Reading the audience during a performance, whats your views??

[Steviosticks]

Hi fellow drummers,,

I've recently just started playing in front of people in my band, we have performed 3 buskers nights in a small pub (only bout 10-15 people) and one private party with about 150 people watching (that was a bit nerve racking for me lol). Now im getting used to it a bit more, im starting to look at the crowd a bit while playing also.... but what i want to know is what is ur opinion on reading the audience whether they are enjoying it and how to tell when people are appreciating ur drums etc, is there any signs to look for as a drummer??

[TFITTING942]

The more gigs you play the better you will be able to read an audience. We used to change set lists on the fly in small clubs just by how they reacted to certain songs we played. If you get them dancing, keep them dancing! If the dance floor empties every time you play a certain song, drop it from your set list or only play it to crowds you feel will enjoy it. Keep gigging and have fun!

[mrchattr]

Everything TFITTING said is dead on from a band perspective. My bands all change our setlists on the fly, re-arrange things between sets, etc, based on audience reaction.

With that said, there is no real way to read or understand what an audience is thinking about your drumming. Most people in an audience, especially in a bar setting, don't really care about the drums, even if they are amazing, as long as the tempo is even and you don't mess up. Even if you see a guy air-drumming along, you never know if it's because he thinks you rock, he likes the songs and just air drums a lot, or because he's a drummer who is drunk and thinks he can do it better than you.

As a band, you can adjust to the audience (volume level, what songs you play, etc), but within the band (meaning each individual band member), you can't really change what you are doing based on the audience reaction to the band as a whole...keep playing how you practice.

[larryace]

This is a great question, and a very important one too. Too many musicians are concerned with how cool they are or how good they sound as their first priority....If you shift the focus to the audience first, and realize that they are #1, then all the things you want to happen will. You will be cool and you will sound good (provided you do your job and the audience is dancing and/or focused on you.) If they aren't focused on you, you aren't really connecting with them. Steviosticks your head is in the right place.

[bermuda]

Basically, if people aren't boo-ing or walking out or complaining to the management, the band is doing fine. Listeners in the audience may not be dancing or bobbing their heads or even smiling, but it doesn't mean they don't enjoy the music.

Bermuda

[elpol]

Basically, if people aren't boo-ing or walking out or complaining to the management, the band is doing fine. Listeners in the audience may not be dancing or bobbing their heads or even smiling, but it doesn't mean they don't enjoy the music.

Bermuda
Yah, cause if this is the case, you're probably playing a show in Toronto or Vancouver ;-)



kiddin' (to a point)

[mrchattr]

Basically, if people aren't boo-ing or walking out or complaining to the management, the band is doing fine. Listeners in the audience may not be dancing or bobbing their heads or even smiling, but it doesn't mean they don't enjoy the music.

Bermuda

I think it depends on the situation. If you are playing dance tunes in a bar, and people are dancing, then they stop dancing (en masse, not just a few people who sit down for a break), it's probably a sign you are going in the wrong direction for that crowd. In the cover band I play in, we play music from the 60's through today...and there are times when the Jonas Brothers fill the dance floor, and Steve Miller Band clears it...then there are times when Lynyrd Skynyrd fills the dance floor and you play Paramore and the floor clears. In a situation like that, reading the audience is quite easy. But I've also been in situations where we play a show with no one moving, and afterwards get more compliments than at any show with dancers. Again, it seems to depend on the situation.

[DrumEatDrum]

Just don't watch the girls too closely to the point you lose your place in the song.

[JoeLackey]

I enjoy picking out one person in the crowd. Do the best you can to satisfy them with your music. If that one person is the only one who had a good time, don't worry about it - you've got another fan.

[JAKD-UP]

I enjoy picking out one person in the crowd. Do the best you can to satisfy them with your music. If that one person is the only one who had a good time, don't worry about it - you've got another fan.

Nicely put! All it takes is that 1 right person to hear you to open doors up.

[larryace]

I wish my main working band would be more sensitive to the audience's wants. I clearly remember doing a gig recently, not too many people there, and we FINALLY got some out on the floor.

After that song was over, we SHOULD have given them another danceable number immediately if not sooner (they were practically begging us for a danceable tune) and what does the leader bass player dude do? He calls some lame non danceable tune, and guess what? They left the floor. DUH!

I felt like saying, "You idiot, we finally get them out on the floor and what do you do? Not give them what they want? That's the goal stupid, TO GET PEOPLE DANCING! I swear, why would ANYONE do that? Things like that really cook my grits.

[MikeM]

I don't pay too much attention to crowd responses while we're playing. There's too many other things to worry about, like playing the material right and focusing on getting the energy and feel right. I do listen for responses between songs though, but there isn't anything you can do about it if it isn't there. If it is, then that is nice because it makes you feel like you're doing something right (as a band, anyway) and you can feed off of that.

Sometimes I'll look up, but I'm really reluctant to try and make eye contact with anyone in the audience - it just feels like fishing for approval or something gross like that. Even when my wife comes to shows, I don't even look at her, except maybe a glance or a smile between songs, but nothing too obvious.

