I’ve had separate conversations with three very different people over the last two days about what makes the great artists great. Particularly in a live setting.
Although I’m not claiming to have cracked the code, I thought it interesting the two main ideas that came up quickly and strongly in each conversation. And wanted to pass them along…
-The first is “know thyself” or “the inner work” or “personal and spiritual development”. You get it. The thinking, reading, listening, introspection, sorting through the voices, wrestling with “who am I” type stuff. And it’s not something anyone can knock out in a weekend. It’s a long road.
-The second is knowing what the world wants from you. I know Dave Grohl, Bono, Lady GaGa, Garth Brooks, Katy Perry, Chris Martin are all very dynamic people, but they understand what the world desires from them when they’re on a stage.
Yes, the audience desires the entire vibe/aura/energy of the artist (see the first bullet point), but on top of that, they desire one or two of their personality knobs cranked up.
All those artists listed above know exactly which personality knobs to crank up and when.
And the reason why it connects is it’s not fake. Again, if you do the inner work described in the first bullet point then you know what true, genuine tools you have to choose from, which knobs you can adjust up or down depending on the situation, depending on the vibe of the crowd, the size, the demographic.
It’s just so amazing when an artist walks on stage when they’ve done the work of both points one and two. It’s immediately noticeable. Immediately enjoyable.
What do you think?
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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com