You think the audience doesn't notice? Think again!

[Drgonzonm]

It's a huge retirement community that is essentially it's own city incorporated under some weird Florida law. It has gained a reputation (possibly undeserved) for wild sex

Read all about The_Villages

In Florida, there's Panthers, out west, cougar, Maybe mountain lions, say away from the booze, got to avoid the trifica, booze, sex and rock & roll. Then you're safe?

 

[JimmyM]

So I see that there are a handful of people who are mortally offended that I said that those of you who think your audiences are stupid should reconsider who the stupid ones are. OK, well first of all, you've just outed yourselves as someone who thinks your audiences are stupid. So why would you want to play for them? Surely you can think of a much better use for your time than entertaining morons. And second, why would I want to go see a band who thinks we're all morons?

I have nothing but the highest respect for my audiences. Now I don't know how it is for your bands, but while we do get some people attending our gigs who are there just to have something to do, or maybe they're there to see a specific headliner that we're backing up, we get a butt-ton of people who come to our gigs specifically to see us, and sometimes they pay money specifically to see us. I firmly believe that they come to see us because we treat them with respect and try to do a good job for them. After 19 years and a whole lot of other really good bands who come to the Villages, we remain one of the very top draws (and best-paid bands) out there, and it's because we view our audiences as the entire reason we have jobs playing music, and we make darn sure they know it by going the extra mile for them and not just automatically assuming that they know nothing about music. It's not because we're the greatest musicians on the planet or the most entertaining band on the planet. It's because we care about doing the best we can and because we respect them.

So I still stand 100% by what I said and I make zero apologies for it.

 

[JimmyM]

I really like it!
Where are your effects, pedals?

Out of the shot

 

[JimmyM]

In Florida, there's Panthers

Not many anymore. Unfortunately, their numbers have been cut down by tremendous urban blight.

 

[Biggbass]

apparently my audiences don't care about it that much...the last comment I got
after a great set was, "those are nice looking boots".
lol

 

[JimmyM]

apparently my audiences don't care about it that much...the last comment I got
after a great set was, "those are nice looking boots".
lol

Well hey, that's something! But don't assume automatically that they don't care that much. Not everyone is going to voice every little thought on their mind.

 

[SteveCS]

Well hey, that's something! But don't assume automatically that they don't care that much. Not everyone is going to voice every little thought on their mind.

No, they just up and leave...

 

[2112]

So I see that there are a handful of people who are mortally offended that I said that those of you who think your audiences are stupid should reconsider who the stupid ones are. OK, well first of all, you've just outed yourselves as someone who thinks your audiences are stupid. So why would you want to play for them? Surely you can think of a much better use for your time than entertaining morons. And second, why would I want to go see a band who thinks we're all morons?

I have nothing but the highest respect for my audiences. Now I don't know how it is for your bands, but while we do get some people attending our gigs who are there just to have something to do, or maybe they're there to see a specific headliner that we're backing up, we get a butt-ton of people who come to our gigs specifically to see us, and sometimes they pay money specifically to see us. I firmly believe that they come to see us because we treat them with respect and try to do a good job for them. After 19 years and a whole lot of other really good bands who come to the Villages, we remain one of the very top draws (and best-paid bands) out there, and it's because we view our audiences as the entire reason we have jobs playing music, and we make darn sure they know it by going the extra mile for them and not just automatically assuming that they know nothing about music. It's not because we're the greatest musicians on the planet or the most entertaining band on the planet. It's because we care about doing the best we can and because we respect them.

So I still stand 100% by what I said and I make zero apologies for it.

Why are you so ate up over what people might or might not think about each other? Particularly when it doesn't matter? That someone might not notice something or disagree with you doesn't make them stupid or arrogant... it makes them human.

Why are people motivated to do anything? Because they want to. As a society we've gotten into the habit of saying we do stuff for other people. But the truth is, at the end of the day... whatever we do we do because *we* wanted to. When you do stuff for other people you are doing it because it satisfied you to do so.

Even if you choose to do something unpleasant and would rather not do, you are doing it because you would rather do that something than deal with whatever the fallout is if you didn't do that something. Again, the choice is yours and you will make that choice in a manner that satisfies you.

So attempting to white knight yourself as some sort of audience-pleaser who's motivations are better or purer than those of everyone who's motivations are different comes across as rather... well... arrogant.

 

[JimmyM]

Why are you so ate up over what people might or might not think about each other? Particularly when it doesn't matter? That someone might not notice something or disagree with you doesn't make them stupid or arrogant... it makes them human.

Why are people motivated to do anything? Because they want to. As a society we've gotten into the habit of saying we do stuff for other people. But the truth is, at the end of the day... whatever we do we do because *we* wanted to. When you do stuff for other people you are doing it because it satisfied you to do so.

Even if you choose to do something unpleasant and would rather not do, you are doing it because you would rather do that something than deal with whatever the fallout is if you didn't do that something. Again, the choice is yours and you will make that choice in a manner that satisfies you.

So attempting to white knight yourself as some sort of audience-pleaser who's motivations are better or purer than those of everyone who's motivations are different comes across as rather... well... arrogant.

If it doesn't matter to you whether your band is a draw or not, that's OK by me. And if your band isn't drawing and you'd rather not explore possible reasons why, that's OK by me, too.

