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People who enjoyed reading this: cbit, Fredo, Roshi, mlbot, sAMsKi, adcBicycle, daswesen, craque, breakscience, hecanjog, kidko, Jetsom, Zanf, DrexonField, Fognozzle, jogn, utofbu, lematt, opticecho, frnortnr, energygiant, dkarma, gorf
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here's a story and i'm interested in your thoughts....
i played live in a small venue last Friday
there was an audience of 20 or so ....
the "headlining" act went off for some food whilst i was playing - which was fine
i was followed by 2 other acts and i got talking to one of them (we were sitting side by side) whilst the final band played.
they had a prog rock sound - live drummer - bass, guitar and keyboards - all out of a good PA (DB) which to my ears was loud.
anyway after their fourth song I was surprised to be told over the mic by a member of the bad to "shut up, stop talking and listen".
we had a bit of banter .... and it was fine - i was genuinely surprised they could even hear me .... and i guess i was struck by how my own expectation (i.e., that it is nice if the audience are enthralled in my music .... but if they are not and choose to talk - well thats their business) .... was so far removed from this guy - who was saying, 'we are playing and we expect you to listen and if you want to talk go somewhere else'....
rock n' roll!
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10/13/08
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cbit
The norms are up for grabs in any given situation like this. Sometimes the 'shut up and listen' is implied by the setting, sometimes the performer needs to act to try to establish that, if that's what they want (as they did in your case).
Imo it's fine that you were talking, and it's fine that they asked you to be quiet. It's a negotiation.
10/13/08
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Fredo
I have to agree with cbit. It's all good. Some bands won't be bothered, some will. But I think it's important always to be respectful of musicians so when I go to a show, which is very very rare indeed, I usually find a place way out of earshot to talk. It's one of the reasons I love Mercury Lounge so much - the performance space is separated from the bar and has a door between! That said, when I saw Tunng there there was a small party of 4 UK dudes (no joke) and I was annoyed because they were talking really loud. ;)
10/13/08
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Zanf
How you should of reacted was by throwing a bottle full of your own body fluids right at the guys head and shouted, "Try playing something interesting then you cahnt!"
I said a similar thing to a friend: I went to see Colleen at the Union Chapel and everyone was very quiet before she started playing and then waited for the very last note to die out before even clapping. It was evident that it was a very attentive audience. Compared to seeing Bjork at Hammersmith Apollo, where this fat sweaty prick standing next to me had to whoop and shout after the first few notes of each tune she played. He did actually shout a few times, "OMG this is my favourite". I wanted to smash my plastic beer container into his face.
Another time I was at Smallfish recordshop for one of their showcases adn the guy who was behind NoiseGate magazine, was playing. I happened to be talking a bit too loudly to a friend who worked in the shop and got a stern look from the guy. I just nodded an apology and spoke to my friend afterwards. The size of the place was so small that if you had 30 people in there, you started to meld together on a molecular level and even a whisper could be heard by all.
As cbit said [he is annoyingly right a lot of the time. 'annoyingly' as in he is lovably cuddly and you want to squeeze his liver out with a big hug ;-) ], it all depends on the setting. Union Chapel attracts an attentive crowd where any drunken loudmouthed arsehole goes to the Apollo [Ha.. 'Apollo'?? Its the fecking Hammersmith Odeon you freaks!]
10/13/08
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jdg
this is why i dont go out, i get told to shut up and listen enuf at home
10/13/08
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craque
"shut up" is a little rude, at least it would be over here.
sounds like they're a little too serious about their prog rock tho.
a live drummer and amplification and they cared if people were chatting?
would they rather you not be there at all?
edited: Oct 13 2008
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dkarma
was it a free show or did people pay to get in?
yeah someone talking excessively loud during a set can suck. that being said prog. rockers should be able to play their music without having their feelings hurt if they aren't the center of attention.
IMO they're whiners. They didn't headline...waaah. But you better listen to every note anyway.
If I was there the conversation would have gone like this:
Band Guy:"shut up, stop talking and listen".
Me: "then play something worth listening to."
Band Guy:"we are playing and we expect you to listen and if you want to talk go somewhere else'....
Me: "play better and listen to me less and maybe you'll develop some talent...or a neck turtlecock!"
In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: Don't take no guff from these swine.
10/13/08
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clawback
actually, it sounds like these guys are playing prod rock [sic]
sorry.
10/13/08
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jarvis
i saw michael gira say that to someone. it was very intense. that dude has an otherworldly stage presence.
it's situational. if they're riffing it up prog style then i don't think they were justified. i doubt keith emerson would care if you are talking over one of his wanks. on the other hand, in a quiet and more personal setting, i think it's more appropriate to be kind and just listen. whatever, as a performer you have to deal with it regardless of how it's going - same as an audience member.
10/13/08
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n9
I think that you always show respect for the other groups on the bill. If you are in the audience and you paid, then whatever. If you are on the bill you either watch the other bands or go to the back bar or backstage or whatever if you want to hang out. The difference is that you are on the bill.
10/13/08
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breakscience
There was a record of Charles Mingus in some night club (I cant remember the name of it), he was complaining about the glasses clinking and other noises and told everyone to hold their applause until the END of the set, not at the end of each song. he was very specific. I thought this was pretty funny.
edited: Oct 13 2008
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kidko
I think it's the epitome of self-centered egoism to expect people to pay cover and/or pay for overpriced drinks then stand for an hour and listen to the music you wrote and think is the greatest ever. To compound all of that by reprimanding the audience for not being completely enthralled and for not standing in completely silent awe of your music is brain-exploding egoism. I would have told that guy to keep is fucking day job.
10/13/08
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Jetsom
It's negotiation as far as I can see it, as cbit describes. I can't see what else it could be.
10/13/08
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strangus
Did you shut up? Or tell the guy to get f__ked?
Sounds like they had a great stage presence.
10/13/08
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p
breakscience said: "There was a record of Charles Mingus in some night club (I cant remember the name of it), he was complaining about the glasses clinking and other noises and told everyone to hold their applause until the END of the set, not at the end of each song. he was very specific. I thought this was pretty funny."
on a particularly drunken night I ruined a recording by accidentally clinking a glass. I felt real bad about it until I heard "in a silent way" and thought If it's good enough for miles.
maybe they were recording it.
10/13/08
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breakscience
lol, yeah they were recording ;)
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