A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I loaded up our Toyota Corolla with our 11-month-old, a 12-year-old diabetic pug, and approximately 98 percent of the things we own, and made the short trek down to Folly Beach, S.C., for a week of sun, fun and diapers.

If you’ve never been to Folly Beach, it’s about 15 minutes outside of Charleston, and is the type of small beach town, where you park your car when you arrive and you don’t get back in it until you leave. Everything

is that close. Folly Beach has an Asheville sort of vibe — artsy, hippy, but great all the way around.

Where else can you play such fun games like; guess what that guy’s neck tattoo says, watch 3-year olds kick their mom in the throat, and then my personal favorite – watch said 3-year old get its ass beat in public. Fun times!!

Anyway, while we were there I noticed there was live music literally everywhere; the pier, any restaurant in the area, the hotel, the hotel bar, the middle of the street – wherever. And as the week progressed, I begin to ask myself the all important question – “Is bad live music better than no live music?”

Now, before we go any further, let me be clear. I play no instrument. I am not musically inclined. I am knocking no one who has the guts and gumption to get up in front of others and take a chance. I always throw bread in whoever’s jar that’s playing – even those dudes that sit on a bench outside of Wal-Mart just strumming. So that being said, do not take this as a knock on anyone.

ANYWAY, through the course of the week I noticed a lot of the music wasn’t that good. Most people would even call it bad. But is bad live music worse than nothing? I personally feel there is nothing better than a cold beer in one hand, a greasy burger in the other, and live music in the air. I could sit and do nothing else for hours.

But for some, it appears that unless the music is good, they don’t want to hear it. They’d rather sit in silence, or have the restaurant/bar pump Jimmy Buffett over the surround sound than hear someone who isn’t that great play.

There are, however, ways around this — if you’re bad, that is. Here are four simple rules, that if followed, will make you a success regardless of how good or not-so-good your music skills are:

1. It’s gotta be free. If you charge people to hear you, they are MUCH more inclined to feel like they can comment, or in this case complain, about what you’re throwin’ down.

2. Take requests. Nothing is worse than someone who plays music no one wants to hear, and doesn’t do a good job at it. Take requests, doesn’t matter if you butcher them, people appreciate effort.

3. Be funny. If you can keep people entertained, joke around (and more importantly take a joke), you can survive. Anyone with a sense of humor and a variety of songs that they can play will be welcomed. If

not, that leads to...

4. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Yes, you may want to be the next Sting and be a mega-star. Just don’t expect people to get it when you break out one of your originals and its Saturday night, they’re drunk and want to hear "Free Bird." Go with the flow and slip one of your own in every now and then and see what the response is. People don’t care that you wrote this song about your grandma. They want 3 things: Another beer, to get some and to hear the extended version of Stairway – and they’re willing to pay for all three. Kidding!

So, the next time you’re out and about and hear some live music that’s not so great, just remember – it’s nothing another cold one won’t solve. Just like they always say: Drink ‘til she’s cute – same rule applies. Drink ‘til it sounds good, or ‘til the band takes your request.

So whatcha think? Bad live music or no live music. DJ or below average band? You tell me.