strange audience reaction

[risingson]

It's jealousy, largely. The idea that you're able to put yourself up there in front of an audience seems to force some of the more insecure members of said audience to face up to the fact that they could never, ever do what you do because they're far too talentless and devoid of personality. With that in mind, you can play on and play up.

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1359812456' post='1960627']
jesus thats awful really sad to hear

sadly the cynic in me thinks there may be more to this than the news report is saying

people don't just randomly get abducted

but yeh in comparison i got off pretty lightly
[/quote]

Some folk bands in Mexico sing songs about the drug cartels, they're known as 'Narcocorridos'. They obviously like sailing a little too close to the wind as it's fairly unwise to taunt the same people who will routinely kidnap and murder people in large quantities.

Edited February 3, 2013 by risingson

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1359768092' post='1960240']
ok so i've just come in from a covers gig which was pretty un eventful really good audience, nice tight band, etc..

however as i was playing on stage i noticed a group of young guys sat down beside the stage making a w**ker sign at the band (not sure if it was me or the band in general) at first i was a bit bemused has anyone encountered this kind of behaviour before?

i mean fair enough i'm putting myself up on stage to be judged and they're entitled to their opinion of me or the band but seriously?

in the end my solution was to drop in some tasty fills, enjoy myself more than before and casually remind them as i left the stage they by drinking they were paying my wages

just wanted peoples thoughts really?
[/quote]

Did have something similar happen years ago. What I did was wait till we had a break between sets, then when the guy went to the toilet I followed him in walking briskly enough so that people noticed. Soon as he saw me, he started apologising, blaming it on the drink etc. so I just walked out with a smirk.
People noticed I left the bog smiling, and he left looking sheepish. It was his works do, and much as I wanted to, battering him wouldnt have gone down well. But at least I felt I had saved face a little bit.

Edited February 3, 2013 by BILL POSTERS

[Chris2112]

I've never had it happen to me personally but I did see plenty of this sort of stupidity when I worked at a hotel. I think the key thing there was that the bands were hired for the function (I was in conference and banqueting), the punters weren't there specifically to see the band. And whilst most could enjoy the band for the entertainment they provided, there would always be one or two idiots who would:

* shout and heckle the band
* ask for stupid cover songs
* climb on stage
* pour a drink into a brass instrument
* ask to play an instrument for a song

[WhoNeedsYou]

The Singer in our band dedicated a song with a not terribly pleasant subject matter, to a man who was bantering (almost heckling) at him from the audience.
I couldn't stop it happening quick enough sadly, but he didn't realise the heckler was the man who rang & booked us! He was the landladys brother :-s
Still got paid tho so we must've been ace ;-)

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1359768092' post='1960240']
ok so i've just come in from a covers gig which was pretty un eventful really good audience, nice tight band, etc..

however as i was playing on stage i noticed a group of young guys sat down beside the stage making a w**ker sign at the band (not sure if it was me or the band in general) at first i was a bit bemused has anyone encountered this kind of behaviour before?

i mean fair enough i'm putting myself up on stage to be judged and they're entitled to their opinion of me or the band but seriously?

in the end my solution was to drop in some tasty fills, enjoy myself more than before and casually remind them as i left the stage they by drinking they were paying my wages

just wanted peoples thoughts really?
[/quote]

Not that I would ever advocate violence ( no,really..) there are advantages to 14 lb Precisions.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1359849921' post='1961292']
why would people do this?
[/quote]

Beats me. Thing is, he`s a really nice fella, I could understand if he was complete git, but he`s not. Strange folk, some of them.

[mcnach]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1359858175' post='1961366']
Did have something similar happen years ago. What I did was wait till we had a break between sets, then when the guy went to the toilet I followed him in walking briskly enough so that people noticed. Soon as he saw me, he started apologising, blaming it on the drink etc. so I just walked out with a smirk.
People noticed I left the bog smiling, and he left looking sheepish. It was his works do, and much as I wanted to, battering him wouldnt have gone down well. But at least I felt I had saved face a little bit.
[/quote]

I have to confess I enjoyed that inside... but I would not want to be seen as a band who threatens physically hecklers, you know?
I think it's best the odd witty retort or ignoring the guy.

