Why I (almost) no longer perform live

I’m often asked why I’m seen on stage only occasionally nowadays. The answer is simple… yet it raises many questions about the reality of being an independent musician today.

Time, the silent enemy

The first reason is lack of time. Between creative projects, music production, personal and professional life, it’s increasingly difficult to find the energy, availability (and organization!) needed to put together a live show, rehearse, contact venues, and travel. Making music in the studio is one thing; putting on a live show is another — it requires a colossal investment.

Composing doesn’t always pay off on stage

I write original compositions, and here lies a second difficulty. Venues that book live artists rarely give chances to projects that aren’t already well established or don’t perform known songs. When you don’t fit a “commercial” format, you often have to struggle beforehand to find gigs… sometimes to play in front of a few poorly settled people, without real feedback, without proper sound.

Forming a band, an almost impossible challenge

I’m not part of a fixed band: my pieces are performed solo. But to play them live with all their richness, musicians are needed. Here, I have two options: either pay musicians — which I can’t afford at the moment — or find people willing to collaborate artistically, on arrangements and interpretation. Such dynamics are rare and fragile, especially when everyone has their own projects to manage. Bringing a band together around a solo project, without budget, is like staging a play without actors.

Often discouraging conditions

Even when you manage to assemble a set and find a slot at a festival or gig, the playing conditions are often far from ideal. Absent or incompetent sound engineers, rushed soundchecks, delays, technical mishaps… Sometimes you end up playing in such chaotic circumstances that it becomes frustrating, even humiliating. Not to mention some unscrupulous promoters who promise the moon and leave artists stranded after weeks of preparation.

And when there’s hardly any audience yet…

The hardest part is probably fighting so hard for so little visibility. When you’re starting out or don’t yet have a loyal audience, every concert feels like a gamble. You have to pay your travel expenses, rally your friends and family, sometimes dip into your savings just to… be heard. And in the end, you wonder: is it really worth it?

I’m not saying I’ll never play live again. But today, I prefer to devote my energy to creating, recording, and sharing my music in other ways. Maybe one day the conditions will be right to return to the stage with joy, meaning, and respect for the work done. In the meantime, the music goes on… elsewhere.

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