Members light_without_heat Posted June 25, 2006 Members Share Posted June 25, 2006 I work at a place where I happen to see alot of live music. This is good because I get to observe other people and see what kind of ideas work with the crowd. I noticed that I am real loose with a crowd but I'm not good at holding a conversation with the crowd. This one group has a lot of chit chat in between songs and their particular audience (christians, conservatives) love it. The jokes are not hilarious at all ... they are all mostly inside things between the performer and a few members of the audience. He will even from time to time stop and read a text message that he just got on stage. Me personally? I just announce the song, maybe give a bit of background and then when i'm in the song that's when I'm expressing myself fully. I feel like I can talk to everyone individually more effectively AFTER or maybe BEFORE the show. thoughts opinions? -light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members becomingfinal Posted June 25, 2006 Members Share Posted June 25, 2006 do what you feel is natural. dont try to force being funny. if you are comfortable being that way when then by all means people like to laugh it loosens them up. otherwise just play the damn songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted June 25, 2006 Members Share Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by becomingfinal do what you feel is natural. dont try to force being funny. if you are comfotable being that when then by all means people like to laugh it loosens them up. otherwise just play the damn songs! Thread over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by light_without_heat This one group has a lot of chit chat in between songs and their particular audience (christians, conservatives) love it. If the audience loves it, then why is this a problem? Simply because you think it's dumb? personally, I pretty much with few exceptions detest bands that just stand there and play and don't talk to the audience. If I just want to hear someone play, I can stay home and listen to my CD player, which almost always plays what I want it to and sounds 10 times better. I want bands who will draw me into what they're doing and what they're about. I want them to sell me on them. I like bands who can fire off thre or four tunes, and then tell an amusing story about one of their songs that reveals something about the band or the writer. Lots of guys I like are great at this: Lyle Lovett, John Prine, John Hyatt, Billy Gibbons, BB King, Buddy Guy...that's part of the reason they are succesful: people relate to them as people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cooterbrown Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Let the person in the band who has the best gift for audience rapport be the one who introduces songs, and brings the hotties and birthday people to the stage (we buy b-day people a shot of Cuervo, which they have to do with the band).In our case, it's our drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members light_without_heat Posted June 26, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Good points here. I guess mainly I'm still working on that balance that you mentioned BlueStrat. I do have a lot to tell behind our songs...but then there's times when I feel like I should just keep the music going. But you're right. Every time I go to a show and they talk alot or at least let me know they are a human up there it really helps me connect with them, even though the audience doesn't talk back all the time. I guess I don't mind talking to myself either. I'm a clever person, but when I get on stage my mind drops the humor and goes into performance mode. I need to learn how to carry my personality onto the stage with me... thanks people -light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Janx Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by light_without_heat Good points here. I guess mainly I'm still working on that balance that you mentioned BlueStrat. I do have a lot to tell behind our songs...but then there's times when I feel like I should just keep the music going. But you're right. Every time I go to a show and they talk alot or at least let me know they are a human up there it really helps me connect with them, even though the audience doesn't talk back all the time. I guess I don't mind talking to myself either. I'm a clever person, but when I get on stage my mind drops the humor and goes into performance mode. I need to learn how to carry my personality onto the stage with me...thanks people-light I don't like dead space. As a performer, or public speaker even, if you're talking, you're communicating... If the band is quiet for a minute or so while they muck with switching guitars or some technical thing, the crowd wonders what's going on. Whereas, if somebody's talking to the crowd WHILE the rest of the band deal with the issue, then folks stay tuned. While you certainly don't want to babble for five minutes when the band is ready to play, it helps to talk about something while non-music is going on. And giving a little background on your songs can be a way to build a rapport with the audience, or inject a little humor. Like, "this next song is about the time I caught my girlfriend and her __INSERT_NOUN_HERE_" in a compromising position..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John S. Shinal Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 There are a few folks who can really rap briefly to the crowd. Generally they can get it all out in 15-30 seconds, and deliver the punchline as the intro chords to the song start. Eddie Spaghetti of the Supersuckers is good at this. "This is a song about us being bored on the road...and we have to do something for fun beside killing drifters..." "Here, dude. Hold my beer while I rock." