"It's no use cutting if your knife's not sharp"

AlexC

Not liking something is perfectly valid. Some people here think that because this bloke is ‘known’ to them in some way that people such as myself who don’t like it are coming from a personal stance.
Not true.
I don’t like Liberace’s music. Could he play the piano... obviously yes. But I don’t like the music.
Just as I don’t like Van Halen or Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’m not saying they are crap musicians, I am saying they make music that doesn’t move me in any way whatsoever.
Can I play ‘as well as them.’ I don’t know, because I don’t try to. I play what I play and I’m happy with the way I play that.
Music, see? There’s tons of it. Different types. I think that’s the point.

TTBZ

Nerine said:

I’m currently in the middle of producing and writing a solo EP/album and I can tell you right fucking now, it is not easy when trying to preempt how you think certain things will come across, or trying to establish who/what your audience is. There is a whole fucking lot of questioning your own talent, abilities, songwriting skills etc. It’s a constant mindfuck trying to gather enough confidence to know what you’re doing isn’t going to be completely rejected so for that alone I completely applaud him. 

100% this. It's where I'm at with my own band's music too and the self doubt is probably why I'm holding back/putting off "releasing" it for all my friends etc to hear. Makes you feel very exposed - although it's still a band effort all the music & arrangement is basically my work. Though really it's probably our vocals/lyrics I find a bit cheesy and I can't do much about that. I posted a couple of tracks over in Post Your Stuff if anyone wants to give some brutally honest feedback as they have done in this thread - I'd honestly appreciate it just to get fresh ears & perspective on it if nothing else 

WiresDreamDisasters

Cookiemonster said:

He needs to listen to Clutch !!!! 

The only gig I ever walked out on.

p90fool

Philly_Q said:

Chuffola said:

But, as always, fair play to him - he's not making these things for me. I'm definitely not his audience and more power to his elbow.  

I really don't mean this sarcastically, but what is his audience?  I can't imagine what demographic would buy this stuff.  He's certainly not appealing to kids, but people our age don't seem overly keen either.

Leaving Chappers aside for a moment, this is a problem for a lot of us. Some portly middle-aged men can pull off a bit of rock god posturing if they were already famous for it in their prime, but for most of us it will always look a little tragic. 

It's always been hard to know how to grow old gracefully with an electric guitar in your hands, especially in a rock genre because as an image accessory it's not that far removed from a skateboard or a BMX if we're being honest with ourselves.

Sure, you can sit down and play some bluesy slide or whatever, but even a lot of famous old rock guitarists are a bit cringey, let alone those still trying to "make it" in later life. 

Let's be honest with ourselves, other than as a personal dead-end souvenir so we can pretend to our grandkids we nearly made it , who on earth is going to buy that stuff?

As for the power stance thing one has to be careful past a certain age...

merlin

Chap Robman.

If you like what he does, good on ya'. Fill ya boots. 

If you don't like it, tun it off. Simple. (Matthew 19:9 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee", not that I believe in that dogma, but each to there own.)

Chappers is Chappers and will be for some time. Get used to it. I wouldn't refuse a beer with him. 

Bigsby

Well, I haven't watched the video, but I've read the thread. Clearly Rob Chapman should've just taken a PRS into his garden, filmed himself slightly messing up the intro to Little Wing, and posted that. That would've left his video above criticism here.

Dominic

He should have called his band ' Greetings ' ..and then they would be teed up for a mega Yuletide hit..".Christmas Greetings"

Lewy

Bigsby said:

Well, I haven't watched the video, but I've read the thread. Clearly Rob Chapman should've just taken a PRS into his garden, filmed himself slightly messing up the intro to Little Wing, and posted that. That would've left his video above criticism here.

Amateur musicians sharing their joy in their hobby on social media shouldn't be held to the same standards and critiqued in the same way as commercial enterprises creating a product and seeking to acquire consumers - which is what Rob Chapman is doing with this video and whatever release it is accompanying. There's no hypocrisy there. 

Neill

TINMAN82 said:

Nerine said:

My overarching response to all the negativity feels like it should be “well show us what YOU’RE doing, then!!” 

I’m currently in the middle of producing and writing a solo EP/album and I can tell you right fucking now, it is not easy when trying to preempt how you think certain things will come across, or trying to establish who/what your audience is. There is a whole fucking lot of questioning your own talent, abilities, songwriting skills etc. It’s a constant mindfuck trying to gather enough confidence to know what you’re doing isn’t going to be completely rejected so for that alone I completely applaud him. 

If I released a track to this kind of response I’d be utterly disheartened. 

Nice one. 

