Some thoughts on solo performance...?

[southpaw]

You did stop payment on the check tho right!? Edit: just a joke. Thats terrible...That is a great story though Ern! {chuckle}When i said, --- "I coulnt help but be distracted while i was singing.. I kept thinking 'hey sound guy' you dont hear the 2k ring, or the overly present 8k over the mains, what kind of a monitor mix is this, turn the backing tracks up dude, do your job!... etc. etc. "I meant to convey the fact that i could hear a less than satisfying - overall mix of sound. It distracted my focus on the performance because the production sounded bad. I am a sound engineer, i am finishing up my certification. I understand what 'sound reinforcement for stage is', and surely dont downplay how tough a job it is. My point was not how the sound guy was ruining my performance, rather how i ruined my performance by being too technically analytical in regards to the sound of it. I probly should have been more clear. "Speaking of soundmen: I challenge each and every one of you to run the sound at a club where multiple bands play each night. After one night of clueless prima donnas, I guarantee that you will have much more compassion for our tin-eared colleagues. It is truly a labor of love and the poor sound person gets way more grief than they deserve. I've found that if I make friends with the sound person right away, they will be more likely to get me what I need and actually may listen and try to give a good mix (within the limits of the house "system", I use that term loosely). Remember, you're putting your sound, which in amplified music is a huge percentage of your performance, in this person's hands. I have a hunch you'll want them on your side since they have a lot of power while you're up there putting your heart on your sleeve! Not only that, but a professional respects everyone he/she works with and tries to bring them up so they can perform their best, at least that's what I believe."Great point Mazz. Gotta say, you are preaching to the choir here tho! Seeing both sides of the performer/engineer dynamic is funny. A professor of mine always says "every musician should be required to take a general sound for stage course."On a side note: He seems to have developed a hint of animosity towards musicians from being an engineer for so long tho.. It is subtle and he is a positive person still... But the stories he tells us of the self-indulgent bands and musicians he has produced, illustrate a definite lack of respect for him and his craft. Very unproffessional indeed.Their are truths on both sides. It only behooves to befriend the sound guy for sure. There is a great phrase that sums this up.... Jogs my mind right now.. Cheers

[mojobone]

Jes' finished my second gig tonight (this morning?) I'll weigh in tomorrow, sometime. (uhhhh....later today) Right now, I need some Taco Bell. I'll have some thoughts to share, as usual.

[mojobone]

Mar 14, 2009, 9:18am, mazz wrote: Music is a powerful force and we musicians have been blessed to be custodians of it. Use it wisely and lovingly.That, above all. I'm not sure I agree that the audience is always in control; a performer should learn to take control of an audience and a situation. A certain amount of ego and a particular type of personality are required, though. In some ways, this is easier as a solo, because no one's in control but you. It can be done with a group, as well, but it takes a great deal of practice, intention and teamwork. The sort of commanding presence this requires is relatively rare, too. Some folks refer to it as "star power", but it's really just a set of skills that can be learned, like anything else.Overcoming a tough gig is truly the hallmark of a pro, in my opinion. Everybody is distracted when the mix is off, an instrument is out of tune, the drummer's drunk, whatever. What separates the pros from the tyros is that a pro can deliver an effective performance under the worst of circumstances. It doesn't matter how much native talent you're sportin', experience is the only key that unlocks that particular door.

[ernstinen]

True, Mojo! (BTW, I'll send CDs soon!).But back to L.A. soundmen/women:We played a gig at (the now closed) Madam Wong's showcase club. Since we were doing a VERY important show, we HAD to have our stage setup hooked up properly. Our keyboardist had a HUGE rig, and the soundman turned down the lights on the stage. Rob was running around with a flashlight, as he had about 4-5 keyboards and samplers to set up. He was almost finished, but had a few more cables to plug in.Since this was another 4 band-a-night venue, the soundman announced over the P.A. "Let's welcome the next band. Hit it, boys!" We were NOT ready, and Rob just about shat his pants in the dark. I said over the mic "We're not ready!" and the soundman shouted through the monitors "Start your set RIGHT NOW!"So, with MAJOR keyboard parts to be played, we obeyed the soundman and started playing while poor Robbie was running around with his flashlight. Man, I've got a lot more stories, but I think I'll stop for now! Maybe I shouda moved to San Francisco --- more mellow vibe up there. Ern

[mazz]

