Which do you enjoy more: Recording or Playing Live?

Middlemarch · Post by **Middlemarch** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:37 pm

I could sit for hours and days recording songs (if I actually had hours and days...). It gets frustrating, but the only pressure comes from me (and now, songfight deadlines, of course).

I haven't played in front of other people in a long time. I was in a band in college, then played coffeehouses, etc. for a few years. I have played to audiences of two to two hundred and received many positive comments. However, the thought of playing live right now freaks me out.

Though I liked the attention and the opportunity to express myself, blah, blah, blah, I also remember having to learn and memorize many, many songs, always considering what crowds would like and what they wouldn't, and so on. I constantly wondered if the audience would rather just have me shut up so they could enjoy their frappalappacinno in silence.

I had a friend record my show one night, and when I listened to it, I cringed. Soon after, I packed my guitar away.

That was nearly 10 years ago. Right now, I definitely enjoy recording much more. I suppose it has something to do with wanting complete control, etc. Just wondering what your experiences are.

Thanks,

MM

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:51 pm

Live.

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:25 pm

Totally playing live.

sausage boy · Post by **sausage boy** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:28 pm

Both. Although I haven't played live in ages.

Denyer · Post by **Denyer** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:30 pm

live is more fun but after recording you have a shiny new song.

Mogosagatai · Post by **Mogosagatai** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:55 pm

While the shiny new song aspect makes recording ultimately more fulfilling in the long term, playing live is much more fun than recording. Particularly in my case--I'm a drummer in a punk band (perhaps the funnest job imaginable), whereas "recording" phuntsongs is insanely tedious (but I find it more rewarding in the end).

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:22 pm

I've never played live, but I wouldn't want to either.

And it's not like Fruity Loops music goes well with live performances anyway.

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:34 pm

Rone Rivendale wrote:And it's not like Fruity Loops music goes well with live performances anyway.

Fruity Loops music doesn't go well in any setting.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:50 pm

i put recording, but i've never played live. the thought of it freaks me the hell out. i wouldn't be able to perform if i knew there was a chance people might like me. if i knew they liked me, i'd probably put less effort into it and suck. i'm weird about crap like that.

john m · Post by **john m** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:58 pm

Live, by a mile. Not that I dislike recording, but rocking is life.

Lyricburglar · Post by **Lyricburglar** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:54 am

You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.

furrypedro · Post by **furrypedro** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:23 am

Playing live leads to unexpected things happening and makes life more fun. Recording's always better looking back on it, it's like you've left a legacy.

Home recording's totally different though. It's more like making a big sandwich; I get the urge, bish bash bosh, done. I'm always happy with it but it's never gonna change the world.

Middlemarch · Post by **Middlemarch** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:28 am

Caravanray wrote:You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.

Yeah, but I've already got a 'chick' and the ones in college who were interested in me were scary.

Last time I had a 'groupie' she was a 16 year old with pasty skin who got pissy if I talked to someone else between sets. SCARY. So, I've always been a loser in that respect.

Lyricburglar · Post by **Lyricburglar** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:22 am

Middlemarch wrote:
Caravanray wrote:You won't pull any chicks sitting in a small room with headphones on.
Yeah, but I've already got a 'chick' and the ones in college who were interested in me were scary. Last time I had a 'groupie' she was a 16 year old with pasty skin who got pissy if I talked to someone else between sets. SCARY. So, I've always been a loser in that respect.

OK dude...all the more for the rest of us!8)

(...says the middle-aged suburban public servant with male-pattern baldness and a weight problem who insists on continuing to "talk-the-talk" even though he has long since given up ideas of "walking-the-walk")

stueym · Post by **stueym** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:47 am

Live is much more rewarding and although the work to get sets ready and learn songs is hard for old godgers like me. I just love the immediate gratification of audience feedback.

Recording is more like a puzzle for me as I dont have collaborators/other band members so have to build things up gradually to create a performance. Thats harder work, but ultimately how I have to feed my muse due to real life constraints on my ability to find opportunities to perform live.

So Songfight tends to be the driver of my creative opportunities

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:56 am

I have to say recording, simply by default. I have no one that I play with currently and playing live by yourself in you room isn't all that fun

That said, simply jamming with friends and feeling yourself all fall into a groove together is one of the most exhilrating feelings I've ever experienced.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:51 pm

I selected recording, because I've only played one show live (on stage). However I have also done a bunch of shows that were live streaming on the internet, so that's "kinda" live but from the comfort of my own home studio.
There's one thing I really enjoy about live playing and that the improvisation aspect... ninjam satisfies this urge as well.
-bill

jute gyte · Post by **jute gyte** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:11 pm

I do so much more recording with various projects than I do playing live, and perhaps because of this playing live is much more fun than recording.

Live is also nice because it doesn't allow me to dwell on a track and second-guess myself, et cetera.

the Jazz · Post by **the Jazz** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:39 pm

Dude, fuck recording. My experience with recording has been:

I suck at it.
It's a solitary thing.
It's annoying as hell because I can fix stuff that I fuck up so I feel obligated to.

All in contrast to playing live.

EDIT: However, electronic music is fun to make and I don't think of it as recording. You record stuff that should be played live; electronic music you create.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:19 am

I like recording a song, then playing it live in a totally different way. And then the next time I play it live I like to play it even more differently. It's like getting a whole new song each time.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:40 am

man, playing live is seeming more disturbing by the day.
-bill

Mogosagatai · Post by **Mogosagatai** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:48 am

the Jazz wrote:Dude, fuck recording. My experience with recording has been:
I suck at it.

It's a solitary thing.

It's annoying as hell because I can fix stuff that I fuck up so I feel obligated to.
All in contrast to playing live.

EDIT: However, electronic music is fun to make and I don't think of it as recording. You record stuff that should be played live; electronic music you create.

You make a good point. I really enjoyed making Phunt's AAD, and I'm really happy with the results, but man, I would've spent like two months on it if we weren't following the AAD rules. As it is, I'm much happier that it only took a day.