Bands - - - PerformanceTurn-Offs

[stagebanter]

The barefoot thing? I get it...ok, you're a hippie(wannabe) and you love Phish.

I actually laughed out loud at this because I DO love Phish. And you should, too, if you like good bass playing/good improvisation!

Also, +1 to whoever said "the band who's not having fun." I am easy to please - if it's live music, I'm probably enjoying it. I think the only time I DIDN'T enjoy a performance is when the band was not having fun! It was Lotus, this New Year's Eve in Philadelphia - I felt like they didn't want to be there, and it made me not want to be there, either.

 

[walterw]

Guitarists using capos. Their reasoning
is that certain songs sound better with
them playing open strings. But is it really
because they're uncomfortable playing in
certain keys? As a bassist, my job is to
make every song sound good, no matter
what key it's in, without a capo. Ever seen
a bassist putting on a capo because the
song sounds better with open bass strings?

sorry, this is silly.

guitar is not bass, and capos are entirely appropriate where necessary to get the right chord voicings in the right keys.

(if the song calls for chords achieved by fretting up at the 7th or 8th fret while allowing an open string to ring, is the guitar player supposed to hold the low note with his nose?)

 

[walterw]

Ok, my peeve (more of a guitar player thing) is when cover bands do songs calling for varying styles and textures but the guitar player uses the same generic overly-distorted tone for everything, not even bothering to switch pickups on the guitar.

 

[PerlNinja]

First time you get the crap shocked out of you or you step on broken glass, you will change your mind.

I'm usually barefooted in my house, and unfortunately most houses here are constructed by people who haven't quite caught on the idea that grounding power sockets is a good thing, so playing at home involves rolling out a little carpet and making sure I don't step off.

Any time I go out to play though, I wear my leather step-in dress shoes, getting your fingers continuously zapped by static is hell on your playing so I'd rather avoid that - and any potential glass, stones, sharp bits and such - by just wearing shoes. I don't particularly like it much, but sometimes it's just one of those things that's gotta be done.

 

[fishtx]

Pet Peeves:
1. Stage profanity...especially from a female...it just comes off so amateurish.
2. Starting late when you are set up and ready to go. I see bands do this all the time. They are just hanging around shooting the breeze and drinking or whatever...if you are supposed to start at 9PM...START AT 9PM...
3. bad stage comedy. If you are funny...OK, but otherwise please, spare us the stupid attempts at humor and just rock...

 

[iriegnome]

I 99% of the time play bare footed! I hate the talking between tunes. Shut up and play. I also hate "Artist renditions" cover tunes. Most of the time they butcher the original.. Too much white lights (Too bright), to much darkness (i mean really, I came to see a band, not hang out in the dark). Noodling is cool if it is done well and not too many bands do that well.
Again, I am always bare footed but we are a hippie band so it works. I hate bands that are filled with a bunch of older guys (I am 47 so I can say it),but they are wearing spandex or have the mullet kickin.. Any band that plays Mony Mony and then tries to have the crowd yell back (Hey - Hey What....) Set lists kill me. Man someone got me started.. Sorry everyone

 

[Betrayer_Bass]

Not really a performance thing, but when you support a band you like and the singer is too busy trying to get laid after the show to even say hi to you..

 

[knumbskull]

so long as they're giving an all-in, committed, 100% honest performance, I'm not too bothered about details

...actually, I am ...when bands say, "Find us on Facebook!" or read out a web address. That does not make me want to rock.

 

[AdamR]

My turn offs

Bands that arent loud enough, Bands with no tattoos, To much sleeve on there T-shirts, bands that dont break a sweat on stage, Rock bands that dont act like rock bands, rock bands that play through 25 watt 1X12 combo amps, band members that crank there instruments up to there throats.

I go to a rock show to see a rock show.

 

[WokenDeer]

I like your thinking Adam! Ha

 

[Betrayer_Bass]

Bands that have an incredible stage presence, set up a show with 100 musicians, orchestra, choir, the whole thng. Make an awesome show then refuse to release the DVD.

Here's looking at you, Dimmu Borgir!

 

[P. Aaron]

The drummer in a band I play with: thinks he's getting paid by the note.

 

[Thrill-House]

- inappropriate gear. Biggest example being that metal band that brought their marshall full stacks and 2 8x10 fridges to a smaller sized venue and a cramped stage. Might not even be that bad except that they insist on cranking their amps so loud that their sound becomes a mess and no one can discern the notes they are playing. I like rock and metal as much as anyone else, but theres really no point in bringing huge setups like that to any gig really. And there is a point at which the amps are too loud, even for metal.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the guys that bring crappy little practice amps and expect them to be able to cut in a gig. Even if you mic them or hook them up with a DI, practice amps usually dont cut it tone wise, making the band as unpleasant to listen to as the first example.

