Audience lack of respect for bands

[mcnach]

On 4/26/2018 at 15:12, Bluewine said:

In the States, for bar bands, when the put you in a room separate from the bar, no matter how good you are your doomed.

Blue

 

I played a gig like that once, where three of us had wireless... and would occasionally pop into the other room, still playing, watch the screen a bit, try to make eye contact with someone and entice them in, and return after a failed mission. We had no more than 10 people coming and staying. We still got paid and the bar told us "I knew I shouldn't have a band during the match"... The thing is we thought it was a bit early for a gig on a Saturday and we double checked and asked if they wouldn't like us to play later... 

Ah well...

[mcnach]

Hmmm... I feel like I arrived late to this thread and I'm standing by myself with a glass in my hand. Just me, and the bartender, who is about to go too.

Oh God... I'm THAT guy!!! 

[Hobbayne]

On 4/24/2018 at 11:35, stingrayPete1977 said:

I went to the snooker at the Barbican years ago, because it was sponsored by Travis Perkins the entire front row of seats was made up of people made to go to fill up the seats, they sat there bored as nice old ladies that had paid good money struggled to see over their heads. 

I seem to remember somebody on here had a famous snooker playing brother. I cant remember who it was, but they havent posted for quite a while now.

[Woodinblack]

On 26/04/2018 at 15:12, Bluewine said:

In the States, for bar bands, when the put you in a room separate from the bar, no matter how good you are your doomed.

Yeh, same here, we had that.

And the opposite once - we played this gig rammed into a tiny corner of the bar, with the crowd right in front of us (very close, had a mirror pickguard on a jazz bass at the time and the drummers girlfriend was adjusting her makeup with it while we were playing!). After the gig, talking to the owner (who I thought was glaring at us all night) turned out to be reasonable friendly, and said 'come and look at this'. Went through a door with a big room with a stage at the end - he said, 'looks great doesn't it - but if I put a band in there no-one will go in there'.

[oldbass]

The band I'm in only do functions where we have been booked and paid to show up by those who know the guests ...we can then at least guarantee some level of respect and interest, so far so good.

eg last nites golf club birthday bash..everyone dressed up ,dancing and all very pleasant. Perfect.

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by oldbass

[Dan Dare]

It really isn't for us to demand or expect "respect" from an audience. If people wish to chat with friends, have a drink, watch the footie on the big screen, jump around, pick their noses, etc, etc, that's their prerogative. They've paid their money and they are entitled to take their choice.

[dave_bass5]

Ive seen so many posts over the years on here, where people are stating they will only play what they want to play and not what an audience wants to hear, that i can understand how little respect a band playing a boring set will get.  If you aren’t entertaining  an audience what are they supposed to do? As with most things in life, a poor service will get a poor response. 

[chris_b]

16 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Ive seen so many posts over the years on here, where people are stating they will only play what they want to play and not what an audience wants to hear, that i can understand how little respect a band playing a boring set will get.  If you aren’t entertaining  an audience what are they supposed to do? As with most things in life, a poor service will get a poor response. 

+1

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 1, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Bluewine]

12 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Ive seen so many posts over the years on here, where people are stating they will only play what they want to play and not what an audience wants to hear, that i can understand how little respect a band playing a boring set will get.  If you aren’t entertaining  an audience what are they supposed to do? As with most things in life, a poor service will get a poor response. 

I'm not sure it's that simple. Things happen. A really good band can be booked into the wrong venue and have a bad night.

Best example, being booked into a pub where the clientele has no interest in live music. It's a lose / lose proposition.

Blue

[dave_bass5]

5 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I'm not sure it's that simple. Things happen. A really good band can be booked into the wrong venue and have a bad night.

Best example, being booked into a pub where the clientele has no interest in live music. It's a lose / lose proposition.

Blue

Totally agree, i was just generalising, but a good band can turn things around sometimes. Ive seen (and been in bands) playing social clubs and its really hard work if you arent the right band on the night. If you are flexible and want to make the extra effort it can save the night. 

With my old band we would get very tough audiences, not interested in our set at all, and some members of the band would give up. ‘Sod it, lets just get through this’. Asking the audience if they have any requests and playing those helps warm the crowd up. Being flexible is the key IME. We stopped using set lists years ago, and just go with the flow on the night. You can usually gauge what an audience wants, by what’s not going down well, age, look, type of venue etc. 

Again, I’m generalising, and of course its not always going to work, but it has worked for me in the past on a lot of gigs. 

[KevB]

21 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

It really isn't for us to demand or expect "respect" from an audience. If people wish to chat with friends, have a drink, watch the footie on the big screen, jump around, pick their noses, etc, etc, that's their prerogative. They've paid their money and they are entitled to take their choice.

