What do you want from your audience?

[PorkPieGuy]

I don't care if they pay attention to me or not...

...as long as they buy a CD on their way out the door.

[rdm321]

Originally Posted by ukeforever

1. I want their attention, because the words are an important part of the song.
2. I want them to appreciate what I'm doing on the guitar, as unspectacular as it may be.
3. I want them to appreciate the tone I'm getting out of my guitar.
4. I want them to be entertained by the music. In return, I promise to give them more than two or three chords, and I'll even throw in some inversions and interesting melodies too.

The audience's attention and appreciation must be earned. It's the performer's responsibility to make him\herself interesting and entertaining. It's not the audience's job to understand what he/she is attempting.

[kristalmusic]

what I hope is that somewhere during playing/singing my music manages to touch peoples hearts,..
my greatest compliments are allways when people tell me, your music made me cry, or that my music touched them
i know I m not the worlds best singer or guitarist but somehow I do get a lot of those comments and they make me feel that a goal was achieved
musical is an emotional thing and it is a great thing when people get moved by music when you are the musician

an honour in fact

[derwoodski]

I play 4 to 5 shows a month, mostly in bars, just me and me guitar, and I love the moments when I know I have them......when most are actively listening, lavish with applause, and truly having a good time hangin out with me. For anyone who has been there, you know what I meen. That being said, that doesn't happen every night, there will be nights when it seems you can't reach a one of them, you can hear crickets in the room. Don't take it personal, it happens, and the test of a professional is the ability to play your show, pack up, get paid, go home......and do it all over again the next night for a different crowd.

On bad nights, i look for one person, just one...that is diggin it......and I play to them, then 1 becomes 2, then by the 3rd set, Its a good night.

[Guyute]

The thing about applause is that unless one person starts it, it's not going to happen. If you're not getting any, ask a bartender to start if for you. If you don't get any applause after that, well, you should look for another hobby

[Brendonovic]

My ideal crowd would dance, sing along.. basically enjoy themselves. If that means they get up and sing with me then so be it.

So long as they're not too drunk and annoying then that's cool.

Funny turnaround for me as I used to want people to listen, clap and appreciate what I was doing. But at the end of the day we're entertainers. People go to gigs to get entertained, not to contemplate the meaning of lyrics or how long it took us to write/learn or perfect a song.

The money at the end of night helps too

[ljguitar]

Hi UF...
I have thought about this a lot since you asked it last weekend, and I really have no expectations from the audience. I'm working hard and preparing well to share my music and hope it connects...and I have chosen music to share over the years that moves me and hope it connects with others as well.

I see it as my role to share my music and let them be moved as they will or won't. On a personal level I don't like being manipulated by people who are performers (OK - everybody clap! OK - everybody smile! How's everybody doin? type interaction), so I avoid trying to manipulate them artificially.

If the music I share connects, we will likely get more than the ''golf-clap'' responses, and people will be neck dancin' and foot tappin' while we play.

[Guyute]

You don't like if someone gets up and says, "How's everybody doing?" That's a bit touchy, IMO

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Guyute

You don't like if someone gets up and says, "How's everybody doing?" That's a bit touchy, IMO

Hi Chris...
All I meant is I don't enjoy it when artists who try to work up the energy level of a room by 'directing' the audience. If they need to smile - just give em something to smile about.

Almost every guitarist worth his/her worth has discovered a song or two that really connects and can use it out of the box to raise the energy level in the room or to set a moderate or calm mood.

It would take a lot to get me miffed enough to depart the premises, and the artists I tend to frequent don't usually exhibit that kind of stage behavior.

[Guyute]

LOL, I was gonna say, "Man, you'd hate my show!"

I knew what you meant, just teasing you a bit

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Guyute

LOL, I was gonna say, "Man, you'd hate my show!"

I knew what you meant, just teasing you a bit

Hi Chris...
And I was going to say ''Man you have changed'' (because you posted audio- 'footage' from a show a while back if I recall).

[yardism]

I want my audience to obey everything I tell them and to tell me they love me before they go to bed at night...

Of course, my kids are my audience...

[Bryan T]

I'd appreciate it if they ordered fewer blended drinks.

[Fliss]

I'm grateful if they refrain from laughing (unless the song is intended to be humourous) if they're reasonably attentive and wait till I've finished before they head to the bar.

In terms of what I want to achieve in how I relate to them, I love it when they actually look as though they're enjoying my music, if they join in where/if there's an opportunity to do so (in the folk club people will often join in and add their own accompaniment on other instruments) and if the applause at the end is warmer/more enthusiastic than basic politeness requires. If they come up to me afterwards and tell me they enjoyed it, that's brilliant!

Fliss

[Gazzamundo]

I always say that I'm happy if the audience is happy. Yes, I want them to laugh and clap in the appropriate places (though it would be quite off-putting if they were to laugh halfway through, say, my acoustic version of Radiohead's "Creep", unless I was doing it in my "George Formby does the hits of Radiohead" style, in which case I would hope to see a few understanding smiles). And I'm happy if they all manage to stay to the end (I must be doing something right), though I can understand if it's a week night. And some eye contact is nice. And a bit of banter. Personally, I think it's pretty poor if the artist doesn't try to connect with their audience (though apparently I spend more time connecting with the audience than playing). And it's great when people come back for a repeat performance.

In the end, we all want to be loved...