I knew it was only a matter of time before that one dropped.. :)

True dat... musicians tend to listen to music differently than most folks who are not. Not their fault right? We're just coming from an entirely different place as "listeners".

I can say that the last tunes I want to play when the band I am in is working is something like Mustang Sally or Twist & Shout. (enter a hundred thousand other ones that everyone has on their personal list)

but you play those tunes, and the dance floor gets full... real fast...

as opposed to spending 5 rehearsals trying to nail a Steely Dan tune, and when FINALLY you do it on your first gig, much to your dismay all you hear are crickets when you've finished the song.

While the band may have pulled it off perfect technically, it's a swing and a miss for the entertainment factor.

It's like I said in a previous post, we're there to entertain THEM, not ourselves. so, I just suck it up, smile like it's the first time I played these songs, but in truth, it's probably the 10 thousandth time..

They came to have some fun, let em have fun...

It's definitely not always true and flexibility is a winner. Follow the atmosphere in the room and be capable of going anywhere is a good recipe. I've had nights where they wanted only to hear me in the background of their conversations, others where they wanted to sing along to everything, and then the great nights, where no one is talking and they're all facing the stage in silence, enjoying anything and everything you do, originals included.

One of my favorite customer experiences ever was when an older guy in his 80's came up to the stage three times saying that I'd just played a song he'd never heard before and how much he loved it. None of the three of those songs are even going to be on anyone elses play list, but they all moved him to the point of having to come up and point them out.
One was an original, one was a seldom heard Japanese song, even in Japan and the last was the only time I ever played Wuthering Heights. Great night with them all there for the music, no matter what I played, but unfortunately most nights aren't like that, and yet I still enjoy it and try to make sure they do too. I love playing for people.

“ Guy wants to play 80's new wave dance songs. Insists on sticking with his current gigs in biker bars.”
I’m 20foot off the ground in a treestand deer hunting and I laughed out loud when I read this. Lol. No worries though..... just seeing squirrels this morning

I came upon this from another thread.

So what kind of music do you want to play Fazool?

I enjoy many genres, but I'm kind of beyond done with klassic rawk, blues and pop. I find no shortage of musicians who want to play bluegrass, classic C&W or Americana.

Our new band launched and we are off to a great start. We have a (actually) legendary concert promoter who is retired and still active for small gigs and he has become a fan and (hopefully today) we get another gig from him.

We took a very different approach.

There is no shortage of capable musicians. Co-founder and I wanted to find the right people first, then make sure they all are aligned musically, then down select for talent. With Covid, it took us 23 months from inception to our first gig, but we basically got all the "band drama" nonsense out of the way at the beginning.

Our music is a twist on classic rock - we don't play the same old classic rock everyone else plays. We are focused on 80's-era danceable new wave, with some more modern pop/rock mixed in. We have two full keyboard/synth players and 2 guitars, male/female lead vocals so we can pull this off.

It seems like 99% of all the posts on craigslist or bandmix.com list a guitar player as playing southern rock and blues.

That's some funny stuff! Thanks for posting!

Ouch, that hurts.

... and now it has.

The whole thread begs the question:

Which is more difficult and more work, putting a successful marriage together or putting a successful band together?

fazool,

Based on the title of this thread I'm guessing these interactions made you angry (also likely since you're still thinking about them after the fact)? Can I ask why? There are ridiculous people in all walks of life, it's not just limited to music. IMO, you're better off laughing it off when these interactions happen (because really what other reaction can you have when somebody calls Sinatra a one hit wonder?), forgetting about it, and moving on with your day.

Life is too short to spend time thinking about fools. I realize that's easier said than done (and if I'm being honest it's taken me a couple of years of therapy to be able to do the same thing in my work place) but trust me I'm a much happier person for it now.

5b. Know that your equipment even needs batteries in the first place. ;) I can't fault the guy much, as he wasn't a pro and never really gigged before--he knew his Taylor could be plugged in but had no clue about active electronics. We found a battery in time and all's well that ends well.

Confidence comes from a great many places and is very often found in the most competent of musicians, many of whom never stop improving. Combine confidence in your own strengths and strive to identify and improve your areas of weakness.

How about calling it The Fathers of Noise?

The Biker..... in the wrong bar

When the band has a good time, the audience has a good time