This past Friday I went to see the force that is Machine Head play at The Metro here in Sydney and made some interesting observations. Music can be a powerful tool. Above anything it can be an amazing way to find a common ground with strangers. I saw some interesting similarities between being in a gig with other ‘head cases’ and having an intentional community where everyone works for the same goal. Whether it’s be fat loss, strength or other healthy habits to have a better quality life.
I couldn’t help noticing the camaraderie happening between random people. Yes, given that it was a Friday night I assume some most people would’ve had few glasses of devil’s elixir, but still. Folks just letting their guard down, hugging, moshing together and singing with people they’d never met before. Only because they all shared a common interest that they could bond over: music.
There were people anywhere from 20 year old to people in their 50’s or 60’s, both men and women. And (from what I could see) everyone got along nicely. Every once in a while someone bumps into you, says sorry, yells “how sick is that drum set, brah!”, in your ear and goes on their merry way. But for a second you share this bond with them: “wow, this person likes the same stuff that I do”.
Gigs are a great place to “study” people. Plenty of unassuming folks who are just letting their hair down and not caring the tiniest bit what other people think of them. That’s the beauty of music. But there’s more than that. You are in a room surrounded by people who all like the same stuff as you do. You see band shirts that you can connect with straight away. Stuff that I never see anywhere else. It’s a community of sorts. If only for the night.
For a lot of people it seemed like an outlet to deal with whatever was going on in their heads, too. Therapy of sorts. Seemed to work wonders.
The Infamous One-Song-Stand
One of the coolest things I saw during night: There was this kid; no more than 20 years old; standing next to me most of the gig, getting into the groove. Enter another guy walking past, a bit older. The random guy and the kid start spontaneously moshing and singing together for a song. Completely ignoring everything else around them. It was just two random guys and this one song. A song that spoke to both them, a common ground.
This goes on for about five minutes. The song ends and the guys hug it out, high five each other and say few, well chosen manly profanities and go their separate ways. How cool is that! Two random people just connected by great music. I call it the platonic one-song-stand. It was cool to watch.
Whether music or trying to live a healthier life, it’s important to surround yourself with people who have similar interests to yours. You build this intentional community where everyone has the same goal. Then we work towards that goal together as a team. And because we learn from each other, you win, I win.
Judgement Free Environment
As Friday night proved, we are all stronger when we are in groups. It’s a safe place to be who you are. No one judges you because everyone likes (or deals with) the same stuff as you do. I definitely have more fun at gigs when I am surrounded by other like-minded people than if I would just be there on my own. It’s the people in the room that create the energy. Together we can conquer more than on our own.
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