Disclaimer: this is a rant. If you're busy, you might want to skip this post.
(still here? OK - read on, McDuff)

I've seen a declining trend in entertainment, and I believe it's due to a human factor. Performers get lazy. Hear me out. I'm not trying to be insulting.

I started my stage life in the 60s-70s, when live bands were 100% live. Even if a keyboard player was kicking bass with the left hand, or feet, it was still live. No drum machines in those early days either. (The affordable ones sounded like trash cans) In the early 80s, DJs started to nudge the bands out of clubs because of several reasons:
1) bands took breaks, and sometimes took advantage of that time slot
2) liability insurance was more expensive for the venue with live music
3) egos took over on stage, and the sound was inconsistent with the songs the people knew from the radio
4) band members sometimes brought their own beverages, and invited friends to drink in the parking lot. I always treated my breaks as a networking time to schmooze the clientele - not a time to remove myself from my audience.

There are other factors, but these core reasons made hiring a DJ more profitable for the venue. KJs came along, and it got even cheaper, because the audience was the act, and they were paying to be there.

So, bands dropped from 6-10 pieces to 5 ... to 4, to 3 to ... fast forward to today, and the modern OMB. (or duo)
We wear many hats, we use many tools and we each have our own style of how we entertain a room. With all the changes to the genres, and styles of music, it's hard to stay up on everything, and it's often expected that we do. Back in the 70s and 80s, I played rooms that catered to one style of music - usually top 40 hits, with rare exceptions. There were rock rooms, country rooms etc .... not like today, where you need to cover most all styles in one night.

I mentioned lazy performers, so I'll elaborate. In the late 70s (full band) I had a synth (strings, mostly) on top of my Rhodes, and the Rhodes rested on top of my D6 clavinet. It was a dream setup, and I miss it today, but when the bands began to shrink (drunk driving laws etc) I began to take over the bass duties. (I'm a pretty good standard bass player, myself, and the transition as a breeze) The Rhodes stayed, the synth du-jour stayed, I added a Moog for my left hand, and a drum machine. Arrangers evolved quickly and the bass, drums and synth sounds were now part of one unit - smaller setup - just a good arranger (early Roland E series) on top on my Rhodes.

I used to play killer bass lines with my left hand, but after 30 years of auto help, I admit, my technique has diminished a bit. I still play live bass lines nightly, but I used to do it ALL night. I no longer have that thought process. I'm triggering patterns, changing tones, modifying sounds, planning the next tune, maintaining eye contact with the crowd (looking for redheads), and generally speaking - walking a tightrope of duties, while singing my heart out. (and sometimes trying to watch a ball game too!)

Occasionally, a digital "glitch" will occur during a song, and either drums drop out, or tempo changes, or whatever gremlin chooses to appear, so I select a fat, full piano or Rhodes sounds and pound out the rest of the song manually, as if that was my intention. These moments are few, and far between, but they DO happen, and when they do ... it can be daunting.

I'm rambling, but my point is this:
When I had fewer tools in my toolbox, I played differently. Maybe not better, but certainly different. As technology advances, and tastes change, my skills change. I become more of a conductor than an orchestra member, and that's OK ... but I miss the chance to really create the music myself. Pure and simple. Honest and energetic. This is why I try to turn off the electronics a few times each show to just reconnect my head, my heart and my hands. It's cathartic for me, and refreshing for my audiences. I played a set on Wednesday with just acoustic guitar and a mic. NO REVERB. NO EFFECTS. No anything, but me. It was more fun that you can imagine, and I rediscovered vocal nuances that I stopped using, when bathed in a wash of reverb and delay.

I still enjoy my full digital setup, and the exciting options it affords me, but to battle the "lazy me" from showing up - I plan to "shut it all down" more often in upcoming shows. It's intimate. It's edgy. It's just plain fun.

Thanks for listening. I'm avoiding talking today, to get some much needed vocal rest. Thanks goodness for computers.
Peace - out.

Dave all good points made and I love the posts Title which in today's world of the gigging musician you have to be all of the above to survive Band - DJs - KJs - OMB, ... but, ....you can certainly strip down your music if the room can dictate it that's not the case for every venue, maybe just for during dinner, cocktails, etc,....but I do understand what it does for the player,....most get that solace benefit playing at home too even though you have to go balls to the wall on stage!....great post ...

thanx

Dave there is always time to read your posts. Your post is good; I feel it speaks more about your feelings than the rest of the music world. I share some of those same thoughts.

One of the best organ players in the music store where I tuned pianos left the organ to play piano. My organ playing after many years of playing also went to piano. I asked them why they leaved a full sounding instrument that they played so well. They both answered with a smile; I understood. They were able to express their feelings; it was all about the player.

Another example; When I played rhythm guitar and sang my emotions controlled my playing. The next time I played the same song it was different; it did not have the same emotion. It was all about me. When I added a drum machine I lost a good 60% of the feelings. (emotions) At first I did not understand what was happening.

My band followed my guitar; I controlled my band. The rhythm machine took that away.

Back to a keyboard. They have been a blessing, I love them. Where else can I press a button and have it happen? Make no mistake; it comes with a tradeoff. I buy new keyboards, change amplifiers, buy new mics, find different ways to display my music, buy new styles, --- and look for ways to change the boredom of it all. This is not a putdown, its reality.

Please understand buying all the above is a good thing, I believe it is part of owning a keyboard; but it comes with a price.

We are all wired differently, that’s why I express myself this way. It is not intended to be disrespectful to any other thoughts in this subject.

Life is good with my keyboard, John C.

Uncle Dave said:
Disclaimer: this is a rant. If you're busy, you might want to skip this post.
(still here? OK - read on, McDuff)
-----

Interesting read, I enjoyed it-thanks.

And that goes for me too.

I understand where you're coming from. One can't help but notice EVERYTHING going on around you nowadays, both musical and non-musical. You wonder to yourself......"what happened" as you proceed into a journey of reminiscing and recollection. If we didn't get relief by going on these "writing frenzies" we'd end up in an insane asylum.

Keep 'em coming.

Mark