Forget the audience mics: applause banned

[Bob Womack]

Students at Manchester University have banned applause at concerts in the Student Union because it can trigger anxiety.

ARTICLE HERE

So, forget the audience mics. On second thought, since “jazz hands” are approved, perhaps you’re going to need low-noise instrumentation mics for the audience.


Okay. No more Live at Leeds.


Bob

[KevWind]

They should consider snapping fingers like the Beatniks did "Totally retro cool man"

[Muddslide]

This world is becoming more ridiculous all the time.

[Johnny K]

Anxiety for whom? The musician?

[Mbroady]

The idea of applauds being banned becuase it can trigger anxiety kinda gives me some anxiety.

[Scott O]

The things we laugh at and shake our heads at today will be the norm tomorrow. People who think otherwise will be ridiculed. Now I'm going to excuse myself as the typing on my phone's keyboard just triggered a lot of anxiety.

[marty bradbury]

Originally Posted by Muddslide

This world is becoming more ridiculous all the time.

I couldn't agree more...

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

The idea of applauds being banned becuase it can trigger anxiety kinda gives me some anxiety.

I'll be in my Safe Space.

[BrunoBlack]

This Reminds me of pretty funny personal experience. I was asked to speak to an Amish audience of Timber Framers about structural application of large timbers and connectors. After an hour-long presentation that I thought went very well, there was absolute silence. No applause. The moderator met me on the stage to thank me and audience members chatted with me after my presentation. I thought I had bombed, but was informed “they don’t clap.” It was strange but pretty funny. However, the presentation was followed by a large communal meal on super long tables lined up in a neighboring barn. Very nice experience.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Haasome

This Reminds me of pretty funny personal experience. I was asked to speak to an Amish audience of Timber Framers about structural application of large timbers and connectors. After an hour-long presentation that I thought went very well, there was absolute silence. No applause. The moderator met me on the stage to thank me and audience members chatted with me after my presentation. I thought I had bombed, but was informed “they don’t clap.” It was strange but pretty funny. However, the presentation was followed by a large communal meal on super long tables lined up in a neighboring barn. Very nice experience.

I've been trying to persuade the rest of our band to take some gigs in Lancaster County - my wife and I have been going there for the last 25+ years (we worship with the New Order Amish when we do, so we're intimately familiar with the customs you describe), love the people and the food, I've sat in with a couple of local bands in the past, and we're seriously considering it as a relocation destination - but man, we live for that audience feedback when we put the pedal down...

[Bob Womack]

Well there are other cultures. I'm reminded of the experiences of 1960s and 1970s rock bands in Japan. The audiences would politely and quietly sit still during the songs and only golf clap after a song, giving the bands zero energy feedback to work with. It took a while before the bands figured out that there were white-gloved ushers who would forcefully escort out anyone who made noise during performances.

I was just mixing a performance DVD in another country populated by various European people. That was a fascinating experience. After each song there was a respectful pause before the vigorous applause started. If there was a technical delay before a song the hall was absolutely quiet as the audience waited patiently and respectfully for the performers to begin. It made my job so easy because I had lovely chunks of hall noise to feed into the single-ended noise reduction plug-ins to quieten down the recording.

Now think about America: how many milliseconds of silence lapse before some idiot contributes a catcall? How do we do applause? We typically walk all over the performer's last note or notes. The chance of finding silence to work with in a live performance can be about the same as finding silence in a frat drinking party.

But Live at Leeds showed us that our English brethren are our kin in live performance culture.

Bob

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Now think about America: how many milliseconds of silence lapse before some idiot contributes a catcall?

Bob

Didnt happen in 'merica, but the singular most annoying aspect of David Gilmore's Shine on You Crazy Diamond acoustic performance video is the yahoo who yells out after his drunk behind figured out Dave was playing SOYCD. The closeup on Dave's face was I think both a smile but maybe a smirk of slight annoyance at the outburst.

At golf tournaments, do nut-jobs still yell out "Your'e the Man!" after every golfer hits a tee shot. Now that was got old very very fast.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by Muddslide

This world is becoming more ridiculous all the time.

Agreed too. I'm just getting too old to suffer this kind of nonsense. "Get in the hole" yelled the instant after the putt at golf events is right there with it.

[jhmulkey]

When theonion.com becomes real life.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Muddslide

This world is becoming more ridiculous all the time.

I disagree but I'm not one who automatically sticks with my own team or tribe. I don't get swayed by the way many and leaders especially emphasize the negative. As a baby boomer I'm thrilled by how great the world is and a lot of the changes we've seen but I'm also sensitive to real problems.