I’ve noticed that as I grow older, it has, for whatever reason, become harder to become “inspired” (for want of a better phrase) by music. Sure, I love it, listen to it constantly and couldn’t imagine life without it, but that real touchstone moment where my soul is moved by a performance or a song has become harder to find.
The first time I can remember being transfixed by a song I was jumping on a trampoline and “Message In A Bottle” came on the radio. I must have been 7 or 8, but I can remember the sensation to this day. Music had been around before that, but it had never been an important part of my life. That moment changed that. I realised what could be gained from listening to records, the radio, or whatever. Incidentally it started a lifelong semi-obsession with The Police, but that’s a whole different post.
There was an undending stream of moments/songs/performances throughout the next 20 years or so: the performance of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” in the Rattle and Hum film, the guitar solo in “Soma” by The Smashing Pumpkins, Open All Night by Bruce Springsteen, “Where Do I Begin” by The Chemical Brothers, “Lithium” by Nirvana are just a few that leap to my mind. Moments where I can clearly remember hearing the song for the first time, and knowing that this is the reason I love music so much, and enjoy being surprised by it.
Of course, one of the other great things about music is that it is completely personal, and as a result, you might look at this list and say “Bruce Springsteen? WTF?” But that’s why it’s so good.
As time has gone on, and perhaps it’s got something to do with having kids and having a bit less of my brain available to devote to stuff like this, but that moment has become rarified.
And to today. I clicked on a link to a performance by Liam Finn on The Late Show this morning and boom, that moment was back.