When you get compliments on your playing

[KK Jale]

I'm another who has had to learn to handle this well.

Deflection's good for me too. "Thanks very much, it's great to see you" or "Oh cheers, thanks for dropping down, we're really enjoying it" always goes okay, and if there's an awkward moment, I turn it back on them... for instance ask where they've come from ("Oh wow, from Catford??? Amazing!!") or ask if they could hear everything okay in the room (guy punters always enjoy this, and usually give an answer which I nod seriously to and then ignore).

I try never to say *thanks, but I was having a nightmare" as it's contradicting them, in a way.

A firm handshake and repeating "Nice one, cheers" usually ends it okay.

Drunks are something else. I had one recently who was repeatedly over-effusive in that particular manner which in reality is only an fraction away from calling you a twat and lamping you. Nasty.

[discreet]

[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1428928080' post='2745978']
Drunks are something else. I had one recently who was repeatedly over-effusive in that particular manner which in reality is only an fraction away from calling you a twat and lamping you. Nasty.
[/quote]

It IS nasty. Smile and nod, smile and nod...

[seashell]

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1428911567' post='2745742']
I usually say something "Thanks, very kind of you to say, thanks for coming" as others have suggested - acknowledging that it takes a bit of pluck on their part to make the effort to come and make the compliment.


[/quote]

Exactly. As a punter, I often go up to various band members (esp. Bass players) and tell them how much I enjoyed it, in the misguided belief they might actually be pleased to hear this. In the light of this thread, I might have to re-think
:-(

[Iain]

[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1428928080' post='2745978']
A firm handshake and repeating "Nice one, cheers" usually ends it okay.
[/quote]

This is about it. Rare as it is for someone to actually want to talk to the bass player!

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='mikebass84' timestamp='1428911096' post='2745735']
Depends on who says it really. It's usually just a "thanks very much" but if it's a fellow bassist it can lead to nerdy gear talk
[/quote]

To be avoided at all costs ime. At least 75% of the people who tell me they enjoyed it follow up with " I'm a Bass Player" To be honest I find talking about gear boring, and the gear anoracks do like to ramble on and on.

[amnesia]

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1428859697' post='2745367']
Maybe you do get compliments but just can't remember!
[/quote]

[sprocketflup]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1428833504' post='2744921']
I just say "Thankyou, I'm glad you've enjoyed" I'm another that doesn't take compliments too well!!

You can always tell when it's a general punter or a muso punter... The muso punters always mention the fretless!
[/quote]

that ^^

The singer in my Kate Bush band gets the "You sang that better than KB herself!" quite often, but the other night I was told "You played better than John Giblin himself" which I cannot believe for a second.....ok just a second or two then

Of course my unassuming bassist brain soon reminded me that 'better' is a relative term, peculiar to the beholder, and is easily swayed by 'alcohol'

[inthedoghouse]

Yep, I'm uneasy with compliments too, although it's nice to hear.

I'll often say something like 'Thanks, I've been doing it a long time' and 'Glad you enjoyed the night, we had a great time too'

[Marc S]

Maybe it's a common theme among us bass players?
Perhaps we don't like to be in the spotlight?
Is this why we chose bass over lead singing, or guitar?
Who knows....

But yep, another one here, who doesn't get complimented too often
and doesn't quite know how to respond when he does get a compliment

I had a great moment a month or so back though
One of my bass playing "idols" Paul Gray (Ex Damned, Hot Rods, UFO)
Played at our local folk club, in a rather good band

Paul heavily influenced me & my playing during my 1st spell of bass (back in the 80's)
and even kindly gave me a couple of free lessons!

I did a stint in the folk club scratch band, and as I stepped off stage
Paul very kindly said "Well played mate" - and I responded with "thanks, glad you enjoyed it"
... I walked out of there feeling ten feet tall though, I can tell you

To be honest though, I get more comments about my gear than I do my playing lol

EDIT: Usual comments like "Is that a Cello or what?" re my double bass
and even "I've never seen a Bassoon before" - or they could have been saying "Buffoon" I suppose

Edited April 14, 2015 by Marc S

[Geek99]

I did get this happen once (mind you I've only played live twice) and it was from a guitard who told me I "sounded immense" (playing a stingray clone on flatbed through a small ampeg combo). Everyone was clapping along so it can't have been too far out. Told said guitard that I'd made loads of errors but he hadn't noticed apparently

Edited April 14, 2015 by Geek99

[icastle]

I've never been comfortable with compliments but I get at least one per gig.
Over the years I've got used to just smiling and saying thankyou.

Bass players are odd buggers though.
Some of them bound up and want to talk about gear or how I get 'that sound' whilst others just glare at me all night.

[TimR]

"Thanks. We always enjoy playing here, the audience is very appreciative."

Followed by :

"Do you play?"

Then you can listen to them tell you about the time when they supported...
While you concentrate on packing away your gear.

[MarkW]

I have only ever had two 'compliments' from punters. The first was in the car park after a pub gig, from a man who told me and my band mates at great length that I was 'a f*cking amazing bass player' and that they were lucky to have me in the band. It would have been better if he hadn't been so hopelessly drunk that he fell face-first into a wooden planter and spent the next ten minutes on his knees being violently sick over the geraniums.

The second was from a lady at another gig who sidled up to our keyboard player to ask if the bass player was married. Thankfully he said 'yes', because she was of such truly terrifying proportions that she could easily have swallowed Cyril Smith whole.

[discreet]

[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1429012660' post='2746964']
...The second was from a lady at another gig who sidled up to our keyboard player to ask if the bass player was married. Thankfully he said 'yes', because she was of such truly terrifying proportions that she could easily have swallowed Cyril Smith whole...
[/quote]

Phwooarr!! You missed out there, then!

