Every artist dreams of having a big concert at least once in their life. But it can be a double-edged sword: do your fans really love you enough for your concert to sell out?

Dreams come true step by step. I can’t remember when all my nervous energy turned into confidence. Now it’s like my duty to make people happy.

My dad is a real god to me. He’s created miracles for himself and for us many times. He was the one who got us to play music and to enter the national band competition in 2001 with a strong belief that we would win—and we did! That led us to sign with GMM and we released our first album, So Cool, in 2004.

When I was at my lowest point, dad said to my mom that no doubt I would one day be famous. How did he know that?

Artists have an expiry date. As I earned lots of money, I spent it like a rich person, buying expensive guitars and giving hand-outs to the jackals around me. But artists can’t always rely on a big payday.

So Cool were an ill-fated band. We tasted some fame but weren’t there yet. We decided to go in for a big operation, but we ended up like a coma patient. From doing straight-up pop, we tried to parody old-fashioned rock bands, but people didn’t get the message. We were left out in the cold.

I wanted to turn back time. I called my mom and cried to her on the phone that I wouldn’t accept being a loser who used to be famous and just sits at home. I wanted to delete my past and start again as an ordinary musician who plays at bars.

Dharma turned me around. A friend of mine suggested I read a dharma book. I practiced it like I was a monk. It rid me of all suffering.

Reading dharma books without truly understanding them can drive you nuts. I was like a dharma geek who couldn’t communicate with people. I saw others as sinners and would preach to them about doing good things. I finally got back on track, thanks to my desire for work.

Social media helped me get back in the game. Some people online finally got the idea behind So Cool and helped spread the message to a wider audience. They also gave me the nickname Bra Jao Joke (Joke the God).

Being a playboy is agonizing. I dumped my ex-girlfriend just because I felt I could do better than her. I ended up stuck in the same loop of dating and breaking up for four years. I was afraid it would never end.

Never date someone out of sympathy. It’s bad for both sides. Don’t tell someone you love them if it’s not from your heart.

My marriage is all wrong, except for the love. My wife married a man who gave her his undivided attention. We wed when my music career was at a low point and we planned to do a business together. But when So Cool bounced back and I received lots of job offers, I didn’t have time for her or my babies.

I was a coward. I was too courteous to everyone, except to my wife. We would have big fights and I would put my ego first by saying she was destroying my dream and I had to find money to feed our family.

I nearly quit music after my wife had a breakdown. When I came home one day, she sat before me with unresponsive, blank eyes. She was in hell because of me.

Everyone is important. It’s easy to take sides—but I can’t. My band has fought hard to be where we are while my family is my life. I’ve promised myself that I will die holding onto both things.

Finding a balance is the most important thing. I’ve finally done it. As a married man, I’ve decreased my hectic schedule and all’s going well now.

It’s not easy. If I’m not appeasing both, my wife will hate my job and my friends will hate my wife.

Taxis and office maids are like my pastors to whom I confess all my problems. When I get in a cab, I start telling them my story. It’s a type of relief.

Having children unleashes a parent’s real character. I understand why people get divorced because they don’t love each other enough. You must be so strong to get through it.

I’m so blessed by my fans. It’s incredible to have people love you without knowing you personally. They love me, my wife, my children—they even bring stuff for my kids at school. How wonderful is that?

Artists must find a backup plan. I always tell my bandmates to find other sources of income, then we will be able to keep performing full of happiness like Carabao.

Those who you love and love you are the most precious things in your life.