| How does audience reaction affect your playing/attitude? |
| I find it very important, I live or die by audience reaction |
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15% |
[ 10 ] |
| I like it, but I try not to let it affect my playing too much |
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55% |
[ 36 ] |
| I can take 'em or leave 'em, my playing is constant |
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18% |
[ 12 ] |
| Audience? There's an audience?? |
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7% |
[ 5 ] |
| &*$#! the audience! |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 65 |
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| Author |
Topic: How does the audience affect you? |
Twayn Williams
From:
Portland, OR
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 3:19 pm |
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I played a gig last night where there was no one there for the last hour. Afterwards, both the bass player and myself commented on how the presence or absence of an audience makes very little difference to our performance, that we get into the groove of the music and the audience simply disappears.
I have a drummer friend who is very sensitive to audience reaction and is always looking for that connectivity, and his playing is affected by whether the audience is into the music or not.
How does the audience reaction (or lack thereof) affect your playing?
_________________
Primitive Utility Steel |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 3:50 pm
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| I find that is does not affect playing too much (if at all). It does, however, affect my mood and whether or not I'd rather be playing or at home. Sometimes, just to be able to play with other good musicians is enough to keep me happy. If they keep their level of playing the same as if a crowd was there, I should be happy. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 4:21 pm
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| Not at all, once I run away. |
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Charley Wilder
From:
Dover, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 6:57 pm
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| Like the majority of voters (so far) I liked a good response. It effected my attitude which I think helped me play a bit sharper. But I tried to do the best I could no matter what the response. Luckily I never experienced a real negative response in all my years of gigging. Played to some mighty small audiences at times.lol But was never completely ignored, booed, etc. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 7:18 pm
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About 25 years or so ago my wife and I, along with a few more couples, went to a Christmas Eve dance, featuring none other than Johnny Bush and his Bandoleros. The venue holds about 2,000 people ( your typical Texas dance hall  ). There were two tables of people in attendance. It didn't seem to affect Johnny, nor the band. They played for 4 hours as if there were 2,000 people in front of them. Their last song was "White Christmas". While all the pickers were taking a ride on the song, we all went up to the stage and shook hands with Johnny and told him how much we appreciated their performance. When the dance was over, they still had to pack up, load the vans, and drive for 5 hours, back to Central Texas, to be with their families on Christmas morning.
True professionals.
_________________
Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
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Posted 19 Jul 2008 11:55 pm psg
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| Been there, done that! Whether there's 10 or a 1000 folks at a show, I try to touch at least one person everywhere I play. That adds up over the years. With a smaller crowd, it takes less time to speak to everybody while on a break. A crowd to me is a chance to meet new folks and musicians. There's more to playing than just showing up, playing the gig and leaving. The money a player gets at a club is coming from the folks who are there dancing and listening. The least a player can do is work the crowd and let them know there appreciated. |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 20 Jul 2008 2:21 am
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My goal is to be part of the band, if the band is doing well and I am doing well, all is good ! Every now and then someone will give a hoot or hollar after a Steel solo, not sure if it was because it was good or becasue it has ended !
tp |
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Roual Ranes
From:
Atlanta, Texas, USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2008 4:46 am
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| If the dance floor is busy..........I am happy and it shows. I only do one show and it is more like a backporch gathering. |
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Mike Cass
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Posted 20 Jul 2008 6:37 am
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aim  ....and state of sobriety  |
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Michael Dene
From:
Gippsland,Victoria, Australia
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Posted 20 Jul 2008 9:49 pm
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what audience ....?!?  |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Jul 2008 11:27 pm
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| It is great to have a large responsive audience, but whether you have a 1000 or 10, you owe the people your best. That is the true mark of a pro. Jody. |
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Twayn Williams
From:
Portland, OR
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Posted 21 Jul 2008 11:53 am
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I remember an old band I was in had a rule:
- If there are fewer people in the audience than on the bandstand, everyone in the audience must introduce themselves
_________________
Primitive Utility Steel |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Jul 2008 12:23 pm
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| Hi Twayn, Great rule. Jody. |
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John Kavanagh
From:
Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada * R.I.P.
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Posted 22 Jul 2008 2:49 pm
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| It can be brutal if you're playing solo and they're not into it. Even in a duo, you can always enjoy each other. |
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Cal Sharp
From:
the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2008 3:54 pm
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When I started playing live my dad told me to play to the crowds mood. If people are crying in their beer,,make em feel worse,,if there dancing or fighting try and wear-em out. He said its the connection with the audience that makes or breaks a show. Unfortunately I nor my bandmates have that large of a song vocabulary. They get what they get. I like it when people are into it,,but I have to try and play my best regardless. Seattle crowds kinda just lurk in the darkness and stare if they dont like you, or go out and smoke till your sets over, but its safer than the bottle throwing Texas crowd!
_________________
GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2008 12:38 pm
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| Bottle throwing Texas crowd? Man. Where were you playing? I've played all over Texas for 33 years now and have seen very little trouble but, I'm sure it happens somewhere. You might occassionally see a little scuffle from too much bubbly. A lot of dance halls here,especially small towns, have all age crowds from real small to grand ma. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 23 Jul 2008 12:43 pm
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| You said it, Roger! Those are the fun dances to play. |
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Barry Westerfield
From:
Myrtle Beach, SC
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Posted 23 Jul 2008 1:20 pm
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| my audience consist of my wife and two parakeets....My wife usually falls asleep... if I play good my parakeets will act as though they are enjoying it.. when I play bad (which is most of the time) they scream at me.... I play in an empty room alot |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2008 4:33 pm
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Im from Shreveport,,a group of Texans would always be at shows starting stuff,, But I mostly was trying to get your goat! 
_________________
GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 23 Jul 2008 4:35 pm
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How I deal with a crowd depends very much on what type of gig, which band and what type of music, what type of room, the people in the audience, and so on. In a hardcore honkytonk band - blues, country, rockabilly, and so on - the crowd is typically a fairly essential ingredient to the whole gig. Not typically so much with more subdued styles.
On a club gig, I like to allow myself to be affected by a good crowd - if they're into it, it's good to go with that - at least up to a point. But if they're sending lots of shots up, I need to be careful.
But I try to insulate myself from a bad or very indifferent crowd - head down, play the gig, do my best, and get outta there. Unless they're a really bad crowd, in which case I have been occasionally known to mess with them. You may say, "Hey, they'll mess with you.", but you may assume that's already the case in this situation. 
On a "concert" type of gig, the people I play with tend to focus more strictly on what we're doing. For us, this usually implies a higher level of detachment from the crowd. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 24 Jul 2008 2:07 am
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When I'm on the road tours, I'm concentrating on what I'm supposed to be doing and not really on the audience. When your on a big stage with lights you can't see the audience anyway, all you see is the lights.
In a club situation it's difference as you can interact with the audience. |
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Don Sulesky
From:
Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH
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Posted 24 Jul 2008 4:09 am
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I 1st listen to the band so as to be in sinc with them. I find it more comforting if the crowd is enjoying what we are doing.
I did a 4 hour gig on a ship in Boston Harbor in 1985 with a hall full of Doctors who spent the whole time talking medicine.
I'll tell you it was the longest 4 hour gig I ever did with the band.
I like to play to the audiance and will usually pick out someone who I find has zoned in on me to play to.
I find it more personal that way. Like others have pointed out it makes no difference whether there is 10 or a 100 I try to play the same, but more is better.
Don |
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Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2008 4:57 pm
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| Steve..That explains everything. Texas are supposed to hassle Cajuns. It's the law. |
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