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I have previously singled out audience members looking particularly miserable in a light hearted way
Unless you are very good at it ( like Jasper Carrot who morphed from being a musician with banter to being a comedian with music) keep it short and avoid gaps between songs.
I also like ( probably paraphrasing here) the Phoebe Buffet one 'if anybody would like to find out about my forthcoming gigs on the internet please give me the money to buy a computer.'
I think you have to make that decision between being a rock star or acknowledging you are in a shit pub in Grimsby. There is a fine line in between I guess but I'm okay with some rock star banter 'come on let's rocknroll ' although others find it cringeworthy. Although, in my band, the singist not me doing it. We end up with lots of 'this is for Sue on her birthday ' or 'Terry behind the bar asked for this one, great taste.'
What "banter" you use depends on what sort of event it is. A quiet night playing some acoustic stuff in the local boozer while folk eat their scampi and chips demands a different approach to a slot at a festival, for example.
In general, I would say keep it short unless you've got a particular talent and can keep people's attention.
R.
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"Ok guys, for this next song, I want you stand around with your arms folded looking disinterested. Thats it! just like that!"
Slackers first gig was a charity gig for a mate of a mate where the original act had dropped out. I took the booking and took about 30 people with me. I then found out the the first act was an Capella choir and the people who bought tickets were not told of the change.
Anyone else done a post rock gig to pensioners?
Back on point I kept the banter short, very short, thanked the people who came to see me, apologised to those who didn't and got the set done asap.
"we've had a request, but sorry the microphone doesn't fit"
"try and sing along to this one - it's an instrumental"
Banging out tunes one after the other with minimal gaps
Engaging with the audience between songs.
of course, the trick is knowing how to pace it so that you knock out song after song when necessary and allow yourselves a breather for a bit of chit chat at the right time.
If "witty" isn't your thing, be NICE. Get people to give the bar staff a round of applause (a good way to get into the venue's good books ...you may even get a free drink out of it ), thank people for coming...just ...be nice. Slagging off a crowd, albeit in good natured banter, just doesn't work for me.
We sometimes go out under the namd Hard To Handle, so I like to introduce the song of the same name as a song we wrote for Otis Redding back in 1968.
Even given that I probably look every one of my 43 years and more besides, I'd like to hope everyone knows I am just making it up....
1) Take the piss out of the drummers general resemblance to a yeti/gorilla/homeless person etc
2) Take the piss out of the bass player -... for being the bass player and just generally a bit of a knob
3) Take the piss out of the singer - for being 50 years old and always finding a reason to remove his shirt...
4) all other miked up band members take the piss out of the guitarist for being too loud/too big a poseur etc
5) Take the piss out of any audience members who you know and who can take it..
No 5 really needs to be absolutely the last resort and treated with extreme care. Can result in violence..
Have I done my DeJa Vu joke yet?
Make some weather related quip and say it's just as well because I can't stand the rain (Que I can't stand the rain) etc.
Just because the band hear the same cheesy joke every weekend doen't mean it won't work for this weeks venue/crowd.
Have I done my Deja Vu joke yet.
Good polished gags and quips can be used to communicate with the band too, if you say X then Y is about to be played. If you say Z then it's the que for the three number crescendo that ends the night etc.
Still not sure how it happened though.
...The rest of the gig passed off with nary a whisper from the audience...
(formerly miserneil)
Nothing worse than poorly delivered stage banter.
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