stage banter

pcollin · #1 01-09-2006, 12:25 PM

Gotta a last minute gig with a band that needed a bass player. Should go pretty well. I've practiced with the them a few times. we're just doing covers, 70s-80s hits. The gig is a work-type party at a local hotel for about 100 guests. I got a set list emailed to me and in the set list the guitarist has included "banter" in between several songs. I've never had scripted "banter" before. That stuff usually takes care of itself. I'm hoping maybe there's some sort of special announcement for somebody in the crowd. Anybody else ever have mandatory banter before? I don't think bass players usually "banter". Do you banter?

Philbiker · #2 01-09-2006, 12:27 PM

The less "banter" the better.

Ray-man · #3 01-09-2006, 12:32 PM

There's an old episode of Frasier where he has scripted all of the banter between himself and Dr. Mary for the Christmas parade. All ends up being thrown in the toilet due to lack of spontenaity.

See if you can't get out of the banter. It'll be worse than it sounds.

Matt Till · #4 01-09-2006, 03:34 PM

I'm good at bantering with our singer... we don't stage it. It's really impossible to plan banter and make it a good thing.

We're all democrats, and at our last gig we kept telling awwwwwwwwwwwful John Kerry jokes.... "Why does John Kerry like summer time so much?" "Because he gets to wear his FLIP FLOPS!!!"

Terrible not at all funny jokes... it probably kills the mood too... banter is funny sometimes, but really, less is more.

page · #5 01-09-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

I'm good at bantering with our singer... we don't stage it. It's really impossible to plan banter and make it a good thing.

We're all democrats, and at our last gig we kept telling awwwwwwwwwwwful John Kerry jokes.... "Why does John Kerry like summer time so much?" "Because he gets to wear his FLIP FLOPS!!!"

Terrible not at all funny jokes... it probably kills the mood too... banter is funny sometimes, but really, less is more.

Its better than being at a doom show and the singer is talking about planting trees and how everyone should do it because Arbor day is coming. Shouldn't doom guys be talking about destroying trees?
Their name was Legion of the Nefarious, I was thinking more Legion of the bunny-cuddling tree hippie guys .

thehurlatron · #6 01-09-2006, 08:45 PM

When playing out I don't like to say much at all. Most people could give a crap what anyone in the band has to say. They came to listen to music/dance/drink/pick up girls ect....
Thanks for coming......enjoy....tip your waitress.......

Almost all of the local shows I've gone to see(at bars/clubs), the bantor usually ends up being some stupid inside jokes between the singer and the guitarist, or another member of the band and ONE person in the room. That's just lame.

Matt Till · #7 01-09-2006, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by page

Its better than being at a doom show and the singer is talking about planting trees and how everyone should do it because Arbor day is coming. Shouldn't doom guys be talking about destroying trees?
Their name was Legion of the Nefarious, I was thinking more Legion of the bunny-cuddling tree hippie guys .

This is what most of my singers between song banter is like, "This song is called 'Missing Threads' it's about climbing through the burning enchanted forest and like this wizard, and fighting a dragon." And the song is an instrumental.

Munjibunga · #8 01-09-2006, 10:00 PM

I like to pick on drunks in the audience.

Rob W · #9 01-09-2006, 10:58 PM

Completely scripted banter almost always sounds stupid. It doesn't matter what type of music you play either.

I play mostly classical music, and when I hear a conductor or somebody else read word for word a prepared 'speech', it always sounds really square.

Having a general plan for what you're going to say is okay (especially in my case where I might have to say something witty and/or informative about a piece or composer to an audience that may well be very educated on the subject), but it's always better to sound a little bit spontaneous even if you trip over yourself a little.

On a slightly different note, I saw Mastadon open for Iron Maiden this summer and was very amused by their banter. Here's a singer who sounds like he's gargling with broken glass while singing, then he introduces the next song in this completely normal, mild mannered speaking voice! It was hilarious!

Maiden was awesome.

Bard2dbone · #10 01-10-2006, 02:39 AM

My singer varies her stagebabble somewhat. But we have come to recognize patterns. I don't know why, but every time she teases a drunk woman in the audience about having a bad hair day...she immediately calls Melissa Etheridges' "I'm The Only One".

No. I haven't figured out the connection yet.

And always after her first 'Tip the waitress.' reminder, we play "Because The Night" but that's one is planned.

**cheezewiz** · #11 01-10-2006, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I like to pick on drunks in the audience.

+1

Akami · #12 01-10-2006, 07:07 AM

We make our setlist on the fly let alone script what we're going to say!

Petebass · #13 01-11-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I like to pick on drunks in the audience.

Funnily enough, this works really well. The drunk usually misses the gag, but the rest of the audience usually enjoy it. Many of them were think in the same thing but were too polite to say. You restore any of the fun vibe the drunk may have destroyed, so overall everyone wins.

Oh and for some ideas, and go watch thoe occasional stand-up comedian. Those guys are the absolute masters of dealing with drunks & hecklers.

As for scripted banter, Nope I've never done it. I've seen it. If they're trying to be funny, it usually goes over like a lead balloon. If it's the delivery of a message, it can work but only in some situations.