Live bands vs. DJ's...

[fhm555]

Well, if that is true, I think it is very sad, IMHO. Cringe at the sound of a live band??? One might as well stay home and dance to their iPod or stereo. Again, IMHO.

But at home you choice of potential partners is very linited.
Not to mention that who will see your cool new lumber sexual outfit, your manbun, or your pointy shoes? And there will be no compliments on the pleasent smell of your beard conditioning oil or you antique (real) tortise shell framed glasses.
People gather to dance as a way to meet and pair up, the music and how it’s delivered are really as incidental as all the rest of the current trends. Here it’s brewpubs. They can make beer but can only sell it on site so taprooms geared to maximum profit are the norm and they all have a corner where a DJ can set up a small table which is also where the interface for connecting into the very nice house A/V system is. I’ve been out a few times to see my nephew the DJ and he’s working the sights and sounds, and the crowd, even those talking are all bobbing to the beat. I call his work infectious grooves because it’s near constant and very bass heavy. This allows people to dance when they are ready and anyone with a pulse can follow the music.
If my nephews show is typical of the DJ experience these days, it is much more accessable to the listener and makes music a part of the decor rather than the focus of the room.
And last but certainly not least is the rooms i’ve seen my nephew work in have the sound engineered to match the layout of the room. Where open spaces exist, the music is very present, but at the bar or in conversation areas it’s closer to muzak levels. You still feel the beat from the dance areas, but you can hold a conversation without having to yell over the PA.
From what little i’ve seen of a bar featuring a DJ, it is a much more refined version of the live band thing. The intent is still exactly the same, finding a sex partner utilizing the presex dance ritual and the proper social lubricant, but dancing is no longer having to wait on the right song and it is possible to have a conversation over drinks like a fern bar, but the shake it on down pit is just steps away rather than around the block or halfway across town.

 

[dan1952]

I am amazed! If everyone on TB shares these opinions, they should sell their basses and amps and buy /use smart phones.

Unfortunately it's not just an opinion about live bands. The reality is that most younger people have never even really heard much live music with actual musicians, and they are used to hearing computer generated "music."

 

[jaymelewis]

I'm not sure it's a one vs. the other argument here; they're totally different experiences entirely. Yes, they revolve around music being heard, but one allows you to do something that the other simply cannot (and vice versa).

When DJing, you can tether in other elements of production that a band simply cannot (well, they can but it gets RIDICULOUSLY expensive). A DJ can program a set, his lights, video and other production elements all himself. He/She is a one stop shop, one paycheck, one person (therefore more affordable for the venue) and the price is reflected as such.

A 5-piece band could bring you that level of production if they have their own LD, FOH and production/stage manager (an 8-person outfit now), unless they're playing to tracks (starting to sound an awful lot like a DJ now... Not that I personally mind, but at that point maybe you're better off splitting the check one way instead of 8 ways?).

One gives you "live, right here right now!" engagement and the other offers levels of production at a price that won't break the bank. Better or worse? I don't think so - just different. Both have their place, and if money is no object I say get the band. People love seeing and interacting with other people; it's in our DNA. But I never get mad at a venue choosing a $1500 DJ over a $3000 band. I'd make the same choice if I were a venue owner. In fact, I DJ'ed my own wedding. I played weddings for over 10 years, probably did 100's of them, and there's no way I'd spend that kind of money when I knew I could get it for free/cheap haha!

Just my thoughts

 

[ZenG]

We are continually moving forward in history. Bridges are burned behind us and every day is a new dawn.

Time marches and and we cannot go back. What once was is no longer.

Memories are forever. You can never go home again.

Time heals all wounds. Today is the first day of the rest of your past.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...

Who knows anything really..

 

[bholder]

We are continually moving forward in history. Bridges are burned behind us and every day is a new dawn.

Time marches and and we cannot go back. What once was is no longer.

Memories are forever. You can never go home again.

Time heals all wounds. Today is the first day of the rest of your past.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...

Who knows anything really..

Time flies like an arrow.

Fruit flies like a banana.

 

[bholder]

"Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."
- Galadriel

 

[bholder]

My money's still on the live bands when it comes to a smackdown, simply because of numbers and the fact that they're already carrying nice bludgeoning weapons. Perfect gig for a Peavey T-40!

