We're not out to gain your respect!

[orfalot]

Our band plays classic rock to patrons of clubs and bars in a small market. Our job is to satisfy those patrons and we do a great job of that. The majority of people that post in these forums are musicians and are very different from our target audience. There is alot of banter here about being unprofessional or amateurish if your band doesn't present itself like a national act or full time band. I'm here to say it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are getting good crowds, filling the dance floor, selling lots of beer and shots, and staying booked, thats about as good as it can get. Hopefully there is a hint of musicianship but as long as the band is providing entertainment and making the cash register ring they are successful. There are some here that feel that there is only one way to do things, to those I say look around you. I'm not a good guitar player and the rest of the band has moderate talent as well but we satisfy our audience. Know your audience and what they want and give it to them. That should be your focus, not satisfying a bunch of other musicians. Sermon over!

[squealie]

Good points.

 

If I had HC as an audience, I'd go on a shooting spree before the first song.

[THB]

Originally posted by slyde Sermon over!

 

 

Can I gedda AMEN!

 

 

[Mr. Botch]

Well said, Slyde. Can you play Freebird now?

[Jimi Ray Halen]

Playing anything well isn't easy.

 

I'm no great artist or anything even close. But I enjoy playing live in a band. It's sort of a passionate hobby. So I do what I can do. And I have fun.

 

There's room for everybody.

[ulank]

 

Originally posted by slyde Our band plays classic rock to patrons of clubs and bars in a small market. Our job is to satisfy those patrons and we do a great job of that. The majority of people that post in these forums are musicians and are very different from our target audience. There is alot of banter here about being unprofessional or amateurish if your band doesn't present itself like a national act or full time band. I'm here to say it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are getting good crowds, filling the dance floor, selling lots of beer and shots, and staying booked, thats about as good as it can get. Hopefully there is a hint of musicianship but as long as the band is providing entertainment and making the cash register ring they are successful. There are some here that feel that there is only one way to do things, to those I say look around you. I'm not a good guitar player and the rest of the band has moderate talent as well but we satisfy our audience. Know your audience and what they want and give it to them. That should be your focus, not satisfying a bunch of other musicians. Sermon over!

 

 

I don't really disagree with this assesment. The only thing I'll say is the only musician I'm out to satisfy is myself and getting a bunch of people to dance to top 40 hits or classic rock classics doesn't do it for me. But that's me personally.

 

Jimi Ray Halen says it right - there's room for everybody.

 

*runs around naked*

[caveman]

Originally posted by slyde Our band plays classic rock to patrons of clubs and bars in a small market. Our job is to satisfy those patrons and we do a great job of that. The majority of people that post in these forums are musicians and are very different from our target audience. There is alot of banter here about being unprofessional or amateurish if your band doesn't present itself like a national act or full time band. I'm here to say it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are getting good crowds, filling the dance floor, selling lots of beer and shots, and staying booked, thats about as good as it can get. Hopefully there is a hint of musicianship but as long as the band is providing entertainment and making the cash register ring they are successful. There are some here that feel that there is only one way to do things, to those I say look around you. I'm not a good guitar player and the rest of the band has moderate talent as well but we satisfy our audience. Know your audience and what they want and give it to them. That should be your focus, not satisfying a bunch of other musicians. Sermon over!

 

I've been doing that for 40 or so years and people that I don't know come up to me at Safeway and want to know where I'm playing next.

 

Must be doing something right.

[B Money]

Amen brother!

[fastplant]

One thing I'll never get is the attitude of "we're here to play what WE want to hear, not what other people want to hear." I'm not saying that's your attitude. But I see this alot, bands that only want to do what they want to do. The oddity is that they want to play out in bars and such, and get mad when they have no following. If you only care about what you want, why not just jam in the basement. If you refuse to play what people want to hear, then how can you be surprised when no one wants to hear you?

[Locke]

 

Originally posted by fastplant One thing I'll never get is the attitude of "we're here to play what WE want to hear, not what other people want to hear."

 

 

My band has that attitude. Well, we play what WE want to hear and if somebody else wants to hear it, all the better. However, we're not complaining about the fact that we're not the top selling band. Sales are not a priority for us. Rather, the music is, even at the risk of sounding corny: being the song writer I can say that I write the music I'd like to hear. If we don't sell it's not that big a deal; none of us earns our bread with music anyway. If, however, people start liking us that'd be twice as rewarding because we'd be liked for what we are, not for trying to please others. Why don't we stick to the basements? Because it's fun to go out and play. And, surprisingly enough, people seem to like our music (which really isn't that odd [the music that is, not the fact that some people like it]) so sometimes your own taste just might match with what people like to hear.

[fastplant]

 

Originally posted by Locke My band has that attitude. Well, we play what WE want to hear and if somebody else wants to hear it, all the better. However, we're not complaining about the fact that we're not the top selling band. Sales are not a priority for us. Rather, the music is, even at the risk of sounding corny: being the song writer I can say that I write the music I'd like to hear. If we don't sell it's not that big a deal; none of us earns our bread with music anyway. If, however, people start liking us that'd be twice as rewarding because we'd be liked for what we are, not for trying to please others. Why don't we stick to the basements? Because it's fun to go out and play. And, surprisingly enough, people seem to like our music (which really isn't that odd [the music that is, not the fact that some people like it]) so sometimes your own taste just might match with what people like to hear.

