The Crowd

PopaWoody · #1 07-11-2011, 06:04 PM

After playing a few cover gigs...maybe 15 in the last 4 months. I've noticed a few things about crowds around here (Tampa Bay, FL). Noticing that the crowds vary from place to place is an understatement. Our typical venue is small (1500-2500 Sq Feet.) neighborhood place. We do well in these, often packing the little dance floor. Then we have these larger venues, with TV's everywhere, game rooms, food, and.... lame ass crowds. We get singing along with popular stuff. Very little dance floor traffic.

Last Friday night was one of those. DJ Outside, live music on the deck while we loaded in. It's still in my head, management telling me that all those people that came in for the dinner hour should be convinced into thinking this is the place to be. OK, we gave it a shot and our results, well they were just ho hum. We came out strong nailed every one of 12 songs. Kept Most of the gen X crowd...A few more people came in....not many. Second Set....crowd is thinning...11:30 really? Third Set we kept 30-40 people in a 8-10K Square foot room entertained. Even got some brothers and their ladies out on the dance floor with "play that funky music".

Those smaller places are by far a lot more interesting and intimate to play.

It's about finding your fit and playing covers is not exactly going to get you devoted fans out the kazoo either.

Just venting, thanks for hearing me out TB.

SymphonySamurai · #2 07-11-2011, 07:04 PM

Had a "ho-hum" gig myself this Friday night. We're headlining with two openers at a place that has specialized in live music for a long time. We show up and load our gear backstage while our first opening band is rocking out. This venue isn't big, just a bar, a few tables and a pool table, nothing fancy. The crowd so far looks alright, but we're all exchanging nervous looks and mouthing prayers to the Crowd Pickup God under our breath. First band finished their set, and between the tear-down of one band and the setup of the second the crowd has almost vanished. At this point we've resigned ourselves to playing to the bar staff and making the best of it, because it's 11:00 and nobody else is coming out. Sure enough, we go on and play for a total of 14 or so people, consisting of bar staff, two band members' girlfriends, and the other two bands and their S.O.'s. On the brighter side, we had fun and even got paid, but it was definitely one of the more downer gigs I've experienced. Tough to get excited about playing for people who are either there because they have to be or out of professional courtesy.

Dave44 · #3 07-12-2011, 07:37 AM

I can't count the number of times I've played to bar staff and the criketets ( like on the bugs bunny show when they want to emphasize silence). But that's the way the cards are sometimers layed out. One does ones best, because you never know who may walk in while your playin' your heart out to a half a dozen people. Reminds me of a bar we used to play in Vulcan, Alberta a number of years ago. The owner of the club just loved our band and regardless of crowd or not always brought us back to his stage at least once every two months. The same with a club in High River I played at. The owner there loved to hear our T-Rex set so he'd hire us just to hear the tunes he grew up with. Remember you just never know who may walk in and catch a set so give it all you got, besides your getting paid ( which is all ways a good thing) and to top it all off isn't this why you got started in playin' toons in the first place it's for the love of playin' live that keeps this old geezer going full tilt.

Bob C · #4 07-12-2011, 07:51 AM

Whether you play covers or originals, you are not going to "wow" them at every gig. I hate to blame the audience, BUT some venues aren't set up to have the main focus be on the band.

I've played some "sports bars" with wonderful dance floors and great acoustics, but everyone is glued to the TV's. I've played bars where noone dances until the DJ plays hip hop or whatever on the breaks. I've played casinos where the band is tucked in a corner between slot machines - and the slot machines are louder than the band!

Boo to all of that! But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

plankspanker13 · #5 07-12-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob C

Whether you play covers or originals, you are not going to "wow" them at every gig. I hate to blame the audience, BUT some venues aren't set up to have the main focus be on the band.

I've played some "sports bars" with wonderful dance floors and great acoustics, but everyone is glued to the TV's. I've played bars where noone dances until the DJ plays hip hop or whatever on the breaks. I've played casinos where the band is tucked in a corner between slot machines - and the slot machines are louder than the band!

Boo to all of that! But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

+1

TheVoiceless · #6 07-12-2011, 08:40 AM

Funny, I was just talking to my guitar player about knowing where you belong, or what works best for the band. Unless your a huge name, no one really cares if your playing a larger venue. Most small bar goers tend to get looser or drunker so fuller dance floor.

My issue was with a place we played this past Friday. We are an 80's tribute band and really our crowd is 40 yr old+. Well the place we played had us start at 10:45 ( too late for our crowd ), and the night ended in a fight the left one of our 50yr old+ regulars shoved against the stage. It was the Jersey Shore so I expect to deal with some losers, but this is really not our scene. The best was the girl making requests for 60's 70's 90's songs to one of our singers WHILE SHE WAS SINGING!! Then the promoter said something to the keyboard player, " you should learn some other songs besides 80"s. Its obvious they have no idea what we are about.

Sure its an A room and they liked us and will probably ask us back. But I think its a losing gig. We could make more and play for our crowd at a more mature venue. But I don't call the shots so all I can do is vent to my bass brotherhood.

PopaWoody · #7 07-12-2011, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheVoiceless

Funny, I was just talking to my guitar player about knowing where you belong, or what works best for the band. Unless your a huge name, no one really cares if your playing a larger venue. Most small bar goers tend to get looser or drunker so fuller dance floor.