 

[electracoyote]

Generally speaking, most audiences are not as stupid as most musicians seem to think they are.

And for every one audience member who actually notices something and tries to articulate it, just like roaches, there are at least a dozen more behind the walls who notice it and keep their mouths shut. But that doesn't mean you haven't made an impression. Sometimes a good impression. Sometimes a bad impression.

That's an entertainer's perspective. NEVER take your audience for granted, if you want to be a performing musician. They notice stuff.

 

[Loring]

Why are you so ate up over what people might or might not think about each other? Particularly when it doesn't matter? That someone might not notice something or disagree with you doesn't make them stupid or arrogant... it makes them human.

Why are people motivated to do anything? Because they want to. As a society we've gotten into the habit of saying we do stuff for other people. But the truth is, at the end of the day... whatever we do we do because *we* wanted to. When you do stuff for other people you are doing it because it satisfied you to do so.

Even if you choose to do something unpleasant and would rather not do, you are doing it because you would rather do that something than deal with whatever the fallout is if you didn't do that something. Again, the choice is yours and you will make that choice in a manner that satisfies you.

So attempting to white knight yourself as some sort of audience-pleaser who's motivations are better or purer than those of everyone who's motivations are different comes across as rather... well... arrogant.

Count me as arrogant then. I want to sound the best I can for my audience. Not due to fearing fallout but because I'm returning the love as it were.

I love having an audience. Therefore I love my audience...

How is that arrogant?

 

[beans-on-toast]

Is this product only available online?

I’ve seen it a regular music store locally. They sell it in places such as Guitar Center for instance. If you google “the string cleaner” it comes up at retailers.

 

[maturanesa]

Please do.

Perhaps TB does need a new forum specifically for posts regarding the arrogance, stupidity and whatever of those that might not reach the exact same conclusions as the OP. That way, I could start ignoring it immediately.

So you think the forums are invented to congratulate the OP for his wisdom and not arguing?
Ok...
Thanx JimmyM!

 

[beans-on-toast]

Man, bass players can be a tough crowd to please.

At venues where a band has a regular gig, people in the audience are like a community. They have their favorite band members, talk to them during breaks, even sing happy birthday. That feeling of community brings in the crowds. Having them pay you a compliment on a good night is pretty nice.

 

[maturanesa]

Count me as arrogant then. I want to sound the best I can for my audience. Not due to fearing fallout but because I'm returning the love as it were.

I love having an audience. Therefore I love my audience...

How is that arrogant?

Arrogant not because you want to please, because you think the other that not think exactly like you are stupids...

 

[maturanesa]

Most of the audience is not aware of the details like "the age of the strings" or "your new capacitor that make highs smoother".
Am i arrogant for saying that?
Does anybody say "my audience is stupid"? Who?
The thread is based basically on an OP's generalization that is wrong.

 

[singlemalt]

I checked out the Wikipedia on the Villages. Interesting reading.

They pull in top tier acts. The audiences would have grown up in the golden time of FM radio and affordable concert tickets. They know what they are looking at and hearing.

It would be a nice gig to have as a regular thing.

 

[JimmyM]

Most of the audience is not aware of the details like "the age of the strings" or "your new capacitor that make highs smoother".
Am i arrogant for saying that?
Does anybody say "my audience is stupid"? Who?
The thread is based basically on an OP's generalization that is wrong.

1. Show me where I said someone in the audience said that my strings sounded newer.

2. Musicians whose bands aren't going over regularly accuse their audiences of being stupid. And musicians regularly show their disdain for how little their audiences know about music. To deny this is to deny reality.

 

[bumperbass]

"I've been using my Hammersmith with a very dead set of Dunlop Super Bright Nickels there pretty much exclusively most of the year. Tonight I got a wild hair and brought out my modded 76 Precision with a newish set of the same strings instead. Both these basses have Geezer PJ's, and to me they sound about the same when the strings have comparable wear. Everything else was the same as usual."

Jimmy, I don't dislike you at all. Really I don't. But right there you said both basses sound the same to you with strings "of comparable wear". Everything was the same as usual. Now, I am not a stupid person, so I interpret that sentence to mean the audience noticed the "newish set of strings". And IN MY OPINION, I don't believe it. I'm sorry. I don't want to bury you six feet under because of something you wrote. I have a right to my opinion, but I just have a hard time swallowing this one.

Yeah, I know you've played a lot of gigs, but I've played thousands of gigs, too, and NEVER have I had someone come up to me to tell me my bass tone sounded "different" after I've changed strings.

You also said "The lesson YOU should learn is that if you think your audience is so stupid that they can't tell the difference in your sound no matter what you use, maybe they're not the stupid ones.
So if I put new strings on my bass, and nobody comes up to me and says they noticed my bass sounded brighter, means I'm stupid? If they aren't the stupid ones, whom do you infer are the stupid ones?

The last thing I want to say is that not everyone on this forum thinks everything you say is gospel. Sorry, man.

 

[TomB]

That's nice. You should probably start taking your medication again.

My point is that l have lots of conversation with my audience about all kinds of things. ...great conversations in many cases, but seldom about bass tone. What’s your point? ...and what’s medication have to do with it