This week, Joe interviews singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph. He talks about his career, the craft of song-writing, the pressures and joy of touring, and we end, of course, with a song.
One of the thing which struck me most is that Martyn emphasises the importance of ‘turning up’ - not just going through the motions but giving the best you can give for whatever audience you have and whatever you are doing. I think this is such an important point, and maybe something which gets lost on some artists and performers. I can remember, many years ago, going to a matinée performance of the musical Chess in London. It was clear that the performers were holding back. More, that they were indulging in in-jokes and not taking the performance as seriously as they might. Presumably, because it was just a matinée. But for us it was not just a matinée: it was the only tickets we could afford. And we left feeling as though the better performance had been reserved for the higher-paying guests.
There are times – especially with live performance or other face-to-face environments – when you don’t feel this way. But if other people have made the effort to turn up, then it’s only right that we should, too.
You can find out more about Martyn at www.martynjoseph.net