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beachbum Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 I think if it's a dance crowd you don't want to keep them standing/waiting on the floor for the next song while you talk. But if it's a dinner crowd, coffeehouse, or casual atmosphere they might want to hear some stories and/or 'stage patter'. Does it all depend on the particular crowd & venue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HuskerDude Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 If you aren't funny, don't try to be. There's nothing that says "let hit the bar for a while" than somebody butchering a bunch of jokes onstage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cooterbrown Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by HuskerDude If you aren't funny, don't try to be. There's nothing that says "let hit the bar for a while" than somebody butchering a bunch of jokes onstage. Yeah...the rare occasions when I am able to go out and listen to other bands, I quickly tune out when the singer/frontman starts running his mouth. Joe Perry said it best. That's the philosophy my bands subscribe to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members salislore Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 I think there is a fine line between too much chatter and too many songs played in a row. Fortunately for my band, my lead singer's best quality is the rapore he develops with the crowd. He makes up for whatever vocal shortcomings he may have with great stage presence. I personally think your ability to sing makes up about 65% and stage presence is around 35%. I have seen very good singers who completely bore me by either singing to the floor or the ceiling all night. I know it's not naturally in everyone's character to be able to work an audience. It can be worse to force it than to not do it at all. Some people just have to work at and practice in a mirror or in front of friends first to get comfortable with it. B.S. - I too like it when bands fire off 3 or 4 tunes and then do a little bantering. That's pretty much how my band does it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Narcosynthesis Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Do what you feel comfortable with. Some bands get up on stage and just play, putting their all into the music and not bothering with inane chat between songs. Some joke about and chat a bit, keeps the audience amused and makes them more 'human' I guess.A lot depends on genres and so on, for a folky band with storys behind all the songs it makes sense to give a little intro and explain the songs, for an upbeat happy band it makes sense to make some dumb jokes, for more serious atmospheric stuff it can work best just to play and let the music do the talking, some bands will tell you storys from earlier dates on the tour or whatever. Overall though, do whatever you are comfortable with, theres nothing worse than someone on stage trying to chat when its obvious they just want to play and do their thing For unexpected breaks and problems though, it can be useful to have some preplanned filler, a story or joke planned out in advance to cover the break can be a lifesaver, nothing important, just somethign semi interesting you can remember if it goes wrong, especially if you are not a naturally chatty person. One cool thing one band I know do was to have a couple of little pieces with only sections of the band, so if the guitarist breaks a string, the bassist and drummer can launch into something based on those two instruments to fill the space, be it a silly ditty or more serious song David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted June 27, 2006 Members Share Posted June 27, 2006 Originally posted by HuskerDude If you aren't funny, don't try to be. There's nothing that says "let hit the bar for a while" than somebody butchering a bunch of jokes onstage. well, yes. There' s a big difference between a bar band and a band doing a concert/festival. My experience is that concert bands that don't communicate with the audience lose them pretty quickly, no matter how well they play. On Delbert McClinton's Blues Cruise, Monte Montgomery was playing, and absolutely smoked, but onlyhad about 60 people because he pretty much ignored the crowd. Everybody was down in the other room listening to Marcia Ball, a fairly average singer and piano player but a great story teller and who develops an intimate rapport with the crowd. Most people who go to see bands aren't musicians, aren't dazzled by sweep arpeggios or 4 octave vocals. A lot of them, don't even know why they don't like a band. They just want to be entertained. Bar bands that dick around between songs and tell bad jokes is excruciating, but that's where bands need to work this stuff out so that when they get to the main stage, they aren't dull automatons running through their set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rich4Once Posted June 27, 2006 Members Share Posted June 27, 2006 I prefer to just play, and start the next song as soon as the last one ends. I hate "dead air", and most band patter is terrible. There's always breaks during guitar changes, etc. and somebody has to say something. Usually it's "how ya doin'?", "it's hot in here, has everyone got a cold drink?", and such. Once, right before "Dirty White Boy" I went to the mic and said "how about some Foreigner?" and the drummer goes "Four in her? I can barely get two in her!" and we started the song. Like I said, I'd prefer to just play. PS Light without Heat...I like your sig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Originally posted by Rich4Once I prefer to just play, and start the next song as soon as the last one ends. I hate "dead air", and most band patter is terrible. There's always breaks during guitar changes, etc. and somebody has to say something. Usually it's "how ya doin'?", "it's hot in here, has everyone got a cold drink?", and such. Once, right before "Dirty White Boy" I went to the mic and said "how about some Foreigner?" and the drummer goes "Four in her? I can barely get two in her!" and we started the song. Like I said, I'd prefer to just play. PS Light without Heat...I like your sig! And if you make it to the big stage, do you think your stage rap is going to automatically get better by itself? It's something that has to be worked on, just like song arrangements or setlists, and is part of becoming a whole entertainer. Not necessarily telling canned jokes or bumper sticker slogans, but just being comfortable relating to a crowd on a level other than "okay, that was _. Our next song is_____" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rich4Once Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Originally posted by BlueStrat And if you make it to the big stage, do you think your stage rap is going to automatically get better by itself? It's something that has to be worked on, just like song arrangements or setlists, and is part of becoming a whole entertainer. Not necessarily telling canned jokes or bumper sticker slogans, but just being comfortable relating to a crowd on a level other than "okay, that was _. Our next song is_____" Since we're all old married guys playing