What's wrong with 2023 audiences?

[LBS-bass]

Very nice!

Thank you. Our harmonies are our secret sauce. That and our song selection which is mostly more curated than that But I do believe you have to sprinkle in songs that people expect to hear along with lots of songs that make them go "Wow! Nobody plays that one."

Our current list is probably on the 80/20 side of the Wow/Stale ratio and I'd like to whittle the Stale side down just a bit more, but this band always gets a great audience response, so I am not worried too much.

 

[Pacman]

Holy crap, did you hop in a time machine back to '74 to play the California Jam?! That's a big crowd...

Lol no, we just played a lot of hits. High point, though, was doing Stairway to Heaven (the Kennedy Center Honors version), with all those people holding up cell phone flashlights...

 

[pepj]

That’s what it’s about. You’re playing for the audience. Not yourselves.

I generally don't want to follow that route wrt picking out the obvious crowd pleasers but do accept it can be a cheap win.

Many many band sets depress the hell out of me so whilst we do covers, we dont play stuff we dont like much, although I can be slightly swayed that the number was enjoyable after the fact, but if someone insists on a number we dont wanna do, we'll tell them that. And thats the end of that.

 

[MCF]

I generally don't want to follow that route wrt picking out the obvious crowd pleasers but do accept it can be a cheap win.

Many many band sets depress the hell out of me so whilst we do covers, we dont play stuff we dont like much, although I can be slightly swayed that the number was enjoyable after the fact, but if someone insists on a number we dont wanna do, we'll tell them that. And thats the end of that.

I get that.

 

[Killing Floor]

I went to see a friend playing a tribute set at a small club Saturday. I had a couple beers and chatted with my wife and friends for a bit and it hit me, there’s a kit drummer, 2 electric guitarists, a keyboard player, a bass player, and a keys/percussion player, all amplified and all mixed in FoH and there’s a tall row of wedges and fills. And I’m 30’ off the stage and I can speak to my wife in a conversational “inside voice”.
So “what’s wrong with 2023 audiences” is that live bands with good quality rigs and backed by solid PA are performing so as not to disrupt table talk. It becomes “live” background music when it’s not loud enough. I was listening and attentive and listening and of course I appreciate that it didn’t leave my ears shattered. But it also was about as comparatively quiet as the music in a restaurant.
Point is, turn up. Rock the house and the house will rock with you.
Or blend in. But if you choose to blend in you cede your right to comment on the audience chatting or looking at their phones because when the band started it didn’t get any louder than the background music.

 

[MCF]

I went to see a friend playing a tribute set at a small club Saturday. I had a couple beers and chatted with my wife and friends for a bit and it hit me, there’s a kit drummer, 2 electric guitarists, a keyboard player, a bass player, and a keys/percussion player, all amplified and all mixed in FoH and there’s a tall row of wedges and fills. And I’m 30’ off the stage and I can speak to my wife in a conversational “inside voice”.
So “what’s wrong with 2023 audiences” is that live bands with good quality rigs and backed by solid PA are performing so as not to disrupt table talk. It becomes “live” background music when it’s not loud enough. I was listening and attentive and listening and of course I appreciate that it didn’t leave my ears shattered. But it also was about as comparatively quiet as the music in a restaurant.
Point is, turn up. Rock the house and the house will rock with you.
Or blend in. But if you choose to blend in you cede your right to comment on the audience chatting or looking at their phones because when the band started it didn’t get any louder than the background music.

As Bowie said “Play it loud!”

 

[ChrisB2]

I went to see a friend playing a tribute set at a small club Saturday. I had a couple beers and chatted with my wife and friends for a bit and it hit me, there’s a kit drummer, 2 electric guitarists, a keyboard player, a bass player, and a keys/percussion player, all amplified and all mixed in FoH and there’s a tall row of wedges and fills. And I’m 30’ off the stage and I can speak to my wife in a conversational “inside voice”.
So “what’s wrong with 2023 audiences” is that live bands with good quality rigs and backed by solid PA are performing so as not to disrupt table talk. It becomes “live” background music when it’s not loud enough. I was listening and attentive and listening and of course I appreciate that it didn’t leave my ears shattered. But it also was about as comparatively quiet as the music in a restaurant.
Point is, turn up. Rock the house and the house will rock with you.
Or blend in. But if you choose to blend in you cede your right to comment on the audience chatting or looking at their phones because when the band started it didn’t get any louder than the background music.

Hmm, interesting. Yeah you know you're right, I don't get really into music unless it's pretty loud.... but we're always told we have to not be loud.

That does it, I'm bringin the fridge out of retirement and blowin some walls down!!

 

[Killing Floor]

Hmm, interesting. Yeah you know you're right, I don't get really into music unless it's pretty loud.... but we're always told we have to not be loud.

That does it, I'm bringin the fridge out of retirement and blowin some walls down!!

