We were The Potentials
Hiya we are The Potentials and we are were a Buffy the Vampire Slayer themed band.
After 3 ace years of playing together my Buffy punk band The Potentials broke up last month and it was heartbreaking. We made 2 records, went on 3 summer tours, made some music videos, recorded songs for compilations, put on all-dayers, played at Buffy themed nights, organised our annual Slayerfest halloween parties, and we played with a lot of wonderful bands and mates. And also Kate Nash once played Extra Flamey on her radio show with Amber Benson aka Tara as her special guest and they said we were cute. So that's as close to getting on Top of the Pops as we're ever gonna get.
Thanks to everyone who ever came to see us play, anyone who put us on and let us sleep on their floors and made us food. Thanks to everyone who drove us on tour, did artwork for us, interviewed us, played our songs, and supported the things we made. It's been the best.
I haven't really talked about it since it happened, but leaving the band was honestly one of the hardest decisions I've ever made and it felt like a breakup. And I was so worried I'd lose my identity once the band ended. I've been playing music since I was 17, who am I if I'm not in a daft novelty themed diy band?
But in the last month I've seen my mates in real life on the reg, I've been able to plan day trips and make future social plans without worrying that it's gonna cut into tour/recording/practice schedules. And I don't have a constant stomach ache of worrying that there's something wrong with me for not being able to cope with being in a band.
My daft little Buffy themed band weren't even that active compared to other bands. We all worked full time hardcore jobs which left us exhausted and time poor, we were limited to touring in school holidays or when weren't working, and we all did a billion other creative projects outside of the band. I'd often look at my mates who juggled being in 2 or 3 different bands and wondered how they did it.
I always struggle with burnout, I even made a zine about it. But I feel like I'm getting better at reclaiming my time and not worrying about having to do a million different things in order to keep my identity in tact. It turns out that when I'm not burning out I'm a pretty fun person to be around and that making pancakes, watching wrestling, and having weekends off is pretty great.
I'm sure I'll play music again and I'm sure I'll see burnout again, but for now I've got plenty of zine activities to organise and keep me occupied outside of my day job, and I now have free time to be a better friend to the people I love.