Cage rattlers at work

 Once upon a time, this never happened and I never said it. But one day that person who isn’t me, was in a band. There was a lot of interpersonal, and indeed personal problems for the band members. That person in question was talking to the singer about it recently and the singer said, “funnily enough, there’s so much dysfunction in the band and yet musically it has never been so good”. This is a band with total freedom and intense energy and such a combination of individual talents, that it’s almost too much to bear. You could make about 3 fine bands out of this one! The shows seem to have the audience going into some sort of frenzy, feeding off the notes as they scatter across the floor and bounce off every corner, going under their feet and in and out of their burst mattresses, causing them to imagine that they are a form of human spaghetti. Definitely there are many in their audience who enter a trance like state and look like they’ve been through some sort of wonderful musical ringer by the end. It’s also reported to be the smelliest gig in town. Whatever that means. 

But when this band is not onstage, the trouble starts. It’s a big group and everybody is struggling to make a living and that causes some insecurity and tension. It also has been on the road for decades and there is a ton of baggage and tangled affairs. I would imagine there isn’t any band in the history of the world that hasn’t had falling outs and dramas. Except maybe Wet Wet Wet. In fact, I’m sure it’s true of every profession, social groups, familys, and yes, even golf clubs. My Dad was even kicked out of a golf club! He was an honorary member of Greystones Golf Club and was constantly ‘yellow carded’ for running on the golf course. They then warned him that he had to have a proper golf bag so he taped a few kitchen roll inners together and riveted an old belt to it and crammed his 3 tees and 3 rusty clubs and a few balls into it. They said it wasn’t standard enough and told him he had to buy a new fancy one or else!. He refused and was kicked out. 

Now back to this band. It’s obvious someone is deeply unhappy. For years now. And their unhappiness is making it difficult for some to enjoy life in the band. (I’ve been there as the unhappy one! I’m sure we all have in our workplace at least). It almost doesn’t matter if they have really good points or are looking to change something that they feel would be for the better. If it is a chronic malaise over years, then no one really cares eventually, and that is the unfortunate truth. Nothing will really change is also a most distinct probability. I think it’s more to do with the person being courageous enough to admit that they aren’t happy, and then maybe leave of their own accord. Otherwise the ‘cage rattling’ and remonstrating feels like some sort of selfish and subtle sabotage that goes on and on, and is deeply unhealthy and unfair to those who should be allowed to continue to enjoy what it is they are and what it is they do. Actually I have found that creativity and onstage excitement can result from certain band personalities clashing, or at least having opposite energies. But then it crosses that thin line... and it's unhealthy then. And if they do leave, the sense of liberation, and new possibilities, to a person starting again should not be underestimated by them. 

But I’m not sure this person would agree with me. I’m not sure my dad would either! 

*All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. “No dogs were harmed during the production of this episode. A cat threw up and somebody shot a duck, but that's it." - The Simpsons