[mcnach]

[quote name='WhoNeedsYou' timestamp='1359877564' post='1961394']
The Singer in our band dedicated a song with a not terribly pleasant subject matter, to a man who was bantering (almost heckling) at him from the audience.
I couldn't stop it happening quick enough sadly, but he didn't realise the heckler was the man who rang & booked us! He was the landladys brother :-s
Still got paid tho so we must've been ace ;-)
[/quote]

This short song by the Reel Big Fish comes to mind

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xASP72P2vY0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xASP72P2vY0[/url]

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1359891379' post='1961550']

I have to confess I enjoyed that inside... but I would not want to be seen as a band who threatens physically hecklers, you know?
I think it's best the odd witty retort or ignoring the guy.
[/quote]

Every situation is different. This guy had verbally insulted me personally while I was on stage.
In that particular small town, not far from where I live, with that band and that crowd, to look weak would probably have resulted in more trouble later.

All cos I refused to play bloody Alright Now.

[Leen2112]

I have an old recording on cassette of a gig I did yonks ago, inbetween every song there Is no applause, just some bloke saying 'next' Could of been worse I suppose.

[pikeman]

We once had a nightmare of a gig. One bunch of youths thought it was great fun to unplug one of the stage monitors, one of our roadies, a take no prisoners Aussie, got a bit fed up with them and after the third unplug and a few warnings planted one very firmly on his nose. This didn't go down too well but at least they had the good manners to let us finish the show.
We could see what was going to happen so we spirited the roadie backstage very quickly carrying my bass while I held off part of the mob with a mic stand. A very scary moment.
Funnily enough it all ended quite amicably after our guitarist, who was a black belt karate player laid out the two ringleaders.
Oh happy days.

[Chrismanbass]

[quote name='pikeman' timestamp='1359893198' post='1961595']

Funnily enough it all ended quite amicably after our guitarist, who was a black belt karate player laid out the two ringleaders.

[/quote]

haha don't think i'd ever resort to this however i have given the odd drunk a shove offstage if they get a bit lairy (with female singers the rest of the band end up becoming security)

on the upside a punter proposed to our singer last night which amused us all no end

[Big_Stu]

When I saw Chuck Berry in Edinburgh a piss-head in the crowd kept interupting until he shouted "Play me some blues BOY!" (Almost as bad a word to use on a black guy as "Uncle Tom").
Chuck was incensed, stopped, pointed right at him. The spot followed his finger to the guy & Chuck shouted "BOY? I'm a 68 year old man BOY!".
Wild applause, but they only had kids as bouncers & it took them a while before they chucked the knob out.

[KK Jale]

Funny one last night... my mate's band played in a pub and were sharply criticised afterwards by an older guy saying "You weren't nearly as good as last time, you weren't giving it everything." Then he apologised, thrust £25 into the singer's hands, said "Er... buy yourselves a drink!" and vanished.

The band all agreed that eight dissatisfied punters like that would add up to quite a reasonable gig...

[fumps]

The darkest stuff that's ever happened to me on stage was when I was playing in Manchester, I'm playing the last few songs when I noticed one of the stage lights blink like something had crossed between me & the light (Ya know what it's like you cant see sod all through em) so I ducked down & to one side (Boxing instincts) and carried on playing. The gig went really well & we had a fairly good mosh pit going throughout.
Anyway after the set we were packing up and one of the guys from the headlining act said "Jesus Christ that pool cue just missed you".....yep someone threw a pool cue that spun end over end & I ducked it just at the right moment.....Apparently a perfect timed move, that I had no idea I'd done lol

Another was playing In a small pub in one of the local smaller towns, we had played there before & got an OK reaction so was happy to return, we were just starting the first song when a gang of lads who looked like extras from the film "Romper stomper" walked in and started throwing their weight about & shouting all sorts at us, the crowd was looking pretty sheepish & was starting to leave so I Stopped playing & told them over the mic in a very uncouth way [i]"That if they did not leave the drinking establishment this instant they would receive personal harm & a dam good thrashing" [/i]I took my bass off and whipped my t shirt off ready for the impending battle. Unbelievably they backed down & walked out with their tails between their legs.
later we found out they were local kids who looked worse than they were, just idiots who thought they were hard........It's lucky because we were outnumbered 4:1 & i was the only one in the band who'd ever been in a fight.

By the way I'm not condoning violence or saying "Ooo look at me" but my god I think that was the only time I thought things was going to turn nasty

[Dave Vader]

I have been guilty in the past of shouting "Less!" at bands that are not very good in pubs. it is not kind, but it does make me laugh.
Sorry if it was any of you lot.

[fumps]

Thanks dad

[Dave Vader]

[fumps]

[Dave Vader]