Opinions on talking to audience between songs

[bonzodog]

As a three piece band, me and the guitarist share vocals (He sings some and I sing others). I am also the 'frontman' in as much that I do any chat between songs.
The reason I do it, is because in a former life I was a solo pub singer and used to talk to the audience a lot. I dont mean telling jokes, but just the general 'how you all doing' and introducing songs and trying to get people dancing
As a solo singer this felt normal but now in a band I feel its a bit cheesy. We supported a band last week who hardly spoke between songs and there was an almost coolness to how they did not interact much with the audience.

I know a lot of its depends on what sort of band yoiu are. As a rule I would say a covers band would chat more, and an originals band may be less but would be interested to see what you guys think and do.

The other two in the band are vey complimentary of what I do, but sometimes I feel a bit 'caberet' when I ask audience if they are having a good time etc

[CamdenRob]

I always think it looks a bit arrogant to not talk to the audience at all, just standing there playing expecting adulation... I'd stick to what you are doing currently, sounds about right

[discreet]

Whatever you're comfortable with, as long as it doesn't seem contrived.

[Roland Rock]

I was in a covers band once where the frontman was cringeworthy. We'd be in a virtually empty pub, and before every song, he'd say "any Who fans in tonight?" or "any Roxy Music fans here?" Etc.
Then there was the inevitable waft of the hand and "sorry, must be last night's curry" when the smoke machine went off.
Sigh.

Luckily, the next frontman was witty and charismatic. He didn't have a set of cliches that he churned out, just genuinely amiable off-the-cuff remarks.

So in conclusion, if a front person finds they are saying the same thing at each gig, then that's a sign that they need to keep the banter to a minimum and pretend to be cool instead :-D

Edited February 11, 2014 by Roland Rock

[Ba55me15ter]

I think it depends on what sort of show you're doing and what your patter is like.

If you're a function band there for people to dance to, I'd keep it to a minimum. If you're a more cerebral experience, a bit of quality patter / humour can really enhance the entertainment. Bad patter is worse than no patter at all, however.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='Ba55me15ter' timestamp='1392114820' post='2364741']
Bad patter is worse than no patter at all
[/quote]

Sums up my post in nine words :-)

[Muzz]

Can't be doing with bands who don't interact with the audience, it's really not cool at all. Everyone in the room is there for a good time, everyone needs to feel included. As long as it's amusing/entertaining, doesn't interrupt the flow of the music and doesn't ramble on too much, talking to the audience is great, and 95% of the time will get them on your side.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Muzz

[chris_b]

I played in a band where the singers best lines went something like, "That was a great number wasn't it?" And "Who's heard of XXX?". Where XXX was someone everyone had heard of. The rest was even worse.

It was toe curlingly awful.

My opinion is; short and sharp is best. Stick to one liners and if you haven't got anything interesting to say, don't say anything.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Ba55me15ter' timestamp='1392114820' post='2364741']
I think it depends on what sort of show you're doing and what your patter is like.
[/quote]

I agree. For covers and even original bands, I think it is important to let the audience know that you are alive. Brief interaction now and then is good as long as it's not contrived.

IMO the likes of jazz requires less banter as most people are there for the music and if the band are good, the music speaks for itself. That's not to say that the band members should be dummies for the evening.

[Big_Stu]

Chat is good as long as it's natural, worse is cracking the same jokes or patter the next time you play there. Even if you get any kind of good rep at a venue it will be remembered as "seen them once".

Edited February 11, 2014 by Big_Stu

[Coilte]

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1392114958' post='2364746']
Can't be doing with bands who don't interact with the audience, it's really not cool at all.
[/quote]

Tell that to Miles Davis ( a bit late now, I suppose). He was regarded as "Mr Cool" personified. He had little interaction with his audiences and often played an entire concert with his back to them. Granted he was one of a kind....just sayin'.

[gjones]

I think that a bit of chat gets the audience on the band's side. I remember seeing Ryan Adams in Glasgow. He stepped up to the mic and said 'Hello London!', then turned his back to the audience and didn't say a word until he said goodbye, after he'd played the last song.

I said to myself, 'that guys a bit of a knob'.

[Musky]

Like everyone else says, it's not so much about whether to talk or not but about the actual execution.

Plenty of originals bands talk between numbers, and some are well known for it, but pointless cliched wittering is about as welcome as it would be in a conversation.

[Coilte]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1392115859' post='2364763']
I think that a bit of chat gets the audience on the band's side. I remember seeing Ryan Adams in Glasgow. He stepped up to the mic and said 'Hello London!', then turned his back to the audience and didn't say a word until he said goodbye, after he'd played the last song.

