Episode #11
Clive Barnes: The Reality of Making a Living as a Musician | Built in Kilkenny Ep. 11
Clive Barnes has spent his entire working life making music. He picked up the guitar at six, played his first gig at 12, and went on to build a career that has taken him across Europe, the UK and the US. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny, I sit down with Clive to talk about what a life in music actually looks like — from teaching himself guitar before YouTube and the internet, to becoming a session musician, touring internationally and making a living from the only thing he's ever wanted to do. We talk about the late Willie Meighan and the impact he had on Clive's career, working with musicians including Eric Bibb and Jim White, and the reality behind the part of being a musician that audiences don't see. We also get into grunge, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and why Clive doesn't really think grunge exists as a genre. Then there's the pandemic. With his career and much of his identity built around music, Clive suddenly found it all taken away. What started as something to focus on during that period eventually helped grow The Year Grunge Broke to nearly a million followers across Facebook and Instagram — and led to Clive becoming a published author. We finish with The Year Grunge Broke band, why Clive still feels like he's improving after a lifetime of playing guitar, and why there's still so much he wants to accomplish. — Find Clive / The Year Grunge Broke — Website: https://www.theyeargrungebroke.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyeargrungebroke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheYearGrungeBroke YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheYearGrungeBroke Book: https://www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books/entertainment/grunge — Built in Kilkenny is a Charlie Cook Live series telling the stories of the people building, creating and doing interesting things in Kilkenny. New episodes weekly. Follow the journey: https://charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive
