How Successful are You at Encouraging Audience Participation?

[Jessica T]

Hello to all of you smart people. Although I enjoy playing classical music too, my musical goal is to be able to entertain folks in a variety of settings playing pop tunes from memory. I think it would add a new dimension to my shows to encourage my audience members to sing along, clap their hands, shake their car keys or little percussion instruments. I realize that some settings would be better for this than others. For instance, nobody would want to give me their full attention while they're socializing and eating, but people in an assisted living facility may be more inclined to do so. Do any of you have any experience with this? I've noticed that some other performers pass out song lists to give the audience a scope of the repertoire. What about a few lyric sheets? How do you convince shy people that it's okay to sing along and have fun? Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

[JeffLearman]

Well, I tend to play at blues jams & open mic nights, and my favorite kind of audience participation is to get lots of folks to come up and sing harmonies, and that usually works really well!

 

I've also passed out lots of little percussion instruments for a few songs. I got nearly all of them back, too. It was fun, and they were stuff from places like Ten Thousand Villages -- inexpensive, made by artisans in 3rd world countries who earn a living wage with no child labor & etc., and a lot of them are visually appealing too. Not usually particularly good instruments, but great for the application (and for home decoration). There are lots of TTV stores; look for one in your area at their website, http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

 

Funny that it's .com, since it is definitely a charitable org. (What they do is worth supporting, and it's a great place to find gifts, too.)

[Ed Coury]

When a band I've been playing with recently does a cover of "Beverly Hills", I usually invite a young, nubile female to come up on stage and use my mic..... and on my cue utter the words "gimme gimme" which is spoken during the chorus of that song.

I guess that's more for my benefit than the audience ;-)

[Chris Link]

Many years ago, we made some shakers from empty beer cans (we always picked up the cheapest on-sale swill at the wino liquor store around the corner before every rehearsal), duct tape and dried beans. I recall laughing as we saw people leaving at the end of the night clutching their precious shakers on their way home. I could just imagine waking up the next morning with this stupid, smelly shaker (we didn't exactly dry them out before assembly) on the bedside table or bathroom countertop.

 

Keep in mind this was probably the idea of our lead singer/ harp player who once, just before the holidays, explained that he was making Christmas presents himself for friends and family. As an example, he has a cigarette case he made for his Dad from a beef tongue. He has this enormous whole raw tongue that is kind of folded over with a pack of cigarettes in the middle. I don't recall what he did with it as I probably had fallen on the floor at this point.

 

OK, the second one is a really bad suggestion.

[BluesKeys]

Misterdregs beat me to it. I saw a duo do the same thing with the beer cans. Only problem with that is some of us white folks are musically er tempo challenged and it can really throw you off when the rhythm is all over the place. But these guys had a blast with those cans.

 

What I do is I have a several of signature songs I do later in the night when people are smarter and prettier. I will explain what I want them to sing, then I give them a trial run. If I get no response I berate, and badger them until I get it going. Then I start the song and if I loose people right off the bat I stop and tell them I won't play anymore if they don't participate. That usually gets them going. If it doesn't, you change songs to more background music or take a break.

[zmd]

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing. then we fed the audience a snack...we tossed out sauerkraut on pumpernickl sandwiches...they reached up in the air expecting cd's, they got smelly sandwiches instead. oddly, it worked...they went nuts and danced more. god bless all ages crowds.

[Chris Link]

Originally posted by BluesKeys:

Misterdregs beat me to it. I saw a duo do the same thing with the beer cans. Only problem with that is some of us white folks are musically er tempo challenged and it can really throw you off when the rhythm is all over the place. But these guys had a blast with those cans.

 

Unfortunately, some "people of pallor" fail the "Hit the Road, Jack" rhythm test. They clap on the downbeats:

 

"HIT the road JACK and DONTCHA come BACK..."

 

Saw the Blind Boys Of Alabama recently and a good portion of the crowd never quite got the upbeat vs. downbeat thing figured out even when led by the performers.

 

Originally posted by zmd:

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing. then we fed the audience a snack...we tossed out sauerkraut on pumpernickl sandwiches...they reached up in the air expecting cd's, they got smelly sandwiches instead. oddly, it worked...they went nuts and danced more. god bless all ages crowds.

I love this one!

[Bridog6996]

Two words:

 

Hokey Pokey

[Ed Coury]

Originally posted by zmd:

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing.

