Being a musician is probably what a lot of us dreamt about becoming when we were kids. Performing in front of thousands of people and getting to enjoy all the perks of being a celebrity. But it’s not as glamorous as it seems.
We often talk about all the glamour but we forget everything that happens in between. Even if performing for fans is undeniably a memorable experience, it’s not easy to do so several nights in a row. Especially if you’re feeling sick or simply tired.
But once the show is over, all that’s left is the exhaustion you feel. You’re sitting in a hotel at 2 am, eating takeout and rethinking your life choices.
That’s the part nobody really talks about: the space between the gigs.
Living a life on the road can be fun but there are downsides. Today, we’ll talk a bit about those and shed some light on what musicians go through in between gigs.
Touring sounds glamorous until you’re the one chasing sleep in unfamiliar cities, waking up in motion, or playing the same set for the fifteenth night in a row. It’s work, after all. You have to be physically, mentally and emotionally present.
The energy that you exude onstage has to come from somewhere, and when it’s over, there’s a quiet kind of crash. When you’re constantly on the move, you sometimes can’t function when you actually have time to yourself
You start to realize that the hardest part of the tour isn’t performing. It’s everything else. It’s finding time for yourself and knowing how to use it. Staying healthy is also hard as you don’t have a regular sleeping or eating schedule. If you don’t get your 8 hours of sleep, you risk obesity and high blood pressure.
Many might roll their eyes now and think we’re exaggerating. But it’s important to remember that not all musicians have the same perks. There are struggling musicians out there who are still trying to make it and don’t earn as much as some famous musicians you see on the top 10 Spotify list.
Additionally, when you’re constantly on the move, you’re also more exposed to accidents as you spend the majority of your time on the road. Traffic accidents happen quite often. But you can also easily get injured when followed around by a group of paparazzi and raging fans.
Between gigs, most musicians find themselves in borrowed moments. They get a few hours of sleep, squeeze in a quick walk through a city they barely know, maybe a drink with the sound tech who knows the best local dive bar.
There are advantages to such a life, of course. You do end up visiting places you probably wouldn't have. And you meet a lot of new people. It’s important to hold on to these advantages and try to think of them in a positive light.
Those moments matter. They keep you connected to real life. But you should also be careful when roaming the streets alone, especially if fans are already recognizing you in the street.
We’ve all witnessed those paparazzi videos online where they’re chasing famous people down the street and you have no choice but to basically run and hide if you’re not a fan of all the attention. In such situations, it’s so easy to fall and injure yourself and that’s when you have to bring in a pedestrian accident lawyer.
It’s always important to address these moments and have the guilty party fined for such aggressive behavior. Apart from the paparazzi, certain fans can also often misbehave and turn into raging people.
The point is, having a good legal team and good security personnel is the best thing you can do for yourself as a musician. It means you’ll feel safer and you won’t have to be stuck in your hotel room when you get some free time in between.
As we mentioned, the problem many musicians face is the feeling of restlessness they get whenever they don’t have a gig. The fact is, you get used to being on the move quite quickly. It becomes a part of your life and when that is taken away from you for a short period of time, you find yourself not knowing what to do with your free time.
That’s why it’s important to relearn how to enjoy a slower pace of life. Try to prioritize the things you’ve neglected. If you feel like you’ve missed your regular exercise, then go to the gym. Or catch up with your friends over a favorite movie. Maybe finally learn Italian.
It’s important to fill these gaps with something meaningful as your whole life can’t be about the nonstop hustle.
Life between gigs is messy and magical. That’s the only truth. Even though on the outside, the life of a musician seems so easy and relaxed, it’s anything but. Sure, there are perks and it’s definitely a better-paid job than most but it does come with some challenges and dangers.
Such a tempo of life demands that you’re constantly on the move and thinking about the next step. That kind of fast tempo causes many health problems and can also result in different accidents. You need to learn to prioritize time off and enjoy the free time you get fully.
Don’t be afraid to take longer breaks and realize it’s completely fine to be selfish from time to time. Showing up for your fans is important and it’s part of your job. But showing up for yourself is equally important.
