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Bands - - - PerformanceTurn-Offs

#61
A few years ago my wife and I went to a show for a band who had its hayday in the 80s that we did not have a chance to see at the time.

Seeing this band was a big let down....the lead singer was inaudible while the rest of the band (2 guitarists and the band's drum-machine) were clearly audible and I knew what song they were playing and the guitarists backing vocals were clear. In interviews the lead singer, who has a reputation for being a big jerk, has said that he is "sings softly." Maybe that was why I couldn't hear him at all.

A bass was present on the stage but the bass parts were part of a backing track. Big let down there...why was it even on stage.

The band used some much liquid fog "so crutial" to the bands "look" caused the show to end before they were done because the fire alarms were being set off.

There were no problems with the opening act who we met when we left the show so why was the "main" act such a letdown.

Just a few turn offs during this show.
 
#63
As for the tuning thing, one of the guitarists in my band plays either a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, of a Johnson "LP clone" at each of our gigs. He only uses one each time, but finds he needs to tune after the first or second song. I figured out that its probably due to room temp. After the band before us stops, the crowd disperses, goes outside/to the bar to smoke/drink while they break down and we set up/tune. With the number of close-together bodies dwindling, the room cools down quite a bit. Then once we start saying "Hey thanks for having us" on the mic, or our first song starts up people start milling back in, and the temp goes right back up in the room.
 
#65
This whole shoeless behaviour absolutely confounds me. I have no bad feelings towards people who don't wear shoes on stage, I just do not understand why you'd be willing to take your shoes off in a dingy dank bar/club where nobody knows what has been on the floor before you.. What if someone throws glass onstage? Or you stand on a faulty electrical line? Or worst of all, stub your toe on an effects board/monitor corner? Then you'll just be hopping around the stage screaming profanity. If that happens during a metal song, ok, it probably fits right on in there. But think about Reggae.. Well I guess for once all eyes will be on the bassist!
 
#68
Audible tuning is probably one of the worst. Use the ****ing MUTE BUTTON! Muted tuning I have no problem with.

While a perfect cover is appreciated, I like hearing a band's take on a song. I am there to hear them, not a jukebox. Even if it is something simple like a different bass line or the way the drummer plays. That said, bands who intentionally try to rearrange or change tunes too extremely (without the ability to pull it off) come off as amateur hour.

Volume - sure, I'm there to hear people playing music, but if I want to make a comment to my wife or friends - I shouldn't have to shout in their ear, or have my ear shouted into.
 
#71
I cant stand the tuning thing either, I dont get it...I tune my bass before the gig starts and that Bi*** stays in tune the whole night, and I am not nice to the strings! Also the long silence between songs, especially if it is so the drummer or lead singer can flip through his words to find a song he has been singing for 20 years and still dont know the words to!
 
#72
Profania_bass said:
This whole shoeless behaviour absolutely confounds me. I have no bad feelings towards people who don't wear shoes on stage, I just do not understand why you'd be willing to take your shoes off in a dingy dank bar/club where nobody knows what has been on the floor before you.. What if someone throws glass onstage? Or you stand on a faulty electrical line? Or worst of all, stub your toe on an effects board/monitor corner? Then you'll just be hopping around the stage screaming profanity. If that happens during a metal song, ok, it probably fits right on in there. But think about Reggae.. Well I guess for once all eyes will be on the bassist!
Click to expand...

+1, I was reading an interview with grace potter where she discusses how, at one show, she got electrocuted. Although it was due to the grounding, I still would not want to worry about that underfoot.

Here is the article if anyone is interested. The part where she talks about getting shocked is halfway down. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#73
*Bands that play too loud at small venues and bands that play too lightly at large venues.
*Guitarists at small venues that strike rock God poses(feet apart, ax swung low and head thrown back as if they are in some sort of meditative, orgasmic zone)
*Guitarists at large venues that meekly just stand there as if waiting in line at the DMV.
*Vocal pirates, back up singers, that think harmony is mirroring the lead singers exact notes but louder
*Bands that preface a song with the announcement; "We just learned this song" "We don't do this song very often" or "Last time we played this song it was a train wreck"
Naturally, all you end up hearing is the mistakes and wishing the song would hurry up and be over.
 
#74
birdman14 said:
+1, I was reading an interview with grace potter where she discusses how, at one show, she got electrocuted. Although it was due to the grounding, I still would not want to worry about that underfoot.

Here is the article if anyone is interested. The part where she talks about getting shocked is halfway down. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/electrocute

Discussing one's own electrocution would be a very impressive feat.
 
#75
Floyd Eye said:
First time you get the crap shocked out of you or you step on broken glass, you will change your mind.;)
Click to expand...

I am a habitual barefooter for primarily medical reasons (shin splints - running barefoot was the only way I could run without pain, and I just kind of extended that to the rest of my life, because my legs HURT, man), and I have stomped the crap out of a beer bottle on occasion when people give me the "aren't you afraid of glass?!" line - NO, I'm not afraid of glass, glass is afraid of me!

However, getting shocked IS a real concern for barefoot people on stage! There's a pair of rubber flip flops in my gig bag and each of my hardshells for this reason!
 
#76
When bands make the same joke between songs...
I saw a cover band once, and they were pretty good, but between songs they'd joke around and talk with the audience, and the vocalist would say something and then the drummer would go "Oh, that's our new band name" and repeat what the vocalist said. "Check us out on facebook... but you won't find us because we just changed our name again.. haha"

It was kind of funny the first time (slightly), but as the night went on and they had "changed the bands name" about 20 times... not so much.


That same band, the bass player stopped playing mid-song and went to get a beer... and then came back with it and stood there until the song ended because he didn't know where he was.
I was like "What is this kid doing???"
 
#79
Saw a punk band two years ago. One of the guitarists decided to give the crowd a very descriptive story on how had "The sh%#s" before the gig. Huge turnoff.

What really bugs me is loudness. Not at a venue or a festival, but at a bar.
 
#80
Guitarists that have no idea how loud they are compared to the rest of the band that has a nice rounded, well balanced and comfortable sound level.

As stated before: band members standing around figuring out what song to play next.

Guitarists that mess up the same song in the same spot every single time. Especially during a signature phrase that every person in the audience is familiar with.
 

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