Musicianship vs showmanship

[navijaz]

I have serious doubts that anybody here would prefer to watch a show where all the players sat around on stools wanking masterfully over a show where great players moved about the stage, engaging with the crowd and looking like they were enjoying themselves.

Who here enjoys the halftime show at the Superbowl? Do y'all think it'd be just as enjoyable to the world if the lights, smoke, dancing, and general entertainment wasn't a part of it?

I can honestly assure you that I do enjoy the wankers on stools more. I love chamber music, Jazz and so on. On the other hand, I find halftime shows, opening ceremonies and all that very irritating and won't spend my time "enjoying" them.

People have different tastes. Probably around half of the population are introverts who need less attention and are less likely to enjoy all the noise. Luckiky, there is room and choices for both. Wankers for me, jumpers for you.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I have mixed feelings on this, but I'm certain that the bottom line is whatever the crowd responds to most. If the band playing 4 songs an hour is getting the gigs, making the crowd happy, and getting paid - then they're doing their job.

With original music, I'm pretty sure I'll always choose showmanship first. I think it's an original band's responsibility to entertain when playing live. I'd much rather see the RHCP live than Dream Theater, but that's just me. And... well, the majority of people .

I used to think and feel the same regarding cover bands but my experience this last year is telling me differently. I'm earning my living as a musician for the first time in my life, and while my band is entertaining we have absolutely no spaces whatsoever between songs, and more importantly - people aren't paying all that much attention. The comments we get most revolve around how tight we are, or how much we sound like the recordings.

If it works it works, if it doesn't it don't. If I were obligated to vote in the poll I'd say a mix of both.

 

[Medicine Man]

Without a doubt, there's a reason starving artists are starving. Music isn't as beloved as it used to be, I'm afraid. One of my competing bands plays only medley after medley of top 40 hits to a click track and 60%of the music is canned. They have multiple lead singers who all dance around to said click track, and they book only A venues for top dollar, and the venues are packed with enthusiastic young ladies. I know a spectacular band whose members have toured the world with big name artists who play for a dozen retired people at a time in empty dive bars. I know it sounds harsh, but your average target audience member cared more about how your front person shook their pants around than how skilfully you telegraphed a key change through clever use of accidentals at last weekends gigs. Sorry.

 

[Slevage]

Then why do most of us spend so much time perfecting our craft if it’s not what the majority of our audience really wants? Why not just woodshed dick and fart jokes, magic tricks, and drinking games?

When I started playing bass in 1971, I did it because I wanted to play bass.
Gigs became a byproduct.

 

[Roy Royerson]

I can honestly assure you that I do enjoy the wankers on stools more. I love chamber music, Jazz and so on. On the other hand, I find halftime shows, opening ceremonies and all that very irritating and won't spend my time "enjoying" them.

People have different tastes. Probably around half of the population are introverts who need less attention and are less likely to enjoy all the noise. Luckiky, there is room and choices for both. Wankers for me, jumpers for you.

I generally don’t like music at sporting events but sometimes they are great. I definitely remember being impressed by this one. On rare occasions a performer is a virtuoso, an entertainer and it never feels forced. But that’s god damn Ray Charles.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I recently went to see a reasonably popular party band that only played four songs in the first hour. They spent the majority of this time telling jokes (some borderline racist), throwing merch, and playing drinking games with the crowd. Everyone ate it up and cheered like effing mad. I was in total disbelief. It felt like a frat party. I believe in a certain balance between the music and interacting with the audience, but it left me completely baffled. I can’t be the only one that expects music when I go see a band, right? What’s more important to y’all?

If they were playing in a bar, it is far more important to be entertaining than it is to be a virtuoso. Outside of musicians, few people will remember (or care about) a great musician. Everybody in the room will definitely remember being entertained and having fun.

Good point, but there is no reason you can’t be entertaining while playing at a high level.

 

[Meyatch]

Practice and rehearse the crowd interaction routine. Write a script for the singer to learn.

Its not totally silent up there. I think we play at the same places too often to really do a rehearsed show. She's personable, just not able to talk for 10 minutes at a time without starting to sound weird. Few can.

 

[Kmonk]

I saw a band do something similar about 15 years ago. People started screaming at the band "Play some (expletive) music!" Within 45 minutes, most of the crowd, including myself, had left.

I would rather see a good band play songs than see a bunch of clowns acting the way the band did at the show you went to. If I want to hear jokes, I'll go to a comedy club.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I spend money to see a concert to see a concert and hear music. Showmanship is great if it serves the musical performance.

 

[Steve]

They spent the majority of this time telling jokes (some borderline racist), throwing merch, and playing drinking games with the crowd. Everyone ate it up and cheered like effing mad. I was in total disbelief.

You saw my house gig?
I was on that stage. It was the most disturbing part of my entire musical career. Seriously. The realization that all I had worked for meant basically NOTHING to anyone but me ( and maybe one or two others in the room) The audience would rather hear a horrible version of what they want to hear than the best music in the world they don't.

There were times on that stage frequently when I was in utter disbeliefe. I fantasized about just going around the room one by one slapping people in the face. And the crowd screamed for more..

