Musicians talk life on the road
Interview • September 29, 2011 • Hub
By Mike Thiel, Post-Crescent staff writer
The life of a musician isn't all about the glory.
And
for those who've never befriended a performer, the image of a touring
rock star can seem like a fairytale. However, whether selling out
stadiums or being the draw at a local bar, these same musicians are
thrown back into reality when their sets are over. Just like the fast
food clerk or the lawyer down the street, musicians have friends, family
and sometimes significant others, but unlike a regular 9 to 5'er, a
musician's time on the road can add a new level of complexity to any
relationship.
In the past year, I've had the opportunity to speak
with a number of musicians as their tours spilled into the Fox Valley
and other parts of Wisconsin. During those conversations, I've made a
point to ask them all one question: How do you handle relationships
while constantly on the road in pursuit of a lasting music career?
(..)
Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls
Well,
my wife, we've been together about 10 years and so when we met and we
started dating, which was kind of like 15 years ago, we were already
kind of doing this. This was my life already. To me, it doesn't seem any
different than what I've been doing. The relationship's grown under
this idea that I'm gone a lot. But you've just got to be patient. You've
got to have good people around you who understand what this life
entails. It's a lot different than a lot of people think. If you have
somebody who's at home, who's jealous of you because they think you're
out every night doing the conga dance up and down the aisles, throwing
confetti around and drinking Mai Tais every night -- that's not what
this is about when you do this many shows. And my wife's painfully aware
of that. She'd rather be home anyway than driving around in a bus with a
bunch of dudes (laughs).
(..)