What's wrong with 2023 audiences?

[Scotty4string]

No problems at my gigs. Crowd acts much the same as they did 30 years ago. Hate to say it, but some bands aren't as good as they think they are. Maybe this isn't the case here. Maybe it is.

 

[SubSpec]

You know what would have been rude? Making a scene about it at the benefit.
Sometimes TB just needs to blame someone.
Gonna hang out with my awesome kids and play bass.

Two good points here:
1. Talkbass is, regardless of how we may each feel about your perspective on it, a better place to vent than at the benefit or towards the organizers (in a case like this specifically)
2. You don't need our validation any more than you needed the audience's. Your awesome kids (and bass), are absolutely the best validation!

 

[bassicmike]

These damn kids are slaves to their phones, cry the people with 10,000 posts on an internet forum.

Not just kids.

I see 'old folks' ( my age) with their phones out and on at symphony performances, ballet, theater, small concert venues...

My generation and older are just as bad, if not worse. We should know how to behave.

 

[Grahams Groove]

Cell phone Zombie generation.
And also they are cheap.

Has generalizing entire generations of people worked out well for you thus far? The nuance is astounding...

 

[logdrum]

If you want audience participation, African dancing and other drum circles do not even need non-drummers. Country Music is also participatory as well as Latin and of course EDM. Or play in a church
Or get some music focused gigs. A lot of non pro cover bands sound band or not interesting. Young people dig original singer songwriters as well. If you guitar wank, you better be good

I think the hurt was they did not offer food

 

[bassicmike]

To the point of the discussion.

Horses for courses. We take gigs where the people are there to have a good time and dance - weddings, events, etc. Which is good, because we're a party dance band. We're all engaged, we look good, we're having fun, so our audience is having fun.

 

[Reid-O]

I fear you may be correct.
Rock and roll was a unique element 70 years ago. All of a sudden we didn't need 16 instruments and musicians to rock the house. Add the disruption of WWII and we had the perfect storm for rebellion.
Kids today don't seem to HAVE rebellion. Even hip hop has mellowed.
People have 75 inch TVs, handheld networked computers, 1000 likes per hour to jolt the oxytocin. 20 something's may be far too numb and jaded to even know how to react to a non virtual real life situation.

The Post Human Experience ™

"We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off."
Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

 

[wintremute]

I fear you may be correct.
Rock and roll was a unique element 70 years ago. All of a sudden we didn't need 16 instruments and musicians to rock the house. Add the disruption of WWII and we had the perfect storm for rebellion.
Kids today don't seem to HAVE rebellion. Even hip hop has mellowed.
People have 75 inch TVs, handheld networked computers, 1000 likes per hour to jolt the oxytocin. 20 something's may be far too numb and jaded to even know how to react to a non virtual real life situation.
The Post Human Experience ™

"Kids today don't seem to HAVE rebellion."

Invalid Link Removed

 

[BadSanta1281]

The good old days might be in the rearview mirror... or they might be happening right now.

Sometimes adjusting your expectations or your perspective is all you need.

 

[JimmyM]

I've experienced an extreme example of that. I was playing with two steel pan players at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, a very nice place. We were getting paid very well and there was an insane spread for the event, a convention of scientists. None of them touched the food and after three or four songs, they asked us to stop. We were told by the staff in no uncertain terms not to touch the food which was all going to be thrown away. I got home early, with a nice paycheck, but would have loved to eaten the amazing food which was going to waste.

That’s just as sick if you ask me. Freaking corporate drones.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

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Need UNLIKE option...

 

[wintremute]

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong, I am definitely not diminishing any rebellion of past generations. That was just a response to the point that was brought up of the current youth seeming to not be rebellious.

Also, it sort of depends on what you consider "current", you know? OutKast was formed before I was even born. I don't know anybody my age range who is looking to hear OutKast when they are going out. That is considered mega 90's and early 2000s. Adele, well I guess it depends what you're playing. Is it her stuff from like 12 years ago?

