Do you play for yourself or for the audience? (POLL)

[lfmn16]

It also amazes me that most classic rock cover band set lists are practically the same.

My bands play songs that we enjoy but we also want the audience to enjoy them. If someone mentions a new song, we discuss it and try to come up with a consensus as to whether or not it will go over well. Majority rules. If we add a song that doesn't go over well at one venue, we will try it at another. If it bombs again, we drop the song. Most successful bands end playing a combination of songs they like and songs they don't like. If the audience is having a good time and you enjoy most of what you play you will be fine.

That's because picking and learning new songs takes work. I see it posted time after time here on TB, people bragging about their pickup work, throwing a band together with no rehearsal and playing a gig. Probably the same ones who complain about having to play the same tired songs over and over.

 

[Dogbertday]

That's because picking and learning new songs takes work. I see it posted time after time here on TB, people bragging about their pickup work, throwing a band together with no rehearsal and playing a gig. Probably the same ones who complain about having to play the same tired songs over and over.

Not meaning to derail the thread further, but if you do your homework and/or can read, pickup gigs with no rehearsal and unfamiliar music are completely do-able.

Ok back in topic. The selfish part for me playing music is the escapism I get at ALMOST every kind of gig.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

If I'm not enjoying it, you can probably bet my audience isn't enjoying it to the fullest. Find your joy in the song. Somehow.

 

[Jughead6]

It is possible to take a mediocre, generic modern pop song and make it special.

 

[lfmn16]

Not meaning to derail the thread further, but if you do your homework and/or can read, pickup gigs with no rehearsal and unfamiliar music are completely do-able.

Ok back in topic. The selfish part for me playing music is the escapism I get at ALMOST every kind of gig.

I've done many myself. I ve also gone to see bands that do them. Do-able is not the standard I strive for today.

 

[Bodeanly]

the escapism

This.

Plus the chicks.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Well OP, you are saying you wont enjoy PLAYING a song because you don't enjoy the song. those are two very different things. I'll tell you in my originals band some of my favorite songs to play are my least favorite to listen to and the opposite is also true. and there are plenty of cover tunes that I absolutely hate the song but enjoy playing the riff. and tons of cover songs that I love the song but I learn to play them and they bore the **** out of me.

also if you're not playing what people want to hear you're going to have a very short career.

 

[DwaynieAD]

With all of the millions of songs out there it always amazes me when bands struggle to find 40 that both they AND the audience like.

but just look at the OP's tone, decided he hates tunes and doesnt wanna play them simply because they may be popular. from his initial post I think he may have not even heard the tunes he doesn't wanna play. I mean he's young and thats just fine and not everyone has to like all music, I know I don't, but sometimes peoples greatest obstacle is getting out of their own way.

 

[lfmn16]

It is possible to take a mediocre, generic modern pop song and make it special.

I see a lot more bands taking special songs and making them mediocre and generic.

 

[obimark]

I do both. I don't lower my chops to the audience level, but I keep the groove going if we happen to get a dancer or two. My bands set-list is not getting us many gigs. I guess playing power trio classic rock is more about who we are as a band. But man is it fun to do.

 

[DudeLeap]

I think you should always be playing what you like and enjoy if you don't then what's the point?

 

[FretNoMore]

Both - we play songs we like and believe the audience also will like. We don't play crowd pleasers we can't stand ourselves. The type of venue and audience is considered when we put together the set lists; we may change the selection towards more blues, more rock, more slower songs or an unplugged type set depending on who we're playing for.

 

[TheSlug]

I chose carrots. The answer is both or none. I am not a professional musician so when i play live, i get a kick inside of me. That kick is caused by the audiences presence. If there were only four people there, i would not go on stage, or just call it a band practice, if it were a small party with about 10 people, i would most likely do it for free even if i was offered a small payment so i could choose to say fakk yu to the people asking us to play wonderwall by oasis.

 

[Funkmabassup]

Practice: Songs I like
With Audience it depends on what band I play with, in some coverband situations we play all the crap the audience wanna hear but it depends what type of job it is.
Also depends on what band im playing with in the first place. But as long as I get well paid there are no boundries for what garbage i can play

 

[DavC]

for the first few decades playing out on keys/bass/vocals ... I spent a lot of time and energy trying to play what I thought people wanted to hear ... which was quite frustrating and really held me back ...

when I finally figured out I needed to play what makes me happy at the very best of my abilities , that others would like it even more ...!! and if not , I didn't/don't care ,... I am now Free to happily play at my best ...

so , my answer needed to be ' Carrots ' ...

 

[Honch]

Find it extremely peculiar that these choices should be viewed as opposite. Very very dumb poll. Because I happen to do both. Equally. A tiny tendency to get to the audience moreso since the bass is an instrument you really should play together with other musicians. A guitar or piano, one can take care of it all, bass lines, rhythm, melody at the same time, so you're more egomaniacal on those ones. Great classical pianist and mega-eccentric GLENN GOULD went into hibernation and just played for himself. He recorded it though, and let audience buy it. But still found performance and recitals extremely gladiator like events.

If left on a desert island, I would not bring a bass, but other instrument, that I could play for myself only.

 

[Scotty1230]

We play to the audience because it's what we are hired for. Our only job is to keep people drinking for as long as we can. Whenever we have let someone make a song choice that doesn't fit the rest of the top 40 theme, the dance floor empties quickly.

 

[BassBert104]

If your a Bass player, you play for your audience --- if your a guitar player, you play for yourself

 

[hintz]

I voted carrots because you had no option for *both*

 

[HolmeBass]

It really *has* to be a mixture of both to be successful. Too much self-indulgence can be boring and too esoteric but on the other hand no one wants to watch people pander to them. I think we have all seen the slick-but-bored wedding/corporate band performance that is "perfect" but ultimately boring as hell.