Seth Regan @ The Music Factory 27/03/22
A while ago it was brought to my attention that there was someone in SL that I really should blog. The suggestion was Seth Regan, whom I had never heard before, so I began keeping an eye on events only to find that due to timezone differences he always plays while I am at work, which made trying to catch a show almost impossible. As luck would have, it or in my case an injured knee, today I had a rare Monday (SLT Sunday) at home and saw that Seth was going to be playing at the iconic The Music Factory. The stars had finally aligned, so grabbing my blogging notepad and pen (which hasn't been used in a while) I hailed a cab and headed on over to see just what Seth Regan was about.
The Music Factory which boasts the tag "Great vibes for unstable minds" has several stages and dance areas as well as seating for those that don't feel like dancing. Todays set was to be held at the outdoor area of the venue, so I quickly found a spot on the dance floor and cammed around taking in the sights as I waited for Seth to start.
When Seth took to the stage and started talking I found a softly spoken man who like many of us was still processing the news of the sudden death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and after talking about Taylors life for a few minutes Seth dedicated his first two songs of the night to him, Everlong and Times Like These. Seth also informed the crowd that he had recorded an acoustic version of Times Like These which can be found on youtube as well as his Facebook
Following on from his dedication was Arms Wide Open by Creed, a song written by lead singer Scott Stapp vocalizing his excitement and fear of being a new father. It was a very poignant reminder that as one life ends another is beginning and that is why it is called the circle of life.
"If I had just one wish, only one demand
I hope he's not like me, I hope he understands
That he can take this life and hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world with arms wide open
With arms wide open under the sunlight
Welcome to this place, I'll show you everything
With arms wide open, now everything has changed
I'll show you love, I'll show you everything"
I found Seth's voice to be extremely easy to listen to, to me it was very soothing and calming, and lets face it, in this world that we live in at the moment we all need a little calm in our lives. Seth also showed us that not only is he a gifted musician and singer but he is a talented songwriter as well, with his original's Do It Again, Underground and Only For You taking us on a Seth Regan journey as he told stories in his own words. Seth also took time between songs to engage with his audience, telling stories about SL days of long ago (yes he is an oldie like most of us) and a more recent one where that very day he had met his assistant and her sister in RL for the first time for lunch as they were travelling through his town. His down to earth attitude and friendly nature made it feel like you just were hanging out with a friend who happens to be a musician.
While Seth's versions of The Police's Roxanne, A-Ha's Take On Me and Metallica's Nothing Else Matters were beautifully stripped back and laid bare and Ed Sheeran's Perfect had me wishing for a love to be slow dancing with, it was his haunting rendition of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, a final dedication to Taylor Hawkins that had goosebumps forming on my arms and water pooling in my eyes. Simply heart wrenching.
Seth finished up the hour with another original but unfortunately the dreaded Bug Splat got hold of me just as he started the song and I was unable to stay until the end.
I strongly encourage everyone to keep an eye out for Seth in events, follow him on FB and get along to one of his shows. It will be an hour well spent.
Vale Taylor Hawkins
