Solo and Duo Acts

[Notes_Norton]

Originally Posted by Potts

And what the heck are you talking about? I'm not sure if YOU get it my friend.

These are absolutley the key components to a good song:

• Good riff
• Good hook
• Tells a story
• Isn't slow and brooding
• Chicks dance to it

+1

Writing a song with all of the above seems simple when it's done, but it's deceptively simple. There is quite an art to it. I wish I could crank out a million like that.

Just because the song is simple, doesn't mean it's bad. Sure B.E.G. isn't nearly as complex as a Prokofiev ballet (chicks do dance to a Prokofiev ballet though and they have good hooks - called themes), and I wouldn't say it rises to nearly the same level of artistic merit, but that doesn't make it bad. Hamburgers aren't as good as Filet Mignon, but they are still good and I like them both.

Again, we listen with musician's ears, but most of us play for the non-trained so we have to accommodate their level of understanding. IMHO That shouldn't mean we are playing down to them, just having fun with them.

I've played music by Morrison and Moussorgsky, and quite a bit in-between, and enjoyed it all. You can cop an elitist attitude if you like, and if it suits you, that's just fine, but that doesn't make either your way or my way the definitive right answer. As long as our music has listeners, we must be doing something right.

On last night's gig we had a request for "Elvira" so we played it and packed the dance floor. They did some kind of line dance to it, and when the oom-pap-pa.... part came, they all sang at the top of their lungs. While Elvira will never be on my iPod, I must admit it was fun playing it.

Notes

[pogo97]

We did BEG for SNAGs last night. Really slow and wistful. Transformed it and people listened and liked.

[Shaster]

Originally Posted by tim_7string

I enjoy watching people dance, have fun and singing along, but if I'm playing songs I don't care for and I'm only playing them to get those results AND it doesn't work (they just sit there or leave the dance floor until it's done), that sucks. Because then it's a fail all around. I don't like it, they don't like it, so why is it being played? Sometimes that happens. Thankfully, not that often.

.

That is basically my point of view. For instance, when I'm playing in a party band, I have no shame whatsoever. My function is to provide a party atmosphere, so out comes B.E.G., Shout, Takin' Care Of Business, Red Red Wine and so on. But currently most of my solo venues don't want, and wouldn't much tolerate that kind of music - so I don't play those tunes unless requested.

Last night I started pandering to the audience, or at least I thought I was. I played Stand By Me, Route 66, some Bob Marley and so on. Nothing too much was happening. But then I played a slow blues, Affirmation (Benson), and OGD (Wes Montgomery) and got a much bigger response. So for that night anyway, most of the audience didn't want tired tried and true.

But as I said before, if people are screaming and dancing, or just have a particular song need, then I play what works - no need to educate anyone, especially when it all comes down to opinions, not fact. When it's their night out it's their party.

[Potts]

Originally Posted by Shaster

Last night I started pandering to the audience, or at least I thought I was. I played Stand By Me, Route 66, some Bob Marley and so on. Nothing too much was happening. But then I played a slow blues, Affirmation (Benson), and OGD (Wes Montgomery) and got a much bigger response. So for that night anyway, most of the audience didn't want tired tried and true.

Nice! That doesn't happen too much.

I have an audience at a venue that I play at the first Saturday of the month that is receptive to literally anything I play. It's awesome being able to drop tunes like Margarittaville, BEG, Feelin Alright and Blister, and replace them with stuff that may have more depth to it.

[Piano Whore]

Originally Posted by pogo97

We did BEG for SNAGs last night. Really slow and wistful. Transformed it and people listened and liked.

BEG slow and wistful? I've done it reggae or island ala Jimmy Buffet but never like that.

[Piano Whore]

Originally Posted by Shaster

But then I played a slow blues, Affirmation (Benson), and OGD (Wes Montgomery) and got a much bigger response.

"Affirmation" is great tune IMO- WAY mo better than Breezin' which is the low hanging fruit of smoov jazzz (also IMO). Got a clip of that one?

[Notes_Norton]

IMO, Playing to the audience you have in front of you is very important. If you have a jazz audience, play jazz, if you have a pop audience, play pop.

I used to be a regular at a Sunday Jazz Jam many years ago. If we played B.E.G. there it would have been totally inappropriate -- that is unless we made a jazz tune out of it. But that gig was a long time ago, only one day a week, and it really didn't pay that well

[Shaster]

Originally Posted by Piano Whore

"Affirmation" is great tune IMO- WAY mo better than Breezin' which is the low hanging fruit of smoov jazzz (also IMO). Got a clip of that one?

Affirmation, is a fine tune but I also do Breezin' because that's the one people know... which can translate into tips

I don't have a clip of Affirmation but I've got a short band clip of Dinorah Dinorah which is an Ivan Lines tune that Benson covered. It's actually a song about a prositute, which is maybe why Benson did it as an instrumental!

Excuse the poor cell phone audio quality... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkTM_07b3L4

[guido61]

Musicians hate BEG because they feel it's worn-out and it's a song that "every band" does. The public --- especially the young pretty girls -- still loves it.

Personally, I'm playing for the crowd because, ultimately, they are the ones both writing my paycheck and writing the reviews. And I'd much rather play BEG for a packed dance-floor than play, say, Deacon Blues (I song I personally LOVE) for crickets every time.

YMMV.

And, for what it's worth, I very rarely play BEG because we've found other songs we personally like better that fill the same spot in the set. But for any act that's doing it? I get it 100%.