 

 

 

That's cool, your quote of me was only half of my argument. I don't mind bands wanting to do theiir own thing. It just bothers me when they whine about not having an audience.

[Locke]

 

Originally posted by fastplant That's cool, your quote of me was only half of my argument. I don't mind bands wanting to do theiir own thing. It just bothers me when they whine about not having an audience.

 

 

 

Sure, that's lame. Whiners are always more or less sad regardless of what they are crying about.

[orfalot]

Its all good as long as you have a plan and thats what you are trying to achieve. We're a bar band and nothing more so making sure the bar patrons and owners are happy is our job. We've adapted a bit over the years to that approach and away from the do only what we want angle. If you had told me in 1977 that I would be performing Play That Funky Music White Boy, I'd have slapped you but times and people change.

[Locke]

Originally posted by slyde If you had told me in 1977 that I would be performing Play That Funky Music White Boy, I'd have slapped you but times and people change.

 

 

Hey, that's a cool song!

[wheresgrant3]

 

Originally posted by fastplant One thing I'll never get is the attitude of "we're here to play what WE want to hear, not what other people want to hear." I'm not saying that's your attitude. But I see this alot, bands that only want to do what they want to do. The oddity is that they want to play out in bars and such, and get mad when they have no following. If you only care about what you want, why not just jam in the basement. If you refuse to play what people want to hear, then how can you be surprised when no one wants to hear you?

 

 

In the context of a working cover band (we're both on the same page here;) ) this is true. I know many musicians that would cringe at our setlist.... then again we are in constant demand and we draw more than any bands in our area. Usually when a fellow musician asks why they don't draw or keep anybody... I ask them if that's their desire they need to check three things... #1-their setlist, #2 their appearance (dress the part or at least look like you are having fun) #3 their ability to connect (and not scare off) and play with (not to) an audience.

 

If you are wondering about musicanship... that's important above the all the others... however if you don't have the other three down you could be tightest band on the planet and still playing to empty rooms.

[wheresgrant3]

Originally posted by slyde Our band plays classic rock to patrons of clubs and bars in a small market. Our job is to satisfy those patrons and we do a great job of that. The majority of people that post in these forums are musicians and are very different from our target audience. There is alot of banter here about being unprofessional or amateurish if your band doesn't present itself like a national act or full time band. I'm here to say it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are getting good crowds, filling the dance floor, selling lots of beer and shots, and staying booked, thats about as good as it can get. Hopefully there is a hint of musicianship but as long as the band is providing entertainment and making the cash register ring they are successful. There are some here that feel that there is only one way to do things, to those I say look around you. I'm not a good guitar player and the rest of the band has moderate talent as well but we satisfy our audience. Know your audience and what they want and give it to them. That should be your focus, not satisfying a bunch of other musicians. Sermon over!

 

Well said!!!

[tucktronix]

I have an interesting story to share related to this topic. Earlier this yr, my wife and I went to a blues fest and saw a couple of blues bands play there. I knew all the musicians, so I naturally decided to go and check them out.

 

The first band was very tight. The band consisted of mainly jazz guys, so the jazz element was definitely there. The solos were terrific, the musicianship outstanding. However, no one was dancing. There was little or no interaction with the audience, so the crowd probably didn't warm up to them well. They basically called out the songs and played them. Knowing each of their personalities, they can be quite the egomaniacs. They sounded great, but it was obvious that they were playing for themselves, not for the audience.

 

The next band that played were good friends of mine. Again, great musicians, very cool people. The lead singer really knows how to work the audience and the keyboard player(recently had a stroke, a dear friend, awesome player) and the guitarist both sing harmonies with the lead vocalist. The dance floor was packed. I sat in on keys for the latter part of the night. The crowd really got into it.

 

Both of the bands each traded sets. Every time the "jazz" band would come up, the dance floor gets empty.

 

Case in point... musicianship is only half the battle;)

 

 

Tuck

[MDLMUSIC]

A similar story to the one above...

 

A few years ago I was doing a singles act in the lounge at a major hotel. On my breaks I'd go to the ballrooms and check out the bands playing for wedding receptions and corporate parties. I saw one quartet made up of top-notch musicians. They were doing note-for-note covers of the top 40 tunes of the day, but no one was dancing. The musicians were so intent on getting every note perfect that it was almost painful to watch and to listen to.

 

In the next ballroom was a quartet of basically mediocre musicians. Their ability was very basic...block chords on the keyboards, I-V bass pattern, simple drum beat, guitar solos that were strictly pentatonic blues box stuff. But they were having a great time...laughing, joking with the crowd, jumping around on stage. And the audience was loving it. The dance floor was full for every song.

 

There's more to being an entertainer than hitting the right notes.