What’s so funny about Saturday is this dude had a 810, it was a rare occurrence that the bass player was well over the mix. Must have been on 2 or 3. He is a good player, I’m not complaining. Was nice to hear. Actually had a harder time hearing the lead player who’s quite good.

 

[51PRI]

I went to see a friend playing a tribute set at a small club Saturday. I had a couple beers and chatted with my wife and friends for a bit and it hit me, there’s a kit drummer, 2 electric guitarists, a keyboard player, a bass player, and a keys/percussion player, all amplified and all mixed in FoH and there’s a tall row of wedges and fills. And I’m 30’ off the stage and I can speak to my wife in a conversational “inside voice”.
So “what’s wrong with 2023 audiences” is that live bands with good quality rigs and backed by solid PA are performing so as not to disrupt table talk. It becomes “live” background music when it’s not loud enough. I was listening and attentive and listening and of course I appreciate that it didn’t leave my ears shattered. But it also was about as comparatively quiet as the music in a restaurant.
Point is, turn up. Rock the house and the house will rock with you.
Or blend in. But if you choose to blend in you cede your right to comment on the audience chatting or looking at their phones because when the band started it didn’t get any louder than the background music.

It sounds to me like they were playing at the right level for an audience who wants to have live music but also wants to talk to each other.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

As Bowie said “Play it loud!”

 

[SunByrne]

I went to see a friend playing a tribute set at a small club Saturday.... And I’m 30’ off the stage and I can speak to my wife in a conversational “inside voice”.

Not true for the the tributes my wife and I see around here. We bring earplugs and if we have to communicate during the show, we text—definitely "rock concert" volume level.

As Bowie said “Play it loud!”

Yep, one of them is a Bowie tribute.

 

[LBS-bass]

I did a show recently where we had to provide our own sound. A guy from another band I played with came out and on the break he told me "you sound like the radio." We didn't realize we were too quiet; even the owner came by and told us we should turn up a bit. So we did.

If you're doing FOH yourself, sometimes you don't know. But yes, you have to be loud enough to get their attention.

 

[kineticdg]

"All these people with their noses stuck in their phones"...

On a thread that is now 30 pages long...

;-)

 

[LBS-bass]

"All these people with their noses stuck in their phones"...

On a thread that is now 30 pages long...

;-)

I don't remember if it was here or somewhere else but I recently pointed out to someone that looking at phones is what we do when we're bored. If they're looking at their phones, you need to change something. It might be your choice of venue, it might be the music itself, it might be something else, but an audience that behaves as though they are standing in a line somewhere is not engaged with your performance.

 

[Pocket Dave]

I did a show recently where we had to provide our own sound. A guy from another band I played with came out and on the break he told me "you sound like the radio." We didn't realize we were too quiet; even the owner came by and told us we should turn up a bit. So we did.

If you're doing FOH yourself, sometimes you don't know. But yes, you have to be loud enough to get their attention.

IME if you're doing FOH yourself, you never know. Gotta go out in the room, either wireless or dragging a longass instrument cable.

 

[kineticdg]

I don't remember if it was here or somewhere else but I recently pointed out to someone that looking at phones is what we do when we're bored. If they're looking at their phones, you need to change something. It might be your choice of venue, it might be the music itself, it might be something else, but an audience that behaves as though they are standing in a line somewhere is not engaged with your performance.

I agree, but also - there's a lot of pretty good stuff on our phones, such as this forum. I hate how much time I spend looking at screens and am always looking for analog experiences, but I've also learned a lot here and elsewhere.

 

[jerry]

Yep. And it came off so well that we're keeping it in for our two-set show next weekend. This audience loved it and some of the younger folk got up to dance around for it, too.



(I don't know why she loves to edit these and post half-songs, but it's OK. I personally don't believe in presenting my stuff that way, 'cause it screams that someone made a mistake.)

As always LBS, I dig your band. I also dig the guitarist, nice tone at what I can tell is a nice level, he really shined on the Reeling in the years.

 

[LBS-bass]

As always LBS, I dig your band. I also dig the guitarist, nice tone at what I can tell is a nice level, he really shined on the Reeling in the years.

Thanks, Jerry. That guy is a unicorn and completely irreplaceable. I love everyone up there so much - each person brings their own special combination of skill, talent and dedication to this group effort. This is the one band I never worry about - everyone suits up and shows up prepared and ready for whatever we're doing.

 

[jerry]

Thanks, Jerry. That guy is a unicorn and completely irreplaceable. I love everyone up there so much - each person brings their own special combination of skill, talent and dedication to this group effort. This is the one band I never worry about - everyone suits up and shows up prepared and ready for whatever we're doing.

A lot of work for bands like yours! Is that the same singer I always comment on?

 

[LBS-bass]

A lot of work for bands like yours! Is that the same singer I always comment on?

Yep, same guy. I've been working with him for over six years now. The guitarist is singing Wagon Wheel though.