When does the music start?

880 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Lester B. Flat, Mar 3, 2007

Hamm Guitars

Discussion Starter · Mar 2, 2007

As I may have mentioned in other threads, I have worked doing live sound (mostly in clubs and bars) for the past twenty years or so. I am going to share this little tidbit with you all, as it is happening at an alarming rate in the past couple of years.

Picture a hopping bar, with a band on stage that is playing well - the PA is thumping, the band is relaxed, feeling good and having a great time. The bands energy is translating well to the crowd, the dance floor is full of a wide cross section of people. The whole vibe/feedback thing is just working.

I standing at the board, latched onto the vibe and doing whatever I can to support it. I've got my Keith's im my hand, and I'm queueing up for the next delay patch...

Then I here it... The voice...

Excuse me... Excuse me...

I look up and there are two or three young tarts smilling at me, standing on their tippy-toes so that their tops are stretched just enough that their persuasion devices are engaged. In their squeekly little voices one of them screams:

"When does the music start?"

"What?!?" I reply. I heard her the first time, but I've learned that they allways stand a little higher on their toes the second time they answer.

"The music, when does it start?" she hollers at me and follows it up with a cute, coy little facial gesture, the kind that allways leaves me wondering where they get the training to do little things like that to get what they want.

"It's allready started!" I repond, gesturing to show her the room full of people having a good time and enjoying themselves.

"No, no, I mean the dance music, when does the dance music come on?" She's now back at position one of the tippy toe thing.

"Look, people are dancing" now I'm really just prolonging the experience.

"No, I mean the real music, when are you going to start playing real music." She's flat footed now - persuasion devices are disengaged. "are you the DJ?"

"No, I think I might have at least one talent, so they don't let me DJ..." That didn't impress her, or it went right over her head, it's hard to tell with the disapointed Bambi look on her face.

"The DJ will be back in about 20 minutes" There's nothing more in it for me at this point, so I have to cut them loose and get back to work.

"O.K., Thanks!" They reply and they trollop off like a flock of baby lambs.

Now, at first I didn't mind these little episodes but the frequency with which this has been happening is increasing to once or twice per set. I also have to deal with DJ's who want equal time, and a crowd that seems to agree with them. For the longest time, the DJ has been the filler for the band, and lately it looks like the tables are turning.

I've tried to explain the whole Live Band/Vibe/Feedback thing to a number of members of our younger generation and they just don't seem to get it - or they just don't care.

Does anyone else out there run into this kind of thing on a regular basis? If so, who knows how to fix it?

Andy

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david henman

· #2 · Mar 2, 2007

...why do i get the feeling she's also accustomed to getting her music without actually having to pay for it.

-dh

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Lester B. Flat

· #3 · Mar 3, 2007

Gone are the days when they used to come up and say, "play Wipeout!" You should have answered, "you mean, when does the music stop."

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Wild Bill

· #4 · Mar 3, 2007

Lester B. Flat said:
Gone are the days when they used to come up and say, "play Wipeout!" You should have answered, "you mean, when does the music stop."

I think it was about the time of Journey's second album when rock&roll abandoned the dancers. The set lists seemed to become mostly concert type material, with less and less dancable songs.

Was this just a misconception on my part? Or a peculiarity of the scene in my little part of the country?

It just seems to me that rock in the late 60's and 70's was a lot more danceable. I have some customers from country bands that tell me they are starting to see a lot more of a younger crowd in their clubs, who tell them it's because with country they can dance and all the rock bands don't give them the opportunity.

Except for slam dancing, of course!

evilGuitar:

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Lester B. Flat

· #5 · Mar 3, 2007

Wild Bill said:
It just seems to me that rock in the late 60's and 70's was a lot more danceable.

In the 60's and 70's people would dance to the 6 o'clock news. Different tempos and beats inspired different dances. The "dance music" today is all the same digitally timed click track. The kids don't react to anything else.

I never learned to dance because I started playing young. Music doesn't make me wanna dance:banana:, it makes me wanna play.

evilGuitar: I guess its early programming.

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