Artists that have made you want to give up music

[Fishfacefour]

I just listened to Spanish Joint by D'Angelo from his wonderful Voodoo album and half remembered that Charlie Hunter played bass and guitar on this at the same time using his 8 string contraption. 

I remember when I found that out I felt really discouraged: I could make a decent pass of the bass, maybe learn the guitar part OK, but to play both at the same time is some sort of next level music magic! 

Another similar feeling was when I saw parliament/funkadelic live in the early 2000s. The tightness and level of creativity blew me away, and this was waay past their peak. I came away half inspired, half discouraged feeling I could never reach those heights. 

Now music isn't a competition, but have you ever seen a band or heard a recording that made you think 'why bother?' 

And, How did you snap out of it? 

Or alternatively, who have you seen that were so bad it made you hate music? 

[SICbass]

I had a funny sort of in between experience when seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I’ve seen fabulous musicians whose virtuosity stood out of reach and left me feeling a little inadequate. B F and the Flecktones where just so extraterrestrial in their abilities that I simply enjoyed it unshackled from any sense of inadequacy. It was other worldly.

[Doctor J]

I don't think I've ever seen anything which discouraged me. Great music and musicians make me want to play. Crap music and musicians make me want to play too, just better than they were 😀

[inthedoghouse]

I'd only been playing guitar a couple of years when I went to my first gig in 1973,  It was Rory Gallagher and it really made me feel like giving up.  I still have the 90p ticket 🙂

[Killed_by_Death]

 

I know sod-all about Ghost, but whoever performed this bass-arrangement figuratively killed me:

I just cannot manage the 2 to 5 fret stretch in tempo. I tried desperately for so long that it inflamed my arm into tennis-elbow for months.

That was the beginning of the end for me, there are others along the way that discouraged me as well, but this the first one I recall.

I sort of quit for real yesterday, sold my two Electrics & now only have a u-bass.

 

[seashell]

Not me - but this happened a few years before I started playing bass. Went to see The Magic Band with a few friends, one of whom was a bass player. After seeing the wonderful Rockette Morton in action he declared that he was ready to give up bass playing!

(PS, we also met Rockette and had a lovely chat with him. I have probably boasted about this before). 🙂

[BassTractor]

Nah.
- "I couldn't have done that at all, but if I could've done it, I could've done it a lot better."
Modest realism keeps ya sane.

[Fishfacefour]

Would have loved to see the magic band. Major influence on my guitar playing a long time ago. 

As a counterpoint, I Just remembered one of the most encouraging events when we played on the same bill as Isaac hayes and he came up to us after our set and said 'I really dig your music man'.  Having the approval of black moses was mind blowing and gave us encouragement to keep going. 

[seashell]

10 minutes ago, Fishfacefour said:

Would have loved to see the magic band. Major influence on my guitar playing a long time ago. 

As a counterpoint, I Just remembered one of the most encouraging events when we played on the same bill as Isaac hayes and he came up to us after our set and said 'I really dig your music man'.  Having the approval of black moses was mind blowing and gave us encouragement to keep going. 

Wow, that's quite an endorsement! 

[BreadBin]

Pete Griffin on obe of the Zappa Plays Zappa tours. I didn't pick up a bass for years after seeing them and nearly gave up all together.

 

[mikegatward]

Norman Watt-Roy

 

But then you figure out that playing isn’t a competition 

[Fishfacefour]

2 hours ago, SICbass said:

I had a funny sort of in between experience when seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I’ve seen fabulous musicians whose virtuosity stood out of reach and left me feeling a little inadequate. B F and the Flecktones where just so extraterrestrial in their abilities that I simply enjoyed it unshackled from any sense of inadequacy. It was other worldly.

Yeah, it was that sort of feeling with the pfunk. 

Have seen lots of virtuoso playing that left me cold, and lots of decent bands that made me want to play more, but that other worldly feeling was something else. 

 

1 hour ago, seashell said:

Wow, that's quite an endorsement! 

He was probably being polite to be fair. But I'll take it! 