Oddly, I've noticed that I get a worse case of nerves when the crowds are smaller. I think that's because it feels more personal, like there are actual people there, as opposed to a big faceless mass of humanity (you know, 50+ people!). Somehow, that's easier to ignore.

[larryace]

Sometimes I'll look up, but I'm really reluctant to try and make eye contact with anyone in the audience - it just feels like fishing for approval or something gross like that.

IDK I think the audience likes to see you noticing them. I think they are more put off when they see people who are up there and NOT noticing them. I know if I went to see Vinnie C play and he looked right at me for a few seconds, I'd think that was cool.

[MikeM]

I'd think that was cool, too, but I ain't no Vinnie C, either!

Anyway, that's just me.

[larryace]

I'd think that was cool, too, but I ain't no Vinnie C, either!



But maybe to an audience member you are!

[jon e rotten]

I wish my main working band would be more sensitive to the audience's wants. I clearly remember doing a gig recently, not too many people there, and we FINALLY got some out on the floor.

After that song was over, we SHOULD have given them another danceable number immediately if not sooner (they were practically begging us for a danceable tune) and what does the leader bass player dude do? He calls some lame non danceable tune, and guess what? They left the floor. DUH!

I felt like saying, "You idiot, we finally get them out on the floor and what do you do? Not give them what they want? That's the goal stupid, TO GET PEOPLE DANCING! I swear, why would ANYONE do that? Things like that really cook my grits.

Couldn't agree more....I especially hate when you have a group of girls out on the floor, the song ends, they stand there waiting for the next song, singer calls out.....desperado

[larryace]

Couldn't agree more....I especially hate when you have a group of girls out on the floor, the song ends, they stand there waiting for the next song, singer calls out.....desperado

Right? I mean it's not rocket surgery. My guy gets off on the control thing I think. In his mind, they'll listen to what HE wants to play. (serves them right for not dancing previously is the attitude I got from him) After they made tracks, and we played the tune he called (it happened to be Tin Pan Alley, the slow SRV number), there was no sign of "Gee called the wrong tune there" from him. Someday I will lead my own band and the whole crowd will be dancing and drinking the night away....

[MikeM]

Right? I mean it's not rocket surgery. My guy gets off on the control thing I think. In his mind, they'll listen to what HE wants to play. (serves them right for not dancing previously is the attitude I got from him) After they made tracks, and we played the tune he called (it happened to be Tin Pan Alley, the slow SRV number), there was no sign of "Gee called the wrong tune there" from him. Someday I will lead my own band and the whole crowd will be dancing and drinking the night away....That's pretty funny stuff, Larry! I wasn't aware my guitar player was moonlighting in another band across the country!

[con struct]

I like playing a set straight through, BANG, BANG, BANG, without a lot of dead time between songs. Everyone has a set list and you play it down, then you get off.

Calling songs "on the fly" means dead time and you don't want that. I don't think a set should be approached as one song after another, but rather as a whole experience and what songs work together best to create that experience.

In other words it should be a "show" and not just a "set."

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

I like playing a set straight through, BANG, BANG, BANG, without a lot of dead time between songs. Everyone has a set list and you play it down, then you get off.

Calling songs "on the fly" means dead time and you don't want that. I don't think a set should be approached as one song after another, but rather as a whole experience and what songs work together best to create that experience.

In other words it should be a "show" and not just a "set."

For the most part, this is how I like to approach gigs too. However, we rarely hesitated to change the set on the fly if it just wasn't working. If it's dying in the arse, then I hated to see a slow death.....I'd rather try to breathe some life back into it.

[secondXheartbeat]

We change our set on the fly. We have about 10 originals and usually only time to play 6 or 7 of them (some songs are pushing the 6 minute mark) so sometimes we'll edit the set to suit the audience. If the crowd has just finished moshing and beating the sh** out of each other, we wouldn't play a song with over a minute of clean guitar and soft singing immediately after. Actually that particular song we stopped playing for a while since we noticed lots of people would walk out during it, and we noticed a better overall reaction after doing that.

[larryace]

I like a show type continuity too, not a call songs as you go set like Jay said. I've never been in a band that had that "show" attribute. That's the front guys job, get the crowd together, keep the band rolling, somehow. And that's a pretty tough job. I wouldn't want it. And don't get me wrong, my guy does want them to get up dancing, but at the same time he'll shun the crowds request.
Kinda odd.
He really shines in the important places consistantly, but falls short right when he has them sometimes. It's happened that way more than once, and really it's just bad song choice.

All the great bands have an entertainment aspect about them. A charisma. A strong personality that makes men wanna be like them and womens loins ache.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

I like a show type continuity too, not a call songs as you go set like Jay said.

I'm not getting that most people make up the whole set on the fly, out of any of this. It's more that if the set list is falling flat, then most are willing to adapt to keep the vibe rolling. I'm down with that.

Midnight Oil used to have about 30 songs on a spinning wheel, spin the thing and play whatever came up. Interesting concept, but personally I'd prefer to have a workable set list (that hopefully flows nicely) written out beforehand.

[con struct]

Midnight Oil used to have about 30 songs on a spinning wheel, spin the thing and play whatever came up.

