So, should I try out to be in Courtney Love's backing band?

and dont worry about not getting it, you have a good chance i'm sure, and even if you don't get it, you'll have had a go. the failure is not failing at something, the failure is not trying, that is the ultimate failure. send in the tape and you'll have already done something good in itself, regardless of outcome

Don't do it! I know whereof I speak.

Your tone seems to be that the end of result of studying mathematics at uni is far less important that a life spent on the coat tails of Ms Love.
Guitar players may become more famous and make a lot more money and lead "cooler" lives than most people but I don't any serious person would consider their existence very important in any sense of the word.

with the emphasis on "may".

Going back to university has been something that has been on my mind a lot lately. Certainly that seems like a preferable option to rotting in this office.

Art is nice but not that important. You can survive without art, especially the dribble passed of as art.
Functional art like architecture is far more relevant than lilies on the pond.

Thanks for judging my "tone" so defensively, Roman.

Kate, sorry for taking that "tone" but I didn't want to think that if your life took a turn towards a somewhat (arbitrarily) deeper career move, you would somehow feel inadequate and less important. This would clearly not be the case. Though I enjoy music immensely I do not think my life would have been wasted if I hadn't heard even half of the music I have listened to in my life.

By the way, does Ronan=Roman?

Sarah,
I guess the entertainment industry is serious business to some but not to all of us. The Julia Robertses and George Clooneys of the world are important in a sense I do not fathom. Maybe you do.

I just found out that my former bassist - you know, the one who was too busy "working on her house" to continue being in my band - says that she wants to audition.

That has officially destroyed any desire I ever had, ironic or not, to audition. Yeah, I fucking hope that she gets it, too. I think about 5 minutes of working with Courtney Love will make her realise that maybe I wasn't quite so bad after all.

I fucking hate the music industry. I fucking hate it so much. I hate the way that it turns former friends into enemies and rivals and I still can't stop myself from feeling angry. :-(

Or maybe I'm just severely depressed because we got the sales figures from our album today and we're even more unpopular (and therefore I'm even less talented) than I previously believed.

Can this week get any more crap? :-(

I really do feel like this is just final confirmation of my total talentlessnes. The sales figures have spoken. I truly am shit as a songwriter and a musician. I should just give up, burn any dreams I might have had left and go home. I will never be anything other than an office slob who hates her job.

I really just want to cry. Oh christ, I am crying. Time to go hide in the bathroom for a bit.

As to the cavilling about sales, talent and the rest: my first book never sold as well as it should have after I'd worked damned hard to make it good. Disappointing as that was, it still means a great deal to me to meet people six years later who not only bought it, but cherish it. At the time I was concerned that a) my PR wasn't doing enough with the contacts I gave her and b) the marketing department were even worse. Hence not very many sales after mostly brilliant reviews. If you beat yourself up over an apparent lack of interest, it only hurts you and kind of makes all the people who *did* go and see your gigs and buy the records feel a bit chopped liverish.

Courtney: "So, do you like the Ramones?".
My friend:"Well..(pause)... I think they are incredibly influential, though I don't listen to them every day, day in and day out,..."

My friend found out the desired answer was "No". She never got the gig. (based on that question alone, or other reasons, I have no idea)

Yes, Kate - Cheer up! Look at the Top 40, ferchrissakes, record sales do not correlate with talent! I love the Lollies tracks I've heard, and I know talent. And you're one of the most talented ILX posters! ;)

Yes
No