[HengistPod]

[quote name='Raymondo' timestamp='1428831871' post='2744877']
I still feel shamed by my reaction and so, if you were the young guy that went to see Dumpys Rusty Nuts at the Mardi Gras club in Nottingham in 1985.....my band SYZ II were the support.....I apologise
[/quote]

Well ... I was at that gig, but I didn't compliment you on your bass playing!

The Mardi Gras was ace. Quireboys, Little Angels, Wolfsbane, Dogs D'Amour, Pallas, Sleeze Patrol (Punky Wayne, what a guy!), Brian Connolly's Sweet (shame) etc etc. Few pints in the Sal, and some more at the Trip on the way down to the gig.

As for compliments ... whenever I get any I assume that the complimentor is probably a better player than me anyway, so I get a bit embarrassed by it all!

[timmo]

I got a compliment for how well i was doing from my wife. I plugged in my MP3 and playing along to the track, and she thought the whole backing track was me.

[KevB]

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1429087833' post='2747758']
Well ... I was at that gig, but I didn't compliment you on your bass playing!

The Mardi Gras was ace. Quireboys, Little Angels, Wolfsbane, Dogs D'Amour, Pallas, Sleeze Patrol (Punky Wayne, what a guy!), Brian Connolly's Sweet (shame) etc etc. Few pints in the Sal, and some more at the Trip on the way down to the gig.

As for compliments ... whenever I get any I assume that the complimentor is probably a better player than me anyway, so I get a bit embarrassed by it all!
[/quote]

Also remember the MG and from a similar time, though I think my main times there were maybe '86 or '87 so never saw Ray. I did see a number of the bands you mention. Though I had graduated by 87 I carried on doing some gig reviews for a student magazine and was also involved in a rock show on hospital radio so got a press pass for the club, could go whenever I liked for free. Others I recall seeing there were Tygers of Pan Tang, Jadis, Pendragon, Wilco Johnson (Norman was playing with him even back then). Whenever I go past that office block I wonder if the rooms are still down there in the basement in any usable form.

Edited April 15, 2015 by KevB

[Bassman Steve]

I'm terrible at this. It's a lovely thing to hear and very kind of people to say so. I tend to just be gracious and say thanks to people I identify as non-musical and just say 'thank god for the cloth-eared' to people I reckon are musicians (in the idiotic belief they have a sense of humour similar to mine).

That said. most compliments I get start off as being for the sound. They probably just tack on the playing bit to be polite.

[HengistPod]

Yeah, Jadis and Pendragon, I remember seeing them there. Jadis supported Marillion (?) around that time, too.

Also, and how could i forget ... Engine. Surely one of the greatest pub-rock bands ever?

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429014496' post='2747004']


Phwooarr!! You missed out there, then!
[/quote]

I had a rather terrifying woman come on to me on Sat!!!!! (First time ever for a woman at a gig, happens with men in about 50% of gigs!!), I pointed out my lovely husband and had the reply "well you don't need to bring him on a date" I was 50% flattered, 50% terrified. Although was mildly amused at the shouts of "Sexy Bass Lady" as I was loading the van.

[discreet]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1429213266' post='2749389']
I had a rather terrifying woman come on to me on Sat!!!!! (First time ever for a woman at a gig, happens with men in about 50% of gigs!!), I pointed out my lovely husband and had the reply "well you don't need to bring him on a date" I was 50% flattered, 50% terrified. Although was mildly amused at the shouts of "Sexy Bass Lady" as I was loading the van.
[/quote]

Ha! You should have gone for it. Men don't mind if it's with another woman, it satisfies their pervy lesbo threesome fantasies.

[Lord Sausage]

I got asked for my autograph outside the Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin. I'd just played bass in RENT there. I thought she was taking the piss light heartedly. And light heartedly I laughed "piss off" or something like that. Turns out she was genuine. She'd enjoyed my playing and how I was "in to it". Needless to say I felt a bit of a twat. Especially how she still wanted it. I felt a tool giving an autograph!

[bigjohn]

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1429470623' post='2751708']
I got asked for my autograph outside the Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin. I'd just played bass in RENT there. I thought she was taking the piss light heartedly. And light heartedly I laughed "piss off" or something like that. Turns out she was genuine. She'd enjoyed my playing and how I was "in to it". Needless to say I felt a bit of a twat. Especially how she still wanted it. I felt a tool giving an autograph!
[/quote]

"Hope you enjoyed your RENT, Lord Sausage xx"

[KevB]

I recall years ago that I was doing some sort of fundraiser at a primary school where one of the band member's wife was a teacher. It was all very low key and in a ,marquee on the lawn but the sun shone and it was an easy gig. I was having a soft drink afterwards when a little girl of all of 6 or 7 tentatively came up and asked if I would autograph her arm! lots of mirth making amongst the band but I duly obliged, her mum was OK with it, some type of non permanent marker. Bless...

[Raymondo]

I think I might have posted this before but KevB's post reminded me of this .....

I was playing my usual Saturday night gig at Route 66 in Puerto de Santiago Tenerife a few years back ...we played with our backs to the ,open,sliding doors.I noticed a little girl....no more than 5 or6 yrs old watching us along, with her toddler brother, from the street behind me.Their parents weren't far behind them so I took no more notice.

When we finished our song she came up to me and said "excuse me" (in perfect English,they were a Scandinavian family) and gave me 10 cents from her purse !

The place was packed and as one all went "AAHH" it was so cute. they went on their way and we carried on playing .....I still have the 10 cents coin.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Raymondo