LOCKDOWN LETHARGY
I think I may be suffering from what Neville Marten (issue 460, p31) terms “lockdowninduced syndrome”, though I do have history in that regard. In the late 1960s to 70s, as a teenager, I wrote huge mindmaps on manuscript paper in search of the perfect multi-guitar sound, and bemoaned the fact that I had no recording gear. Then Brian May came and stole my thunder…
The 1980s. A lost decade. Well, I realised that record companies weren’t exactly racing up the A1 to darkest Northumberland to sign me up, so I went to university instead and bemoaned Thatcher.
Then to the 1990s as a wage slave. Still, every evening I’d get home, eat, then sit at the kitchen table or piano and compose and record till the early hours. I wrote a symphony and loads of songs, but bemoaned the fact I didn’t have more time to spend on my music.
2020. Lockdown. What an opportunity! I can’t even go to the pub! Sitting in my flat, surrounded by a baby grand, eight beautiful guitars/basses, keyboards, excellent recording equipment, amps – the lot. On the first day I took the Les Paul I bought brand-new in 1977, stripped it, cleaned it to within an inch of its life, and hung it back up. Did the same for my 1965 Gibson J-45. Played a few chords, and hung it up.
In the last eight weeks I’ve sat down and played maybe 20 minutes of music. And most of that was Bach on the piano. It’s not that I’m depressed or anything like that, I just cannot get any impetus going. Maybe I bemoan too much. Are other readers feeling the same? Clive Gibson-Leitch, via email Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Clive – you’re not alone. Many players we know have also suffered lockdown lassitude, so we think it was probably a natural reaction to the big shake-ups that happened in everyone’s lives. For what it’s worth, we found it was helpful to give ourselves a specific, limited challenge during this induced downtime – whether it was learning Little Wing in its entirety or just a tricky solo from a favourite record. Something hard enough to keep you on your toes but attainable enough to be relaxing, too.