I prefer having folks dance rather than just sitting and listening. Am I wrong?

[Mutha Goose]

That's the funniest thing about playing in front of a lot of musicians... you can see them judging more than enjoying. It is so difficult to put on your best show without that feedback... But then again, I get some of the nicest compliments from them after the show.

In the end, there's a lot of ways to judge a good night: by the crowd's enjoyment (dancing or other)... the club staff telling us they can't wait to have us back... the amount of FaceBook friend requests we get the next day... or sometimes just by my own enjoyment of the night.

But to me, the biggest thrill comes at the next show... when someone I've never met before comes up to me at a break and tells me he saw us at the last show and had to come back and see us again. Now THAT is a compliment!

[tlbonehead]

why would either one be wrong?

[summit111]

My Brothers,

 

If we can't get em dancing, we're not doing our job. Folks know what we play, and they come out to dance. Tried some listening music, and we couldn't sell a gig. Got some friends who are good musicians, but don't play any danceable music. They sit home on weekends.

[tlbonehead]

My Brothers, If we can't get em dancing, we're not doing our job. Folks know what we play, and they come out to dance. Tried some listening music, and we couldn't sell a gig. Got some friends who are good musicians, but don't play any danceable music. They sit home on weekends.

I bet there is more to it than that.

[New Trail]

 

I bet there is more to it than that.

 

 

Other factors can certainly play a part, but if you live in an area when bargoers like to dance, there's a BIG difference in success level when a band commits to playing dance music versus just playing stuff they like, regardless of the talent level of the band. An especially big element is the drummer. If a good drummer commits to being a good 'dance' drummer, the world is your oyster for a dance band. A poor 'dance' drummer can kill an otherwise good dance band. Example: if your drummer loves Neal Peart and Mike Portnoy it doesn't matter if you play MustangBrown3Steps or WHAT you play as a dance band, it WON'T work! A lesser drummer who's willing to play good dance beats will make you a more successful band.

[BlueStrat]

Other factors can certainly play a part, but if you live in an area when bargoers like to dance,

I've been doing this for over 40 years and I've never seen an "area when bargoers like to dance". In my experience, it's varied from club to club, crowd to crowd, and night to night. Admittedly, I haven't been everywhere, but I have played 5 states and 3 Canadian provinces 6 nights a week for a few years. And what I witnessed is that the same setlist will get different responses and reactions from one night to another, one club to another. Some nights the dance floor would be packed, some nights they would sit and listen and clap wildly, some nights they would ignore us altogether. If no one danced hardly ever, I'd take a look at what I was doing. If it varies from night to night, but crowd response is still good, I'm not changing anything. YMMV.

[BATCAT]

I've been doing this for over 40 years and I've never seen an "area when bargoers like to dance". In my experience, it's varied from club to club, crowd to crowd, and night to night..

 

 

 

For whatever it''s worth, in my experience (not really doing "dance floor" music, admittedly) folks in big cities are less prone to spontaneous dancing at a show, while smaller town denizens are much more ready to do so.

[BlueStrat]

 

For whatever it''s worth, in my experience (not really doing "dance floor" music, admittedly) folks in big cities are less prone to spontaneous dancing at a show, while smaller town denizens are much more ready to do so.

 

 

True...yet one of the most packed dance floors I had was in Portland, and some of the biggest listening audiences were in places like Missoula, Kalispell, Cashmere, WA and so on. You just never know. It also depends on the genre, I suspect. Indie rock bands will have fewer dancers than an 80s cover bad, I'd wager.

[jimiv]

I don't know if it is so much about "area" as it is about gender. In my experience, the more females in the bar, the more likely that dancing will break out. Assuming the baseline is that the band is good.

[TIMKEYS]

True...yet one of the most packed dance floors I had was in Portland, and some of the biggest listening audiences were in places like Missoula, Kalispell, Cashmere, WA and so on. You just never know. It also depends on the genre, I suspect. Indie rock bands will have fewer dancers than an 80s cover bad, I'd wager.

 

 

I think it just depends on the bar and the crowd. We are basically a variety band that works the dinner show deal in a tourist bar. If we have dancers we play stuff they can dance too. If we have people that want to sit and drink and be entertained we do that stuff. Some gigs like weddings are transitional shows where you get them through the sit down dinner ,, and then move to dance stuff. If you have a full blown dance club ,, its obvious that dance music is what you need to be playing. If you went full dance set on our typical in for dinner and drinks crowd ,, odds are you would empty the bar. Like pat says ,, you pretty well have to entertain the crowd that you have ,, thats why you are there. Play what works for them. Many bands are not as flexable as we are, but thats ok because they just target a crowd that responds to what they do. Its all good

[wardjames]

I don't know if it is so much about "area" as it is about gender. In my experience, the more females in the bar, the more likely that dancing will break out. Assuming the baseline is that the band is good.

 

 

You're rarely going to see the dancefloor packed with dudes...unless....

[mineame]

With today's self absorbed society, I have come to the point that I can give a {censored} less if people are dancing or clapping. I just care that the dude paying me at the end of the night says something to the effect of "Good job, we had a good night. When can you come back?"

[vanlatte]

You're rarely going to see the dancefloor packed with dudes...unless....

 

Unless it's more of a mosh pit, and then it's more accurate to say "You're rarely going to see the pit packed with chicks"

 

[wardjames]

Unless it's more of a mosh pit, and then it's more accurate to say "You're rarely going to see the pit packed with chicks"

True!

[wardjames]

With today's self absorbed society, I have come to the point that I can give a {censored} less if people are dancing or clapping. I just care that the dude paying me at the end of the night says something to the effect of "Good job, we had a good night. When can you come back?"