 

[Mili]

I blame the generation and media. No offense but general musical taste of whole planet is like sh*t these days. When you have a shi*ty taste you are much easier to be satisfied and this is not just music,look at movies...
We are falling down my friends.

 

[JohnMCA72]

...
So, fast forward to the present. I am hoping that those who enjoy dancing to a DJ can also appreciate that a live group offers so much more and are prepared to pay for for that experience...thoughts?

A live performer (solo or band) needs to do something different & better than a DJ (or jukebox, for that matter) can. One huge advantage that a DJ/jukebox has is consistency. They can play any song exactly the same, 100% true to the radio (or any other) mix, time after time, on demand. There's no live performer in the world that can do that, not even the original recording artists. It's foolish for a "cover" band/player to even try, other than the occasional song that they might happen to be perfectly suited for (some people have 1 or 2 of those if they're very lucky; most of us don't have any).

What a live performer needs to do is to find a way to add value to the performance other than by note-by-note, tone-by-tone, inflection-by-inflection reproduction of an original recording. There's a DJ or jukebox that can always deliver a precise & accurate rendition of the original, but they can never "own" it & put their own take/spin/interpretation of a song & turn it into a performance. That's where live performers have the best chance to completely outclass any recording.

 

[SactoBass]

New country is the old "classic rock" RnB has been hijacked by hip hop, Hell there's even "country rap" ............ its a brave and/or weird new world, take your pick

+1

The human race seems to get bored rather easily. That's why humans often do things such as create fake things to actually believe in (such as astrology and mythical beings and luck from a rabbit's foot and determining your future by reading the lines in your palm) as well as create new twists on old themes such as what is mentioned by bluesblaster above. It's why we went from the big band sound to Elvis to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles to acid rock to heavy metal to punk to grunge to rap (yuck!!!) to "Slaves Shall Serve" by Behemoth. I like to image a couple of aliens hovering above Earth in their spaceship and monitoring the human race for decades, and one of them finally looks at the other one and says "you have *GOT* to be kidding!"

One could easily argue that music (like so many other things) has experienced a natural progression, and change is inevitable. Okay, that's cool. I'm fine with that. But I will say that some of what has come out of those changes are, IMO, very undesirable, while other changes are, IMO, cool. Welcome to the very bizarre world of the human race!

 

[SactoBass]

Well, I kinda saw the writing on the wall in the 90s sometime, when they started having these things called "raves" in Vancouver. Loud, loud, loud sub-bass, and lotsa pulsating lights. Mostly just very repetitive rhythmic noise with variations. But ideal for its purpose... "dance music" as an excuse to socialize and/or enjoy some chemically altered states. Or just pure dance, for people who got a buzz off of dancing-mixed -with-serious-permanent-ear-damage. (what?)

Anyway, "musicians" are really an anachronism nowadays. Onceaponatime they were a necessary evil to allow composers to get their music out there nice and loud (so as to please their royal overlords who were competing with their peers to see who could command the coolest MUSIC. ) As time went on, recording studios, radio, records, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, minidisks, ipods... etc. more or less replaced any practical NEED to hire musicians. Now it's just a cult of personality thing, for the most part.

Thanks to improvements in Artificial Intelligence - you scarcely even need composers nowadays - let alone performing musicians. So are we going the way of the "insert obsolete 19th-century doodad here"?? Certainly.
Soon we can add "bass-player" to this long and growing list!


However, just remember that there are thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people still indulging in listening and/or performing "Classical Music", Baroque music (with period-replica orchestras even!) &etc... So just because it's obsolete, doesn't mean you cannot still enjoy it. In our post-modern society, a decent percentage of human beings actually have the leisure Time and leisure Money to do just that. And so they do.


Full disclosure: I still enjoy playing my own favorite sorts of mid-20th-century archaic semi-improvised electric blues rock and roll music, performed live in person with a few like minded people. And I fully expect to keep doing some variation of that for another 85 years at least, and I'm sure there will always be some sort of limited but enthusiastic audience for it. It's all who you know, really! If your town doesn't support your particular flavor of artistry... go find one that does! (it's a big world out there, people...)

*Outstanding* post, Mike!

 

[Marley's Ghost]

Unfortunately it's not just an opinion about live bands. The reality is that most younger people have never even really heard much live music with actual musicians, and they are used to hearing computer generated "music."

