Most Annoying Behavior of Gig Crowds?

[FingerDub]

Throwing half full beers and rotten vegetables at me

Were you playing poorly?

People that are trying to be nice by bringing you free beers, or shots. One is cool, but you look down by your amp and there is 4 long necks, 3 test tube shots, and a mixed drink.

What the problem?

 

[Richland123]

People who are there when we are setting up and say, "I'm glad you guys are playing tonight. Your band is really good." Then, they leave before we start and never come back that night.

 

[John Swartz]

I was yelling "Freebird" at a band this weekend.

Got the "Freebird!" yell from a drunk chick at the bar we played at last Saturday night - finally got the opportunity to say back, "Sweetheart, were you even BORN when that song came out?"

John

 

[Atshen]

It's been posted before, but people clapping on the downbeat. Follow the damn snare! Is it so hard?

Also, people requesting AC/DC because of course, they're expecting you to play stupid "You Shook Me All night Long" 'cause it's the only one they know...

 

[Heyturnup]

Got the "Freebird!" yell from a drunk chick at the bar we played at last Saturday night - finally got the opportunity to say back, "Sweetheart, were you even BORN when that song came out?"

John

I have three step-daughters in thier early twenties, who just love Freebird. Their father was an alcoholic who committed suicide. They also have tattoos that say: free as a bird. It's changed my attitude about them type of songs, I don't have to like what I play for people anymore, I like to play for people. The oldest was in Vegas last Saturday, maybe your gig was there.

 

[Funky Ghost]

When I was gigging regularly it was always "One too many drinks air guitar in front of the band guy."

 

[Jimmy4string]

love this thread!
We have only played 4 shows and so far only thing weird was a a guy that put a chair down on the dance floor and was watching me sing Stone Temple Pilots -but i liked that -LOL.he really loved that song! Same show some drunk guy would not leave this one girl dancing alone. he kept coming up and staring at her and trying to grab her. Was really awkward. the door guy eventually escorted him out. I am still so new in the bar band bizz i love it all!

 

[rjmsteel]

DCBassist5 said:

2. Guy that approaches you during the break with the "I used to play" speech then asks really stupid and basic questions about your gear.

BUT then asks or wants to "see" (wants to play) your bass. I don`t think so!

 

[HassBacker]

Did a blues rock band and still do, but back in the late 90's-early 2000's there always seemed to be a few wannabe blues harmonica players in the audience who thought it was their Constitutional right to play along with the band. Usually it was just other folks in the audience around them they annoyed, especially if their mouth harp wasn't in any of the keys we were playing in.

There was a dude around here that would show up to jams and blow sax in the back of the room overtop of the soloists on stage . He's a good player and all, but it's just plain rude, more than a little arrogant and very distracting.

 

[Basshappi]

DCBassist5 said:

2. Guy that approaches you during the break with the "I used to play" speech then asks really stupid and basic questions about your gear.

BUT then asks or wants to "see" (wants to play) your bass. I don`t think so!

One of the benefits of playing lefthanded is people don't ask to play your bass.

 

[ThudThudThud]

Not annoying but weird. We regularly play a really lively student/backpack bar in central London. It's always really busy and we have the whole place jumping and singing. We even need a security guard at the side of us as people at the front get really rawkus - in a good way but even so.

Here's the strange thing. There's practically no cheering or applause. Hardly ever. They jump and sing along, screaming the words to the sky, beer sometimes going everywhere. Then as soon as a song finishes, they're like, 'Now who's round was it?' Rather than be offended we've got round this just not stopping, running each song into the next like a DJ. For the record, we do love playing the place.

A friend of mine used to play regularly in a bar near Stoke. Same thing there. Everyone would sit silently through the music and clap at the very end.

 

[2saddleslab]

Didn't read thru the thread so not sure if this is done by anyone else. When we get FREEBIRD my BL gives them the finger and says "there's your free bird, the next one's gonna cost ya".

 

[pappabass]

Easy, sitting at the very front & talking loud as you can.

 

[Richland123]

People who sit right in front of the P.A. speakers and then yell at the band to turn down because they want to talk instead of sitting further back in the room.

 

[Richland123]

I have gotten this one often. Somebody will come up to me and ask if their friend can sing with us with this statement. "Can my friend sing with your band? He or she sings karaoke all the time and is really good. You should let them sing. Everybody would like it."

 

[Ox Boris]

I have gotten this one often. Somebody will come up to me and ask if their friend can sing with us with this statement. "Can my friend sing with your band? He or she sings karaoke all the time and is really good. You should let them sing. Everybody would like it."

If that trio at the corporate birthday party in 1994, hadn't said yes to the question, "Can my friend sing with your band? He sings in the Rugby showers all the time and is really good," I would never have been in a band.

 

[knumbskull]

oh, I just remembered a REALLY annoying guy...

We were setting up a gig. Kind of rough looking older guy sidles up to me and starts talking about how he's on the guest list, his friend works for a record label and told him to be here, we're probably going to get signed that night, if only I talk to the promoter, I'll see that he's on the list and MUST be let in for free...

I let him carry on for a bit, before telling him that we are the promoter, I wrote the guest list, and he's not on it.

A few minutes later there's an almighty crashing sound from the stage, where he'd climbed up uninvited and started thrashing away on the drums...

 

[PillO]

oh, I just remembered a REALLY annoying guy...

We were setting up a gig. Kind of rough looking older guy sidles up to me and starts talking about how he's on the guest list, his friend works for a record label and told him to be here, we're probably going to get signed that night, if only I talk to the promoter, I'll see that he's on the list and MUST be let in for free...

I let him carry on for a bit, before telling him that we are the promoter, I wrote the guest list, and he's not on it.

A few minutes later there's an almighty crashing sound from the stage, where he'd climbed up uninvited and started thrashing away on the drums...

So you met Ginger Baker.

 

[knumbskull]

So you met Ginger Baker.

hiiiooooo!

well played

 

[buldog5151bass]

I was going to say "just nod and smile", until I got to the part where he touched the equipment. People have lost limbs for less...