Members e-b-e Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 Okay, so it's nice to get compliments... but what do you do when ya are told by someone in the audience that "You Suck"?? Got back from our show a few hours ago....we're a cover band playing mostly classic/modern rock/standards and often get compliments on our sound/playing. But this one lady, who we had dancing basically the entire time she was there made it a point to tell us that she didn't like us and that we suck. When she said this I just said "Thank You" and we went into our next tune, as I couldn't come up with anything wittier. She even went out of her way, at one point writing a "request" on a piece of paper and putting it on top of our speakers. It read "Play something Good". I know you can't please everyone all the time and that people have different tastes in music, but this is really the first time we've ever had anyone be so blunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brassic Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 People who are that blunt are just looking for a rise (and probably {censored}faced drunk) so I think you handled it in the best way possible. It always makes one feel like Da Man if you whip out a really snappy comeback, but unless you come up with something that will make the crowd laugh uproariously, you just wind up looking as foolish as the heckler, and they probably won't shut up anyway. I think this applies to most situations, not just gigging. I remember watching this band once that had an amazing frontman/guitarist. A very very drunk guy in the audience stood right beneath him a shouted insults at him at top volume, stream-of-conciousness style nonstop. The band just laughed at him in between songs. Security finally hauled the guy away after about 15minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members THB Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 You gotta get rid of those types as quickly as possible. I probably would have dedicated The Asshole Song to him/her, and if that didn't work I have a song called Shut The {censored} Up that usually gets people laughing at them and they leave. I don't have a lot of patience for hecklers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roabre999 Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 Just say "I don't go to where you work and knock the hamburgers off the grill" or "I don't go to where you work and knock the dicks out of your mouth" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members e-b-e Posted October 23, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 Gonna suggest learning "The Asshole Song" at our next practice, good idea! I thought we handled it well by just shrugging it off but wanted to see if anyone had any alternate ideas to deal with this type of thing. I chalk it up to that she just didn't care for the songs, maybe I reminded her of some guy who dumped her in high school, who knows. I know we played well tonight and we got our share of compliments tonight (including thumbs up another area band that watched us for 2 sets and also a former bandmate of mine). Got paid well too ! Thanks for the advice and suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tedster Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 Originally posted by robare99 "I don't go to where you work and knock the dicks out of your mouth" I like that one. HAHAHA... Or say, "We might suck, but do you swallow?" Or, perhaps, say very politely... "Where you work that might be a compliment, but to us, it's an insult" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpacedCowboy Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 If there was a cover charge, that makes her even more of a dumb ass, because in essence, she paid to stand there and rag on you guys. Whether you guys sucked or not, (which I doubt, since after viewing your other posts, the rest of the room and the management was happy) her money went in your pocket anyway, in a sense. So the last laugh is yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheesey Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 if she was dancing i dont get it , if ya dont like a band go the hell home. a few weeks ago this table sat there for 3 sets and this guy starts waving his hand and saying you suck , suck suck. then we were doing smoke on the water and everyone is digging it and this guy gets up and walks by us giving us the thumbs down . i just stuck my middle finger upward and said {censored} you!he came back in got his drunk or retarded friends ? and left . i hate {censored} like that . i give credit to anybody to be out keeping the live scene happening , dj's and karaoke suck suck suck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapjaw Posted October 23, 2005 Members Share Posted October 23, 2005 I would have given her my beater guitar and said, you show me how to play and I'll show you how to dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Greg Bogoshian Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 How 'bout, "Yeah... I remember when I had MY first beer..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Headbanger Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Originally posted by slapjaw I would have given her my beater guitar and said, you show me how to play and I'll show you how to dance. Danger ! Drunken idiots can turn out to be guitar heroes and kick your ass on that guitar ! I never react to anyone trying to piss me off in the audience. If someone starts spilling beer on the stage or stuff like that I am very happy to have the roadies or the security to fix that problem. Someone telling me that I play {censored} is ok to me. I know what he thinks then, don't even need to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastplant Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 We used to have a banner that had our logo on it (a clown) and at one show this girl was asking us to please take it down because clowns scared her. We told her it was an advertisement for us and not to look at it if it bothered her. Well, that was not the answer she wanted and she started freaking out and screaming that we sucked and so on. Well, about 30 minutes later she was dancing and asked if she could come on stage and dance with us. Just because someone say you suck doesn't mean you do. Usually these are just really drunk people who don't even know what they're listening to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zookie Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Originally posted by fastplant Just because someone say you suck doesn't mean