Members Shaster Posted February 24, 2016 Members Share Posted February 24, 2016 Yep - and you haven't lived until you've followed a meat draw. Boxes of blood stained meat all over the stage, and a whack of tables with people beer, and their raw meat. That's when you figure out you better not lead with the classical music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted February 25, 2016 Author Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 Shameless bump . . . . OK. So you've played a verse of Happy Birthday. Now what? 1) You could play another verse with silly lyrics. 2) The Beatles Birthday song has already been suggested. 3) I'm thinking about "When I'm 64". 4) . . . . ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 25, 2016 Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 I have to wrap my head around the idea that suddenly management wants me to be the focus of attention, rather than background. I'm assuming management has thought this through . . . . I'm a bit late to this thread, so excuse if this point has already been addressed but... I don't think in this situation that they want you to be the focus of attention. I think they just want you to help out and play along with the song to give the presentation some extra "oomph". The focus of attention is the birthday boy/girl. I would have just said "OK everybody....looks like we have a birthday over here!...and started the song at the appropriate time. I wouldn't necessarily have turned up the volume (that's a judgement call depending on the room, etc) and if nobody really paid attention the announcement...so be that as well. But hopefully they will. And no, don't ever assume management has thought anything through. They are likely just making stuff up as they go along and they know nothing about what musicians do 99% of the time anyway. Also you said this lady recently bought the venue, so no...there are probably a LOT of things she hasn't thought through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted February 25, 2016 Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 Shameless bump . . . . OK. So you've played a verse of Happy Birthday. Now what? 1) You could play another verse with silly lyrics. 2) The Beatles Birthday song has already been suggested. 3) I'm thinking about "When I'm 64". 4) . . . . ? IMO almost every situation is different. Do you do a second verse of "how old are you now", do you do the Beatles song... at the original venue described, I would have just done the song and then back to regular programming. However, if the folks are still there when I take my break, then I will usually go over to the table and congratulate them once again. Even then it's a judgement call, some people don't want to be disturbed, or have a lowly musician do anything but sing their song and then disappear back into their cage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted February 25, 2016 Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 I've found that sometimes, managers are the least knowledgeable staff in the venue. Owners often know less than managers. A story: Played a venue first time in, went up to the owner on the first break, said how happy I was to be playing there, and to let me know if we were too loud or anything. He just nodded and walked away. Comes up to me on the second break, just furious, and says he's the owner and no one makes fun of him! I say what, huh. Then he says "how am I supposed to know if it's too loud or not - you were obviously making fun of my lack of musical ability". This went on for about ten minutes until the coke wore off, I mean until I calmed him down. He wasn't deaf or hearing impaired or anything - that I could understand. The guy was just so clueless he didn't know if the music was too loud or not - obviously the wrong business for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted February 25, 2016 Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 Yes. It's management's call. I've done the wrong thing more than once because management wanted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 26, 2016 Moderators Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah, if they are 'regulars', and you have seen them in the room before, then stopping by their table is acceptable. Otherwise it seems a bit cloying. Again, in the situation that senorblues was in, I would not have been singing the song when they brought in the cake, just playing the music, and I would keep playing it until the candles go out. Period. ***memo to self: review fingerpicked version of 'HBTY'*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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