I read a review a while ago about  Roger Waters performing the X-Cel Center in St  Paul. He was performing all songs from DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, THE WALL, WISH YOU WERE HERE, and other classic Pink Floyd records.  The review expressed how great the band was and how the 15,000 people in attendance enjoyed hearing their favorites.   While I’m sure Roger Waters, his band and crew appreciated the payday from this performance, it struck me that despite the success of the concert, something about committing to the actual concert in the first place must be unsettling for a man like Roger Waters. 

Roger Waters is not alone.  In a larger sense, any recognizable name with a long history of making influential music in whatever genre must experience the same thing.  It must be an odd combination of gratitude and regret when these Hall of Fame artists hit the stage each night.  Because while the financial and production stakes are at a far higher level than they are at a local club gig, the great equalizer for Hall of Fame artists and musicians who perform at any nightclub, VFW, Wedding Party, etc is the concept of repetition.

Repetition is at the core of the music business.  An artist craves to have something they create become repetitive to the listening audience so they can make more money.  A listener, once they hear something they like, enjoy the pleasures of repetition and access it on their phone, I-Pod, CD player or even 8-track tape if it still functions.   For the record company, repetition is the lifeblood of their business success. Without repetition, everything falls apart.  Creativity and production can get accomplished, but without repetition, nothing works.

While scholars can debate which came first, the egg or the hen, I’m confident that creativity comes first before repetition.  The difference is, a hen will eventually make an egg.  A piece of music, or a music career has far less chance of becoming repetitive.

It’s odd that creative people even want repetition to enter their life.  The essence of being a creative being is to never be satisfied with what you’ve just finished.  The hunger of the next creation is what drives them.  But when a creative person shares their talent and that same talent creates a piece of art that the viewer, or listener craves to see it, or hear it more than once, that’s certainly a financial payoff for the artist, but is it satisfying?

Creativity drives the artist.  Discipline provides the artist the fuel to shelf the urge to create something new and come to grips with the fact that something they created years ago must be repeated time and time again for financial reasons.  I think for Roger Waters, Elton John, Springsteen, Van Morrison, B.B.King, and the list goes on and on, it has to be a battle they face each day.

How can I explain this to someone who doesn’t perform?  Perhaps the best way would be to go back to your first great kiss. Not the first time you had sex, but your first great kiss.  In the majority of instances, the first time you have sex is clumsy.  Your first great kiss is something you probably spent some time working on.  

Let’s say after that first kiss, everyone you met expected you to kiss them with the same delivery and passion every time they see you.  If you didn’t kiss them when you saw them in that same way, they were disappointed.  They want that kiss that gave them memories and they want it when they want it. 

Now imagine the person who gave the kiss having to repeat that same kiss over and over again, when they are supremely confident that they are a much better kisser than they were when they gave that first kiss.   It could be much worse, after all, they are asking you for a kiss, but you see where I’m going with this. 

When a piece of art is accepted, it came from a magical combination of talent, timing and luck.  Those three elements are not repetitive in nature. In fact, it’s closer to a freak of nature when it does happen.  Nevertheless, for the artist, when those elements come together, it does create magic.  For another night, Roger Waters had to conjure up the magic he created 30 years ago, for 15,000 people craving repetition.  He had to create a piece of magic and take another step in the long path of repetition.  I just wonder if when he hits the pillow in his hotel room or tour bus, if the price of repetition is worth it for him, or any other artist.