Hanging up picks

[Malcolm]

Baz, thank you for offer, you have always been someone I looked up to, but think I have just got to end of my playing out life.There are many reasons involved, work ,domestic etc, so think I am making right choice.Many thanks Malcolm

[Ken Byng]

This is a monumental decision for any musician to take, and I feel for Malcolm being driven to announce this today. There must be a solution to his crisis somewhere. As a friend of Malcolm's I feel for him, and having chatted with him as recently as two weekends ago, I didn't see this coming in any way.

I think the decision to retire has to be made for the right reasons for all musicians at some point in their lives. Knowing Mr McMaster, he will have chewed this over in his mind for some time. He has enough mates in Scotland and England to confide in and discuss his disenchantment with doing live performances, and one would hope that he has given the matter due consideration before making this announcement. I am sure he has. This is the worst news I have heard this year on this forum.

[Malcolm]

Ken you are indeed correct, I had thought about this over a year ago, and was talked out of it at that point. I have now reached point where I am getting no satisfaction from playing out, various reasons as explained earlier, so therefore I feel I am not giving my best feeling this way, and that cannot be good for anyone , the audience or myself.The obvious thing to me is not to do it, so that is path I have gone down.At some point I may get another guitar and come back to playing at home,that remains to be seen,but will not be going back to playing gigs.Again I thank everyone who has supported me in past , and advice given in the present circumstances.Regards Malcolm

[dessa]

Nooooooooo. Malcolm this cannot be true, believe me you WILL regret it, it's in your blood now mate. Gigs are not the be and end all of playing AND you play well!!!!! Sad news my friend.

[bob adams]

Malc oh Malc,

I also consider you a close friend, how I have wanted to come in here but this has been way too close to my heart!
Suffice to say I sold my steel many years ago in part to buy a dishwasher! A priority at the time and a true story!

Back then on the domestic front it was love with a passion and considered I was doing the right thing at the time!

So much can get messed up in our world and life on the road can be sore on our other halves, I do know that and there has to be a balance!

Nobody knows this but I had a session with Sydney when his program was going out from Anderson Glasgow!

It came very close to happening but the love of my life took priority and I passed it by! Job for a single man!

Malc I genuinely hope that you hang on to your gear! You have put so much into it! If you sell it all I believe the longing will eat you up, destroy your life long passion, and eat away at you day to day!

Please consider it all very carefully!

For me! After closure on 30 yrs of an intense relationship what was my 1st purchase! Yip you’ve guest it a PSG!

It is simply in our blood!

[Zebedee]

I've never been happier since I stopped gigging, and my wallets a little healthier, too

Now that I don't spend endless hours travelling (usually to some god-forsaken village hall in the middle of nowhere, with all the acoustics of a wet flannel), I have far more time to do stuff (like playing my steel at home).

The income lost from not gigging is easily made back tenfold by working a Saturday morning (5 hours, cycling distance) at my quite enjoyable day-job.

[echospence]

Hi Malcolm
Listen to all the posting,s above no one want,s you to give up you have the support hear of all the members.
You still have the SSGW to go to where you have a lot of friends. Don"t give up on something you love doing.
Spence.

[Malcolm]

Derek, Richard, Bob, Spence, thank you for your comments, much appreciated.

[Ken Byng]

Malcolm - Mr Sinex.

I will publicly make you an offer. If you sell your gear and then decide at a later date that you miss it all and want to get back into it again, I will give you one of my guitars and a Peavey NV 400 as a gift.

[Uncle Roy]

Wow, How kind is that!