Professional Envy

No, I am happy genuinely happy for them as long as they are my friends. Also, good connections for the future. :>

Yeah, but what about that quasi-grey area of scene friends that aren't really personal friends?

Do you never feel competative? Or rather, compare yourself negatively when you don't feel yourself measuring up? Or is that just me beating myself up again.

I don't think "connections" have ever worked that way for me. :-(

not really. i don't work hard enough on being successful to justify real envy

The good bands I know, who are doing (relatively) really well for themselves, just make me think I need to pull my socks up and really make an effort (as I write this neither of my bands have been together in a room for at least 4 weeks in one case, and over 2 months for the other).
The bands I'm sort-of friends with, but that I don't actually like their music, but are still doing well for themselves, I'm more jealous of I think. But I console myself that they're not really very good, and that we're lazy, so that's why it seems that they're doing well, but they'll get found out eventually.

I only get jealous of a band I know that's doing well when I don't think they're good.

I totally get jealous of other bands, even ones that I like or am friends with.

OK, phew, now I feel like less of a freak. I'm jealous of everyone.

I guess the exception is if the band is in a totally different genre/style. Like I'm not really jealous of Jordan's brass band's success, though I do wish I got invited to play shows in Switzerland.

Anyways, I think this is pretty natural. If your friend's band is opening a show that you want to open, the fact that you are friends with them means that they are on the same level as you, so it's like "why aren't WE opening this show?" It's not about wanting your friends to fail or NOT have the show, at least not for me.

Indeed.

Bocken OTM upthread about friend's successes as motivator. Some friends of mine just passed through town and played one of the best shows I've seen them do in a long time. I'm completely happy for them, but the side-effect is that they've kicked my behind into writing better material, practicing more and staying away from any distractions that keep me from doing that.

I guess I just don't get that sensation, because it's not like I don't work hard at the music thing 90% of the time.

But if I get one more message from a friend's band saying that they're playing Glastonbury or Truck or Meltdown, wah-hey, I'm going to freaking go into meltdown myself. :-(

I guess my jealousy is exacerbated by the feeling that my band has got to a certain level several times, and then totally blown it in one way or another. But that's another thread topic.

Now you're talking

xpost Actually, I AM a little bit jealous of Jordan because he gets to gig all the time and it seems like his bands actually make some money!

Friend's success....makes some people want to be anything but! I mean, sometimes you can see other people's preoccupation with someone's success...and it doesn't look pretty. Being exposed to the small-mindedness and inadequacy of others makes you want to take some quiet office job. Like, I don't even perform in public and haven't for years, because of how weird and awkward some people are about "talent".