Requests from the audience................

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

When you're in a dance band and the leader is fielding audience requests,............HOW DID YOU, as a sideman, view them:
As a hinderance? A serious complicaton?
As an insurmountable object? An annoyance?
A personal, musical challenge that was always FUN?

I played with a group of garage musicans, that worked day time jobs as law enforcement personnel.
They worked hard to perfect their music and enjoyed much local success and HIGH Fee's. They lasted 26+ years before hanging it up.

They routinely invited audience requests but seldom played any of them as they were "in the wrong key" or "didn't know the words" or simply didn't have the talent necessary to play these 'different songs'. The band's RIGID and FIXED SONG LIST totalled less than 50 songs........."Elvira", "Pretty Woman", etc.

I'd be interested in how YOU viewed these 'intrustions' into YOUR night of music.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

A personal, musical challenge that was always FUN.

believe it or not I have studied FREEBIRD and the next time somone yells FREEBIRD,
well...

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

There is two ways to look at it,When you ASK for requests you are leaving your self wide open,on the other hand if you are getting paid to keep them happy,if you know the tune,PLAY IT. The two steel tunes that the average joe can relate to is The Steel Guitar Rag or Sleep Walk,If they want it,I PLAY IT.Have played both maybe a thousand times,hope I live long enough to play them another thousand times,As far as I'm concerned I have played them about 975 times too many,When I'm at home I play what I LIKE,when I'm on a gig,play WHAT THEY LIKE. DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

So many of the newer players believe it is their privelege to play what they want without regard to the fact that it is the audience that is paying the tab, their musician wages, etc., and if you're unwilling to play what the public wants, you'll likely be down the road in short order without and second booking at that location.
The first lesson I learned as a young musician, was to PLAY COMMERCIAL and what the AUDIENCE WANTS TO HEAR.
It's always worked for me.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

If your doing a big production type stage show, probably not. If your playing the critter clubs and the likes, like I am, it's fun. Played one such club close by, had to carry my gear through the snow to get in. Later in the night one of the patrons hollered out "Statue of a Fool", no one in the band knew it or admitted it. She persisted and after a break, managed to come up with the words mostly written down. I had done the song hundreds of time in a previous life, in another state, with another band. When we got back up, I just kicked it off, the bass player pick it up quick and we all got into it. Long story short, made an instant fan and she has friends. Besides, those places are all family anyway, what the hurt. When we were done, she thought she was a star by helping us sing it.
This isn't for everybody, but it shouldn't be looked on to badly either. Let it all hang out!

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

I've always found that (much like trying to speak the native language in a foreign country) even if you butcher the song, most people still very much appreciate that an effort was made.
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John Steele · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Donny your right,MOST of us are not famous artist with scores of HIT records,these guys almost HAVE to do these tunes,that's what their fans expect. The rest of us have to do the cover tunes that the big artist made famous,I'm lucky to play in a band [STROKIN DIXIE] that CAN play Free Bird if we HAVE to,also Buck,Merle,Hank Sr.,Waylon,Most Southern Rock,Eddie Arnold,Jim Reeves,etc,Can please a lot of people this way,I have played in bands that played ONLY classic country,ONLY blues,ONLY Southern Rock,ONLY top 40 rock and roll,To me this gets boring playing the same STYLE all night,I love the way we do it,we will play Hank Sr.,JJ Cale,Waylon,BB King,Allmon Brothers,Jim Reeves,all in one set,Can fill a LOT of request that way.At least don't get bored. DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I usually say "We just played it... you must have been in the bathroom or outside having a smoke or something".

I'm perfectly able to play any song in any key though. And love to do requests especially when I know them.

I played Devil Went Down To Georgia off the top of my head when a guy requested/motioned that he would tip a $100 dollar bill if I would play it.

Why does anyone who has a request automatically approach the Steel player, mid song, to voice their request???

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Chuck Hall · From: Warner Robins, Ga, USA

The band I'm with has been together about that long (1980). The drummer and I go back 40+ years. We have been at the club we are at now for over 9 years and at one before that for 18+ years. We try to do what is requested or try to learn it for the next time those folks come in. Sometimes that will pacificy them.

The most fun I have playing a gig is when we do "stump the band" we do a song request or a song by the artist at least a verse so that they know we can do it. The audience really seems to get into that and its good to kill a few minutes till break.

Where we disagree is on having guests up to sing. Usually club managements sends them up to ask but not always. Sometimes we know who it is and have worked with them before. (everybody is a star) As we all know. Half of the band doesn't mind and half says it makes us sound bad. My feeling is that the crowd knows what we sound like playing that song so if its bad, it's most likely NOT us. lol

What is your feelings on having guests?