[ricksterphil]

14 hours ago, inthedoghouse said:

I'd only been playing guitar a couple of years when I went to my first gig in 1973,  It was Rory Gallagher and it really made me feel like giving up.  I still have the 90p ticket 🙂

I saw Rory at Birmingham Town Hall, 23rd Feb 1973, 3 days after my 15th birthday. My first big gig. It certainly inspired me to carry on being in a band

Found this bootleg on YT of the gig (claiming to be anyhoo)

 

[dudewheresmybass]

There have been many players that have wowed me over the years- both on guitar and bass, but it only spurs me on to get better. 
Im now playing (and writing) stuff that I never thought I would be able to do. I put this down to being inspired by those around me and the ones I’ve seen play. 

[gafbass02]

Joe Dart makes me want to pick it up, and then I realise how far away from him I am and I want to put it down again!

[BigRedX]

I've never really been that impressed by technical prowess on any instrument. For me the most important thing is the music itself.

People producing music I like inspire me to carry on creating my own music. People producing music I don't like also inspire me to carry creating my own music in the hope that maybe mine will be popular enough to displace them from public consciousness.

Edited May 22, 2021 by BigRedX

[inthedoghouse]

1 hour ago, ricksterphil said:

I saw Rory at Birmingham Town Hall, 23rd Feb 1973, 3 days after my 15th birthday. My first big gig. It certainly inspired me to carry on being in a band

Found this bootleg on YT of the gig (claiming to be anyhoo).

 

What a great inspiration he was - I saw him many times after that.  I also found a Youtube audience recording of the gig I attended at the Victoria Hall, Hanley 🙂  I really enjoyed the link you posted btw 🙂

[4000]

I don’t really understand the concept. If I come across somebody who is brilliant, be it as a writer or player, I just find it inspiring. I’ve never thought “I can’t do that, I may as well stop”, in any field. 

I’ve seen it happen though. A friend, who was an excellent guitarist, fell apart the first time he heard Yngwie. He became obsessed with him and eventually gave up playing because he just couldn’t play like that. The great irony was that the more he tried to play like that, the further away he got from what he was good at, which was more of a Lindsey Buckingham via Neal Schon thing. It was really sad to see. 

Edited May 22, 2021 by 4000

[ricksterphil]

2 hours ago, inthedoghouse said:

What a great inspiration he was - I saw him many times after that.  I also found a Youtube audience recording of the gig I attended at the Victoria Hall, Hanley 🙂  I really enjoyed the link you posted btw 🙂

Thanks

Saw him twice more myself, at DeMontford and the Hammersmith Odeon

Always put on a brilliant show, sadly missed.

[Roger2611]

Pino....the end!

[Nail Soup]

I never think like that.... they do their thing , I do mine.

I may steal something from them or “channel” them, but never aspire to be them.

If I don’t like it I can avoid doing anything like it future.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Nail Soup

[alexa3020]

I do wonder if the most accomplished musicians feel like giving up sometimes too - wherever you’re at with music, for most there is always a higher level to strive for and someone who is a level above you.

whenever I feel like that, I remind myself some of the most brilliant music has been very simple

[scalpy]

Seeing Derek Trucks made me think all other guitarists should give up!

[Barking Spiders]

Kiss or AC/DC have kind of made me want to give up trying to improve my playing. After all, if you can become rich as Croesus over the length of a 40 year career by making simplistic chant alongs for fans to wave their ciggie lighters/mobiles to why bother wasting your time learning more than a handful of riffs and solos? 

Other than that I have zero interest in music made by virtuoso bass/guitar types. Most of what I've heard from well known bass/guitar wizards is as boring as feck. Give me the Ramones any day over Yngwie Malmsteen. Some, like Tommy Emmanuel are great to see live but I care little for his studio albums. His live appeal is as much about his personality has his playing.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Barking Spiders

[StickyDBRmf]

I bought my first Chapman Stick after hearing Tony Levin play one. To this day I do not sound like Tony Levin when I play the Stick, OR the bass. But I sound like me and seeing King Crimson was inspiring every time. BTW I was cooking at Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse in Dunellen NJ when Adrian Belew played there. After the gig (and after he ate my chili) I introduced myself as a Stickist and if he ever wanted to get together and play "I promise I won't play Elephant Talk". He cracked up. T.L. also played there w/ Stickmen and they were the loudest band I ever heard (R&Ds has a great soundsystem)