Why bother...........

[Jambo10]

Last night, ourselves, along with 2 supports (punk band and rock blues band) did a charity gig, 4 hours of solid live music.

After much promotion the crowd wasn't quite as big as we would have liked, but all 3 bands had a decent time and we all raised a few quid for charity......what bugs me is as we are dismantling the rig we see the karaoke in the other bar totally heaving, with what can only be described as noises akin to a cat on heat pulled through a mangler by the no.57 bus.

If that kind of *entertainment* pulls in the punters, it makes you wonder why you spend your time playing music at all!

I know this gripe has probably been heard a trisquillion times, but it just gets to me at times and maybe it's time to not bother playing and see what all the X factor nonsense is all about.........erm, no, hang on...scrub that last bit!

[jaydentaku]

Do not get me started

[Jambo10]

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1346529363' post='1790348']
Do not get me started
[/quote]

Watch the blood pressure!

[martin8708]

You had a crowd ??
Seriously , I empathise with you entirely , have been there and done gigs to bar staff and the dog in the corner , only to be told that the pub is normally packed ,but the young farmers ball / some ones leaving do / wake is in the pub down the road .
I just love playing with fellow musicians , for me - that's enough.

[Jambo10]

[quote name='martin8708' timestamp='1346530678' post='1790363']
You had a crowd ??
Seriously , I empathise with you entirely , have been there and done gigs to bar staff and the dog in the corner , only to be told that the pub is normally packed ,but the young farmers ball / some ones leaving do / wake is in the pub down the road .
I just love playing with fellow musicians , for me - that's enough.
[/quote]

Well....I say a *crowd*.....about 20-30 folk, but I've done plenty of the "oh aye, they'll be bus loads coming down tonight" gigs and found a tumbleweed flowing past instead...again, got to have a blether with other bassists which is always good,it's just the effort we all put into learning and playing and you get some drunk orange high heeled pissed as a fart platinum blonde slapper who can't string together a coherent sentence let along hold a tune in a bucket belting out something that dogs in a neighbouring village are cowering under a table for fear their ears will implode getting applause for being just, pished, and rank rotten.....and having a crowd!!

Rant over.......for now!

[martin8708]

A drunk ,orange ,high heeled pissed as a fart platinum blonde slapper ????
Try a pub with a few miserable ,flat cap , jack Russell owning misogynist punters huddled round the bar .
Again , I fully empathise with your sentiments , as an " in between bands "bassist " , I just like doing the gig .
Zero audience is a great opportunity to try new stuff ( reggae-fy Hey Joe for instance )

[Lord Sausage]

The reason is...................slags! I used to run pubs, karaoke attracts groups of young easy woman. Where they go, men go

Edited September 2, 2012 by Lord Sausage

[Jambo10]

[quote name='martin8708' timestamp='1346532496' post='1790384']
A drunk ,orange ,high heeled pissed as a fart platinum blonde slapper ????
Try a pub with a few miserable ,flat cap , jack Russell owning misogynist punters huddled round the bar .
Again , I fully empathise with your sentiments , as an " in between bands "bassist " , I just like doing the gig .
Zero audience is a great opportunity to try new stuff ( reggae-fy Hey Joe for instance )
[/quote]


We ended up doing a bit of a laid back acoustic version of some songs......a wee cheap rehearsal if you like!

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1346532725' post='1790387']
The reason is...................slags! I used to run pubs karaoke attractions groups of young easy woman. Where they go, men go
[/quote]

Fair point....can't agrue with that!

[mrtcat]

You can't educate pork.

Play boyzone and Val Doonican and you'll be bombarded with punters. Whatever you do don't play decent music.

[LeftyBiskit]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1346533147' post='1790393']
You can't educate pork.

Play boyzone and Val Doonican and you'll be bombarded with punters. Whatever you do don't play decent music.
[/quote]

Yer bang on there MrT.
you cant polish a turd either-how are you enjoying the chorus pedal,
Trev.

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1346529363' post='1790348']
Do not get me started
[/quote]


Also.

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1346533147' post='1790393']
You can't educate pork.

[/quote]


You are my new Hero.

[The Admiral]

I absolutely HATE karaoke, and I have this argument with my Mrs over the X factor 'auditions' for the same reasons.

We all know its set up for TV and the lot we see have already been screened by teams of researchers to ensure a good mix of sob stories/nutters/people who can actually hold a note - but I can't bear to watch these talentless bufoons make a twat of themselves, as I find it just so embarrasing, by proxy.

I can't carry a tune in a bucket, and I've been forced at school 35 years ago to try - in front of class mates, by evil bastard teachers who knew I was useless, and it just takes me back to standing in a room full of my peers, with them laughing their arses off at my deperate croaks and caterwauling. Deeply affecting when you are kid.

