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How do you shoot down song requests?

#42
roberts67 said:
I saw Dweezil Zappa in Portland last weekend. Someone screamed a request between songs. Dweezil responded by saying “this is why we have a set list folks.”
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Yeah. I guess Dweezil has inherited some of his dad’s old penchant for snarky behaviors and attitudes. Not everything calls for a “witty” comeback. Most pros who don’t take requests simply ignore them and carry on.
 
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#43
Playing straight through with no "dead air" between songs can go a long way towards solving this problem. We also considered a "menu" on stage listing the most frequently requested songs and prices. Only downside to that would be that someone might actually pony up whatever price was listed and then we'd have to deliver the goods - a $500 version of "Freebird" or a $1000 version of "Proud Mary". A standard response we occasionally used when someone would request "some blues" was: "We don't get the blues. We make too much money."
 
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#44
SLO Surfer said:
If you work out tight transitions from song to song you’ll never give an audience member the chance to ask.
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Works every single time. We'd string together 3 or 4 songs followed by the 10 to 15 second, "hi we're... don't forget to tip your bartender and waitress" then move on. If approached during a break, I'd always say "I'm new in the group and I know they have a very structured set but I'll ask them. No guarantees though. How about I buy a drink?" Never had an issue that way.
 
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#45
Could be a request for Dwight Yokum, we'll say we don't play that, but we'll play one that he wrote for another band in just a couple songs... then announce a song as written by Dwight Yokum... and play the who's "won't get fooled again". Funny how through the night we'll get asked if Dwight really wrote it. Amazing how many great artists collaborated on that song. ;)
 
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#47
dbase said:
I usually tell them if they ask me for a request that I know it but the rest of the band doesn't .;)
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AH-HA!!! Are you really one of those? :rage::sour::mad:;)

Back in 1972 when I was touring with a nightclub group, we had to replace our guitarist. Hired this hot-:poop: guitarist out of LA. He was good but arrogant. When someone requested a song, he invariably said, "I know that song, but they don't" About a week after he was with us and saying that every night (we got a lot of requests because we played a wide variety of music), he shook his head no and said, "we don't know that one". And then the rest of us piped up and said, "Well, we know it but he doesn't".

That finally put the shoe on the other foot and he became vividly aware of just how disrespectful that comment was to the rest of the group. That put a stop to it. After that everyone would answer, "Sorry we, don't know that one." I'd like to say that his arrogance disappeared, but it didn't. It did lessen a bit though and got to be a bit more of an "us" than a "me" attitude with him and that was a nice change.
 
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#48
60bass said:
Works every single time. We'd string together 3 or 4 songs followed by the 10 to 15 second, "hi we're... don't forget to tip your bartender and waitress" then move on. If approached during a break, I'd always say "I'm new in the group and I know they have a very structured set but I'll ask them. No guarantees though. How about I buy a drink?" Never had an issue that way.
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We've tried that... for some reason, in the middle of a song people like to come to me, and give requests in the middle of a song. I do my best to get the song title wrong... and holler back... "STAND BY YOUR MAN"?, Or any other Ridiculous song title... letting them know that I can't hear a word they're saying.... I eventually smile... and tell them to talk to the drummer between sets.
 
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#53
Fingerer said:
What is a respectful way to tell someone, or an audience, your band does not take requests? Would making an announcement before the first break help? Or would that be looked at as unprofessional?

We are a new band so our setlist is limited to songs we know we can perform together. I'm sure we will eventually be able to accommodate requests, but would prefer to stick with a setlist to stay in the flow. Anyhoo, curious how you experienced folks handle it.

In an unrelated note, our guitar player actually asked if he was too loud. Yeah, go ahead and read that again. He's not the greatest of players, and doesn't learn songs quickly as the rest of us, but he is very capable with a great attitude. I'll take it. They do exist.
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We usually just say sorry we don’t know it, and we would not want to ruin your request by just trying to play a Half a$& version of it. They usually agree with that.
 
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#54
They always ask me. If we know it, we'll play it. If it's our style but don't know it, I tell them we'll try to learn it before we come back again. If they are REALLY insistent....I tell them where the tip jar is located. We got a $50 tip for playing "When a Man Loves a Woman" that night.

If the request is for something completely out of our wheel house, I tell them thanks for the input but we don't play that style (with a heart felt smile).
 
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#56
Fingerer said:
What is a respectful way to tell someone, or an audience, your band does not take requests? Would making an announcement before the first break help? Or would that be looked at as unprofessional?

We are a new band so our setlist is limited to songs we know we can perform together. I'm sure we will eventually be able to accommodate requests, but would prefer to stick with a setlist to stay in the flow. Anyhoo, curious how you experienced folks handle it.

In an unrelated note, our guitar player actually asked if he was too loud. Yeah, go ahead and read that again. He's not the greatest of players, and doesn't learn songs quickly as the rest of us, but he is very capable with a great attitude. I'll take it. They do exist.
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My standard response "we don't do requests unless someone asks us to"
 
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#57
"How do you shoot down song requests?"
Finger Guns.
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#58
Rip Van Dan said:
AH-HA!!! Are you really one of those? :rage::sour::mad:;)

Back in 1972 when I was touring with a nightclub group, we had to replace our guitarist. Hired this hot-:poop: guitarist out of LA. He was good but arrogant. When someone requested a song, he invariably said, "I know that song, but they don't" About a week after he was with us and saying that every night (we got a lot of requests because we played a wide variety of music), he shook his head no and said, "we don't know that one". And then the rest of us piped up and said, "Well, we know it but he doesn't".

That finally put the shoe on the other foot and he became vividly aware of just how disrespectful that comment was to the rest of the group. That put a stop to it. After that everyone would answer, "Sorry we, don't know that one." I'd like to say that his arrogance disappeared, but it didn't. It did lessen a bit though and got to be a bit more of an "us" than a "me" attitude with him and that was a nice change.
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What I meant to say is we know that song but the drummer doesn't. ;)
 
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