Don't be that guy!

This is one that I’ve wanted to write about for a good long while however I have to pick my words very, very, very carefully here. 

The Weinstein Company

Picture The Kings Speech minus Geoffrey Rush. Also Colin Firth is really into 90’s pop culture.

There comes a time in every performers life when somewhere down the line you’re going to run into a heckler. Whether at a comedy club, an open mic, an art gallery etc.

You’ll run into someone who builds themselves up by tearing others down. My personal horror story comes from when Searching For Kim was still in its infancy. I had a monthly gig performing live at Sheridan College’s Open Mic Night.

Once a month I’d go on, play a 2-song set and then head home. Occasionally the bar manager Chuck Erman, would bring in a big name act. On Jan 2012, this particular night happened to feature Canadian Electro pop act: Lights.    

Via Amplified 

Why don't you age?!

The entire bar was filled to the brim with people wanting to catch Lights perform.  Once the performance was over though, the bar was still jam-packed but no one wanted to go onstage. How in gods green earth could anyone follow that? Clearly the only one who could would either be a really big musician or mind numbingly insane… Enter me.

I think at this point we know where I stand.

I can’t remember what my thought process was, if I were to ballpark it, it would probably be ‘If I’m to make it as a musician, having to follow a big name act will be something I’ll have to deal with.’  So I get up onstage, careful to not trip over the gear that was set up for Lights. I plugged my fender Strat into my Macbook (because Chuck wouldn’t allow students to bring amps). Just as I’m ready to play to the full house brimming with confidence, all of a sudden I hear the drunken yell of “Play Freebird!”

At that moment the self-confidence I had built up to that point completely vanished. Time stood still, I didn’t know what to say so I just did the only thing I could do; play music.

To this very day, I don’t remember anything about what I ate, what I did, what my setlist was, whether or not I sung flat, sharp, or did a good job. What I did remember was the man who heckled me, and how much I wish I leapt off that stage like I was Rob Van Dam and delivered justice.  

WWE

To this very day I haven’t had a problem that isn’t solved by a Five Star Frog Splash

While I could easily make this turn petty, there’s a moral to this story. In life, the amount of love you get is equal to what you give. If all you’re going to do is act like a dick, no one’s going to want to hang with you. Every encounter with someone is an opportunity and it could really come back to bite you.

So yeah, don’t be that guy.

Cheers,

Matt Di Leo
Searching For Kim, Lead Vocals