covers in dives, "making it to the big stage" isn't really in the cards. I agree that it can be useful, and when I saw Paul McCartney he was great at telling Beatle stories. The audience stood in rapt attention, but it WAS Sir Paul, and he was telling BEATLE stories. If we tried telling stories about the covers we play, the audience would probably go "shut up and play already!" so we just remind everyone to tip the staff, etc. We are comfortable onstage, just not real chatty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted June 28, 2006 Moderators Share Posted June 28, 2006 One of the things you learn after gigging for a while (thirty years... ) is how to 'read' the audience, and figure out if they are with you, undecided, bored or leaving...and this will help you figure out at which level you need to communicate with them. Spontaneity really works the best. But that also means that beyond playing and relating to the rest of the band, you have to dedicate some of your attention to what is happening with the crowd. It is part of showmanship and being an 'entertainer', which is much more than just a musician. What sets great acts apart from the rest is usually not their technical prowess on their instrument, but how entertaining they are. Its a 'show', not a 'recital'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ibobunot Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Half the fun of a Richard Thompson concert is the in between song patter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 The most amazing storyteller I ever saw was Leo Kottke. He told this story about getting rid of a matress that was hilarious. And then he played the guitar. Great show..... ________________________ As for me, I don't talk too much in between songs. Most of the places I play are pretty loud and rowdy and the patter just doesn't seem to go over that well. It's something I'm constantly working on though , to the point of practicing in the mirror. I also practice how my face looks when I sing. It's amazing the stupid faces you can make if you let yourself...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members light_without_heat Posted June 28, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Haha this is good stuff. Basically I think that regarding something as "best" stage banter means that is is Ideal. As a crowd member this means you didn't think it was fake/planned... you just feel like they are real. Refering back to the original post I really didn't feel like he was real. And his crowd was all family and friends anyways. People outside of that ring were not feeling his routine. Many commented that he talked WAY too much. And it got worse when his buddy hopped up on stage. I mean yeah it's just chatting it's not the end of the world. But A GREAT PERFORMER will have you captivated the whole time. And that can and does include great stories/smooth lead ins to songs. I really like it when they just start playing a lick and talk during the beginning of the song -light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fulham Fallout Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Each to his own, but I prefer to keep stage chat to a bare minimum. We prefer to blast straight into the next song. I REALLY dislike 'this song's about...' type of intros. Just let the audience hear the song - it should stand up on its own without needing an explanation of what it's 'about'. If it's important that the audience 'get' the content, then write it well enough so that the narrative speaks for itself. I'm playing all original postpunk/garage/art-punk and really inbetween song chat is superfluous. It's all about energy and intensity. But if you're playing in say, a covers band at a bar-type of venue, maybe the punters want a bit of chat, I wouldn't know. As long as you entertain, maybe that's all that matters. I am also wondering if there is a difference between American and Brit crowds in this respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sunn Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Originally posted by BlueStrat personally, I pretty much with few exceptions detest bands that just stand there and play and don't talk to the audience. If I just want to hear someone play, I can stay home and listen to my CD player, which almost always plays what I want it to and sounds 10 times better. What this guy said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HuskerDude Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Originally posted by BlueStrat well, yes. There' s a big difference between a bar band and a band doing a concert/festival. My experience is that concert bands that don't communicate with the audience lose them pretty quickly, no matter how well they play. On Delbert McClinton's Blues Cruise, Monte Montgomery was playing, and absolutely smoked, but onlyhad about 60 people because he pretty much ignored the crowd. Everybody was down in the other room listening to Marcia Ball, a fairly average singer and piano player but a great story teller and who develops an intimate rapport with the crowd. Most people who go to see bands aren't musicians, aren't dazzled by sweep arpeggios or 4 octave vocals. A lot of them, don't even know why they don't like a band. They just want to be entertained. Bar bands that dick around between songs and tell bad jokes is excruciating, but that's where bands need to work this stuff out so that when they get to the main stage, they aren't dull automatons running through their set. I'm not saying "don't talk". I'm just saying don't try to be funny if you aren't. Don't take your freinds and family's word for it. And for the love of God, don't think that because you "crack up the guys at the office" that you are. Interaction is certainly important, if people like you, they're more likely to stick around, even if you aren't the greatest band on earth. But having the whole crowd cringe every time you open your mouth between songs isn't gonna get you invited back, either. If you aren't funny, be pleasant, be grateful, and please, be brief. PS: Don't plan your stage banter unless you're a brilliant actor as well as a fine musician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fulham Fallout Posted June 28, 2006 Members Share Posted June 28, 2006 Originally posted by Sunn What this guy said. So you see no distinction between live music and music from a CD....other than the former has stage banter? Wierd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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