I said to myself, 'that guys a bit of a knob'.
[/quote]

Al Stewart is the opposite. I saw two or three of his concerts back in the 80's. After each song, he'd waffle on for an average of three minutes.

I ended up saying the same thing to myself...for the opposite reason. Ideally there is a happy medium, but if I had to choose, I'd prefer the Ryan Adams type any day.

[PaulWarning]

pater like everything else gets better with practice, but I agree with most posters on here no interaction with the crowd is not a good thing, but if you're not comfortable with it you tend to mumble which means nobody can understand what you're saying anyway, and yeah don't overdo it we occasionally have to pull our singer up on that one, like most singers he's a narcissist and thinks everybody is hanging on his every word

[Hobbayne]

I saw The Eagles a few years back where Don Henley mumbled a few words once or twice and looked really uncomfortable. The rest of the banter was left to Glen Frey and Joe Walsh. Joe really was good at getting the audience invovled.

[squire5]

I usually like to announce a song by giving a bit of background to it (who wrote it,what album its from etc).I only recently started doing this since me and our lead player started going out as a 2-piece (acoustic guitar and bass + 2 vocals) a la Mike Masse.(check him out on Youtube).I took it on myself to instigate a bit of banter just for the sake of keeping people interested in what we were doing.In N.Ireland there are many folk duos about who insist in giving each song,or tune,the full works IE who wrote it,why they wrote it,what they were thinking about after they wrote it and tend to go a bit far.I just think a little bit of insight,and hey,maybe a bit of trivia about the music helps to build a bit of closeness with your punters.

PS if you're ever unfortunate enough to have just one person applaud after a song,just say "Thank you for the clap".Usually raises a titter.

Edited February 11, 2014 by squire5

[Happy Jack]

If you're running to a script and say the same things at the same point every gig, then throw the script away and just play the songs.

If you're capable of chatting naturally and in context (different line of patter when playing to half a dozen punters sitting behind tables, or 50 drunks on the dancefloor) then just go with what's natural.

All that said, one of the best (big) gigs I ever saw was Robert Palmer at the Hammersmith Odeon, maybe 1984-ish. Walked on, "Hello London", then three hours of almost non-stop music. The longest gap between songs can't have been more than 30 seconds ... they were launching into the intro of the next song while the crowd were still going bananas for the song they'd just finished.

[discreet]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1392118013' post='2364794']
... they were launching into the intro of the next song while the crowd were still going bananas for the song they'd just finished.
[/quote]

That's the way to do it. What was everyone there for? Not to hear Robert Palmer talking, that's for sure.

[JTUK]

If you can do it well, then you should do it.....but it is a special skill in itself, IMO.
But you do need to connect somehow... and know when it works and when to shut up.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1392114695' post='2364740']
So in conclusion, if a front person finds they are saying the same thing at each gig, then that's a sign that they need to keep the banter to a minimum and pretend to be cool instead :-D
[/quote]

I've seen Ray Davies play a few times in recent years and he has used the same same joke every time. I'm pretty sure I also heard him use it at Glastonbury last year (or was it the year before - I only saw it online). I guess it's all part of a fully rehearsed show, jokes and all. After all, most of the people in the audience won't go to every gig on a tour so it's only the band that will get bored with the same jokes.

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='squire5' timestamp='1392117212' post='2364781']
In N.Ireland there are many folk duos about who insist in giving each song,or tune,the full works IE who wrote it,why they wrote it,what they were thinking about after they wrote it and tend to go a bit far.
[/quote]

This seems to be a commonly committed sin at open mic nights throughout London. Not everyone, but every so often - usually once a night - you'll get some lad with his acoustic guitar, dressed like every other bloody hipster in the place, prattling on about how this song is "really important" to him because he wrote it at some particular time in his life about which we have absolutely no knowledge, in a desperate attempt to appear "sensitive."

And the song that follows is usually sh*te.

[KevB]

Agree with JTUK, there should be some sort of inclusiveness and getting the [s]drunken mob [/s] audience onside but doing it well is an undervalued skill.

[lowlandtrees]

It has been 20 years since I played in bands but I remember that for some reason there was often a long silent break between songs. I have seen this many times. I mean usually we played the same set so there was no reason for it. I think that bands should practice going from one song to the next as if it is part of the whole performance. I think that when this happen there should be some patter. It looks unprofessional when the band are farting about on stage between songs and nothing is happening.

[oggiesnr]

If you're good at it (which means have something to say that adds to the performance and can deliver it well) then do it. If you're not good (mumble, tongue tied, banal) then don't bother.

Steve