BEACH GIGS AND ME

I'm really not your typical beach person. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the beach but I'm just not one of those people who are die-hard beach fans. It's just my personality. It might be my passion for music that I tend to just lock myself up in my room writing and making music. But, the real reason behind not liking beach gigs is because of the hassles.

Doing a beach gig is always a welcome option for me since that includes free vacation time and pleasure. However, the risks involved doesn't make me all excited when it comes to beach gigs.

1. There's the means of transportation. If the gig only requires land transportation, I'm ok with that. I'm more of a road trip kind of guy. If it requires getting on a plane, it begins to get complicated because checking in gear is quite risky since we don't really know how those guys handle our bags. I always stress that there are music equipment inside our baggages and I always make sure to put lots of "fragile" and "this side up" stickers. However, if the gig requires getting on a boat, it's an entirely different story. The risk is way higher because it involves salt water. It is inevitable to have your bags passed around by porters while getting on a boat or transferring boats and that's what I hate when doing beach gigs. The risk of them dropping it into the water is something I can't live with.

2. There's also the venue... electronic gear and sand really don't go well together... It can actually do great damage on your equipment once sand gets into the equipment that's why it's not that great on the beach. Another thing is if the organizers fail to provide a tent where your playing. That already happened to me. It's very risky to play out in the open without a tent to cover the area where your playing because once it rains, you're done... along with your gear. Oh, the hassles! hehehe

On the other hand, there's one thing that makes a beach gig worth the trip...

The beach itself!

1. The sand - the feeling of the soft, cool sand under your feet is one thing that makes the trip worth it. it's so rare that you get to feel sand under your feet. This is one reason why I always take my slippers off when I'm on the beach even when I'm just walking around.

2. The sunset - I'm sure this isn't something new for everyone. Sunsets on the beach is always a breathtaking experience... I can also say that stayin up for the sunrise has its own distinct effect on me as well. Don't we all...

3. The water - this is one of the best things about the beach for me. The splashing and rushing of the waves onto the sand as it gently touches your feet while you sit on the shoreline is definitely an experience for me. The crisp sound of the water as it flows back into the sea after it washes off from the sand is music to my ears...

4. The people - hanging out at the beach is like living in another world at that point in time in your life. It's like the beach is an entirely different planet. Maybe that is one reason why people are more friendly hehehe I just noticed that because it's like everybody's taking a vacation and everybody's enjoying everybody's company.

5. The atmosphere - the beach atmosphere is really something. I don't know if it's just me but there's this "lazy day" feeling when you're at the beach. It's like everyone's enjoying the time off from their busy lives that they're taking it easy, living a slow paced life on the beach. It's a relaxing atmosphere because bein a so-called manilenyo, the pace of beach life gives you time to rest your tired mind and body from city life.

Now back to gigging...

I'm more than willing to go to the beach to enjoy myself and not to play. If it's for a gig, my set up should be very minimal or I'd rather do a DJ set to lessen the gear I'll be bringing and setting up.

Cy