Stereotype much? Huge numbers of teens and millenials are flocking to Firefly, Burning Man, Lollapalooza, SXSW and numerous other festivals to hear hundreds of live rock bands, many of whom are unknown in the mainstream. Sure, those festivals feature EDM too, but the live music scene is alive and well. Bands like the Killers and Foo Fighters have arena tours that consistently sell out. Don't let MTV and award shows fool you. Rock is dead they say? Long live rock!

 

[SactoBass]

Growing up in the '60's, the "sock-hops" at school were a lot of fun...mostly because they offered a chance to ask that special girl to dance (if I had enough courage that she might say no). It was all that was offered and listening/dancing to records was all that I could afford.

I then started to play bass, while still in school. I started a garage band and began to appreciate the dynamics of live music. Dick Clark's "Dance Party" was all the rage then, but I didn't appreciate the lip-syncing...again it sounded phony, you might as well listen to the records.

As the garage band progressed, we started to play gigs and, yes the audience (and girls) seemed to enjoy it more than records...at least they paid the price of admission and had fun! It was apparent, at least to me, that even if the cover band was not as good as the original recording, dancing and listening to a live group was preferred.

I know that I appreciated attending live concerts with Sam and Dave, Ike and Tina Turner, James Brown and various cover bands for other performers of that era. Although they did not necessarily sound identical their recordings, the "dynamics" were there...much similar to the Eagles recorded or live.

So, fast forward to the present. I am hoping that those who enjoy dancing to a DJ can also appreciate that a live group offers so much more and are prepared to pay for for that experience...thoughts?

In my humble opinion, no form of recorded music will ever be a replacement for music performed live. IMO, there is just something different about experiencing music performed live that you just don't get from listening to a recording. That is why, IMO, there will always be room (and a desire) for both forms. And I enjoy both!

I recently purchased tickets to see James Taylor in June, the Eagles in September, and Elton John in January. Based on how fast the tickets sold for those shows, I'd say live music performance is still alive and well!

 

[CapnSev]

I wouldn’t sweat it too terribly much. Yes, live music is not that popular anymore. It will always have a place somewhere, because there are always going to be people who love and appreciate it, even when it’s not what the rest of the masses are doing. I mean, look at jazz.

Also, all things old will become new again. Eventually, computerized music will get old and people will come back to bands again. It happened briefly when the 80s transitioned into the 90s and all the Seattle stuff took over for a few years. Look at how popular vinyl is again, and how clothing tends are continually reaching backwards.

 

[SactoBass]

the live music scene is alive and well. Bands like the Killers and Foo Fighters have arena tours that consistently sell out. Don't let MTV and award shows fool you. Rock is dead they say? Long live rock!

Bada bing!

 

[lbbc]

I do both...play live music and DJ. Last weekend our band performed at a wedding in Vermont but was asked to play some "dance" music that our 3-piece acoustic band doesn't do. So, I offered to provide dual services. They paid the band a fee then additional fees for DJ. Everyone, including my band, was happy with the outcome.

I DJ primarily weddings where there's limited space and for brides who have very specific requests/demands (lol). The down side, as you know, is that a DJ usually gets paid more than a band. That's just the way it is. So when I get a call to DJ, I offer the "2fer". That way I get to play with my band (which I prefer to do) and provide music we don't/can't pull off.

 

[bluesblaster]

Rock n Roll is to awnry to die, it mixes the sacred and the profane, the ying and the yang, the love me tender and the dent in the fender, kick your ass and cure your cough, bring you down and get you off. and yes, it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Jimmy Dean....................James Dean, Rock On !

 

[SactoBass]

As if it didn't already have enough going against it, the plethora of musicians striving for mediocrity is slowly twisting the knife left by an already fickle crowd. Dad bands, strat with a hat blues bands and quasi trop rock bands, all performing half learned renditions of songs that have been done to death. When is the last time you went to see a local band, cover or original, that left you with your jaw hanging open and the desire to go home and practice? PA on a stick jammed in the corner by the ATM with a light show that gets left on auto and changes colors when somebody talks into a microphone or breaks a rack of pool balls. Very rarely do you see any serious showmanship or effort put forth by performers these days. It's got to be frustrating as an audience member to go out hoping to be entertained, only to see one of ten bands play the same set of 30 songs that the other nine bands are doing.

