BEHIND THE PLAY #18

Maybe it was a full Commodore.

Maybe it was the five IPA’s.

Maybe it was finally seeing a complete show by one of my favourite bands after four attempts (all previous failures being self-inflicted).

Maybe is was a quick catch up at the show with local soccer orchestra leader Joe B.

Or maybe it was just the happiness of being with friends who I met in 1985 and 1986 respectively who started as teammates but who I’ve been seeing shows with since then.

It’s probably a bit of each but this is the easiest newsletter I’ve written as it hits 1am on Tuesday, June 5 at the time of this writing.

Echo and the Bunnymen. At the Commodore. With Shank and Alex. Written about immediately after the show and reaching your inbox two days later.

I did say a couple weeks ago that this was an intersectional newsletter and this one is about the pleasure and the privilege of being with people I care about, and played with, at a concert that was affirming, timely and appreciated.

Shank’s not well. I don’t need to get into it here but he came straight from a hospital appointment. That means something to me. He greeted us inside with a couple of beers in hand for us. Shank will get his own newsletter in due course and it will probably be a long one but if you want an example of facing very real challenges with aplomb, generosity and determination, he’s your guy.

Alex and I fight to find time to get together. When we do make it work, its usually a retreat to the comfort zone of live music, typically at the Commodore amidst a few beers, more laughs and even more conversation. We must be closing in on seeing a hundred shows together.

How does this relate to the game? Poorly if you’re looking for advice on how to get your 10 year old to ‘the next level.’ Somewhat on-brand if you’re interested in the long term benefits of being involved, or having your child involved, in the game and critically if you believe that the relationships you form from being on a team have the potential to lead to nights like tonight’s.

I made a point after the show, abetted by a +.08 blood alcohol level (no, I didn’t drive home), to tell both of them that nights like this are important to me and I’m really glad we’re still doing this sort of thing 38 years on. I am usually the one who pitches shows to go to but I’m happy to go to ones they want to see because as good as the show was (and it was pretty awesome to hear Ocean Rain to end the night) it’s really about the overall experience and the memory of it at this point. We generally opt for the minority stance of taking a group photo of ourselves at the show rather than of the band. Priorities.

I’ve won national championships with these guys. Travelled the world with them. Bought cabins on Hornby Island with them. It’s important. They’re important. And it started, in both cases, with meeting them on a field and sharing work, success, laughs, beers and, very quickly, respect.

So this has been a bit self-indulgent and may not be what you’re expecting from this newsletter. I get it and maybe this will result in a few trips to the unsubscribe button (which I’m incredibly chuffed that only three people have done so far - none of whom I know personally but I’m not surprised the Australian theatre production manager was the first to bail). If it helps I did make the point last night that the many manic, mosh pit type shows we went to in the 80’s and 90’s served as cross-training to a large degree. Staying upright in those pits as people clatter about is a lesson in anticipation, fighting for space, balance, bracing for contact, absorbing contact, administering contact, elevating in a crowd and leveraging others to enable yourself to do so. In other words, all skills you need in a game; particularly when defending and attacking corner kicks. What I learned on Commodore dance floors helped me on pitches and vice versa.

So there’s that :)

The point of this newsletter though is to humanize the game and illustrate that what many see as the peripheral benefits it provides are what I’ve come to view as primary life-long benefits and experiences. Hopefully it’s received in that context.

_{Naturally the song this time around has to be Echo and the Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain . (Apple Music) (Spotify)(YouTube)}