My drummer this weekend, talking about a new bass I picked up a couple of rehearsals ago: "Man, I love the sound of that bass. When you play it right, it sits so perfectly in the mix!" 
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Best awkward compliment you've gotten
- Thread starter VeryTallBassist
- Start date
A female member of the audience, after a gig on Friday, told a friend of mine who was leading our band, "You look really handsome.... I didn't recognize you."
I’ve heard “you’re better than I thought” and “I’d probably listen to you if I wasn’t drunk”. That’s my favorite
"Your tone is pretty good for a short scale bass" 
Your a helluva bass player but, the rest of your band.....meh.
You focus on bass, you play it better than you sing
"Have you lost weight? Your face does not look so fat."
A long long time ago I was in a band that was playing mostly original music, we did do some covers but most of the our songs were written by us, at the end of one gig three different people came up to us and said we sounded just like Rush, the awkward part was none of us had heard of Rush so we didn’t know what really to say except thanks assuming it was a compliment.
SF studio engineer upon hearing playback: " Sounds a lot better than I thought it would. "
I was once told by a patron that I was a brick wall. I was confused and asked if it was because, at the time, I stood motionless when performing and was the one member of a dance band not shuffling about, usually stuck blocking some employee entrance, watching for a door to blast open and hit me unexpectedly...again.
It turned out that the compliment was meant to express that I was foundational to our band and holding things together well.
It turned out that the compliment was meant to express that I was foundational to our band and holding things together well.
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ooh I have a few... these are not verbatim quotes but you get the idea:
"thanks not not having sh!tty bass tone" at a recording session. A lot of the bands there are metal bands where he gets a lot of aggressive, not so good tone
"he's a great bass player, but he couldn't cut it on trumpet" - from the MD of a show choir/band in college. I auditioned a couple years prior on trumpet but I'm not a screamer so didn't get it, but nailed the audition on bass. He was trying to compliment my bass playing but like, dude, trumpet was my main instrument college, I just wasn't a jazzer haha
"you guys are so good, and you're totally sexy AF, for real" um. ok thanks drunk lady.. and at the same bar:
"you guys are so good, seriously, like, sploosh sploosh" no comment
to the guitarist: "wow you're amazing man, seriously like when you play it sounds like.... SEVEN guitars" then turns like he's breaking the fourth wall on a documentary tv show, "you just KNOW he's gettin some"
"heyyy mr sax man!!" me: "I play bass" him: "ohh, cool" as he walks off uninterested
"you finally learned to play less" ouch, but he had a point.
someone threw a cigarette at me while playing... I'm not sure if that was some kind of compliment or tip, but, they were happy and liked my playing I guess? Someone also threw a quarter at me as a tip. *** man
After the gig we stopped at the gas station for some drinks and snacks for the ride home, someone that was at the gig happened to be there. "wow you guys were so good... so, um... do you guys need another guitar player? I've been playing for like a year now..." uhhhhh....
"thanks not not having sh!tty bass tone" at a recording session. A lot of the bands there are metal bands where he gets a lot of aggressive, not so good tone
"he's a great bass player, but he couldn't cut it on trumpet" - from the MD of a show choir/band in college. I auditioned a couple years prior on trumpet but I'm not a screamer so didn't get it, but nailed the audition on bass. He was trying to compliment my bass playing but like, dude, trumpet was my main instrument college, I just wasn't a jazzer haha
"you guys are so good, and you're totally sexy AF, for real" um. ok thanks drunk lady.. and at the same bar:
"you guys are so good, seriously, like, sploosh sploosh" no comment
to the guitarist: "wow you're amazing man, seriously like when you play it sounds like.... SEVEN guitars" then turns like he's breaking the fourth wall on a documentary tv show, "you just KNOW he's gettin some"
"heyyy mr sax man!!" me: "I play bass" him: "ohh, cool" as he walks off uninterested
"you finally learned to play less" ouch, but he had a point.
someone threw a cigarette at me while playing... I'm not sure if that was some kind of compliment or tip, but, they were happy and liked my playing I guess? Someone also threw a quarter at me as a tip. *** man
After the gig we stopped at the gas station for some drinks and snacks for the ride home, someone that was at the gig happened to be there. "wow you guys were so good... so, um... do you guys need another guitar player? I've been playing for like a year now..." uhhhhh....
From 3-4 bands I've filled in with: Wow you're a lot better than we expected.
I guess that is a compliment but what were they expecting?
I guess that is a compliment but what were they expecting?
Uh..hey man...I like your hair.
In late 2022 I started playing through an adult band camp in downtown Philly. Some players had real gig experience, and some were beginners. My band was a mix. After our first show, which was the first show for the camp as a whole, the owner (an old friend) said, "Wow, you guys were actually good!" His shock was obvious.
He knew I had played in bands, but I don't think he realized that one of our guitarists had played professionally. Aston Barrett actually recorded a track with the dude's previous band.
He knew I had played in bands, but I don't think he realized that one of our guitarists had played professionally. Aston Barrett actually recorded a track with the dude's previous band.
I know this have been there more than once, but still my favorite:
"Of all the bands I ever heard, yours is definitely one of them".
"Of all the bands I ever heard, yours is definitely one of them".
You hang out with Henny Youngman and Freddy Roman?
The few times I've been in an opener for Scandinavian bands has shown me those people are masters of this craft. Examples include:
"Very loud!"
"Good movement around stage"
"You could be good very soon"
"Skinny Lemmy! Very skinny!"
"Very loud!"
"Good movement around stage"
"You could be good very soon"
"Skinny Lemmy! Very skinny!"
"You sound good for playing a Rickenbacker.
I always thought they sounded like 'Maneater'".
I still don't understand that one, but I remember it from 31 years ago.
I always thought they sounded like 'Maneater'".
I still don't understand that one, but I remember it from 31 years ago.
