Find Your Vibe / Find Your Tribe

I’m pretty lucky that being a part of the Heads Above The Waves team means I get to work at a lot of local shows and music festivals, because without sounding massively over dramatic, watching bands and checking out live music pretty much keeps me alive. Our ‘thing’ is that we encourage everyone who checks out HATW to find that activity that picks them up when they’re having a bad day…this is mine.

When I’m going through a tough time and feeling hopeless, when there’s anniversaries of loved ones passing away, when I’m feeling utterly crap about myself, going and watching some of my favourite bands in a tiny, sweaty club makes my week and gives me that reason to keep going.

Being at a gig is totally my happy place. I’m definitely one of those people who grins goofily the entire way through a gig because I’m simply so happy to be there and enjoying all the bands so much. Hearing songs you love or discovering new gems you’ve never listened to before, stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow appreciators, maybe having a dance or a shove around in the pit… all your problems seem a million miles away and your just concentrating on what’s happening on stage. It makes me feel ecstatic, and to quote my favourite book ‘The Perks of Being A Wallflower’:

And In that moment, I swear we were infinite.

That ability to feel like you can take on the world because you’re so happy and at peace is rarely found for me unless I’m belting out my favourite songs, watching my favourite musicians jam onstage.  I cannot urge you guys enough to find that thing or that community to be a part of that gives you this same feeling as its pretty damn good!

Being into a wide range of ‘alternative’ music gives me a platform to speak to so many different people and sub-cultures, all with a shared passion for music. Our music is emotive, sometimes angry, always relevant to us, and inspiring. We all know what it’s like to be judged by people who think we’re different because we like different things. At gigs I feel like I’m surrounded by likeminded people who get me and have a shared common interest. I feel like I can turn around to anyone, start a conversation and have something in common with them. Everyone is there to have a good time and enjoy the music, and there’s very little talk of what’s going on in school or at work, what bills you have to pay or who you’ve had a falling out with.

The Pros of being involved in a music community mean that I’ve always got somewhere to go – there’s always a gig, a festival, a vinyl or a new album coming up that I want to save up for or go to. There are always people who are going through the same things as you and who recognise comfort in the shared love of bands you support. This is where you can make lifelong friends and relationships with people who’ve had similar life experiences to you. We all tend to gravitate towards something or someone because they have the same perceptions and outlooks as us, and a lot of these can be expressed through a shared love of music.

For the people out there who have had a negative experience with music communities, don’t let it put you off finding people who have similar interests as you- whether that’s a different genre of music or something totally different like joining a sports team, something like roller derby, or even a book club or dance club. As long as there is that common bond there- it will be easier to open up to them and make supportive relationships.

And this is really the bottom line we’re trying to convey with this theme of ‘Community’. It’s all about finding your vibe and finding your tribe! When you’re in a dark place it can really help to talk things through with friends or people you share passions with (online or in person.) They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and this can be a safe and positive environment with which to get things off your chest, and in turn get some good advice. Aside from that, if opening up to people isn’t your thing, just feeling a part of something that you enjoy can boost your mood, take your mind off your troubles and put a smile on your face. We hope you give it some thought, and we’ll see you at the front for the next good gig!

– Hannah