charlie brown Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 A post, in another thread, made me want to ask you all... Do you play more, for "the crowd/audience," or...for yourselves, and hope/try to bring, the audience to/with you? No "wrong" answers here, just curiosity. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buxom Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 A post, in another thread, made me want to ask you all... Do you play more, for "the crowd/audience," or...for yourselves, and hope/try to bring, the audience to/with you? No "wrong" answers here, just curiosity. CB I only play wit... I mean for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvar Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 We play mostly for ourselves, and the majority of the time, the crowd loves it. My guys are what you'd call "mature" in age, lol. We've all been down the road, originals, covers, biker stuff, lounge, whatever- but we decided with this band, we wanted to play what we wanted to, to a point. We've been together so long, we have become pretty good at bringing up older, not so much played stuff, and re-arrainging it to more modern sounding. I can't tell you how many compliments we get on our set list, and often times, the crowd just sits and listens appreciatively. Not saying we don't get people dancing, but, that isn't our main concern, we just want to make good music, and hope the crowd gets into it, and, they usually do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabba2203 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 To me, it's kind of the same. I love to play live because I feed off of the crowd, so it's playing for myself but playing for the crowd is needed in order for that to be fulfilled. Know what I mean? LOL - I sure confuse myslef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Whenever I was gigging I always tried to feel out the audience,especially in a place where we hadn't played before.Usually in places like that when people are seeing you for the first time,they are feeling you out also especially for the first set where it's rare for anyone to get up and dance.Usually by the time you start your second set everyone has had a coupleh of drinks and has loosened up-that's when you have to really pay attention.Although we always used a set list that we stuck to sometimes we had to wing it and cange around songs because the people probably responded more favourably to a certain type of song moreso than others.So I guess the answer is that we played for the audience-after that's who's paying you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I believe I've said it in another thread years ago. I play for myself but it must also fit in with what the band is doing. This only really works because I'm never being paid to entertain. If I was in a full-time pro band then things would be dependent on a great many different factors. Simplistically; If the crowd is coming to see the band then they should expect the band to do their own thing. If the band has been booked to perform music to an audience then the expectations of the audience should, up to a point, be taken into consideration. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I haven't played regularly in a band since high school, but I have been asked to play occasionally with other bands. I really haven't enjoyed most of the music I've been asked to play in public, but I always try to play it with enthusiasm. Attitude is contageous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 In all the bands I've played in, we mostly do covers, but throw in a few originals here and there. We always try to strike a balance and play songs that we enjoy, but that won't be too challenging or boring for the patrons to hear. After all, they didn't come to hear us experimenting or what-not and the venue didn't hire us for that either. The great thing about cover bands is that we now have decades upon decades of great songs to pick from as material. That leaves plenty of material fitting the criteria that we like it and most of the audience will too. When we "jam" that's the time to totally "play what we want" and not care how it sounds or who will like it. Also..If I was talented enough to write songs as good as the ones I cover, then I would play them for people. But since that isn't the case, I assume people would rather hear my covers of songs that have passed the test of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I'm sure I've done both through the years but if the crowd is having a good time then so am I. Even if I'm playing a song I hate! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekefr Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 A post, in another thread, made me want to ask you all... Do you play more, for "the crowd/audience," or...for yourselves, and hope/try to bring, the audience to/with you? No "wrong" answers here, just curiosity. CB Mostly for the crowd since they,in essence were the reason we're there,our setlists went like such:15 songs per set,1st set<for crowd> modern popular stuff that got us noticed,2nd set<for crowd> all dance...w/ a few slow ones mixed in,3rd set<for ourselves> all heavier music that ya dont wanna open up with,new songs we hadnt played before,ocassionally some requests that ya hope everyone was drunk enough they wouldnt remember tomorrow.So 2/3 crowd and 1/3 ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 For me, I think the answer is probably "all of the above." This playing-music thing is very infectious. There are many things that make it enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Both. When I play alone I play for myself: I play what I like the way I want to play it and can play the same lick over and over for hours. When I'm playing with an audience I play for them, mostly because it's the reason I'm there: to provide them with good music and a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markini Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I play for the audience and feed off of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plus Top Dan Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I've mainly been a play at home man, but for the last year i've hooked up with a like minded guy and we get together for a laugh and practice once a week. Neither of us have the time to commit to regular practice and gigs so for now we're happy as we are but it would be great to find a like minded drummer and bass player to jam with. In an ideal world we'd like to do maybe one or two pub gigs a year just to have a goal to aim for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruznolfart Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Started out in the garage, learning covers so we could impress the audience with how well we could sound like someone else. 20 years later we were learning/writing stuff that we enjoyed playing and our audiences were who we shared our enjoyment with. Now it's nothin' but feel-good, don't much care if anyone's listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacealf Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 You play for the song you are playing, and the rest will fall into place if..........................you are playing for the song you are playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Playing to an audience... hhhmmm... You always try to play to an audience in the sense that you try to connect and play what they want. But a lot has to do with why you were asked to play. If you're a cover band, chances are really good that you were hired to fill a spot. If you were hired because of who you are, then you can play what you want because people expect that. I suppose even the latter circumstance can also be troublesome in that often people want you to play what they know of your music- the reason why Lynyrd Skynyrd still plays "Free Bird" in their encore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderchild Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Love playing by myself. Love playing out. Different vibe to both and in a way inner connected. Played in a bluegrass-gospel band for 12yrs, going to churches & nursing homes etc. Always tried to play my best for them and ditto for me. {only way to get better} And I found out no matter how many times you had to play "Rocky Top" you smiled I hate that song TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-poland Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I play for the audience and feed off of them. at 1st was think'in in terms of a set list ! but as some have touched on It seems that some bands start out play'in 1/2 hearted until a good audience response or 2!then after that the playin/energy just explodes! so even if the set list is the same I think that the vibes/response to the positive feedback will indeed cause some changes in playing! seen it a happen lot!probably the only event Iam aware of is when SRV played montrose the 1st time and got boooed, man he just kept on playin his heart out! I think a lesser man would have given up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Both. When I play alone I play for myself: I play what I like the way I want to play it and can play the same lick over and over for hours. When I'm playing with an audience I play for them, mostly because it's the reason I'm there: to provide them with good music and a great time. Thankyou, for me that nails it...but all of the above responses, really. I used to think 'either I enjoy it or I get paid'. And for a long time I did get paid too, often really enjoyed it and often not. But I did the show, you know? Now I'm a much better player and back to the first 'either'. I'm so old now that I have to enjoy it or it's not worth doing, and communicating that enjoyment is where the entertainment part comes in. Good topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruznolfart Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 And I found out no matter how many times you had to play "Rocky Top" you smiled I hate that song TC Heh..."Tie a Yellow Ribbon" and "Bad Leroy Brown" for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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