The blows are many and relentless. The deaths of musicians who left an indelible mark on our lives have now become part of our daily routine. “Hey, Nika, isn’t that just how life is? Time doesn’t stop for anyone,” someone might say. Of course that’s true, but it doesn’t stop hurting, and like any unpleasant event, death takes time to be accepted. The thing is, however, that in this case, the period of grief and mourning is constantly prolonged as one death follows another at a rapid pace. And that’s how our lives become poorer.
A few years ago, Geoff Barton wrote in Classic Rock magazine, on the occasion of musicians getting older and their performance not being the same, that we are in uncharted waters. I liked that phrase. I wrote it down somewhere. I think that for some years now we have been navigating this… uncharted territory, only now the musicians are not inferior to the circumstances on stage but have left it irrevocably for a, I hope, better world. And maybe, little by little, the once uncharted waters are finding their place on the maps of our lives, but dealing with the whole situation remains just as difficult, with the mind unable to… chart these unpleasant events.
The deaths of Ace Frehley and now Mark Free reminded us of something we should never forget. Our beloved musicians are not immortal. They will not always be by our side. I am writing this so that I can read it and understand it myself first. Because in my mind, for example, Bruce Springsteen will always be 40 years old and getting ready to write the new “Born in the USA,” or my beloved Steve Perry is somewhere in San Francisco preparing his return to Journey. Illusions. But it is these illusions that beautify our microcosm. Especially for people who have literally dedicated their lives to music.
The work that all of them leave behind is enormous and will accompany us for a lifetime. However, the world is no less poor with each loss. That’s why I would advise anyone who has second thoughts about whether to go to a concert, if they have the opportunity… to do so! You never know if you will ever have another chance to see your hero on stage. And as a good friend wrote: we are the generation that will see the musical giants fade away. How true.
Sakis Nikas