I had a dozen frisbees a friend gave me (he got them for free at work). I took them to a gig and threw them out during a tune.....little did I know they would come flying back 30 seconds later. The drummer took a direct hit...

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Hi Jessica

How are you

 

Jessica you must first pick your audience,

in assisted living enviroment,old peoples homes etc it works well but some audiences will not take kindly to such indulgence.

 

If its free entertainment for old peoples homes,carer situations etc then go crazy but..

If you are talking paid club/pub gigs I'll offer this advice..

 

Example

my previous Duo partner was a great entertainer and could get them in...especially the men as she was rather stunning,

 

she would hand out a few shakers and encourage some participation when the time was right...no probs...and by the end of the night there is always someone who has enough in them [how weak humans are] who will haPPILY want to join in.generally people who are so inclined will alrerady be singing along.Forcing people is not recomended,some encouragement is fine.

 

but her day job was working with people with dissabilities.She would sometimes ask them to visit our gigs to see her perform

 

No problem until she included them in her routine...needless to say the non rythmic percussion and loud yelling made it next to impossible to play but I could cope with that,because Im reasonably tolerant and also [more importantly] as I was engaged to marry her .

 

I was happy to share her good will....but what is not realised by many is the impact this has on agents or venue operators...

 

you see that many people who are indulged will not let go of your attention and will monopolise your time to the ignoring of other patrons...this is hard to stop in my partners case [too kind hearted] but at this particular gig it wasnt any of her "charges" visitng but another local with similar dissabilities who monopolised her attention onstage.[and ofcoarse her kind heart would mean she couldnt stop herself from this.

 

Later,we got a call from the agent saying we will not be playing that venue again as the singer was only performing to a small part of the audience.

 

Needless to say after this announcement i asked her to limit her indulgence as best she could...fortunately she was always worried of any bad feedback and got the message the agent was saying.

 

Lesson learned....do not fall in to the trap of thinking making one part of the crowd feel included will make the rest of the crowd happy,my partner's heart was big but if you are being paid to perform , you are paid to perform for everyone.

 

a big heart is nice but empty pockets means an empty stomach.[well for me as I was fulltime muso then,she wasnt]

 

One or two songs is enough to induge in such actions,as youll find only a few will actually get involved.

 

moral is dont do it unless you can be sure everyone in the room will appreciate it.

Partcipation does not mean success,nor does the number of dancers either...every venue holds different levels of success.

 

You could do everything and think you went well...until you find you have been canned by the manager...a female who is jealous of pretty singers...it does happen...your abilities are not always the criteria for acceptance...its a cruel world.

 

When In dought leave it out.

Many club patrons just like siting back and listening

 

this advice is appropriate for venue gigs,

for intimate entertaining,

singalongs work fine,

at parties getting people up to sing with you is great, Ive often at intimate parties,rolled out the songbook and said pick a song to sing and Ill back you. Made the night.

russell

[Jessica T]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

Jessica you must first pick your audience,

in assisted living enviroment,old peoples homes etc it works well but some audiences will not take kindly to such indulgence.

Understood. Generally, restaurant, club or bar entertainment is a backdrop to other social interactions and relaxing. Although patrons often make requests, that's usually about as far as it goes. I was thinking more along the lines of special situations like, say, visits to schools, hospitals or nursing homes, or something like that. I hadn't thought about private parties though. Sometimes, the more personality that one has as an entertainer has to mix well with the people having the party. I'd be perplexed as to how to read them, so it's probablly better to be on the safe side until I know them well.

[stepay]

My band plays in all different kinds of places. Some places, the people are up and dancing, telling us that it's so and so's birthday and can he come up and sing a song with us, and at other places, they just sit there and drink their beer and play pool and smoke their cigarettes and just give a hoot or two when the song is over.

 

Personally, I hate it when bands or entertainers almost of any kind badger the audience into participating. It always seems so desperate. I just want them to play their music or do their thing, and if we like it, we'll give them some positive feedback. Nothing worse than watching someone who would really rather not, hit a cheap tambourine that a band member gave out. Often you'll see the band that badgers some woman into coming up on stage to do something (cow bell, sing, tambourine) and when it's over, everyone cheers. The thing is, they aren't cheering for the band...in fact the focus is off the band...it's only on the audience member. I always think the band is looking for ways to manufacture applause when they do that, and I know I'm not the only one. Play well, and the audience will applaud.