We would do La Grange...and that front guy would go around the entire room with a mic forcing people to yell, How! How! How!. The ENTIRE room, if it took 15 minutes of grinding out that riff...that's what happened. Two of the guys on that stage were on anti-depresents just to keep working..we all hated it, the staff hated it..it was torture...it was a job

this..is how I paid off my mortgage.

 

[Mister Boh]

I currently play in a Judas Priest tribute. After the songs are locked in we start to work on the choreography. It is what makes us better than the next tribute. We figure out the rock star moves and all that silly stuff ahead of time so on stage it come off naturally. The music is for the die hards, the moves are more for rest. We actually practice head banging in unison lol.

Being a bassist in that particular tribute... you must have crazy obliques. I'm pretty sure I've never seen Ian Hill do anything other than flex at the waist.

 

[4001]

It's all about selling alcohol when it comes to bar gigs.
You have to be OK with the fact that a good percentage of the audience couldn't care less what band is onstage or how much you practiced for the gig and how you NAILED that complex bassline in that Bon Jovi song.

 

[JimmyM]

We would do La Grange...and that front guy would go around the entire room with a mic forcing people to yell, How! How! How!. The ENTIRE room, if it took 15 minutes of grinding out that riff...that's what happened.

Hmmm....we do La Grange sometimes. But I sing it so I don't know how I can walk the room with a mic and still keep playing that riff. But if I can, I'm so doing it!

 

[mellowinman]

I just want to point out that you can put on a GREAT show without playing to the Lowest Common Denominator. The greats; the TRULY greats; ALWAYS put on a great show, based on stage presence, lighting, stage dressing, etc. I'm not in the market to listen to band banter; borderline racist jokes, and bathroom humor. If I want those things, I'll go see standup. I'm out to hear great music, put on by talented individuals who know how to put on a show, and quite frequently, I get it!

To be fair, I hate everything associated with bars. People act stupid, behave like children, and the music is generally sub-par to very very bad. I don't want to be there as the act, or as a customer. Not to judge, but 90% of people in bars are L-O-S-E-R-S*

*line meant to be slightly humorous

 

[bassbully]

You saw my house gig?
I was on that stage. It was the most disturbing part of my entire musical career. Seriously. The realization that all I had worked for meant basically NOTHING to anyone but me ( and maybe one or two others in the room) The audience would rather hear a horrible version of what they want to hear than the best music in the world they don't.

There were times on that stage frequently when I was in utter disbeliefe. I fantasized about just going around the room one by one slapping people in the face. And the crowd screamed for more..

We would do La Grange...and that front guy would go around the entire room with a mic forcing people to yell, How! How! How!. The ENTIRE room, if it took 15 minutes of grinding out that riff...that's what happened. Two of the guys on that stage were on anti-depresents just to keep working..we all hated it, the staff hated it..it was torture...it was a job

this..is how I paid off my mortgage.

Wow that’s really bad. Hard to belive people would stay for that.

 

[mellowinman]

No one ever bites the head off a bat any more. Sad.

Exactly. This is the problem with the world today.

 

[knumbskull]

in terms of stage banter:

I have played with a certain singer who suffers from verbal diarrhea (sp?) and has to be told very firmly to keep it short between songs – otherwise the whole set tends to go out of the window in favour of one long confused monologue

(luckily he does solo acoustic shows too, where he can work most of it out of his system!)

 

[4001]

To be fair, I hate everything associated with bars. People act stupid, behave like children, and the music is generally sub-par to very very bad. I don't want to be there as the act, or as a customer. Not to judge, but 90% of people in bars are L-O-S-E-R-S*
*line meant to be slightly humorous

Yep.

 

[JimmyM]

I just want to point out that you can put on a GREAT show without playing to the Lowest Common Denominator. The greats; the TRULY greats; ALWAYS put on a great show, based on stage presence, lighting, stage dressing, etc. I'm not in the market to listen to band banter; borderline racist jokes, and bathroom humor. If I want those things, I'll go see standup. I'm out to hear great music, put on by talented individuals who know how to put on a show, and quite frequently, I get it!

To be fair, I hate everything associated with bars. People act stupid, behave like children, and the music is generally sub-par to very very bad. I don't want to be there as the act, or as a customer. Not to judge, but 90% of people in bars are L-O-S-E-R-S*

*line meant to be slightly humorous

I haven't played a proper bar in years, and I do not miss it even a little.

 

[mikeyjm2]

I recently went to see a reasonably popular party band that only played four songs in the first hour. They spent the majority of this time telling jokes (some borderline racist), throwing merch, and playing drinking games with the crowd. Everyone ate it up and cheered like effing mad. I was in total disbelief. It felt like a frat party. I believe in a certain balance between the music and interacting with the audience, but it left me completely baffled. I can’t be the only one that expects music when I go see a band, right? What’s more important to y’all?

I definitely believe in a balance and playing to the crowd, but the scenario you described would be over the line for me. Obviously it did work for that crowd. Not that I'm a PC type by any means but the "some borderline racist" jokes wouldn't work for me at all. Maybe something to do with me being the only white guy in a band where the others are latinos.