I have a rule – well, not so much a rule, more of a reaction, that when there is a band on stage and I am working, no matter how much listening time I have invested in them in the past, I tend not to get too engrossed in the actual show. In my head, I compare it to a chef working in a kitchen – I don’t eat the food I prepare – take a taste, yes – but the full dish? I can’t be rocking out down the pit with the rest of the animals (yes! – that’s how I refer to the audience) while I should be on stand by at the side of the stage. And this, for me, presents a very privileged dilemma.
This dilemma presents itself to varying degrees – Brockhampton, not so much (they were a fun group of guys and the audience loved it) – Tears for Fears…. well, let’s leave it at that – but a performer like Robert Plant – who I’ve been actively listening to for the best part of 30 years…. yeah, dilemma! (I saw part of the show from FOH (front of house – where the desk people sit – you know the ones – they have all the knobs and fader thingys in front of them, drink too much coffee and some sort of quiff hair style from stroking their heads waaaaay too often) and whoa! that voice has gotten better with age!!)