I can understand why another musician might take this stance and defend their fellow artist but I don’t agree with it. 

You’re basically implying noone is allowed to express a less than positive opinion about music or an artist unless they can themselves demonstrate musical superiority. That justifies any old tosh given the majority of music consumers have normal jobs/ lives and arn't themselves musicians.

Yeah fair play to Chappers for putting himself out there, working hard and earning a living. I’m sure he’s gone through all the angst and existential turmoil you describe to get to this point. I still think the end result is boring and derivative with annoying vocals.

That's pretty much what I was going to say, but I would add that it's a little presumptuous to assume that a critical commentator hasn't experienced any form of negativity over their own performing.  

I certainly have, I can recall a number of occasions when the audience either reacted with passive disapproval eg walking out of the room, or outright derision - "what bloody rubbish" I remember one notable heckler yelling.  

I don't think the fact that I know how it feels to be panned gives me any more justification to criticise than, say, someone who has never put themselves out there, but I think it's important to remember that lots of us know how it feels.  

But, I always think that whether it's a gig down the pub or the Pyramid stage, - or posting a YT vid, you have to have a minimum amount of ego, and that's what you rely on when not everyone appreciates what you are trying to do.  The problem is when this "fuck you" defensive mechanism blinds you to the reality that just maybe what you are doing really is crap.  

prlgmnr

It's like the Phillips Cleartone Conversions of rock music.

darthed1981

p90fool said:

Leaving Chappers aside for a moment, this is a problem for a lot of us. Some portly middle-aged men can pull off a bit of rock god posturing if they were already famous for it in their prime, but for most of us it will always look a little tragic. 

It's always been hard to know how to grow old gracefully with an electric guitar in your hands, especially in a rock genre because as an image accessory it's not that far removed from a skateboard or a BMX if we're being honest with ourselves.

Sure, you can sit down and play some bluesy slide or whatever, but even a lot of famous old rock guitarists are a bit cringey, let alone those still trying to "make it" in later life. 

Let's be honest with ourselves, other than as a personal dead-end souvenir so we can pretend to our grandkids we nearly made it , who on earth is going to buy that stuff?

Yeah exactly - ultimately bands who make it usually all have something in common - they are in their teens and twenties and still have the energy, hope and spare time to put the work in.

When you have a mortgage, kids, a day job you cant afford to quit - being an "enthusiastic amateur" or even "semi-pro" is the most that most of us can do.

Hell even "noodling at home" is a challenge for me at the minute.

Kudos to Rob - he's made a career out of music that's raking it in for him, that's not easy.

mikeyrob73

Let’s be honest it’s just a Chapman Guitars advert really, how many different Chapman guitars can you count in that video 

carlos

mikeyrob73 said:

Let’s be honest it’s just a Chapman Guitars advert really, how many different Chapman guitars can you count in that video 

This! The music is incidental. He's not making mortgage money off that. Very hard genre to make money from, let alone if you're not young, attractive, and living in the USA. Didn't even mention the talented.

Funkfingers

mburekenge said:

GREEEEEEEEEEEEEETINGS!

… or, in these COVID times, gleekings.

… or, if you want to be gross - and suspected of casual racism - gleetings.*

* Google gleet, folks. Forty years ago, some of my brother's school contemporaries used it as the name of their Punk trio. Nobody objected because they didn't know what the word meant.

JerkMoans

Dominic said:

He should have called his band ' Greetings ' ..and then they would be teed up for a mega Yuletide hit..".Christmas Greetings"

We named one of my bands at Uni ‘Shite’. It’s all about expectation management.

LastMantra

I'm 44 and I rock a skateboard and electric guitar \m/

Often at the same time!

Grumpyrocker

It's not to my taste. But I celebrate that someone has put in the time and effort and managed to rise above being just another sad old git moaning on a forum about how he's not at all jealous.

Well done RC. 

SPECTRUM001

Creativity - be it music, art, writing etc and communicating the creativity do not have to be interlinked.

It is perfectly fine to create but not show anyone. Why would you want your songs to be heard ? Of course that’s a rhetorical question, as it feels great to stand on stage etc.

But that’s the risk - the moment you place your product into the public arena, you are pitching it against the rest, which will inevitably not be everyone’s cup of chai. 

I have no idea what Chappers thinks about the public’s reaction to his stuff, but laying yourself on the line is a tough business - it always will be.     

I reckon he is more than able to handle negative criticism when it occurs - after all, part of his YT image is his transparency.

Zoolooter

I’m confused and amazed as to how he could be so off the mark with his presentation and lyrics. 

stonevibe

Hard pass from me, just nope.