Chuck Oh Well

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Well Jim, one can't argue with success......or profitability, I guess, however these guys were more of a local gimmick than tried and true musicians. What they did play, sounded 'okay' and they had lots of expensive equipment including a truck to hall it all around in. Never the less, they were little more than amatuers and what they played pretty well
exposed that one weakness. THEN AGAIN, they had their following and they were loyal and stuck with 'em. Not attempting to knock the group, But if you don't understand the background, you can't really appreciate the critique.
Chuck brought up a good point. Whenever anyone used to get up on the bandstand to sing their version
of a Patsy Cline tune or whatever, they were usually DRUNK and fell over or sat on top of the BIG BIGSBY.
That got irritating. When they could stand up on their own, they usually forgot the words and/or
got foul mouth over the mike and would refuse to get down from the stage. I think they're a bad deal UNLESS they want to attend a rehearsal to really show what they can do with the band.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

My favorite response to requests was by Oahu artist, Mike Kaawa who tells the audience, write the request on a little piece of paper, fold it up, put it in your shirt pocket, and take it home.

I'll probably be in the minority, but the last thing I want a performer to do is what the audience wants, or worse, what they think the audience wants.
I want the musicians to play what they want.
This will give the best assurance that whatever the music is, it will be played with feeling and enthusiasm, which is what I pay and go for.

Case in point; around '92, Neil Young played The Royal Hawaiian Hotel's Monarch Room (!?!) for 4 shows, never once playing anything I'd ever heard before, mostly all long grunge jams, and he was into it, playing all his cool Gretsch/Gibson guitars and is what I was there to see.
My friend later said he was really disappointed and that Neil needed a musical director!
I too would have liked to hear some personal faves at some point, but Neil wasn't into it and did what he wanted to, and those shows rocked! I can hear the 'hits' anytime.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 13 Feb 2009 7:19 pm

b0b wrote:

Barry Blackwood · Posted 13 Feb 2009 7:22 pm

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

During our first set we say that if they have a request write it down on a $100 bill and bring it up...if we can't do it we'll give you fifty back.

Seriously my ONLY complaint with folks is them wanting to come up to our main singer and want to engage him in a discussion about what songs that we
do that their favorite artist did....I hate the dead time and suggest that he just have them write it down and we'll address it on our break....I don't mind at all doing a request even if I know the band isn't up to it...I make sure to let folks know that, "This next one is a request that we've never done before and it's gonna be pretty grim!"

It's usually not bad and the audience is pretty impressed that we pulled it off. Oh Well

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Pete Young · From: Quebec, Canada

The best way I found to get away from people coming up to sing was to ask if they had a union card . If not we could be fined. It use to work great even tho we were not union

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Boy, that's sure true about approaching the steel player mid song.

I'm just stupid lucky in that I fell in with some guys who have been playing together for about 20 years before I signed up-cats must know 500 songs or more, at least well enough to muscle through them on request, or get close, and I just go along and hang on.

The people really appreciate it, even if we chop it up some.

No Freebird however.

JB

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

You have a tip jar at the front of the stage. Sometimes two of them - no waiting! You announce that an unpaid request is merely a suggestion.

On Broadway back in the 70's a guitar player was gunned down out in the street after the gig by some drunk rednecks because their request didn't get played.
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Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

For as long as I can remember, I thought the rule was "if anybody knew the melody take a stab at it".
Guest singers - no - unless someone knew them.

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Guest singers - no - unless someone knew them.

Guest singers can be a disaster as comically illustrated by the great JO STAFFORD doing her DARLENE EDWARDS routine.

While I prefer playing Hawaiian gigs, I also have a neat commercial (piano bass drum vocal ... non-rock) group in which I play bass. I use the Fender 150 Passport p.a.
After our very first number, some idiot will say we're playing too loud. (Actually, we're not).
So I thank them and accomodade by placing my hand over each channel volume knob, make a twisting motion that he/she can observe, (but never turning the actual knob). During intermission, or earlier, I check with the complaining individual who always responds, "that's much better!" Idiots like these forget we are professional musicians who have been performing for years. It's akin to telling a dentist how to do his work. Smile

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

I feel that if you are entertaining, by playing a club, or jam, even if you just know a part of the song requested, DO it. If the request is within reason, (a country song), and you do not know it, Just say sorry, none of the band knows it, and tell them to come back next week, and we can do it for you. That way you keep the customer, and learn a new song for your own mental library. If your doing a set, on a show, you might not be able to fit it in the time frame. Always use your best judgment. Remember your playing for them, and when your home, you can play for yourself. That is called being a entertainer. And I always believe in signing autographs, and talking to the ones that come to listen to you. Not being a snob, but a professional.
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