is much more fun than recording. Particularly in my case--I'm a drummer in a punk band (perhaps the funnest job imaginable), whereas "recording" phuntsongs is insanely tedious (but I find it more rewarding in the end).

I've never played live, but I wouldn't want to either.

And it's not like Fruity Loops music goes well with live performances anyway.

Rone Rivendale wrote:And it's not like Fruity Loops music goes well with live performances anyway.

Fruity Loops music doesn't go well in any setting.

i put recording, but i've never played live. the thought of it freaks me the hell out. i wouldn't be able to perform if i knew there was a chance people might like me. if i knew they liked me, i'd probably put less effort into it and suck. i'm weird about crap like that.

Live, by a mile. Not that I dislike recording, but rocking is life.

You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.

Playing live leads to unexpected things happening and makes life more fun. Recording's always better looking back on it, it's like you've left a legacy.

Home recording's totally different though. It's more like making a big sandwich; I get the urge, bish bash bosh, done. I'm always happy with it but it's never gonna change the world.

Caravanray wrote:You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.

Yeah, but I've already got a 'chick' and the ones in college who were interested in me were scary. Last time I had a 'groupie' she was a 16 year old with pasty skin who got pissy if I talked to someone else between sets. SCARY. So, I've always been a loser in that respect.

Middlemarch wrote:

Caravanray wrote:You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.

Yeah, but I've already got a 'chick' and the ones in college who were interested in me were scary. Last time I had a 'groupie' she was a 16 year old with pasty skin who got pissy if I talked to someone else between sets. SCARY. So, I've always been a loser in that respect.

OK dude...all the more for the rest of us!8)

(...says the middle-aged suburban public servant with male-pattern baldness and a weight problem who insists on continuing to "talk-the-talk" even though he has long since given up ideas of "walking-the-walk")

Live is much more rewarding and although the work to get sets ready and learn songs is hard for old godgers like me. I just love the immediate gratification of audience feedback.

Recording is more like a puzzle for me as I dont have collaborators/other band members so have to build things up gradually to create a performance. Thats harder work, but ultimately how I have to feed my muse due to real life constraints on my ability to find opportunities to perform live.

So Songfight tends to be the driver of my creative opportunities

I have to say recording, simply by default. I have no one that I play with currently and playing live by yourself in you room isn't all that fun

That said, simply jamming with friends and feeling yourself all fall into a groove together is one of the most exhilrating feelings I've ever experienced.

I selected recording, because I've only played one show live (on stage). However I have also done a bunch of shows that were live streaming on the internet, so that's "kinda" live but from the comfort of my own home studio.
There's one thing I really enjoy about live playing and that the improvisation aspect... ninjam satisfies this urge as well.
-bill

I do so much more recording with various projects than I do playing live, and perhaps because of this playing live is much more fun than recording.

Live is also nice because it doesn't allow me to dwell on a track and second-guess myself, et cetera.

Dude, fuck recording. My experience with recording has been:

• I suck at it.
• It's a solitary thing.
• It's annoying as hell because I can fix stuff that I fuck up so I feel obligated to.

All in contrast to playing live.

EDIT: However, electronic music is fun to make and I don't think of it as recording. You record stuff that should be played live; electronic music you create.

I like recording a song, then playing it live in a totally different way. And then the next time I play it live I like to play it even more differently. It's like getting a whole new song each time.

man, playing live is seeming more disturbing by the day.
-bill

the Jazz wrote:Dude, fuck recording. My experience with recording has been:

• I suck at it.
• It's a solitary thing.
• It's annoying as hell because I can fix stuff that I fuck up so I feel obligated to.

All in contrast to playing live.

EDIT: However, electronic music is fun to make and I don't think of it as recording. You record stuff that should be played live; electronic music you create.

You make a good point. I really enjoyed making Phunt's AAD, and I'm really happy with the results, but man, I would've spent like two months on it if we weren't following the AAD rules. As it is, I'm much happier that it only took a day.