Very well stated!

There's nothing more disappointing than to go see a live cover band, only to discover that it is STUNNINGLY obvious that the people in the band didn't take the time to learn to play the material correctly. Usually what happens then is, I look at my buddy and say "let's get the he!! outta here." Same thing happens when a band plays those ultra-boring "worn out" songs.

Once in a great while I will come across a cover band that *NAILS* the material and sounds absolutely phenomenal! Those bands always receive *GREAT* crowd response, and for good reason.......it is obvious to the audience that the people in the band took the time to learn to perform the material correctly instead of taking the lazy way out and "half-arsing" the music. The lazy way out is the easy way out, which is why it is so prevalent. Even members in the audience who don't know much about music find themselves liking [or disliking] the sound of the band based on how true to the original recordings the band members perform the songs. Case in point: a few years ago my wife and I went to see a Chicago tribute band. They were fantastic! You could tell that the band learned, studied, and rehearsed the material in a dedicated manner. The crowd cheered loudly after every song. That kind of crowd response speaks for itself.

 

[soulman969]

Many decent bands have to run sound from the stage and depend on automated lighting because there is no longer enough budget for a dedicated sound man let alone the additional light guy. And yes the guys who were the cool rocker dudes of the 80's & 90's are now the Dad bands as we near 2020. And yes too many lame players willing to devalue the product just so they can play at rock star.

It never ceases to amaze me how many poorly practiced and unprepared "musicians" believe they are killing it when they really just plain terrible. Getting drunk and claiming they "just want to have fun" seems to consistently be their answer. IMO you can't make quality music with out quality musicians and you can't be a quality musician if you don't have a professional mindset. Learn the songs correctly; play the songs correctly, stay sober, and keep the volume in check seems to be too demanding for most.

IME this kind of nails it for the market near me as I see it.

There are far too many "amateur" basement bands willing to take a gig for less or nothing more than a $50-$100 bar tab for them and the 10-12 neighbors or co-workers they bring out to support them. Then what usually happen is a band whose lousy to begin with gets more drunk and even more lousy and their supporters become drunk and obnoxious sending regulars heading for the door early.

I've watched it happen in a club I managed a bar in on weekends because one owner was too cheap to pay for good bands. I was hired specifically to help bring in good entertainment through my contacts and this guy fought me at every turn even after we'd packed this place one night even with a $5 cover for top local rockabilly band we paid $600. It was one of the highest grossing nights we'd ever had and yet the owner thought he could replicate it with bands he gave $100 bar tab to.

Clubs pay less now so we have to scale down. I won't sacrifice the caliber of the music but the days of bringing in sound and lights are over in most every place I would play any longer. Luckily gear has caught up a bit and we can still do a quality gig with less and usually at a much lower volume level which also seems to please in most places. The club crowds have aged and don't want ear splitting volume and good bands have found ways to do that by downsizing rigs and PAs.

As for material I've always felt it pays to be as eclectic as possible. I never felt good about being hemmed into one genre. Even in the days when what I called '70s bar rock and roll prevailed we still looked for great dance tunes and other "one off" material that wasn't as mainstream but if played well was easy to sell and became popular enough as trademark for the bands I was in. Give them a lot of what they want and they'll be satisfied enough to party to what else you want to offer as alternatives as well.

The wedding and private party market is far different and I've done a lot of gigs in it. These days in order to compete with DJs you have to be somewhat special and offer what they can't in the way of "live entertainment". IMHO it's tough to it without very good musicianship and an ability to cover many genre from many eras and even the ability to pull off a request for a tune not on the set list yet do a professional enough job of performing it that you can make it work.

That's where the "big money" gigs are but you have to be a cut above the average club band to get them, dress for the part and really work hard to entertain well and keep the crowd engaged and dancing. Any band I've been in who works in that market is almost a different band playing a private party or wedding than we are when doing club gigs. If they're gonna pay your price you have to give them what they ask for even if it comes down to performing material you wouldn't ordinarily do otherwise. But do it well and you'll always get referrals that keep those type of gigs coming. That's been my experience.

 

[Jebberz]

Each time we are hired for a wedding or a corporate event (like Employees Christmas Party), we get the same comment: It's better than any DJ we had, better music, people dance more, and no crappy animation.