The harsh truth is that age is a big factor in it. Something about seeing a group of older musicians playing modern songs is a bit of a turn off for a lot of people. It seems off-putting, phony and try hard in the sense of trying to remain relevant to them. It's a bit of a no-win scenario.

For the record, most of my gigs were done with people over twice my age so I understand your musician age ladder comment. But we can't blame the audiences for what they like or respond to.

Edit: I forgot to mention, there is a huge going out and dancing scene still amongst the various electronic music genres in particular. People are dancing, but not to the old stuff. Just like it's always been.

When I was younger, I was actively trying not to listen to older bands and older music. I was trying to listen to what people my own age were doing. I was also blacklisting genres, because I didn't want to be associated with them. So, I can totally relate.

Now, I actively search out anything and everything from any age and any genre. Good music is good music. I may regret not being more open-minded when I was younger, but I totally understand why I was that way.

 

[Marko 1]

I have a philosophy, "Expect nothing, and you'll never be disappointed".

 

[wintremute]

We won major battles against evil ideology, built ships and explored the world. Made many advancements in medicine and created some of the best music with wood, brass, our voices and the desire to create something new.

We are still building amazing things, exploring outer space, making tremendous advancements in medicine, and creating new and different styles of music with new and different styles of instruments. Humanity is still moving forward.

 

[6Bass101]

If I’m doing charity work or volunteering, I don’t expect anything in return - not food, not any kind of special attention, nothing. That’s the point of volunteering.
To be clear, I think perfectly fine to expect something in return for your time and effort - it’s just no longer charity/volunteering at that point. Also, if you have those expectations or requirements, let them be know to whoever books you for the event. That way there is a clear understanding that you expect to be fed.

 

[mikewalker]

A buddy sent me a couple photos from a Steve Vai concert he attended a couple months ago. Almost everyone else in that crowd also had their phones out and were shooting pics and/or video. Looked as though most of the crowd was our age (60's) as well.

Last show I went to, I spent several songs watching through the celphone, because I was livestreaming some highlights on FB for my friends around the world. I had a front-row seat (place maybe holds 200?) but it was awkward to keep the artists in-frame (local Legion hall, awkward stage!) so I had to watch the phone carefully while I was doing it.

I wouldn't have taken the phone out of my pocket normally, but the act was so good I thought it would be a crime not to give them a little extra publicity. It was an 'acoustic show' by Crown Lands who are IMHO a lot better than you would probably expect from watching their current promo clips online...

 

[wintremute]

For all the people who are saying it's because of cell phones, and more specifically because of people paying attention to their cell phones and not to the band, I have a suggestion: BE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THE CELL PHONES. If you're good enough, maybe they'll start recording you/streaming you on their cell phones.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

For all the people who are saying it's because of cell phones, and more specifically because of people paying attention to their cell phones and not to the band, I have a suggestion: BE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THE CELL PHONES. If you're good enough, maybe they'll start recording you/streaming you on their cell phones.

It’s not quite that simple. Go see a concert or sporting event — professional top tier entertainment, and the cell phone addiction always prevails.

 

[LowActionHero]

We played a private party once where they were bringing us beer and food while we were still unloading and setting up.

And several gigs where they didn't seem to even know we were there.

I personally think the thank you the next day counts for something - they probably had their hands full the night before. But yeah, a little attention that night for the free services would be appreciated.

 

[JACKSON JS1XM]

That's the thing about fund raiser benefits. Don't expect anything more than to be part of it. Act like you belong, take your plate of food, I doubt anyone is making a scene over that. But the whole theme of the night is there are poster persons of the cause that get all the attention. It's about raising money for the cause, & unless you have Leukemia you aren't getting a shout out. Those Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy telethons, nobody remembers the band that played or even whatever else they had for entertainment was. Put it on the resume for the next gig for any recognition beyond being there as a donating contributor of time. Speaking of which, Jerry Lewis passed away, those aren't televised anymore. Did MDA just disappear & not care about MD anymore ?

No Labor Day Telethon: MDA, $23 Million in the Red, 60% Down in Contributions, Lost without Jerry Lewis