Can audiences dig unfamiliar music?

[pklima]

I know it's TB conventional wisdom that audiences want to hear what they already know, but I'm starting to suspect that audiences really want to hear what's good enough to be very popular, and whether they've heard it before isn't terribly important.

One of my bands plays quite a bit of stuff that's not familiar to our audiences, but very popular somewhere else on this planet. We do pre-blonde Shakira, half a set's worth of country, a bit of anime music etc. Some of these songs get audience reactions as good as the huge Lady Gaga and Britney Spears hits we play.

It's not just me thinking this. We're playing at my office's Christmas party next week and I asked the singers to cut down our setlist to 60 minutes that gets the best crowd reactions. About 1/3 of it is songs that Polish audiences are not familiar with at all.

I also occasionally find myself DJing at house parties, and play plenty of Nigerian hip-hop. People dance to that just as enthusiastically as they do to American hip-hop. What they will not dance much to is the less commercially successful Nigerian hip-hop - they love D'Banj and P-Square but aren't much into Dr. Sid.

So, I'm starting to think audiences can dig unfamiliar stuff, as long as it's good enough to be very popular somewhere and meets a few other criteria. It shouldn't be slow, or too long (we do the anime song in the 90-second "TV version"), not too culturally alien (R&B from Mozambique would work in Poland, but Kevin Fowler's "100% Texan" would not). Being in a language your audience understands is probably very important in English-speaking countries, but much less so outside of them.

Am I wrong? Is familiarity critically important? Or can we play more Latin stuff, more Texas country, and maybe even a song from Angola that's popular in Brazil?

[fdeck]

Good band and good music can get people dancing. Of course it's worth having one or two really well known covers just in case you have a dead audience.

[plangentmusic]

There's an old expression in the business -- play the gig.

In other words, give them what they want. An occasional less familiar tune is okay, if it's really a winner, but a party isn't the place to illuminate people on expanding their musical horizons.

Play the gig.

[MonetBass]

It depends on your audience. If they're receptive to listening to unfamiliar songs, they'll at least give it a chance. But if they're not willing to do that, you'll most likely be met with hostility. My 2 cents.

[behemecoytl]

I think it depends on the audience and by extension, the context (coffee shop? bar? dance club? wedding? concert?). Some people want to hear new music, and some people want the band to be a human jukebox... i think it just depends.

if people want to dance, then any dance beat will work... I think people like cover bands in bars often because they already know the words and can sing along. when the guitarist plays that opening riff to Sweet Home Alabama, everyone in the bar likes saying, "turn it up."

[pklima]

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

a party isn't the place to illuminate people on expanding their musical horizons.

Geez... we have never been interested in illuminating anyone or expanding anyone's horizons. We're trying to pick the best 60 minutes from our setlist, for example specifically trying to decide whether to play the Shakira song that's gotten better audience reactions when we played it, or the Lady Antebellum song that people will know from the radio. Which will they like better?

[boynamedsuse]

All music at least started out being unfamiliar. I recall going to a jazz bar a few years ago and loved every minute of it even though I didn't recognize a single song. The band was really talented and tight, though. It may not have been the same if they sucked--as a matter of fact, I am sure it wouldn't have been.

[Richland123]

If a song is catchy and performed well, you can get the audience's attention. My band inserts less often played songs throughout the show and not only do people respond positively but some of those songs have became favorite requests for patrons. It is all in the delivery. On the other hand, we have played some extremely popular songs that do not go over well or translate to the club and dance atmosphere. Interestingly, we play an original song that many people hear for the first time and it always packs the dancefloor. We also intentionally play some songs that fit the catchy, yet fun, criteria such as Mr. Spaceman by The Byrds, Bumble Bee Rock (The Ventures version), and others.

[JohnMCA72]

Personally, I never really think I "know" what's going to go over or what isn't. I've been wrong in both directions plenty of times. Songs that I thought would go over bombed, & others that I thought would suck just killed!

Bottm line: You really never know until you try! Just don't try with a whole set-full of songs you're not sure about!

[sloasdaylight]

People like familiar unfamiliarity, if that makes sense.

If you're playing a pop gig, don't break into a 10 minute long Yes inspired prog rock journey. But on the other hand, a 3:30 pop rock single style song you've written should go over somewhat well, so long as it's well done.

[electracoyote]

Running On Empty--Jackson Brown

I think that entire long player was recorded on the road, on stage (and in hotel rooms and buses), and none of it was familiar to the audiences he played them for, but he brought down the house and those songs became some of his biggest hits.

I think if it's clear, concise, to the point, well-executed, is easy to digest, and resonates with your audience, you can certainly do unfamiliar stuff.

It just takes a lot of talent and cajones.

[mid_life_crisis]

From the point of view of the audience, I usually enjoy hearing a song in the same style as what I came out to hear, even if it is one I never heard before. Provided of course that it is performed well.
As someone pointed out in an earlier thread, don't set up in a blues bar and play something off of Fragile, though.
All a matter of degrees, or as was suggested earlier, "familiar unfamiliarity".

[mid_life_crisis]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

Running On Empty--Jackson Brown

I think that entire long player was recorded on the road, on stage (and in hotel rooms and buses), and none of it was familiar to the audiences he played them for, but he brought down the house and those songs became some of his biggest hits.

I think if it's clear, concise, to the point, well-executed, is easy to digest, and resonates with your audience, you can certainly do unfamiliar stuff.

It just takes a lot of talent and cajones.

But there is a big difference between a local band that is expected to play mostly (if not all) covers playing something different and an established star introducing his audience to some of his new material.

[BigOldHarry]

First: It's not "TB Conventional Wisdom" - it's common sense: If you are cover band playing in a night club, folks want to hear what they know. If it's a underground/alt club or even a jazz club, that's another thing entirely... But if a band bills itself as dance band that plays covers, gets booked and then play a bunch of obscure stuff... well then who is in the wrong?

Me, I like sneaking in the occasional obscure piece, so long as it fits the overall genre -- but if you're gonna do that, why not sneak in tunes you wrote?

[pklima]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

First: It's not "TB Conventional Wisdom" - it's common sense: If you are cover band playing in a night club, folks want to hear what they know.

Well... we're a cover band, but no electric instruments or drums. That probably does make a big difference in audience expectations, and might explain why we get such good reactions playing "songs that are very popular but on the wrong continent".

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

But there is a big difference between a local band that is expected to play mostly (if not all) covers playing something different and an established star introducing his audience to some of his new material.

Like Harry said, it depends on the venue.

And like I said, it depends on the audience.

I don't think it only applies to superstars in arenas.

[baalroo]

I work at a strictly "originals" venue and (aside from the occasional clever redux) covers do NOT go over as well as originals. so yeah, it depends on the crowd.