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Top five things other bands do that irritate you.

#81
bassybill said:
Here's a recent snap of some of our guys cowering behind their music stands with their audibly tuned instruments, whilst visibly failing to connect with the crowd. :D

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It's funny. I'm guilty of having a double-standard for music stands. For me, it's fine for a horn section to have them... but not for a singer.

Same for a blues/roots/rock/whatever band hitting the stage in your local bar. Music stands are a no-go in that situation.
 
#82
Modulator said:
No, I think you're taking my generalization, which was qualified by saying that there are exceptions, and making it sound like I was making a blanket statement about every possible type of performing group.

For the record, I do a LOT of reading gigs. But one of my fill-in gigs requires me to stay on top of a 120+ (and growing) setlist with no charts/stands/notes allowed onstage and no rehearsals. That's bass parts and vocal harmonies. And I do it because they draw great crowds, make great money, and put on a great show.

And that's why I have a hard time figuring out why a band going into a bar and playing 30 cover tunes can't manage to do so without music stands. Sorry, they aren't the London Philharmonic, and they DON'T look professional.
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+10000
 
#85
Modulator said:
And that's why I have a hard time figuring out why a band going into a bar and playing 30 cover tunes can't manage to do so without music stands. Sorry, they aren't the London Philharmonic, and they DON'T look professional.
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I guess we'll have to agree to differ, then. For me, BEING professional (rather than just looking it) is about giving the crowd a good performance that they enjoy. I know we do that and get paid well for doing it, on a repeat basis, music stands or no - whilst taking your point about hiding behind them and failing to engage the audience.

But thanks for qualifying your original unqualified statement in this thread. ;)
 
#86
bassybill said:
I guess we'll have to agree to differ, then. For me, professionalism is about giving the crowd a good time. I know we do that, music stands or no - whilst taking your point about hiding behind them and failing to engage the audeince.
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I think what we mean is that, GENERALLY, from an audience standpoint, a band that looks good/cool, already has the upperhand before playing a note.

Problem is, what's good/cool? It's all subjective.
 
#87
PappaK said:
I think what we mean is that, GENERALLY, from an audience standpoint, a band that looks good/cool, already has the upperhand before playing a note.

Problem is, what's good/cool? It's all subjective.
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Exactly. I'd bet if you could ask the last x,000 people we'd played to whether we had music stands on stage, the response from the huge majority would be "Music what...?" They wouldn't have noticed and wouldn't care, as long as they'd had a good time.

I guess we must look professional enough for people to hand over the money. :D
 
#88
PappaK said:
Jim Campbell said:
LOL... I think you've misunderstood almost everything I've said. But that's ok. As mentioned, the shorts thing is generally inappropriate to ME (save for aggressive bands). MY opinion. You're right, I generally don't get out to many shows. I'm busy gigging, writing and recording.

If you're an aspiring artist, my suggestion would be to pay at least A LITTLE attention to your look. It's not always just about the music, believe me. It's a business... and a very cut-throat one at that.

Peace.
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i remember booking agent types trying to stuff us into cutesy little mop top outfits from jump street even though we looked more like bandits from juarez....to play in dive bars full of drunks.....they also wanted us to dump some of our stuff and learn songs from the juke box,especially wipe out,which was popular at the time......and while we got lots of free beer for playing it it was never very satisfying to do,and it was requested often sometimes 3 times in one night......

i believe it is about the music and each band can decide on the dress.......if you are getting paid for a gig where everyone is in hawaiian shirts,then of course thats part of the deal,but as i said the reason for a lot of us going into this at all was to escape the rigors of the status quo......
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#90
guitfiddle0409 said:
This could be fun. Here's mine:

1. Barrage you with emails imploring you attend their pay-to-play gigs and "CD Release Parties".

2. List "Private Party" on their website gig calendar. If the public can't attend it then it's only for show to beef up the number of gigs they actually have.

3. Use bot programs to artificially inflate the number of hits their websites receive.

4. Refer to their out of town weekend gigs as "tours".
5. Sneer at your band for selling out because you don't play 100% originals like they do.
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A band that I play with just did two corporate events. One in Alabama and one in Texas on consecutive weekends. The drummer insisted, in order to up our cred, that we call it a tour and list all of the states that we pass through from Oklahoma to Alabama and that we would have passed through had we driven from Alabama to Texas as stops on the tour. He's a real fake it till you make kinda guy. The Texas show was my last. That is truly my biggest peeve.
 
#92
Showing up to a show (3-4 bands) And they tell your drummer that he's going to be using their kit??? What! Why wouldn't they contact us before we loaded/hauled his kit down to the show. The first time this happened the sound guy was going to charge A hundo to remic another kit and this weekend the band said it was about time. Time!!! We can setup in 15 minutes. Give me a break. I know that I would be bummed if I got stuck playing someone else's rig, especially if it was an active bass.
 
#94
ransombass said:
A band that I play with just did two corporate events. One in Alabama and one in Texas on consecutive weekends. The drummer insisted, in order to up our cred, that we call it a tour and list all of the states that we pass through from Oklahoma to Alabama and that we would have passed through had we driven from Alabama to Texas as stops on the tour. He's a real fake it till you make kinda guy. The Texas show was my last. That is truly my biggest peeve.
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well on the other hand i would not dump a good gig because the drummer gilds the lily a mite...you don't have to play that game,just show up and play...unless there are other issues
 
#96
guitfiddle0409 said:
Maybe we should have a "shorts and music stands" spinoff thread? :confused: :p
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What's wrong with shorts onstage???



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#97
Kenny Allyn said:
Bands/band members that are on stage but look like they ...

Just came in from mowing the yard, or just got out of bed.

And I'm sorry (and I don't care which genre) wear shorts and or no shirts, you just lost me.


You would change you mind about shorts when the gig is outside, in the dead of summer, 95% humidity, and 88 degrees after the sun sets. I do wear a shirt though. It helps keep the ladies off the stage. lol. :D
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#99
bassybill said:
I guess we'll have to agree to differ, then. For me, professionalism is about giving the crowd a good performance that they enjoy. I know we do that and get paid well, on a repeat basis, music stands or no - whilst taking your point about hiding behind them and failing to engage the audience.
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That's exactly what someone who sucks would say. :D

If audiences consisted of only other bands, there wouldn't be a "good" band on the face of the planet. Fortunately this is not the case.
 

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