Ever had your playing watched intensely by an audience member?

tanihhiavlt

Fez said:

Yes and done it too.

Thinking on it, I may have done that to Pharoah Sanders at the Jazz Cafe a decade ago... at the time I was fatter and had long hair and a beard, so hopefully he thought it was Derek Trucks  

FarleyUK

26.2 said:

I joined a band for a tour, playing organ. They had a bunch of really keen Dutch fans including a pretty creepy bloke known as ‘carrier bag man’. At the first gig he stood right at the front on my side of the stage and I could feel his eyes boring into me. He appeared after the show with his friends:

Him: so you’re the new organ player.
Me: oh hi, yes I am.
Him: I like them a lot better without you.

"What a co-incidence; I like audiences a lot better without you."

CountryDave

Had it a few times, occasionally they will come over at the break and ask a few gear questions (happened more when I was using a Dr Z amp as I guess the less mainstream kit isn’t always well known outside guitar forums).
Realised I was doing the same hard stare at a recent Albert Lee gig. It was a tiny venue where I was sat less than 6 feet from the man and every solo I found myself watching his flying fingers intently (along with 90% of the rest of the audience I might add).

ESBlonde

When I wiz a youngun I did a gig in a small pub in the local big town. Pub had the reputation of being trouble. There was a man who stood at the other end of my boom stand and stared at me through both sets, seemingly without blinking or going for a piss. That was unnerving to say the least. 

Looking back I hope he got the help he clearly needed.

hollywoodrox

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Yeah. Had one guy do a couple of Youtube covers of my stuff before too. That was odd. He did a good job, but that was one of the first times I sorta had a notion about my own "style" as it were - he was hitting the right notes, but the vibrato was different, the pulloffs and hammer ons were different, and it sounded good... but not 100%, because of these small stylistic differences.

You know you’ve made it when someone covers your song on YouTube ,well done 

hollywoodrox

Carrier bag man, I’m intrigued by the name , 

Placidcasual79

I learnt guitar from watching other people - pre internet I'd watch people in person or VHS stuff like TFI Friday or any other show that had decent musicians playing live - I'd pause the video and look at the shapes they were making and try and copy...... 

Slight variation on the OP - at a gig there was a lad at the side of the stage - before we started I was playing random riffs - and he started calling out the songs I was playing.... I did a bit of cissy strut and he called it, I played Green Onions he called it out, I played a bit of pick up the pieces - he called it out - it was weird and carried on during the break in-between sets.... I tried to catch him out (I have no idea why!) but he got them all - at the end of the show he was gone lol..... weird.....

newi123

stratman3142 said:

I was that person in my teens. 

I was too, and TBH I still am! Every day is a school day, and the great thing about electric guitar is you that you can approach it in so many directions that you never, ever know it all and can always learn from others.

I host a well attended Jam night every Wed - literally last night there was a young guy played a couple of songs. He had a Tokai les paul plugged into my rig - didn`t press any pedals, played it clean, combination of fingers and pick, wonderful sound and very different to my style. I watched him pretty closely! But then again I guess after 30+ years of playing I`m still a guitar geek.

I`m less bothered about pedals - I mean, I`m not that much of a geek......... :-)

Bezzer

Quite often yeah.  The only disconcerting one was Phil Campbell ... but I think he was judging more than trying to learn anything! 

EricTheWeary

The singer in my last two bands had a White Falcon so although they were mostly hearing me any questions about guitars were always about the White Falcon. 
Someone did ask me about my Laney Lionheart once, just the curiosity that I had an amp that wasn't a black box or tweed. 

1Strat2many

Probably only by someone from the Inland Revenue or a tea leaf looking for an easy Guitar nick !

CaseOfAce

EricTheWeary said:

The singer in my last two bands had a White Falcon so although they were mostly hearing me any questions about guitars were always about the White Falcon. 
Someone did ask me about my Laney Lionheart once, just the curiosity that I had an amp that wasn't a black box or tweed. 

