Contempt for your audience.

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1329771437' post='1547170']
Yes. Many many times, and pretty much all of those times it was wedding gigs. And it near killed me until one night I looked around the room at all these people having the time of their lives, and the other guys in the band were having a great night and it finally hit me that I was the only miserable c**t in the room. I figured I could choose to be happy or choose to be miserable. Happiness won.

Having said that, a few years later I did quit a wedding band because I must have spent at least the first three songs staring at the back on the singers head and saying 'You're a c**t, you're a c**t' repeatedly. The world has a way of telling you things I believe.
[/quote]

Ouch - been there! Reading this thread brought to mind why Brian Eno said he left Roxy Music, after he found himself onstage thinking about when he could find the time to do his laundry. I've never moved in quite those lofty circles, but it's a short leap from there to audience-hating, in my experience. You either do the gig and accept all that it entails, or sell your gear and go and do something else, for gawd's sake...

[waynepunkdude]

"[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] It's almost as though you've never even heard of Camel or King Crimson! Losers!"[/size][/font][/color]






[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Seriously loving the irony.[/size][/font][/color]

[discreet]

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1329779860' post='1547405']
...being able to stare at jugs without suspicion more than compensates for any negativity...
[/quote]

I look at their tumblers as well. Perk of the job. Perk... he heu he he.

Edited February 21, 2012 by discreet

[Conan]

You guys get audiences?!?!

[thumperbob 2002]

[quote name='nottswarwick' timestamp='1329773030' post='1547214']
this. I think there is a clear difference between gigging as part of your main income, and doing it part time. Mine is my job, and sadly sometimes it feels like it.
[/quote]

Agree with this 100%

Now I am in a really part time band and it is not my income anymore I still find the odd night a certain disdain for the audience creeps in. The guys in the band are all great guys and that makes up for the odd boring gig.

[thunderbird13]

I think its a bit sad having contempt for anyones musical taste irrespective of whether they are in an audience a band or whatever , thats the sort of stuff I grew out of when I was 14

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1329779860' post='1547405']
being able to stare at jugs without suspicion more than compensates for any negativity.
[/quote]

this. very much so.

Though it is for precisely these reasons that i am leaving the covers world for a bit. (that and that i don't need the money so much now) I have been playing music I don't like to huge crowds of people I can barely tolerate for 2 years, and i need to go and calm down for a bit and play nice music to 3 blokes and a dog at gigs that are 500 miles round trips and pay close to f*** all instead, so that i remember that playing songs I don't like to people i can barely tolerate is actually quite fun, and pays alright too. i give me about 6 months...

[nottswarwick]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1329821843' post='1547770']
this. very much so.

Though it is for precisely these reasons that i am leaving the covers world for a bit. (that and that i don't need the money so much now) I have been playing music I don't like to huge crowds of people I can barely tolerate for 2 years, and i need to go and calm down for a bit and play nice music to 3 blokes and a dog at gigs that are 500 miles round trips and pay close to f*** all instead, so that i remember that playing songs I don't like to people i can barely tolerate is actually quite fun, and pays alright too. i give me about 6 months...
[/quote]

best post.

[chris_b]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1329816035' post='1547649']
....thread brought to mind why Brian Eno said he left Roxy Music, after he found himself onstage thinking about when he could find the time to do his laundry.....
[/quote]

With me it's usually the shopping or the current DIY project!!

Makes the boring numbers pass quite quickly.

[SteveK]

[quote name='Dave Tipping' timestamp='1329784132' post='1547488']
[b]... oh and going back to the "context of this thread" .. "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] may contain exaggeration and humour." .. geez some of you boys need to lighten up! [/font][/color][/b][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] I don't actually hate the audience ... just their taste in music! sometimes .. not EVERY gig .. just the odd gig maybe once a month? Usually in a night club where we play a very different set from our usual pub circuit.[/font][/color]
[/quote]
Sorry, you seemed to be in need of some advice - my mistake - nothing personal

[Daniel Acheson]

I've never felt quite that strongly about it - most people (including myself at times) seem to get a kick out of engaging in mindless activity most of the time......so it's not really anything abnormal for crowds in some bar in some UK town on some Friday night to enjoy some Band with some cheesy singer playing some well known radio hits from the past.....and then go and go the same thing next weekend. I think it's a result of people generally having such depressing, unfulfilling jobs that they don't enjoy....any form of entertainment be it X Factor, Strictly Dancing, Corrie etc is a good distraction of the fact that they have to go back to hell on monday....

I really don't enjoy covers gigs. I do it in a part-time role (juggling with various bits of recordings work, teaching, original gigs etc) but have really cut back lately....I've less cash and wouldn't mind getting one or two weddings here and there for that extra £120ish boost but I don't regret at all sacking the whole "covers in pubs" thing.

I'm only 22/23 but after doing it quite alot throughout uni and the past couple of years it just depresses me. The buzz you get playing a set of songs you really believe in and have had creative input with, is a completely different thing to playing a set of the usual boring covers.

I really think that in this sphere of music there are two types of musician - those who technically excel and want to play covers (usually the boutique gear heads with marshall stacks, mesa boogie, ernie ball steve lukather guitars etc), and those who creatively excel and want to create their own material (gear freaks with obscure pedalboards, cheap japanese souped up strats, etc).

