“Why doesn’t the stage melt?” (punter at a Nizlopi gig)

Road Warrior

During those many long years on the road as a manager and (not to get above myself) travelling dogs-body, I had a lot of time to witness and ponder the nature, the impact, and the power of the art of performance. This is what I learned.

Between Two Worlds

There is an infinitesimally small moment, just before the artist sings that first note or strikes that first chord. A moment so seemingly inconsequential that you miss it if you blink. It’s a fleeting moment of infinite possibilities, a window into a liminal space between two worlds. It’s a moment I know from my martial arts practice. It’s a moment I know has great power if the musician or artist accepts the challenge of stepping into that Warrior-space. That musician-space. Blending the two! It’s a moment before what they have learned, or what they have practised, emerges from them into the space between artist and audience. It’s a moment that can define the whole gig or indeed their whole career. It’s a moment that tells you all you need to know about them. It tells you where their music is coming from.