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Family & Friends Dont Count as Audience


Adan_V

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Family & Friends Dont Count as Audience. I stand by it.

 

Why?

Because family and friends show support for the band despite whether the band is talented or horrible.

 

I have seen many Battle of the Bands where usually the worst band wins the competition because of the high number of votes they receive, votes that came from family and friends. Even some where the better bands are taunted and boo'ed by family and friends of the worst bands, just to try to ruin their performance and reputation.

 

Who agrees with me? Who Doesnt?

Give some good opinions and feedback.

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I completely agree with you. It's always frustrating to me when I play a new song (on acoustic) in front of the people that I know, and they always say "It was great!", when I know that I made a few mistakes, and the lyrics kind of suck, etc.

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Originally posted by Adan_V

Who agrees with me? Who Doesnt?

Give some good opinions and feedback.

 

 

This is pretty much the truth. My wife and my best friend would be the rare exceptions. They are brutally honest and sometimes it does zing a bit after putting a lot of time into a song (Recording in my case but when I was in a band, my wife would tell me later whether we were good or bad). On the upside, when they say it's good, I believe them.

 

But basically you are correct, especially in a battle of the bands. It's understandable that people would support their friends and stuff but I think it's totally crap that they would boo the other bands. You may sit back among your band mates and critique the other bands but as long as you don't boo them, I think that's cool.

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I don't know how big your families are or how many friends you have, but if you want to have any sort of success it's going to take more people than that. Friends get tired of supporting you after a while anyway.

 

I don't think much about "battle of the bands" things anyway. Like you say, they're mostly rigged, and they don't make a career anyway.

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Originally posted by BlueStrat

If a band wants to see how good they really are, let them go play a gig 200 miles from home and see if they get asked back.

 

 

+1

 

If you have a draw of 0 in the town you're playing that night, then take the opening slot. Some of the headliner's audience will be there to check you out, so if you win them over, you'll earn your draw for the next time you play there (and you'll get asked back).

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I agree that family and friends don't always count as an audience. I mean, I like it when they go because my friends don't always show up, but I never really know if they're honest when critiquing my playing and such. I also find it hard when you know everyone in the audience that showed up for you.

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With small gigs, like bars and such...its your audience who is making them money. Whether it is your family friends or random people, the bar doesn't care. The more people there the better you look.

Fam and friends are audience unless its your 95 year old wheel chair stricken grandparents, or they don't even support you and they just go to make you feel better

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Originally posted by denise

With small gigs, like bars and such...its your audience who is making them money. Whether it is your family friends or random people, the bar doesn't care. The more people there the better you look.

 

 

This is exactly what I mean, the more people the better you LOOK, but just because there are a lot of people doesnt mean you ARE good.

 

Fam and friends are audience unless its your 95 year old wheel chair stricken grandparents, or they don't even support you and they just go to make you feel better

 

To make the band members feel better, I agree. But sooner of later they have to take those "training-wheels" off and gonna face REAL audiences by themselves.

 

Still, you have to appreciate your friends and family for supporting you on your first show(s) but dont use (and abuse) them as ways to cheat in band contests or take home the cover money because you had the majority of the crowd.

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Originally posted by Adan_V



This is exactly what I mean, the more people the better you LOOK, but just because there are a lot of people doesnt mean you ARE good.


Fam and friends are audience unless its your 95 year old wheel chair stricken grandparents, or they don't even support you and they just go to make you feel better

 

 

To make the band members feel better, I agree. But sooner of later they have to take those "training-wheels" off and gonna face REAL audiences by themselves.

 

Still, you have to appreciate your friends and family for supporting you on your first show(s) but dont use (and abuse) them as ways to cheat in band contests or take home the cover money because you had the majority of the crowd.

 

 

Great FAQ on this topic.......friends and family are very likely to support you regardless how good or bad you are and i would much rather friends bring their other friends to check my band out and if they really like it they will be back for the next show! But yes playing another town is the true test to see if you got the goods!

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Originally posted by ZED

As bands build a following, many of those people become friends. They see the band many times. Do they count as an audience? They're friends.

 

This is a great question. Its pretty hard to answer....:)

 

I remember playing with bands (as a reserve or temp) that played continously in the same small venues. The audience was the same pack of barflies that was there every weekend. These people soon became friends of the band, and of course they would congratulate them on how talented they are (even though I didnt think they were talented at all). But if the band played at another venue, the pack of barflies would NOT be in the audience.

 

So I dont think they count as audience anymore. I only consider a crowd of strangers to be a real audience.

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I kind of agree with acesclone, if your band is god awful, people will find excuses not to go, whether they're you're frineds or not. As a new band, who the hell is going to be your audience if no one has never heard of you? I don't care what club you're playing at, you're not going to get a crowd unless someone can vouch that the band is good. The best thing to do I think is to get your friend's friends to come to your shows. They don't know you and will probably tell your frined what they thought about the show. That's a good way to expand on an audience. Until you're selling out in arenas like 85% of the audience will know you some way or another. Family on the other should not count. They're family they don't have much choice but to praise you.

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