SM 2018 thoughts

"See all the accolades sitting up on my shelf..."

On Saturday 2018-08-12 the Swedish National Championship for Street-musicians (SM för Gatumusikanter) went off for the 9th time. It was also my 9th time participating. It was the first time I went home with an award. I've been doing this for nine years, and I got 2nd place in the Swedish Nationals.

In 2010 I hadn't been playing guitar for very long. At this point I can't recall whether it was one, two years or even less. But I had written my own songs and I just went out on the streets of Stockholm. Two weeks into my career as a street musician I was performing on Drottninggatan in Stockholm City and I was approached by two women who talked to me about being a street musician and invited me to the championship. This interaction was later put up on their blog about street musicians.

https://gatumusikanterna.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/en-kille-med-gitarr/

As they left, a homeless man tried to pick a fight with me for being in his spot.

I ended up joining the championship, equipped with my Yamaha acoustic guitar and the most rock'n'roll looking clothes I owned my parents drove me to Mariefred.

Between then and now, not a lot happened, I kept everything going, but it didn't really move forward.

The make-up started as a tribute to the Visual Kei bands I listened to as a teenager, like X Japan, Nightmare and 12012, and one of my greatest idols Tim Minchin. I started with some Minchin-esque eyeliner but I soon went on to more extreme looks. But my intention was never to look beautiful. In Swedish I always said "Det handlar inte om att se bra ut, det handlar om att se ut" which doesn't really make sense, but it means that I wanted nothing else but to be eye-catching.

I also ended up changing my name, there was another Robin Svensson on Spotify, and I didn't want to share any potential spotlight with that guy. So I took the name given to me by the Viagra spam emails I used to get. Probably a misconception on their part by the fact that my middle name is Axel and the most logical thing to do is sending dick medicine to someone named Robina Xel.   

This year however, I feel like everything has been moving forward. I've picked up a social media presence which has awarded me with some followers, I've gotten comments and people I've never met who are actually looking at my work, which is amazing. I've joined a choir which has put me in the spotlight in legit concerts, which again, feels amazing. And I actually got second place at SM för Gatumusikanter.

A couple of hours later, my parents drove me home.  

  

I want to thank everyone who has inspired me, believed in me, cheered me on and encouraged me. I wouldn't be anywhere near here without you.

I also want to thank everyone who has yelled at me, plugged their ears as they walked by or complained about my makeup, I wouldn't have half my songs if it weren't for you.

"...I'm the man now and I'm sticking it to myself"