For those who enjoy watching live music, I have a few things Id like to share from the perspective of the people up on stage. There are several things which happen with consistency at a great number of shows which Id like to bring up, as I know they are an issue for other friends Ive talked to who perform music, and with bands Ive played with in the past. I will break them down in the form of a small list of rules to follow when you are in a venue with live music. Most people are great, but theres always that one or two. #1. No you cannot come on stage. Without fail, at each show, there are several inebriated people who have decided that they are going to make themselves an honorary member of the band. I understand the desire to perform, sing, play, or whatever it may be, as I enjoy what I do very much, but there is an audition process to become part of any band. If you want to play with us, you have to practice with us first. I dont want you slobbering on my mic, or stepping on my pedals. Weve already had gear broken that way. If you want to get up on a stage, then I would strongly recommend starting your own band, just like we did. Ill even come see you play, and I promise I wont ask to come on stage. #2. Please dont set your purse, or drinks on the stage. This is also a regular one. I understand that the stage is an easy place to keep from losing your stuff, as its raised off the ground, and a simple spot to remember, but we have electronics all over the place, and those dont respond well to spilled liquids. Also, its much harder to perform while Im dancing around your purse, trying to keep from kicking it off the stage. #3. We will not play Freebird. Our setlist is something we lay out beforehand. We have songs that we spend hundreds of hours learning altogether. Although sometimes we enjoy playing stump the band at the end of the night, quality is important, and if we arent confident that we can play a song really well, we probably wont play it. If you request a song, or a band, and we have it in the setlist, we will certainly move it up to the next spot for you. Were here to make the crowd happy, but were also not going to play an entire night of one band, no matter how great that band is. #4. Please dont try to communicate with us in the middle of a song. We take breaks between sets, and we love talking to people. Please come say hi then. Also, between songs, if you want to come up to the stage and say hey, we love to meet people. In the middle of a song, however, when Im belting out the third line of the second verse, Im not going to abruptly stop singing to come over and meet your brother. Most of the time, when people try to request songs in the middle of a song, I cant even hear them. Just wait until the song is done. #5. Be reasonable with announcements and shoutout requests. Yes, we will announce that it is your birthday, and we would absolutely love to help make sure the crowd knows that the pulled pork sandwiches are ready at the grill. We will not, however, announce that the bar across town is now having a 2 for 1 special. We have no desire to get rid of our crowd. If you want us to announce that its an anniversary, or some other occasion, be reasonable. Is the person that you want to give a shoutout to even there? Because if they arent, then what good does it do? There are other awkward ones too, like wanting to announce that a song is in memorial for someone who died. That can be a downer, and its hard to find a song that properly honors them. Also, does anyone know the person who died? If not, then the best that can happen is everyone is confused, and the worst that can happen is if I say the wrong name. There are a few others, but these are the biggest recurring ones that needed to be addressed. Hope you enjoyed my rant, and maybe we can all make this world a better place if we just use a little sense.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:41:23 +0000
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