Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
Lol! Precisely. Typing this from the comfort of my couch.
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Another gig where we quit early because the crowd left.
- Thread starter 51PRI
- Start date
Playing to the room is a huge factor in making the night successful and enjoyable for everyone. I’m often baffled by the absence of awareness that some very experienced players show about that basic reality.
Audiences can be fickle at times too. We recently played to a very small audience but the venue owner was not concerned. We were not the only band that had recently not done well at her very well known and loved venue.
Punters come and go in endless processions at times to find that memorable good time that they can tell their friends and workmates about come Monday. The band has to compete with ‘the scene’.
Oh and we had some competition on that night from some bloke called McCartney who was playing at a stadium in Sydney the same night. Sometimes you just can’t fight the trend.
Soloing in general is highly overrated. Some songs don’t need one at all. So many times I’ve heard solos that ramble on in autopilot as players trot through their chops arsenal.
Few players have the exceptional talent that avoids cliche to express something exciting and inspiring. Having said that, it’s a tough call that players are expected to in a covers band.
I always ask the staff what they think. They get paid on tips, they want people sticking around and drinking. Are we too loud, how is this crowd compared to a usual Saturday night (if you aren’t familiar with the place) what kind of music goes over best here? My band alters the setlist by venue and adjusts based on the crowd. Sounds like you guys just plow through set after set without regard for the people in the room. Ask the bar staff, they have a vested interest in your success.
You lost 1/3 of your audience by the end of the first set? Hah my band can clear out a place much faster than that.
IME, too loud will just kill you as a band in a bar. As Saucy Jack posted above, if people can't converse at all, they'll just leave.
That alone would gave been sufficient enough reason for me to be heading for the door. Excuse me Miss? Could we get our check please?
I thought guitar battles went out with the 70s. I’m surprised your band is still doing them - and even more surprised you’re getting away with it.
So, I've been in the *other* band.
What do I mean by that?
I've been in the band that comes in, gets people moving, plays music people want to hear, sells drinks, and then the bar owner says
"Crikey, we gotta get you in more and start getting some of our usual bands out" and finding ourselves booked monthly where the guitar duelist 12-minute blooz solo bands used to be. And they will pay us more than the old band, gladly.
If people are leaving, it only takes one good show from another band for you to lose your spot. If your band doesn't want to make adjustments, fine, but it won't last forever how it is.
What do I mean by that?
I've been in the band that comes in, gets people moving, plays music people want to hear, sells drinks, and then the bar owner says
"Crikey, we gotta get you in more and start getting some of our usual bands out" and finding ourselves booked monthly where the guitar duelist 12-minute blooz solo bands used to be. And they will pay us more than the old band, gladly.
If people are leaving, it only takes one good show from another band for you to lose your spot. If your band doesn't want to make adjustments, fine, but it won't last forever how it is.
That alone would gave been sufficient enough reason for me to be heading for the door. Excuse me Miss? Could we get our check please?
I thought guitar battles went out with the 70s. I’m surprised your band is still doing them - and even more surprised you’re getting away with it.
I love me some epic, outrageous guitar solos. But never at a local bar band gig. If your band's name doesn't end in "Priest" or "Maiden" there is a low chance anyone is gonna want to hear extended length guitar solos.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
If you own, or have access to, a wireless transmitter for your bass, I encourage you to listen from out in the audience while the band is playing.
I started doing this a few decades ago when I was running sound from the stage. While in the audience, I looked for ways to reduce annoying and overlapping frequencies, and boosted as a last resort. This pertains to the whole band, including vocals.
In addition to improving the band mix, I ended up changing the EQ I used on my amp and bass. This was the point when I fell in love with the effectiveness of variable low-pass filters for un-muddying sound.
The result was better sound at lower volume - and I could be heard clearly on stage and in the audience.
The take-away: when you EQ in the context of the entire band, you may not like the same EQ at home, but you will definitely sound better on stage and out in the audience.
I started doing this a few decades ago when I was running sound from the stage. While in the audience, I looked for ways to reduce annoying and overlapping frequencies, and boosted as a last resort. This pertains to the whole band, including vocals.
In addition to improving the band mix, I ended up changing the EQ I used on my amp and bass. This was the point when I fell in love with the effectiveness of variable low-pass filters for un-muddying sound.
The result was better sound at lower volume - and I could be heard clearly on stage and in the audience.
The take-away: when you EQ in the context of the entire band, you may not like the same EQ at home, but you will definitely sound better on stage and out in the audience.
Oh god... this is that Halloween rehearsal guy. Where's that ignore button?
Is it just me or is this sounding like the Basil Fawlty business model?
gregbackstrom
These aren't stock curves--things move around!
How’s the singing in this band? Strong lead vocals with plenty of good harmony? Do you have a female singer in the group? Do the singers interact with the audience? Do you guys have a core audience that shows up when you play? Do you go out and chat with the audience during breaks to build rapport? If these things aren’t happening, I’m not surprised that the audience is leaving early.
I’ve seen amazing bands in Nashville Pubs. Keep the crowd means keeping the tips rolling in and the beer flowing. We saw a “country” outfit with a double bass turn into a rock outfit foing ACDC etc.
They were so tuned in to what the audience wanted, and gave it too them in spades. Even pulling out their iPhones for the words and chords when necessary. The place just got busier and busier and the crowd loved it.
Nashville has such crowds from about midday so you only have to be half decent to do ok.
My other add here would be that screwing your sound is one thing, but it shouldnt even be on the table if a bar band knows what they are doing.
Sound can get complicated when the room is large...to.maximise patrons... and then the band adds subs and ears but forget to sort FOH.
(if you go full range and dont mix from out front then adding subs can get messy and I hear this a lot)
So, I'm assuming that sound isn't the problem and that musical content is, if only because previous threads have alluded to, imo, the band being an unstructured mishmash starting with the BL whims and the band themselves not really caring enough to actually do anythingat all about it. - I believe the OP does care hence these threads, but must surely know he is banging his head up against the wall and nothing changes.
In the larger picture, you get the audiences you deserve and clearing the place is a red flag.
The real trick is being able to mostly do what you want to do and make it work as opposed to have to just do what people 'want'...
Because people naturally just take the easy way out.
My other add here would be that screwing your sound is one thing, but it shouldnt even be on the table if a bar band knows what they are doing.
Sound can get complicated when the room is large...to.maximise patrons... and then the band adds subs and ears but forget to sort FOH.
(if you go full range and dont mix from out front then adding subs can get messy and I hear this a lot)
So, I'm assuming that sound isn't the problem and that musical content is, if only because previous threads have alluded to, imo, the band being an unstructured mishmash starting with the BL whims and the band themselves not really caring enough to actually do anythingat all about it. - I believe the OP does care hence these threads, but must surely know he is banging his head up against the wall and nothing changes.
In the larger picture, you get the audiences you deserve and clearing the place is a red flag.
The real trick is being able to mostly do what you want to do and make it work as opposed to have to just do what people 'want'...
Because people naturally just take the easy way out.
If I go to see a band I'll take earplugs, but if I go to a restaurant or bar I'll want it to not be too intrusive.
I went to a restaurant last night and had to ask them to turn the sound down a bit (recordings not live music), as I couldn't participate in our conversations.
I went to a restaurant last night and had to ask them to turn the sound down a bit (recordings not live music), as I couldn't participate in our conversations.