Often the boundaries between the two blur, for example king crimson (great technically/theoretically/musically as well as having that extra "depth" but really I'd rather be a part of the second group than the first. I know everyone has bills to pay and to be honest I know some great singer songwriters locally who might be a bit older than me, having a kid or whatever, and they have no choice but to play more covers gigs/get awful dayjobs in callcentres because they have the responsibility of a kid etc and need the cashflow to meet that. I'm just in the fortunate position of not having made such a leap yet.....who knows, if things change I may end up trying to love playing superstition and proud mary every weekend. jesus.....

dunno if any of that makes sense i wrote it on a whim hoho

[ahpook]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1329816035' post='1547649']
You either do the gig and accept all that it entails, or sell your gear and go and do something else, for gawd's sake...
[/quote]

plus the one.

as far as i can see complaining about your audience in the contect of this thread is like a pig farmer complaining about the ever-present smell of sh*t.

[discreet]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1329823564' post='1547832']
...complaining about your audience in the contect of this thread is like a pig farmer complaining about the ever-present smell of sh*t.
[/quote]

Quite. As the old proverb goes, 'if you can't stand the heat, climb into the fridge'.

[shizznit]

I have been on the covers circuit with a band for about 3yrs now and one thing I have learnt is give the crowd what they want. It's a very selfless job. When I am out and listen to yet another covers band play Sex on Fire I don't feel contempt to the people singing and dancing to it as much it bugs me personally. That band has tapped into what they enjoy hearing and fair play to them. I can let it go over my head as much as the band can.

[chaypup]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1329814920' post='1547639']
The only time I get narked with the punters is when they invite themselves onto the stage. Partly because it's a distraction, but mostly for their safety. They can do whatever they like off the stage...dance, sing, fight each other...whatever makes them enjoy the evening.

We had a bloke strip infront last year whilst playing a Curtis Mayfeild song. We saw a white shoe fly over our heads and when we looked down to the dance floor there he was on display. He had a great night out! We continue to play that song in his honour.
[/quote]

A Cardiff band doing Curtis Mayfield? What band are you in?

In response to the OP, I don't hate the punters for having a good time, but when they just stand and watch a funk band I either think that we haven't hit the groove or they're dead from the waist down!

[shizznit]

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1329825470' post='1547878']
A Cardiff band doing Curtis Mayfield? What band are you in?
[/quote]

The band is called Nation Stack. We play soul/motown, funk and even ska if asked!

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1329825470' post='1547878']
In response to the OP, I don't hate the punters for having a good time, but when they just stand and watch a funk band I either think that we haven't hit the groove or they're dead from the waist down!
[/quote]

Hehe! Yeah, we get that problem every now and again. We used to play the Theme From Shack and Jungle Boogie which fell on deaf ears. But, as soon as we play a wrist slashing Amy Winehouse song the dance floor is rammed. Go figure!

[discreet]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1329827060' post='1547919']
...wrist slashing Amy Winehouse song...
[/quote]

'Wrist Slashing'... is that a genre?

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1329827710' post='1547938']
'Wrist Slashing'... is that a genre?
[/quote]

Yeah,

Have you never heard The Smiths ??

[4000]

[quote name='Daniel Acheson' timestamp='1329823082' post='1547812']
I really don't enjoy covers gigs.

The buzz you get playing a set of songs you really believe in and have had creative input with, is a completely different thing to playing a set of the usual boring covers.

[/quote]

I know exactly where you're coming from. When my band of several years lost its drummer, our guitarist (one of my two best friends, the drummer being the other) insisted, despite knowing of my hatred of doing covers, that we became a cover band. In order to not split up the band I reluctantly agreed, but I can honestly say that the rehearsals were like pulling teeth. I could not get motivated and didn't enjoy playing the songs, despite picking songs that we exclusively really liked. In the end we couldn't get a replacement drummer, the tensions came to a head and the guitarist left, with the band folding shortly after. As I suspected, it seems I can only get excited doing original material; I don't know why. Probably for the same reasons I don't like copying other people's paintings. As I've said before, I play for me. If the audience likes it, great. If not, so what? I've never played in a covers band in my life, because it just doesn't interest me.

What I hate about many cover band audiences is that they can't seem to differentiate between a cover band and a successful (famous) originals band. To them there's no difference. Maybe that's quite nice in some ways, but to me the creation of the music is by far the most important thing. There are millions of musicians who can play Beatles (for instance) songs, but it took the Beatles to write them. To me, that's the important bit.

[Happy Jack]

When I'm playing a pub with my covers band I'm there to entertain the audience, not to sneer at them.

On t'other hand, what the audience never realises is that they are there to entertain me. And frequently they succeed beyond my/their wildest dreams.

[Silvia Bluejay]

I hope we've been up to your expectation so far, Jack!

[Silvia Bluejay]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1329777930' post='1547354']
Good pick! Was my third ever bassline... tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune
[/quote]

Fellow trad metalhead I assume? Good to know I'm not the only one left on planet Earth

[JTUK]

I think contempt is too strong a word.... but their spin on music is different from mine.
They can or do relate to a song they know the chorus line to...and that is enough for them.

[shizznit]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1329827710' post='1547938']
'Wrist Slashing'... is that a genre?
[/quote]

We categorise our songs. For example...
[list]
[*]Wrist Slasher - Amy Winehouse (Back to Black)
[*]Thigh Grinder - Santana (Smooth)
[*]Ear Bleeder - Aretha Franklin (Respect)
[*]Butlins Caberet - Songs that you would hear played at a family holiday camp
[*]W*nker - Cream (Sunshine of Your Love). We play a really funked up version of this song with a stupidly long guitar solo. We give this category to any song that has a guitar solo!
[*]Ankle Twister - James Brown (Get Up Offa That Thing) - songs like that give folks a delusion that they can actually dance and hurt themselves!
[/list]

Edited February 21, 2012 by shizznit

[discreet]

Brilliant!