 

 

Yeah, but how often is the person paying you going to hire you back without dancing or clapping. I think Grant's use of the term "engaged" is kind of the right approach here. Some places are dancing crowds, some places are clapping crowds, but every place you play is going to judge success on the level of engagement with the audience. That guy who's paying you is looking at how engaged the audience was, and it's relation to the til.

 

Every time an owner's told me they had a great night at the til, it's been on a night where we were able to really engage the audience, whether that meant dancing, clapping, or both.

[mineame]

 

Yeah, but how often is the person paying you going to hire you back without dancing or clapping. I think Grant's use of the term "engaged" is kind of the right approach here. Some places are dancing crowds, some places are clapping crowds, but every place you play is going to judge success on the level of engagement with the audience. That guy who's paying you is looking at how engaged the audience was, and it's relation to the til. Every time an owner's told me they had a great night at the til, it's been on a night where we were able to really engage the audience, whether that meant dancing, clapping, or both.

 

 

The thing is, while your up playing, you can't really know. So you can't let the lack of dancing and/or clapping bother you. Just keep playing, and giving it your best.

[jimiv]

Yeah, but how often is the person paying you going to hire you back without dancing or clapping. I think Grant's use of the term "engaged" is kind of the right approach here. Some places are dancing crowds, some places are clapping crowds, but every place you play is going to judge success on the level of engagement with the audience. That guy who's paying you is looking at how engaged the audience was, and it's relation to the til. Every time an owner's told me they had a great night at the til, it's been on a night where we were able to really engage the audience, whether that meant dancing, clapping, or both.

 

 

That is generally a true statement, however the bottom line is always what the numbers were at the register regardless of applause, dancing, etc. On the two occasions with the cover bands I have been in over the past 5 years that have not been re-booked, it was exactly that reason. The numbers were not met for that particular night and we were not booked back and we were told up front the reason why (which I appreciated....I hate the silent treatment, just tell me the truth, I can handle it man. Hahaha). Both of those nights people were dancing and clapping as I recall. Apparently, the cash register was not clapping and dancing with them though.

[BlueStrat]

 

That is generally a true statement, however the bottom line is always what the numbers were at the register regardless of applause, dancing, etc. On the two occasions with the cover bands I have been in over the past 5 years that have not been re-booked, it was exactly that reason. The numbers were not met for that particular night and we were not booked back and we were told up front the reason why (which I appreciated....I hate the silent treatment, just tell me the truth, I can handle it man. Hahaha). Both of those nights people were dancing and clapping as I recall. Apparently, the cash register was not clapping and dancing with them though.

 

 

Yep. I've had great response from crowds on the west side of Washington who responded well but they were a smoke-pot-and-drink-outside-and -drink-water-and -orange-juice-inside -the-club crowd. Fortunately, they're rare.

[TIMKEYS]

Yeah, but how often is the person paying you going to hire you back without dancing or clapping. I think Grant's use of the term "engaged" is kind of the right approach here. Some places are dancing crowds, some places are clapping crowds, but every place you play is going to judge success on the level of engagement with the audience. That guy who's paying you is looking at how engaged the audience was, and it's relation to the til. Every time an owner's told me they had a great night at the til, it's been on a night where we were able to really engage the audience, whether that meant dancing, clapping, or both.

 

 

Not exactly ,, they judge on the ring at the end of the night and the profit margins on product sold. They could give a {censored} if they clap, or dance. Its about the place making money. That said , you do have to be the kind of act that will keep them spending.

[Vito Corleone]

There a lot of beat-to-death topics here, but this one might be the worst.

Look, for dance bands, getting people up dancing is the key to a good night and the key to how well you're going over with the audience. If you're not a dance band? Then obviously there's a different criteria.

Personally, I like audiences that dance because it makes the gig fun and energetic and a "success" for me. So I play in a dance band for that reason. If something else made the gig fun and energetic or otherwise a "success" for me, I'd be in a different type of band.

If you play live, figure out what sort of audience response you want and then build your band accordingly. Otherwise, you'll likely be disappointed.

[Lee Knight]

I've done 4 1/2 hours of dance music where the measure of success was "Are they dancing?". I've done an hour of original music that isn't particularly dancable but the crowd was absolutely into the music. Sometimes knowing the music from our albums, or just getting acquainted with us. The original gigs sometimes got people up dancing anyway, and sometimes you "only" had the rapt attention as they sat and drank. Then they'd bust out in enthusiastic applause at the end of the tune.

I will say, trusting your music and being in the NOW with it, that's what's required when they aren't dancing. You have to know, you have to create at that moment, the connection between player and listener. Every second is an opportunity to make music worthy of attention. Mindless energy can work for dancing at times but not so much for a listening experience.

We all know that feeling of "They're not dancing, we're bombing here". But it doesn't have to be that. You can shift your paradigm at that very second to making a connection across the room to a particular listener. Or turn somebody not paying attention into a listener. Dancing isn't the only measure.

[BlueStrat]

 

There a lot of beat-to-death topics here, but this one might be the worst.

 

 

I'm sure the "play for free vs getting paid" topic has it beat by miles. And backing tracks vs no tracks. And music stands. And drinking while you play. And....

[tucktronix]

 

I'm sure the "play for free vs getting paid" topic has it beat by miles. And backing tracks vs no tracks. And music stands. And drinking while you play. And....

 

 

Let's not forget "covers vs originals".

[tucktronix]

I'm sure the "play for free vs getting paid" topic has it beat by miles. And backing tracks vs no tracks. And music stands. And drinking while you play. And....

 

 

Let's not forget "covers vs originals".

[Lee Knight]

Mac vs PC?