2 blokes asked me about my Peavey Wolfgang EVH beater guitar on Saturday night's gig.
One said "is that a Silhouette" - which was sort of close-ish.. i.e. Ernie Ball /. Musicman ballpark - since they did go on on to do Eddie's guitars and the other asked was it an Ibanez.?
I don't usually get any comments...

Nobody asked about the playing - which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it ! 

EricTheWeary

CaseOfAce said:

EricTheWeary said:

The singer in my last two bands had a White Falcon so although they were mostly hearing me any questions about guitars were always about the White Falcon. 
Someone did ask me about my Laney Lionheart once, just the curiosity that I had an amp that wasn't a black box or tweed. 

2 blokes asked me about my Peavey Wolfgang EVH beater guitar on Saturday night's gig.
One said "is that a Silhouette" - which was sort of close-ish.. i.e. Ernie Ball /. Musicman ballpark - since they did go on on to do Eddie's guitars and the other asked was it an Ibanez.?
I don't usually get any comments...

Nobody asked about the playing - which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it ! 

As I would usually play harmonica on something on a  few occasions someone would complement me on that. Then afterwards I'd think does that mean they think my guitar playing is shit? 

26.2

FarleyUK said:

26.2 said:

I joined a band for a tour, playing organ. They had a bunch of really keen Dutch fans including a pretty creepy bloke known as ‘carrier bag man’. At the first gig he stood right at the front on my side of the stage and I could feel his eyes boring into me. He appeared after the show with his friends:

Him: so you’re the new organ player.
Me: oh hi, yes I am.
Him: I like them a lot better without you.

"What a co-incidence; I like audiences a lot better without you."

Haha. Actually I agree with him - I was a poor fit for that band and was playing the wrong instrument and it probably showed. Actually I did switch to guitar in the end as the guitarist left. It wasn’t a happy move as they didn’t want me to contribute much if anything - just trot out the old songs. Some of the gigs were fun but overall it was pretty grim. 

Nikc

This week I was at an open mic and was on quite late. Several people had got up to go - I made a joke about it being a good idea to get out before I started - In my second (self penned) navel gazing number I noticed that everyone had shut up and they were all looking at me. I did the honourable thing shut my eyes and prayed they'd go away. Quite the compliment really  

DannyP

When I play Beatles tribute gigs, there's always one grumpy-looking older white guy who just sits with his arms folded and stares throughout. It used to unnerve me, but usually those guys are having the time of their lives and they come up afterwards to say how great it was!

jeztone2

Yes. Had it a lot in my Classic Rock 4 piece. Usually people studying the board. Which isn’t surprising as my original board got nicked in 2016 after a rehearsal. 

I saw a fantastic blues band the other night. I just went up to the guitarist in the interval and said how much I was enjoying it. He was dead friendly showed me his rig. Had a chat about amps. Most people are wonderful. 

Logie

I got dragged up to play a bit of Hendrix for my Boss's band at a leaving do and Jon Coghlan from Quo was there visiting  and he came right up, didn't take his beady eyes off me till I finished and then went back to the bar to chat with his mate. I'm hoping it's because he liked what I played but I think I may be deluding myself.

Rustylee

Went out to see an Oasis tribute band the other night. Small place and I found my self standing right in front of "Bonehead"
To be fair he didn't play a duff note all night (nor did the rest of them), but I was watching beady eyed all night for some stupid reason!

Rowby1

Private party (for a pub landlords birthday) on Friday night. Punters were very drunk and it was in a very tight corner of the pub. Had to move my pedalboard to partially under the kit to stop it being stepped on/beer poured in it. Fortunately all very good natured drunkenness. High proportion of musos there including four guys in their late 20s doing the gear spotting thing and watching my hands all the time from less than five feet away  

Half time one of them says “That Epihone 335 your playing sounds f###ing amazing!”  It was my Eastman T386…..