Have you ever have someone in the audience tells you your playing a song wrong?

DaleClark

Senior Member
This memory came up out of a discussion with a neighbor. Many years ago we were a club and the band played played Fleetwood Mac's "You can go your own way". A person with a group near us kept putting his arms up in disbelief (to the people at the party---he had a few drinks) saying he's playing it all wrong. He never let it go and when the band took a break he approached the drummer....and it looked like he was explaining the correct way to play the song (I assume) by his hand motions. The drummer just smiled and gave a thumbs up and walked off for the break.

Just curious if this has ever happened with an audience member who's had a few too many?
 
One time. I thanked the guy and moved on before he got to the "let me show you how stage" I didn't want him on my drums showing me how. I also was not saying he was right or wrong, just moved on.
 
One time. I thanked the guy and moved on before he got to the "let me show you how stage" I didn't want him on my drums showing me how. I also was not saying he was right or wrong, just moved on.

Best way to be, one way to get rid of them is to ask do they gig and why aren't they gigging tonight. Make your escape as the tumble weed goes past.

Only had one self righteous douche myself, some greasy metal head who couldn't fathom out why I didn't have a double pedal. See above line of questioning for how I got rid.

For the drunken idiots I get this one more often than I'd like, the guy who comes up to the band and says, 'I'm a profeshhnononal shhinger can I sing a song?'
 
One time in HS pep band FELLOW PERCUSSIONISTS laughed at me for using the butt end of the stick.
 
How could you do such a thing.??? My god man. what were you thinking?
 
I can't recall this happening to me. But I did once have a very drunk man approach me as I was tearing down who suggested that we should modify our set list by playing some lesser-covered songs to set us apart from other bands. This was a sub gig for another drummer, so I politely told him it wasn't my call to make deciding what songs the band played.

Undeterred, he then suggested we play a song we had actually just played during the last set. He kind of was embarrassed after that and moved on.

There's a fine line between respecting audience feedback and recognizing that most of them don't know anything about music.
 
It happens to me rarely. Audience members do so many unpredictable things that I don't know what to do sometimes. I might say, "Yeah I know, I have to play along with that recording another 10 or 20 times and learn it better."
 
Crap posted on wrong thread-had two windows open. So someone on the forum can remind me I posted on wrong thread some ironies.
 
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Had a couple of occasions where they think our whole band is doing it wrong.

I’ll say, yeah we’re doing x’s version. They’ll say, you should do Y’s version ‘much better’ (or words to that effect.) I say, thanks, I’ll have a listen to that, Cheers.
Then off they go, and we keep playing our version...
 
I had one guy take a video of my playing. He came up to me at the break and said he was sending it to his son who just started playing. So that was a compliment. The only scowls I ever get are from guitar players who don't have a clue how to keep time.
 
It hasn't happened to me yet. I know some cover bands like to stick exactly with the original notation, and some like to add their own flair. My band does a little of both. So I would just say "cool, but this is OUR version".
 
I'm a own a commercial photography business and run into "photography experts" all the time who work for my clients (everybody's a photographer these days). One got quite pushy about how I was composing shots, etc. I stepped out and called my client who oversaw the facility. The client told me his "wannabe" photographer made an attempt at the photos before I was hired and they turned out terrible. The boss called the employee away to do something and I was free of irritation. The client loved the end product.

I always look at things this way...the guy on the stage...the person doing his work (photographer, repairman..whatever)...that is his gig. I may not agree with everything...but that is his time...not mine. I get if you can't hear the band or singer, etc...go chat with the sound man....Nobody would tell Paul McCartney he's playing Long Tall Sally wrong..he should listen to Little Richards version. Give the people who are on stage the respect they deserve for at least getting up there. Just my 2 cents
 
At an open mic jam once, I witnessed a newer drummer struggling with picking the correct beat to play to this certain song. Another drummer attending the jam went onstage and was "correcting" the newer drummer....during the song!

The 2nd drummer must have convinced the newer drummer to relinquish his chair, because they switched drummers, mid-song.

I would never do that to another drummer. How embarrassing that must have been for the newer drummer. And how arrogant the 2nd drummer came off.
 
One of my bands is an originals band, so not very often for that gig. I can't recall a time anyone ever approached me on my covers gigs to say I did it wrong either.

I think the fact that I'm up there getting paid for a gig, and the person in question is not, would speak volumes. And I think that anyone who exhibits this type of behavior is probably going to have trouble getting into, or staying in, a band.
 
Not for me as I'm in originals bands so the parts aren't 'wrong' (not saying that they are 'right' though!)

However, I have had a band member tell me I'm playing a song wrong, a song that has no drum parts that even exist in the whole universe as we're playing it for the first time and I'm creating/figuring out drum parts at that time.

In reply, I did ask that band member if they had a time machine but I don't think they understood the question.
 
At an open mic jam once, I witnessed a newer drummer struggling with picking the correct beat to play to this certain song. Another drummer attending the jam went onstage and was "correcting" the newer drummer....during the song!

The 2nd drummer must have convinced the newer drummer to relinquish his chair, because they switched drummers, mid-song.

I would never do that to another drummer. How embarrassing that must have been for the newer drummer. And how arrogant the 2nd drummer came off.

Terrible. Someone should have told him to F**K off
 
Actually come to think of it, just last night this sort of happened. A guy walked by mid song (Suzy Q) and he motioned like he wanted me to move to the cowbell. It was the end of the solo and I was on the ride. I did, because it fit, and I was about to go there anyway. He was happy. But that wasn't like he was correcting me.

Or was it?

Whatever, it's only music. No one gets hurt.
 
One time in HS pep band FELLOW PERCUSSIONISTS laughed at me for using the butt end of the stick.

They should have a look at Morgan Rose of Sevendust, I don’t think they’d be laughing lol . Even has his own line by vater percussion ,..... a double butt end , no tip . \m/
 
They should have a look at Morgan Rose of Sevendust, I don’t think they’d be laughing lol . Even has his own line by vater percussion ,..... a double butt end , no tip . \m/

TBH one kid was a bully to me all 4 years and was looking for something to make fun of me with and the other kid was tagging along.
 
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