A very subjective look into AWFC

Currently I’m pretty much right in the middle of the United States about to head out to play a rock festival with a guitar player Orianthi, who is an incredible artist, known also for having played with Michael Jackson. Her discography is amazing and she has always had incredible musicians record her music. Live, she also hires really good musicians and I know this not because I’m playing with her haha, but because I’m subbing for my friend Elias, a MONSTER drummer. I’ve done this a few times and it’s amazing. I’m here just to cover and be, very much so, a squad player, and offer reliable support.

Being a musicians means that work can come from many different sources, due to many situations and thanks to sometimes insane circumstances. One role that must be embraced is that of being a sub on certain gigs. That’s just the nature of it. For instance, on one project you might be THE bass player for the band, getting all the shows and every call related to that particular band/artist. Then, there are moments where a band/artist has a steady person but they need someone to step in a cover, sometimes for one show, other times on a semi consistent basis. Of course, there are more scenarios but the common denominator is that we aren’t the starters.

As I’m working on some of these songs aka air drumming in my hotel room, not only do I try to honor Elias and his parts but the drummer that recorded some of her songs was Josh Freese, an absolute legend and who is now the drummer for the Foo Fighters. Basically I am being asked to step in for players I admire, respect and draw inspiration from and have to see them at the same time as colleagues and peers. This dynamic is always very interesting and it’s one of my favorite things to assimilate and internalize.

But this whole thing got me thinking about how much pressure elite players like ours at AWFC must face, specifically when they are asked to step in for someone who is emblematic or when asked to cover a specific, pressure filled position. Like as if it wasn’t hard enough to play the sport, imagine having to step in for Kim Little… what… haha. UNREAL PRESSURE. Not just to play the position she plays, but to play the position BECAUSE she plays it too. My goodness. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about how the amount of work, drive and dedication that it takes to get to play for AWFC. Also, not a day goes by when I don’t feel guilty when I criticize the players that I do and I feel like dog poop.

The psychology of being a sub isn’t something I’m equipped to talk about yet I was thinking about our bench and if it’s deep enough at the moment. My answer is no. I’m afraid we won’t be making/announcing anything major until after the World Cup which is gonna start soon and it will also feel eternal so don’t hold your breath, we might not get a single player in til a week before the season starts. And this might be the best thing actually… Jonas will be keeping a close eye on every single player and I’m excited to see what hidden gem he finds.

d ❤

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