- Tuning addicts. We had one of these in the last band i was in. For one reason or another, he would spend a few minutes after EVERY song tuning, even if the previous song sounded fine. If your guitar needs to be tuned that often, its time to buy a more reliable one. Or stop being so obsessive.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

The recent posts regarding shoes vs. barefoot has actually convinced me to wear shoes onstage! (That and no less than two broken toes at a recent band practice. No lie, I stubbed one on a cymbal stand, stumbled, and stubbed another on my amp. I was on a cane for about a week). I always though it would be hard to manage my fx pedals with shoes. But two rehearsals with shoes and I was ready for my first shoed gig last Thursday. I must say I'm a convert.

 

[nortonrider]

The recent posts regarding shoes vs. barefoot has actually convinced me to wear shoes onstage! (That and no less than two broken toes at a recent band practice. No lie, I stubbed one on a cymbal stand, stumbled, and stubbed another on my amp. I was on a cane for about a week). I always though it would be hard to manage my fx pedals with shoes. But two rehearsals with shoes and I was ready for my first shoed gig last Thursday. I must say I'm a convert.

Why were you barefoot in the first place?
Because you thought it was "cool"?

Seriously.... why? It was not really because if the pedals, was it.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

I never thought it was "cool" per se. I thought (for some silly reason) that it would be easier to use my fx pedals if I could feel them with my bare feet. (I know, not true. I know that now).

 

[oniman7]

Forced, unnatural stage presence.

Synchronized jumping.

Spinning an instrument around your neck as if no ones every done in before.

Synchronized jumping can be fun. We used to do a song where the bridge was 3 measures of power chord riffage and then a measure of a drum fill repeated a couple times. My guitarists were real goofballs and started jumping in sync to come back on the downbeat playing a power chord at practice. It sometimes carried over to shows. If stage presence is natural and fluid, the crowd will usually feel it.

 

[jerrytheband]

Synchronized jumping can be fun. We used to do a song where the bridge was 3 measures of power chord riffage and then a measure of a drum fill repeated a couple times. My guitarists were real goofballs and started jumping in sync to come back on the downbeat playing a power chord at practice. It sometimes carried over to shows. If stage presence is natural and fluid, the crowd will usually feel it.

 

[cchorney]

I don't mind a little banter between musicians so long as it is not between every song.

My biggest complaint (that I don't think has been covered explicitly yet) is when the sound guy has the drummers bass drum so loud that It rattles my rib cage. I just can't enjoy it when it feels like I am being continually kicked in the chest.

I'm looking at you Toads Place. There is no reason Johnny Winter's drummer needed to be giving me a heart massage.

Hey that's my home town live music bar right there - are you local to the New Haven area? I grew up there, saw a ton of bands. Never got to play in the stage. I should really reach out to their booking agent, see if I can get my current band (covers not originals) booked. If I do, I'll put in a word to teh sound guy to take it easy with the defibrillations.

 

[cchorney]

- inappropriate gear. Biggest example being that metal band that brought their marshall full stacks and 2 8x10 fridges to a smaller sized venue and a cramped stage. Might not even be that bad except that they insist on cranking their amps so loud that their sound becomes a mess and no one can discern the notes they are playing. I like rock and metal as much as anyone else, but theres really no point in bringing huge setups like that to any gig really. And there is a point at which the amps are too loud, even for metal.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the guys that bring crappy little practice amps and expect them to be able to cut in a gig. Even if you mic them or hook them up with a DI, practice amps usually dont cut it tone wise, making the band as unpleasant to listen to as the first example.

- Tuning addicts. We had one of these in the last band i was in. For one reason or another, he would spend a few minutes after EVERY song tuning, even if the previous song sounded fine. If your guitar needs to be tuned that often, its time to buy a more reliable one. Or stop being so obsessive.

I agree with you on the "too much volume for the gig" issue. I have some sympathy for the Joe who brought everything just in case, only to arrive and realized he didn't need to rent the truck. But the mercy is short lived is they cause me ear pain.

Regarding the "practice amp / tone" complaint, there's a lot of room for definition there. I regularly gig with my 210 combo amp. If its not enough volume for the venue I DI or mic it. And while l like my tone, others may not. Related anecdote: I used to get into tone fights with a previous guitarist who had strong opinions on how my bass should sound, opinions that didn't match my own. So I know that one man's good tone is another man's bad tone. Still, I hear you on bassists who's idea of good tone doesn't match mine.