I’m done.

I knew that the day was coming, but I thought that I still had another year or two.

Twenty minutes in to last nights sold out show at The Air Canada Centre I knew I was done. Done with my undying support of The Hip; done with my addiction to hipbase, done with spending ridiculous amounts of money following them around, done with the countless hours I spend capturing, converting, and editing live recordings of their shows. Done.

Why am I done? Because I am. I’ve seen a lot of shows – some good, some great, and some really great. I’ve travelled with a bunch of like-minded fans to see shows in far-off locations – 5 countries, 2 continents; I’ve met the band, their management, support staff, etc; I’ve got pics, videos, memorabilia, everything a fan could want.

I count myself as very lucky for all of these things, but there comes a time when priorities change. And that time is now.

Leading up to the show I had joked with some friends that I was going to try and give it up, but they all laughed it off. But last night at the show, something happened that was just the push I needed. There we were standing three rows from the stage, surrounded by fans enjoying a concert by their (our) rock heroes and all I kept thinking about was how much I just wanted to be at home doing something else. I kept checking my watch, almost wanting time to speed up.

I think that it is because going to shows is no longer about just having a good time; it’s work. Bringing my recording gear, watching the show through a 3″ LCD screen, contemplating how a shot will look on the big screen, and how I can use it in editing sucks the energy from me like nothing else.

So there it is. If you got this far, thanks for reading. Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments. Although this may be a bit self-indulgent, it’s my site, and this message was approved by me. 🙂