Mar 15, 2009, 12:25am, mojobone wrote:Mar 14, 2009, 9:18am, mazz wrote: Music is a powerful force and we musicians have been blessed to be custodians of it. Use it wisely and lovingly.That, above all. I'm not sure I agree that the audience is always in control; a performer should learn to take control of an audience and a situation. A certain amount of ego and a particular type of personality are required, though. In some ways, this is easier as a solo, because no one's in control but you. It can be done with a group, as well, but it takes a great deal of practice, intention and teamwork. The sort of commanding presence this requires is relatively rare, too. Some folks refer to it as "star power", but it's really just a set of skills that can be learned, like anything else.Overcoming a tough gig is truly the hallmark of a pro, in my opinion. Everybody is distracted when the mix is off, an instrument is out of tune, the drummer's drunk, whatever. What separates the pros from the tyros is that a pro can deliver an effective performance under the worst of circumstances. It doesn't matter how much native talent you're sportin', experience is the only key that unlocks that particular door.Hey Mojo,I agree that it is possible to win over an audience (at least a certain percentage of them!) but it's much more difficult when the main reason they are at the venue is to get drunk and pick each other up (which includes dancing as a mating ritual, not because the band is great!). Small venues like coffee houses generally attract a more receptive crowd who are used to solo performers. In fact, my wife is playing at one in SF this Friday and the gig is all acoustic (no amplification at all, nice!!), there's even a relatively in tune piano there!! The owner is a big music supporter and if people are talking during the show, he's been known to "shush" them himself!! Those kinds of places do exist, but they're rare!!I agree a certain amount of ego is required to be a performer, but unfortunately, I've seen the ego get out of control to the point of being abusive to the very person that holds a large part of the success of the gig in their hands, the "lowly" sound person! That kind of ego is uncalled for and unfortunately gives musicians a bad name as just a bunch of emotionally stunted kids who never grew up. They might not remember the "nice" guy as much as the "asshole" but I believe that what goes around comes around and I prefer to take a risk and be the nice guy that sounds good.To your second point: I totally agree that only experience gigging will eventually give a performer a certain bottom line consistency so, even in the face of any number of potential gig ruining disasters, they remain relatively unfazed and able to survive. I was in a "Top 40" band in the 80s (remember those?) and we were together so long that we could not see each other for 2 weeks or a month and then show up for the gig and tear it up like we had rehearsed that afternoon. It was a bummer that we didn't like each other very much by that time but the music transcended the crap and we had reached a level of consistency that over rode the inner band dynamics.Blah Blah Blah caffeine fueled ranting!!! Mazz

[mojobone]

Oh I agree, there are situations where nothing you can do on the gig is gonna work. Some nights you will be grateful for the chicken wire. A bar is not a concert hall, and a coffeehouse is not a dance club, and you're just in the wrong band-I liked Ern's story 'bout the joint where they wanted to hear something mellow between knife fights. I only meant ego isn't always a bad thing, in proportion; there's never any excuse to be abusive of anyone, especially the soundperson. They have a suck knob on the mixer, and I've seen 'em use it many a time.

[ggalen]

>>> mojobone said: A bar is not a concert hall...Truer words were never spoken. This is where a lot of new performing musicians have the wrong expectations.Same goes for restaurants.When you eventually have enough people who will come to hear you, specifically, then rent a hall and have that wonderful concert experience.But on the way there, it can be a grind. So be prepared for it and don't let it get you down. Play music you believe in and enjoy performing, so on those tough nights at least ONE person will be having a good time from the good music!

[mazz]

Mar 15, 2009, 10:37am, ggalen wrote:>>> mojobone said: A bar is not a concert hall...Truer words were never spoken. This is where a lot of new performing musicians have the wrong expectations.Same goes for restaurants.When you eventually have enough people who will come to hear you, specifically, then rent a hall and have that wonderful concert experience.But on the way there, it can be a grind. So be prepared for it and don't let it get you down. Play music you believe in and enjoy performing, so on those tough nights at least ONE person will be having a good time from the good music!Glenn, I think it's called "paying your dues" There's truly no substitute for lots of performing experience. When you do finally get to the concert hall, nothing will faze you and the audience will get what they paid for and more!!Southpaw, go out and do it. You'll be a better and stronger all around musician and person for it, I guarantee. Mazz

[suzdoyle]

When playing in a duo on a riverboat once, the humidity on the boat was causing the plastic/ ivory on piano keys to come unglued and fling off into the air with every note I played. And bunches of the keys began sticking because the moisture caused the wood to swell up. It was hilarious watching the plastic key covers fly into the air as I played, and figuring out how to play around all the sticking keys. Hey, if you can't laugh about these things, why bother playing? !! Suz

[partyofone]

Wow this is developing into a very cool thread/discussion. Lots of little gems...Jamie, I too was always distracted by bad live sound. My last band ended up by and using in ear monitors finally (talk about a pain in the butt trying to get the sound guy at your local watering hole to hook them up and actually find the right connections).What KILLS me the most about clubs is the utter lack of acoustic treatment. Most rooms could sound 80% better with a simple dose of broadband absorption by way of mineral wool or rigid fiberglass panels. It really isn't expensive at all and would make the engineers job so much easier. I think someone said earlier that most bad sound is the fault of the room.It's hard for tweakers like us to get into a Zen space when performing, but necessary.