I'm talking about virtually shouting at each other at a ticketed music venue gig to the point that it ruins the enjoyment of hearing the band for those around them. In retrospect I probably should have included the words 'and other audience members' on the end of the thread title. I didn't mean pub gigs down the dog & duck.

[stingrayPete1977]

On 28/04/2018 at 10:55, Hobbayne said:

I seem to remember somebody on here had a famous snooker playing brother. I cant remember who it was, but they havent posted for quite a while now.

Ah I wonder who that was? 

[Barking Spiders]

I get the impression that  in the UK for the majority of adults going to any event it's less about the actual entertainment being put on and  more about getting s***faced. Does'nt matter whether it's Glastonbury, Cheltenham Gold Cup week,  Wimbledon Fortnight or local festivals, two weeks in Ibiza or nights down the boozer , the sport or music is just a sideshow.

[KevB]

3 hours ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Ah I wonder who that was? 

I vaguely recall it was Dominic Dale's brother who used to post here as silddx. I think he left after Waynepunk got banned?

Edited April 30, 2018 by KevB

[uk_lefty]

3 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

I get the impression that  in the UK for the majority of adults going to any event it's less about the actual entertainment being put on and  more about getting s***faced. Does'nt matter whether it's Glastonbury, Cheltenham Gold Cup week,  Wimbledon Fortnight or local festivals, two weeks in Ibiza or nights down the boozer , the sport or music is just a sideshow.

Sad but true. Saw two grown men, must have been mid forties, absolutely hammered to the point of being a complete embarrassment shouting at each other and getting aggressive with people at a Red Hot Chilli Peppers gig... Before the Red Hot Chilli's came on. It wasn't a cheap ticket and booze was extortionate. No way would they have remembered the day and they could have spent a month's wages, lost a few teeth and get arrested all at once. Moved away from those idiots very quickly.

[Lozz196]

3 hours ago, KevB said:

I vaguely recall it was Dominic Dale's brother who used to post here as silddx. I think he left after Waynepunk got banned?

Spot on Kev

[PaulWarning]

are we allowed to ask why he got banned?

[Happy Jack]

Some things just never get old, do they?

 

[Len_derby]

4 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

I get the impression that  in the UK for the majority of adults going to any event it's less about the actual entertainment being put on and  more about getting s***faced. Does'nt matter whether it's Glastonbury, Cheltenham Gold Cup week,  Wimbledon Fortnight or local festivals, two weeks in Ibiza or nights down the boozer , the sport or music is just a sideshow.

I don't disagree with this in general, I've seen plenty of it too.

But, I went to see some modern ballet dance on Friday night. Not my usual stuff, but very good. The audience was of about 150 I'd guess and seated. In spite of most of us having some alcohol during the interval, if not before, there was total and respectful silence throughout the show. No phones on display that I saw.  Quite an eye-opener.

Afterwards we went next door (literally) to see a Metallica tribute band playing in the Flowerpot pub. Quite different.

[Dad3353]

52 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

are we allowed to ask why he got banned?

Mod and Admin decisions are not, in general, subject to open discussion (although you could try a PM to an Admin, with no guarantee...). The motives for warnings and eventual ban are readily available for all in the Terms & Conditions (I'll assume all are familiar with them..?) which may be consulted through the links in my signature. I'm not aware of any member having been either warned or banned without transgression of these T&Cs.
Hope this helps.

[Muzz]

Personally, my criteria for a good gig is how well we play and how good we sound. Anything else is mostly beyond our control: the venue, the crowd on that particular night, other distractions (anyone who's ever played a wedding when they open the buffet during your first set will know there's only ever one winner there) and it's really not worth worrying or getting upset about. We played a big wedding the night Anthony Joshua won the world title recently, and I'd spotted the potential issue beforehand, so we made sure we weren't playing while the fight was on. The main room didn't have a TV (obv), but there was a bar elsewhere in the venue that did, and for more than half an hour there wasn't a bloke in the main room. The bride wasn't amused...  We could have huffed about lack of respect, but if even the bride's getting abandoned for half an hour...

Now, a GREAT gig is one where we play well AND go down well... 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Muzz

[skankdelvar]

2 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

are we allowed to ask why he got banned?

You may but the BC code of silence means the mods lips are sealed. Just accept you'll never know and have a nice mug of tea instead (coughs, taps side of nose, winks meaningfully).

 

[Dad3353]

Mmm... Tea..!

[Tubster]

Does geographic location play a part? North vs South, small town vs city etc?

my  recent experience has been in USA - Florida and Seattle. Audiences in Seattle were much more into the music but it was a given that people in both places would try to hold loud conversations next to the band. 

Now in Spain and Spanish audiences seem more attentive but perhaps they are trying to figure out what is being sung?!