 

The GREATEST thing is when people get up and dance or clap or cheer loudly or hoot and holler or dance on the bar or light their Bics when you didn't coerce them into doing so.

 

It's the rare audience member who is shy and sitting there only to willingly participate if the musician would pressure them into doing so. People who are participators will, and people who aren't would really rather sit there and watch others participate or just listen to the music.

[stepay]

Originally posted by zmd:

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing. then we fed the audience a snack...we tossed out sauerkraut on pumpernickl sandwiches...they reached up in the air expecting cd's, they got smelly sandwiches instead. oddly, it worked...they went nuts and danced more. god bless all ages crowds.

Man, no offense intended, but I would NEVER eat a sandwich handed to me by someone playing in a band!

[Chris Link]

Originally posted by stepay:

Originally posted by zmd:

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing. then we fed the audience a snack...we tossed out sauerkraut on pumpernickl sandwiches...they reached up in the air expecting cd's, they got smelly sandwiches instead. oddly, it worked...they went nuts and danced more. god bless all ages crowds.

Man, no offense intended, but I would NEVER eat a sandwich handed to me by someone playing in a band!

+1

[ProfD]

Several things go into getting a "willing" audience to participate. It is a combination of playing to the right audience i.e. receptive to the music being played, atmosphere, etc. Then, there is the combination of looks, personality and talent.

 

Notice I put talent last. I'm sure as musicians and audience members we have seen and/or been in a situation where the least talented folks rock the house. While music is a universal language that can communicate on so many levels, some keys to getting an audience to participate:

 

1) Personality--Be engaging (not corny or fake)

2) Look great (appearance)

3) Enjoy yourself (have fun!)

3) Play your ass off

 

If you play like you mean business and conduct yourself accordingly, the audience will get with your "show".

[Chris Link]

Originally posted by ProfD:

1) Personality--Be engaging (not corny or fake)

2) Look great (appearance)

3) Enjoy yourself (have fun!)

3) Play your ass off

 

If you play like you mean business and conduct yourself accordingly, the audience will get with your "show".

Some great points here. Unfortunately, a good part of this is personality. It's a little like salesmanship; the best are just born that way. You can spot them when they are kids. In the same way, some folks are born showmen.

 

A couple of weeks ago, a guitarist/singer I was playing with jumped down from the stand and engaged some of the audience to participate in "Shake Your Booty" (KC and the Sunshine Band). He's just a really fun-loving extroverted guy.

 

That being said, he was also didn't pick out the obvious hot-looking chicks- he got a cross-section of the dancers and people at tables up front. Even a 60+ guy who shook his "booty" and sang enthusiastically. Needless to say, the crowd ate it up.

[zmd]

Originally posted by stepay:

Originally posted by zmd:

at our last show, we did a cd toss to get people up and dancing. then we fed the audience a snack...we tossed out sauerkraut on pumpernickl sandwiches...they reached up in the air expecting cd's, they got smelly sandwiches instead. oddly, it worked...they went nuts and danced more. god bless all ages crowds.

Man, no offense intended, but I would NEVER eat a sandwich handed to me by someone playing in a band!

agreed. this is why i didn't hand em out. they went airborne on those kids. a few of 'em ate a bit. i tried one myself. i definately threw up a little.

the kids dug it, that is all that matters. know your audience, and work with em. i should say it tho, we are as close as you can get to a punk band with a keyboard, 5 string bass and a 7 string guitar.

[Andre Lower]

Running the risk of pointing out something obvious, but here I go: Be yourself. As Misterdregs wrote, some people are natural entertainers. If you are not, do not try to fake it.

 

That being said, the scale between an unbearable jerk and Freddie Mercury is a continuous one, and most people "showman talent ranking" falls between these two extremes. I found out that people tend to like me much better when I avoid pre-arranged phrases&moves. Even someone who never met you before can tell your faking stunts right away, whereas you stand a good chance of pleasing your audience acting naturally and having fun in a balanced way.

 

Unless you're a jerk, of course, but you do not read like one

[Chris Link]

Originally posted by Andre Lower:

I found out that people tend to like me much better when I avoid pre-arranged phrases&moves. Even someone who never met you before can tell your faking stunts right away, whereas you stand a good chance of pleasing your audience acting naturally and having fun in a balanced way.

