Roberto Barros , guitarist and songwriting partner of Edu Falaschi , opened up on social media last Monday, the 23rd, about his mental health in the face of attacks suffered on the internet, with cruel criticism about his live performance on the Vera Cruz (2021).
In a series of Instagram Stories, the musician showed screenshots of derogatory comments he receives daily criticizing his work and said that even his own family "suffers so much persecution" because of it.
“The reality is that envy is so great that people lose sight of the harm they do to others with this kind of persecution. (…) And I think: 'My God, what do I need to do?'. Honestly, you guys did it, Vera Cruz was my last metal album in this country,” Roberto said. “Obviously, I don't always get everything right, because this is art. Even in sports, the champion isn't always the champion. People call me Cyborg, but I never was and I'm not, and I have to study all day to deliver my best to the public.”
The guitarist further explained the reason for his outburst. “I decided to expose all this because I’m tired. It’s easy for them to destroy you in closed, hidden groups, or go on YouTube through fake accounts and say the worst things about you, destroy your life, your family, your health,” he wrote. “And the worst part is, they take away your right to respond. If I respond rudely, they take screenshots and distort everything, and you end up looking like the worst person. After this week thinking about serious things against myself, I decided to open up to you all here. I’ve always been an extremely studious guy. My life is based on extreme study. I don’t play for fame; it was a consequence. But between fame and my health, I prefer to be well to take care of my family.”.
In an interview with Wikimetal after recording Vera Cruz in São Paulo last Sunday, the 21st, Roberto Barros commented on the pressure of being on stage and how musicians aren't always completely well before going on stage, something that the audience should understand.
“It was very special to record this DVD, and what’s even more special is that we managed to do this show, which is so difficult, and that everything went so well. We were having a blessed night; we know that music is like sports: some days you’re good, some days you’re not. So, tonight was a very special night, we were all very much in sync there, so I’m very happy,” he said.
When asked about the public's lack of understanding of how emotional and physical factors can impact an artist's performance on certain days, Roberto compared musicians to Olympic athletes. “I really like Olympic sports. So, sometimes you see a guy who is super-gifted, but then he gets to an Olympics or a world championship and sometimes he doesn't do well, because sometimes it's just his day, he wasn't feeling well, so it depends a lot on the emotional side, as you said, it depends a lot on the moment, right?” he continued. “And I confess that I was really asking the universe for today to be this day, because we did some shows that were very good, others had those days where you think, 'Man, today I'm not having a good day'.”.
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