Why I Don’t Write About Music, Or At Least Why I Haven’t Until Now.
Well, for a start, I’m not going to compete with entries like this. I mean, I’m not completely insane.
So yeah, I suppose it’s rooted in an inferiority complex, which is frankly ridiculous. I don’t feel like an ‘expert’, I don’t live and die by the releases of my favourite bands, and my attitude to music in general is a sort of like a kid at a giant pick ‘n’ mix: I rarely listen to whole albums; there are only a couple of artists I’ve bothered to collect the whole discography for; and I go through phases in such a rapid cycle that even I don’t know what I’m in the mood for half the time.
Which means I’ve built up this weird mental block when it comes to writing about the music (and films, and sometimes books) that have influenced me. I don’t feel qualified to talk about them most of the time, and though I know the few people who do read me aren’t internet trolls, I have an irrational fear that I’ll be somehow torn to shreds for ill-informed wittering. Which is ludicrous, because isn’t that basically the foundation of blogging?
The problem with WestEndBitch is that it’s neither one thing or another. The name is rooted in my love of theatre, a love I rarely indulge anymore. I still prefer the secure enclave of Livejournal, and find the 140 character banality of Twitter an easy way to keep up with everyone important. I think for me to use this place more (or at all) I need to stop putting things off-limits, which isn’t a problem so long as I remember to write responsibly. So yes, this can be a dumping ground for ramblings about the songs I can’t live without, the realities of life on the Tube (when I’m actually driving the damn things again) and most likely a lot of ranting about football, since it’s the overarching love of my life.
Self-censorship is pointless, and I didn’t even realise I was doing it until I tried to find a topic and finally saw how hemmed in I’ve become. So it’s time for another revolution in the land of Lola. I can always be insecure and productive at the same time.