you do. Usually these are just really drunk people who don't even know what they're listening to. Spot on. Believe it or not, there are people who go to bars and other evening establishments for the sole purpose of being the biggest nuisance they can be. They'll insult the staff, start fights, make improper passes at the opposite sex. And, as a band, you're the center of everyone's attention. Unless you really honestly do suck (in which case you likely wouldn't be gigging), you're merely the magnet to every drunk who's fed up with work, sex or family and wants to get in someone's, anyone's face that evening. Isn't this a great job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members worthyjoe Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 I really really really really hate people. It's that simple. On our gig on Saturday some couple came up to me before we started and asked me what we played, etc. I told them and they wanted to hear classic rock and were dissapointed and stuff. The gig went fine, I just can't stand people like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Originally posted by robare99 Just say or"I don't go to where you work and knock the dicks out of your mouth" If somebody's already drunk and looking for trouble, that probably isn't a great idea unless you want some drunken fool taking swings at you. Just let club security handle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Outrider Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 There's a live recording of Social Distortion that cracks me up...a guy in the audience is clearly flipping the singer off, and it went something like this... (guy flips off band) "Hey buddy! You got another one of those?" (guy flips him off with two hands) "Now take both of those, and stick 'em up your ass!" You could tell he was half laughing when he said it. He'd probably been waiting to use that one on somebody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpacedCowboy Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Originally posted by Outrider There's a live recording of Social Distortion that cracks me up...a guy in the audience is clearly flipping the singer off, and it went something like this... (guy flips off band) "Hey buddy! You got another one of those?" (guy flips him off with two hands) "Now take both of those, and stick 'em up your ass!" You could tell he was half laughing when he said it. He'd probably been waiting to use that one on somebody. I heard that! And then afterwards, they went into their Johnny Cash cover of "Ring Of Fire" to do "one for the ladies". I love me some SD. You know, I've been half wishing that would happen at our one of our shows just so I could use that Mike Ness line...but no one's been stupid enough to flip us off...yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anonpostguy Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 My best was when I was playing a solo midi gig at a fancy restaurant in the bar area. Apparently, all the other OMB's that played there always kept it pretty mellow (i.e., John Lennon, Imagine, for instance). I thought the room could stand to have it turned up a notch. The first song I played was Be Bop a Lula, but a really jumping big band kinda version. As I was playing, I scanned the room, which was pretty empty, I noticed this noticeably drunk woman all done up in a fur jacket and all the fixin's sitting at the bar. She just stared while I played and showed no response except for the "drunk on a bar stool wobble." When I finished the song there were a couple of claps around the room and then I hear her pipe up very loudly, "This guy stinks!" as only a drunk can do. As a OMB there is no one else to hide behind. To top it off, it was a four night booking. What a way to start off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thundercranium Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 I'll add one - my keyboard player was playing in another band in a very small town in Newfoundland. The dance floor was completely empty except for the old guy who walked up to face the band, said "you stink" then promptly dropped his pants and {censored} on the floor! My friend heard the bartender say "What odds, Billy's at it again". Apparently this wasn't the first fecal comment Billy had made. Makes you wonder what you would have to do to get barred at that club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Originally posted by Greg Bogoshian How 'bout, "Yeah... I remember when I had MY first beer..." Haha, I'd forgotten that one. Used it once a long long time ago. Been really lucky the last 13 or 14 years though. I think original music bands get a little less of that than cover bands. The bar clientele for original music is generally a little more music-centric and educate themselves in advance of what they're going to be hearing, even if it's only to find out a general genre category or something. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Well... I went to your website and you certainly don't suck. I would seranade her to the tune "She Really Hates Me" but change it to "She Really Hates Us". When she realizes that she's being singled out as the only one not having fun in the room then she'll either leave... or love the attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 I like to mess with their minds. On the rare occasions when someone comes up and yells "You suck!" I go into my polite but hard-of-hearing mode. "Chuck? No, I'm not Chuck. I'm Mike. I don't know any Chuck" When it's "You stink!" "Drink? Why, yes, I'd love one. Could you order me a Seven-and-Seven?" It drives them nuts, but I'm not being overtly nasty so there's not much they can do about it, except quit bothering me. The audience loves it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HuskerDude Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 "YOU SUCK" "You think we don't know that, sweetheart?" Works even better when it's a guy heckling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EuyandoStar Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 Or just say something like "thanks for the great input!" with a big smile on your face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scafeets Posted October 24, 2005 Members Share Posted October 24, 2005 I was at a Billy (Vera) and the Beaters club date a few years ago and someone in the crowd gave the band a hard time. Billy stopped the show and said:" Give that mother{censored}er his money back and through him the {censored} out!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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