My issue was with a place we played this past Friday. We are an 80's tribute band and really our crowd is 40 yr old+. Well the place we played had us start at 10:45 ( too late for our crowd ), and the night ended in a fight the left one of our 50yr old+ regulars shoved against the stage. It was the Jersey Shore so I expect to deal with some losers, but this is really not our scene. The best was the girl making requests for 60's 70's 90's songs to one of our singers WHILE SHE WAS SINGING!! Then the promoter said something to the keyboard player, " you should learn some other songs besides 80"s. Its obvious they have no idea what we are about.

Sure its an A room and they liked us and will probably ask us back. But I think its a losing gig. We could make more and play for our crowd at a more mature venue. But I don't call the shots so all I can do is vent to my bass brotherhood.

I've seen your stuff during my perusing of TB, your group is solid, I really enjoyed the cover of Dolby's Science.

bassbully · #8 07-12-2011, 09:24 AM

It's always something isnt it when it comes to bookings and crowds. My moto is I would rather play for 15 people watching, paying all their attention to us and digging our songs than to 100 people watching TV, talking loudly with friends, chasing tail,smoking outside etc,etc.

We had a gig at a new bistro /cafe last weekend a place I hang out at now. Its super cool and in an area where there is nothing like it for miles. It was an old shot and beer joint for 40 years that the new owners turned into a small, fancy music venue with great drinks and food and a nice patio along with great staff.
I went there on Friday to see an act that was awesome. They played outdoors to maybe 10-15 people off and on all night. We played on Saturday night to 15-20 all night off and on too. All the people were glued to the bands and gave great response to the songs and really dug the musicians as I did on Friday. I'm sure the Friday band like us would of loved playing to more people but having folks really into what you are doing only if its a few makes it worth it. Well to some of us at least.

jaywa · #9 07-12-2011, 09:52 AM

One thing I've learned over the years is, never give up on a gig.

There have been countless times we've started at 9 or 9:30, played the first hour for a few people who are doing nothing, and then all the sudden the floodgates open and next thing you know the place is packed. Me being a morning person, midnight is "late" to me but for a whole 'nother set of people they're just getting started then. Some towns and bars just get going later than others, I guess.

Another thing I have really come to appreciate as the ultimate "gig saver": bachelorette parties. I have played so many bar gigs that were going nowhere... and then a bachelorette party comes in (or in one recent case, 3 at the same time) and suddenly you have a serious event on your hands. Especially if you have a gifted front man/woman who can pick up on that and ride it.

Bottom line is, you've just got to keep plugging away even if it's slow in the early going cause you never know who (or what) will get the party started but your odds go way up if your band stays with it and engaged.

hrodbert696 · #10 07-12-2011, 06:48 PM

I think that some of this is also the psychology of room size. Get fifty people in a small room and people say, "Wow, this is packed, this must be a great party!" The crowd gets excited and the band feeds off the energy. Get the same fifty people in a big room with the same band playing the same music and everyone thinks, "man, this place is empty, what a lame party," and no one wants to be the first on the big empty dance floor.

**jmattbassplaya** · #11 07-12-2011, 07:19 PM

I'm lucky in that I have quite a few friends who will come out to all my gigs no matter what because they enjoy the music we play and the bars we play at. Usually they'll ask other friends of theirs to come out too and by the end of our first set we'll usually have at least 50 people there who are interested in seeing us and having a good time. From that little group of people you can really begin to attract outsiders and other bar hoppers to stop by and see what all the fuss is about, and within a short period time you can have a few hundred people watching you play. Of course, I should note that I am in a college town so it's easy to get lots of people in a bar whether it be to see you or not. I wouldn't expect the same results at every single bar and club. However, these are the best times to start winning fans over so you better bring your A game every gig!

fhm555 · #12 07-13-2011, 07:23 AM

Short form...if you are playing in a bar, your only function is to increase alcohol sales. If a dog with it's ass shaved and taught to walk backward would increase alcohol sales, bar bands would be on the corner with signs proclaiming they would work for food.

FuzzBoxVoodoo · #13 07-13-2011, 07:54 AM

This is exactly what Im up against right now,we do have a small following but our married friends/followers with kids aren't going to come to your show every weekend.
There are alot of the local bars that could care less about your music or how well you play just as long as you bring people in.I completly understand that they are in business to make money but it should not be up to the band to bring the majority of the patron's at this level.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhm555

Short form...if you are playing in a bar, your only function is to increase alcohol sales. If a dog with it's ass shaved and taught to walk backward would increase alcohol sales, bar bands would be on the corner with signs proclaiming they would work for food.

kcole4001 · #14 07-13-2011, 08:23 AM

Definitely true about the 'too big' bar killing the party vibe.
Sometimes, if it's a decent venue that you know has a steady crowd that likes a certain thing, it's best to tailor your material for that crowd if you want to play there regularly. You don't necessarily need to use that material everywhere.
That way everyone has a good time, but then some places just never get to really be a band venue, more of a DJ place. There's one here. Just doesn't work for live music for some reason.

Odd about the crowds disappearing at 11:00 pm or so, around here almost no one goes out to the bars before 11:00, and the bands usually are supposed to start at 10:00.
At benefits/fund rasisers/jams the older crowd (60+) leaves around 9:00 and the rest don't come out 'til later.