The bard I'm "playing" in another game with Len and Jabes is more cleric than bard, so I don't know how much help I could be. Besides, I put playing in quotes because that game has gone almost nowhere in over a year. The DM seems to forget about it for weeks at a time and then will chime in with a post like "The night fades away and nothing bothers your slumber and you are fully rested." I applaud Len and Jabes (and the one other player still in it) for attempting to advance their characters, but I have a great deal of difficulty putting forth an effort.
Other than that game, the last time I played a bard was back in the AD&D days, and that bard was
vastly different than the one today. You could say that Kit is a bard in all but name. This doesn't apply to all bards, but I would say a traditional bard is someone who is flamboyant and probably a show-off. Loves poetry and music. Think of yourself more as support and a morale booster than a frontline combatant. Bards are typically charming and perhaps a little too desirous of adulation. I think, Starrbeardo, that you seem to have a knack for falling into a leadership role. This works well with a bard in towns and social situations, not so much in dungeon crawls. But a bard who can step back and assess the situation and be able to direct and boost your comrades in battle can be very valuable.
Now if you're talking more non-traditional, you could use the bard mechanics and reflavor everything else. I would recommend checking with your DM first, though. I don't know that I've had a DM on GamersPlane who would object, but you never know when you might be dealing with a traditionalist. If you're following a non-traditional path, you could have a half-orc who beats on a drum and spouts horrid spoken-word. You could have a bard who doesn't play an instrument at all, but is basically a stand-up comedian (what is Vicious Mockery but a magical way to deal with hecklers?). Use the human variant and take Magic Initiate as your feat. Your spell focus looks suspiciously like a microphone and the cleric cantrip Thaumaturgy gives you the ability to amplify your voice up to three times as loud as normal.
But one thing you'll want to do for a talky character like this is prepare in advance. I played an eldritch knight with the soul of a poet. He didn't spout poetry, but he would wax eloquent about his past and his love of life. I could drop speeches in at the drop of a hat because I used google to find some things I liked that I could quickly alter to fit the situation. I did the same with a wizard I played in a game with Jabes. He had 19 intelligence and 4 wisdom. Every once in a while, something would spark his intellect and he would spout off scientific concepts he shouldn't know, like he was channeling a different entity. I didn't know the science other than what I had looked up and had ready in advance. I had fun with that wizard (especially when I had him spout off an altered version of Shakespeare's St. Crispin's Day speech right before a duel), but unfortunately the DM kind of faded away on that one right in the middle of a combat.
Anyway, I think it boils down to this: you can be any kind of bard you want. They're very versatile. The way I've seen you play here, I would recommend a bard who will lead in the RP segments of the game and who will step back to provide support during combat. Someone who bolsters morale and provides words of wisdom. Don't be afraid to crib poetry and speeches you find on the internet (changing it to suit your situation). And Youtube can provide a plethora of links to music, like this
ribald little ditty my cleric/bard used to entertain and heal the PCs during a short rest.