Great band! I got to see them live and they brought it! "Only The Strong" is one of my all time favorite songs.

"When I'm locked in my room I just want to SCREAM!"

Sorry, I just can't resist. Check out the Oils. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlYAgbIDCDY) And turn it UP!


Edit: My apologies for the hijack...

[mcbike]

I am really good at reading the crowd. I think behind the set we are a little bit more protected and we can look around more and gauge peoples reaction better than the guys up front. My band always plays on the fly and we don't have downtime either. I am really good at reading the crowd and the other players and I know our material really well so I usually call the songs out or sometimes just start them off on my own.

I know that if the guitar is out of tune that I can call a song with a fiddle intro so he gets a chance to tune and catch up without any downtime. I also like to call the songs because I don't like to play two 6/8 songs in a row or two straight ahead numbers in a row, so I mix it up. I'm also really good at reading the other guys in the band and I know if the lead singer needs bit of a rest I can call a song that one of the other guys sings. I also know what key all of our songs are in and I try my hardest not to call two songs in the same key back to back. It's an artform in itself. We have over 50 songs on our song list, and probably another 25 that we can pull out on top of that.

It is really important to get that read on the audience and anticipate what they want to hear. You can't do that with a fixed set list. You never know when 18 single ladies on a bachelor party are going to show up on a pub crawl (brown eyed girl), or 6 servicemen on shore leave are going to walk in(johnny come lately). You might have the crowd up dancing for three numbers in a row and they might need a break.

[Pollyanna]

Great responses. I like the idea of giving individual attention. That would really help people feel a part of the gig but you'd need to make sure not to have people misinterpret the looks - be it "come hither" or "what the %^$& are you lookin' at!" :)

Conrad - dont get me started on Midnight Oil. The Oils were my favourite live band in the late 70s and 80s, daylight second.

[alparrott]

I try very very hard to see what's up with the audience, but to tell you the truth, I only really get to catch them in little snatches here and there, as most of my attention is either on my instrument or on the other players on stage. Nobody has ever seemed to mind it, except my wife who mentions I ought to smile more when I play.Having said that, I do pour my heart out into every performance, and I think that gets positive feedback all on its own.

[mrchattr]

I like playing a set straight through, BANG, BANG, BANG, without a lot of dead time between songs. Everyone has a set list and you play it down, then you get off.

Calling songs "on the fly" means dead time and you don't want that. I don't think a set should be approached as one song after another, but rather as a whole experience and what songs work together best to create that experience.

In other words it should be a "show" and not just a "set."

There are ways to make changes on the fly without any dead time. For instance, I'm usually the one who audibles in the band. If I can't catch someone else's eye in the band to go to a different song (while we are still playing the previous song), I will go to a song that has a set drums only intro. I'll do it the second the last song ends, and since the whole band know the intros (think the opening fill to Brick House, etc), they will follow along without me even having to say a word. However, most songs are at least three minutes long...if I see a crowd getting into one, I have at least 2 minutes to get everyone's attention. I'll often call the bass player over, then have him wander to the other band members so they all know what is coming next, before that song is over. Finally, if none of that works, I'll grab my mic and say, "Here's a song called "(INSERT TITLE HERE)", and the band will go right to it with less than a 2 second pause.

Every crowd is different, reacts to different things, and wants to hear different things. I can't tell you how many songs have bombed multiple times when we first started playing them, until they were almost out of our rotation, and then suddenly got everyone moving. Or how many songs we have that kill at 99% of our venues, but then bomb at 1%. Reacting to those things is the best way to keep a crowd.

[Anisa]

I just pretend that I am jamming with my band in our practice space. I play more comfortably when I'm solely focusing on the drum set and band mates.

[jer]

Yah, cause if this is the case, you're probably playing a show in Toronto or Vancouver ;-)



kiddin' (to a point)

Kiddin'? You know you're pretty much right on the money...

On the one hand, the indie rock band I play with really only plays on a bills with other bands, time is usually limited to a standard 45, our set is usually strictly adheared to with the exception of if anyone in the audience calls something out, in which case we'll oblige.

The other band who books more of the "evening" of entertainment will take a more "on the fly" approach. We have been playing with this approach and some of the concerns about doing this that came up here were repeated within the band. What we are working towards is 3 song mini-sets, within a set. Everyone knows that unless otherwise stated, we go into one song, it means we'll be going into the next 2 right after, trying to cut down on time between songs and in some cases, we've written little seguay's to keep the groove going even within these mini-sets.

We also use our crowd reading to determine when in an evening we'll play certian songs. If the place is hopping when we hit the stage, we go at 'em hard, if we start playing before a crowd really shows interest (or isn't drunk enough to get on the dance floor), we'll hold back on some of the more dance-able songs until we've got a good crowd going. For the most part, we'll play songs we actually want people to pay attention to (our originals) earlier in the night and save the covers for when the dance floor is happening.

As far as my personal interaction with the crowd, I love making eyes with anyone I can, (typically the girls dancing up front) and will do things like pointing a drumstick at someone who is really getting into it. As much as the stage can seperate the band from the audience, I like to try to do what I can to let people know I'm there having a good time with them, not just for them.