Goalies and Guitarists: Why the Loneliest Positions Breed the Loudest Fans
Netminders and lead guitarists both live in the spotlight with nowhere to hide. We talked to both about pressure, superstition and the records that keep them sane.
Goalies and lead guitarists have more in common than either would admit. Both are judged on their mistakes more than their successes. Both need a strange mix of calm and aggression. And a surprising number of both listen to the same records.
Pressure
Every goalie we spoke to described the same thing: long stretches of nothing, then a moment where everything depends on them. Guitarists described solos the same way.
You can play a perfect set and people remember the one note you missed. Same with a goal.
Lead guitarist, Northgate Ruin
Their coping strategies overlap too: rituals, routines and very loud music right before the moment arrives.
