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Minding the dance floor

#41
jmon said:
My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?
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You are over analysing it, adjusting your EQ/OD/etc is not going to entice anyone onto the dance floor. Get your sound balance right and play the best you can.

Some nights it seems NOTHING will get them on the dance floor, other nights they will dance to any old crap.

When you have a night where they stay glued to their seats just chalk it up as one of those nights and move on. As long as the good nights outweigh the bad (and you keep getting bookings) don't let it bother you.
 
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#42
Not much to add here, other than to point out an obvious but easily forgotten truth; sometimes the audience just SUCKS. It just does. There are nights where the best band in the world could pay everyone five dollars to dance and they'd still sit on their butts. That's not an excuse to slack, just something to be aware of if you feel like you might be beating yourself up needlessly.
 
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#44
jmon said:
My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?
Click to expand...

I've only been playing for a couple of years and I'm still using the same teacher/instructor that I started with - Clay. At the time I started working with Clay he was playing Bass and was the MD for a cover band that did 125+ gigs a year, traveled the Casino/Dance Venue circuit in a 400+ mile radius. And he was also teaching music. I was his only adult and bass student at the time, his specialty was teaching guitar to kids with learning disabilities. (yup, he is good - I tell everyone that is how he has the skills to deal with me)

During one of the first lessons he stopped and told me: "you job, as bass player, is to get people out of their seats and on to he dance floor.....when they are on the floor having a good time you know you have all that other stuff you hear about (groove, locking in with the drummer etc.)

So according to Clay, you are right to take note and read/focus on the room/dance floor.
Just don't take it personally when they stay in their seats - the fact that you care about this conveys you are focused on your audience and not your navel...

I wanna be like you...
 
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#45
One of many reasons to try to avoid twiddling with your amp during a performance is that this facilitates your concentration on your playing, and putting on a show. All things being equal, I think believing that your bass tone, per se, has all that much to do with what's happening on the dance floor is an attribution error. Like LBS-bass said, though, your volume might have a lot to do with it (too loud or not loud enough).

If its a new gig and your really that worried about it, salt the crowd.
 
#47
I'm always concerned about the status of the dance floor but never in relation to my gear or tone. I'm always thinking about song selection and whether they're right for the crowd at a a particular time. Sometimes you gotta call an audible if they're not diggin what you're doin. And then sometimes you just have to realize that it's not YOU it's them, believe that they're enjoying themselves even if it looks like they're not and keep rockin.
 
#50
DaDo625 said:
I've only been playing for a couple of years and I'm still using the same teacher/instructor that I started with - Clay. At the time I started working with Clay he was playing Bass and was the MD for a cover band that did 125+ gigs a year, traveled the Casino/Dance Venue circuit in a 400+ mile radius. And he was also teaching music. I was his only adult and bass student at the time, his specialty was teaching guitar to kids with learning disabilities. (yup, he is good - I tell everyone that is how he has the skills to deal with me)

During one of the first lessons he stopped and told me: "you job, as bass player, is to get people out of their seats and on to he dance floor.....when they are on the floor having a good time you know you have all that other stuff you hear about (groove, locking in with the drummer etc.)

So according to Clay, you are right to take note and read/focus on the room/dance floor.
Just don't take it personally when they stay in their seats - the fact that you care about this conveys you are focused on your audience and not your navel...

I wanna be like you...
Click to expand...


Very kind words. I don’t want everyone to get me wrong. I love my band. I love playing. I suppose when you gig as much as I have in the last 10 years you do get spoiled a bit. These aren’t super high paying gigs. And we all have full time jobs outside of the band. So for us it’s mostly the enjoyment and the extra cash is a bonus. I pride myself and my band to provide a top notch act each and every night. I’d like to think we do that. At the very least we make sure everyone there knows we are having a great time and that they should too.

All these replies have been great. And I don’t mind the “tough love” either. I can take it. It’s been a long journey to finally have the rig I want. The bass I want. The band I want. Now that all that is satisfied I’m looking for the next thing. Full dance floors for every song every night! Which is of course 100% impossible. I never pass blame so I shoulder it. It’s better than firing the drummer! :roflmao:
 
#51
Absolutely I have had the exact same experiences and feelings, good and bad. And with the same level and types of bands. But if the bar isn't up for it they're not up for it. And yes you can try too hard and second guess the crowd and try to force it. Both of which rarely work. Sometimes the bar just isn't there. Do not take it personally. Yes the bass is a massive part of getting people dancing but so is the drummer. It's really the two of you in synch that will do it. Along with the whole band of course. You cannot do this on your own.
 
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#53
I have never noticed that my tone determines whether people dance, but my playing does. If I make it a little funky, I have noticed more people dancing. Might be my imagination but I like to think it has something to do with what I'm doing. :)
 
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#54
Bunk McNulty said:
Are you really saying changing your tone encourages people to dance? If that is the case, I'd stick to that tone!
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Yeah, for the OP, your tone has zero to maybe 2% effect on whether or not the dance floor is full. Unless there's something wrong with your gear. That said, your tone does have more to do with it than the brand of sticks your drummer uses. But not much.
 
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#55
A lot of times folks are just there for the social aspect and aren't out to dance the night away, some are just there to drink and listen. I wouldn't take it personally if no one gets up to shimmy down to your best and most righteous grooves, some nights are just like that.
 
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#56
jmon said:
Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks

I’ve been gigging with my current band for going on 3 years. We gig at least 2 full weekends a month and one nighters on the others. Great band with plenty of work. We play to full venues. Bar gigs and nicer restaurant/bars that feature bands with a dance floor.

I find myself taking the dance floor very personally. If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance. We play a variety of songs from good ole Brown Eyed Girl to Green Day to 80s hits. So from song to song I feel like I need to change up my tone a bit to fit the tune. And I’ve watched this work in action. People are just sort of bobbing and I change the tone up a bit and they start dancing.

My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?
Click to expand...
Over analyzing? C'est possible, but...
it's nice to see that you care for your audiences reaction.
Demographics and genres may be other probable causes.
Good Luck!
 
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#57
Not all songs are danceable and sometimes the crowd will just all take a break at once.
Oh, and the mention eariler about reluctant to be the first? Spot on. I can’t tell you how many times i’ve watched an empty dance floor for the first minute of a song, then a couple starts dancing and the floor fills right up.
As for your question about your tone? You are over thinking it. In a dance hall, people feel the bass, they don’t hear it.
 
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#58
If you are concerned about audience acceptance, then never play any political gig nor any casino. The audiences there ignore you all night, then tell you afterward how good you sounded. Go figure.

Yeah, you are over analyzing. When it's right, it's right. When it's not right, it's not because of you or your tone. Just enjoy. I have learned to play for my own enjoyment - if the audience likes that, too, that is great but not necessary.
 
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#59
There's no sure fire recipe. The best you can do is have a bunch of stuff ready to go, and then tailor your set list for what is working for the rest of the night once you feel out what the crowd likes. Sometimes it's nothing.
 

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