I always have found it totally ridiculous that there are bands, many quite successful and prominent, who have this incredible need to sound exactly like their records when they perform live. The only time I can really understand this, but still hate it, is when they are a very, very singles-oriented commercial band, such as the Eagles. This is a very meticulous band, and they take pride in their harmonies, and their songs have many classic parts, guitar solos included, that I guess, their fans want to hear verbatim! The problem is that the audience just doesn’t really know any better! If they got a chance to hear some of these players finally “stretch out,” and get spontaneous with their shows, they’d really leave the arena saying, now, THAT was a great show!”
Let’s face it, when you perform, the feeling you want to leave with is that of having just done something you never did before. You want to break new ground, and you want to stretch yourself in ways you never did before. As guitarists, we must try to “break new ground” every opportunity we have, and this is how I learned…literally in front of audiences, all over the world. You must, like me, be fearless in live situations, and not simply “rely” on playing the same, old comfortable thing night after night. If you do this repetition, you’ll just never really “grow” as a player, and you’ll get bored out of your mind.
So, even when going to see live bands, you should expect more from them, more ideas and spontaneity. Remember how so many of us hate having to always play in what are called “cover” bands? How we can’t stand club owners who only want us to sound like OTHER people’s records, and not play our own “original” material? Well, no matter the professional level we are at, or the level we are listening to, we should really expect more from ourselves, and from the musicians we supposedly so revere! Go for it!