I love discovering new music and equally love going back to old music that I haven't listened to in a long time. New music inspires us to realise that creativity can be endless, that there is still hope. If we can constantly come up with new music then maybe we can always reach forward. Instead of getting stuck in life cycles where we feel we aren't getting anywhere, music reminds us that this does not have to be so and we can create and get better.
There is something magical about it. It can change our whole mood and outlook on life in just 3 and a half minutes.
On the other hand, going back to music that we haven't listened to in a while can remind us of better times. It can say to us hey remember when you were happy, or when you didn't struggle. Well you can be like that again. It doesn't have to be like this.
I honestly believe that music can have that sort of impact on us.
And there is no better way to experience that, than when you see live music. Sometimes live music can suck, but other times it can be a truly spiritual experience. Taking you out of your self and your problems and your struggles for two hours.
I've felt that with the Swell Season, Anathallo, the first time I saw the Manics,
the first time I saw Therapy? when I wasn't actually old enough to get into the Empire,
the first time I went to a hardcore show and realised that there was a whole type of intense music that I never knew existed,
the first time I crowdsurfed,
the first time I heard Rage Against the Machine,
the first time I saw Take That and felt the emotion of seeing a great band reform for the first time in years,
the time I saw Radiohead in a small theatre after thinking I had missed out on tickets,
the time I saw a band called Cave In my friend Peter went on about to me and didn't look back,
the time I waited for my friend Rohan to pick me up to get the Oasis album but he was late and they had sold out.
The first concert I went to and was just overtaken by what was going on. Jumping up and down for hours to good music. Just letting go and singing and sometimes being a bit violent.
All these moments and thousands more have been engrained in my memory. In those moments I felt like I could do anything, that no matter what I faced it didn't matter because I had music and I had friends to experience it with. I would always have music. It wouldn't let me down.
Right now this song is making me excited to be alive. What song or band is making you excited to be alive?