Consequently, the whole 'let's laugh at the nutters and sh*t singers' bit feels a bit too close to the Victorian Londoners idea of a bit of post dinner fun, where they would pop down to the asylum at Bedlam, and have the staff poke the nutters with a stick - just for a laugh. Taking pleasure in other people's shortcomings is a pretty sh*tty thing to do in my view - and the kindest thing to do would of course be to filter these f*ckwits out at the research stage, but that wouldn't provide enough 'entertainment' I suppose.

Bread and circuses.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

One of the reasons I decided to no more band stuff. You rehearse once , sometimes twice a week.
Then you practice at home , making sure you're up to speed etc.
Then , after trying to find pub that do gigs, and haven't changed into a Tesco Metro, you find the same problems as the OP.

[Dr.Dave]

The question isn't 'why bother' - it's 'why worry' !!

You do your thing to whoever wants to watch you doing your thing and it makes you happy.

Somebody else does there's in greater numbers...good for them. I've found that since the point where I was confident and experienced - at life - enough to stop conning myself into thinking we're all equal and was therefore able to accept that most people I come across are dumber than me , I've found such things as karaoke much easier to deal with.

[chris_b]

There's no point in blaming an audience for not liking you.

Sorry for your disappointment, but bands don't get audiences by default. They have to fight for every bum on every seat by being better than the competition.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1346599480' post='1791021']
I've found that since the point where I was confident and experienced - at life - enough to stop conning myself into thinking we're all equal and was therefore able to accept that most people I come across are dumber than me , I've found such things as karaoke much easier to deal with.
[/quote]

True dat, we simply take comfort in the fact that our tastes are superior to theirs and we could probably beat them at Scrabble... [/snobbish elitism]

[SlapbassSteve]

I've found people in general can be pretty thick. I know a few people that point-blank refuse to believe X factor is as contrived as it is.
...And don't get me started on all the 'singers' that think they're the next big thing because they can just about string together an attempt at an overplayed-to-death-and-now-just-plain-unoriginal Adele song...

[ezbass]

[quote name='Jambo10' timestamp='1346529228' post='1790346']
the karaoke in the other bar totally heaving, with what can only be described as noises akin to a cat on heat pulled through a mangler by the no.57 bus.

If that kind of *entertainment* pulls in the punters, it makes you wonder why you spend your time playing music at all!
[/quote]I'm afraid that a quick gander at prime time TV (which I avoid whenever possible) reveals that this is what Joe Q Public finds entertaining these days. It seems that 'Freak Show' TV has now infected the local live scene, sad days indeed.

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1346599776' post='1791027'] [/snobbish elitism]
[/quote]

I've earned both those qualities !

[paul_5]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1346600132' post='1791034']
I've earned both those qualities !
[/quote]

Ditto. Also Boorishness.

[lowdowner]

I'm still finding the 'playing with other people' such a buzz I couldn't care if I'm playing to a packed stadium (I wish!) or a lone deaf cat! I realise this may change, but it's why I do it

Having a gig just forces us to concentrate on a a short gig list and not fizz all over the place trying loads of new music - originals or covers

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1346604829' post='1791106']
Ditto. Also Boorishness.
[/quote]

Tch - I only got ignorance. I don't know what boorish means!

[xilddx]

[quote name='Jambo10' timestamp='1346529228' post='1790346']
Last night, ourselves, along with 2 supports (punk band and rock blues band) did a charity gig, 4 hours of solid live music.

After much promotion the crowd wasn't quite as big as we would have liked, but all 3 bands had a decent time and we all raised a few quid for charity......what bugs me is as we are dismantling the rig we see the karaoke in the other bar totally heaving, with what can only be described as noises akin to a cat on heat pulled through a mangler by the no.57 bus.

If that kind of *entertainment* pulls in the punters, it makes you wonder why you spend your time playing music at all!

I know this gripe has probably been heard a trisquillion times, but it just gets to me at times and maybe it's time to not bother playing and see what all the X factor nonsense is all about.........erm, no, hang on...scrub that last bit!
[/quote]

Mate we are the same on here! We'll watch an Asian transvestite, the wrong drummer, Neil Peart f***ing up an intro, but will we head over to the BC Recording section and listen to BCers' bands?

[skej21]

I'd rather watch Karaoke (which is essentially a cheesy track with someone singing for fun, comfortable with the knowledge that they are awful!) than watch a truly average covers/tribute/cliche band strut around like they're the next big thing with egos to match and a total disregard for the punters who are paying their wages.