If you can pull it off, the best thing is well-rehearsed, perfectly timed, but spontaneous appearing material. Years ago, my wife dragged me to (shudder) a Barry Manilow concert. He really puts on a good show, had a great supporting cast of musicians and was surprisingly entertaining with the jokes and ad libs.

 

Some months later, there was a cable TV concert from that same tour (different show). I was stunned to hear essentially EVERY joke and "ad lib" delivered exactly the same all over again. Every bit of it was scripted and rehearsed, but was so well done that you thought it was spontaneous. In some ways, an even more impressive feat.

 

I guess it's a little like the joke about the veteran polititian giving advice to the novice: The most important thing is to be sincere. Once you can fake that you've got it made.

[meccajay]

The last band I played with, sometimes to jump start the crowd we would start the 2nd set with....wait for it...the theme from GOOD TIMES!

 

They ate it up!

 

We didn't try it every night with every crowd, but when we felt it Bam! They were putty in our hands after that cause it gets a big laugh from the audience afterward.

 

Granted, these were mixed crowds that liked to party. That won't work in every scenerio, but Im sure there are dozens of songs/themes from TV shows that could work in the same way for a fun sing along. Try it sometimes.

[Jeff_D_in_MD]

Originally posted by misterdregs:

Some months later, there was a cable TV concert from that same tour (different show). I was stunned to hear essentially EVERY joke and "ad lib" delivered exactly the same all over again.

I saw Tom Petty open for Bob Dylan two nights in a row in Berkeley back in 1986. The first night Petty did a little move, throwing back his head and smiling as he strummed a chord. It looked spontaneous and people cheered (well, not me, but I was already cynical about that sort of thing). The very next night, Petty played exactly the same setlist and did the same little head fling. Corny the first time, horribly lame the second. Dylan at least managed to change some of the songs in his setlist.

[Andre Lower]

Misterdregs, sorry for disagreeing, but most people are bad liars, and the more they push it, the worse it looks.

 

I feel a lot better being myself, and I guess it shows. OK, I'm no Freddie Mercury, but any rehearsed stunts would sure make the imperfections of the band's performance look much worse than they actually are (specially mine). The way we do it, people sympathize with our honest faces and feel compelled to enjoy it as much as we do.

 

And boy, do I get a kick out of playing live !!!

[Tusker]

Jessica,

 

It's an interesting question. I don't usually have a leading role in the band, but in another life I do public speaking. What I learned about audiences is:

 

- If the audience knows you care, they will be more willing to let you take them to all sorts of places

 

- It's easier to set up a particular (e.g. interactive) dynamic earlier in your relationship with the audience. It will also pay off in the intimacy you can create over the time you have together. But you should build towards it ...

 

- Laughter is the shortest distance between strangers. A small interaction, (like a laugh) prepares the way for a larger interaction later (come up on stage and dance with us)

 

- The audience wants you to be successful. They are not wanting their time with you to be wasted. They are often willing to give more (emotionally) for a successful performance than many performers realize.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jerry

[stepay]

Originally posted by meccajay:

The last band I played with, sometimes to jump start the crowd we would start the 2nd set with....wait for it...the theme from GOOD TIMES!

 

They ate it up!

 

We didn't try it every night with every crowd, but when we felt it Bam! They were putty in our hands after that cause it gets a big laugh from the audience afterward.

 

Granted, these were mixed crowds that liked to party. That won't work in every scenerio, but Im sure there are dozens of songs/themes from TV shows that could work in the same way for a fun sing along. Try it sometimes.

I can see many of our crowds loving Good Times. Not a bad idea. Theme to Sanford and Son would be great also (the best TV theme song ever in my opinion)

[The Real MC]

Originally posted by Bridog6996:

Two words:

 

Hokey Pokey

One word: Shout (Isley Bros, not Tears for Fears)

[ProfD]

Originally posted by stepay:

Theme to Sanford and Son would be great also (the best TV theme song ever in my opinion)

My guitarist tells me a local band led by a sax player does a killer arrangement on this tune.

[Andre Lower]

Originally posted by The Real MC:

Originally posted by Bridog6996:

Two words:

 

Hokey Pokey

One word: Shout (Isley Bros, not Tears for Fears)

Sorry, I can't help joining up, 4 words:

 

WE WILL ROCK YOU

 

I told you I'm no Freddie Mercury, but this one never fails to get the crowd singing the chorus. Then we patch the ending guitar solo (our guitar player is as passionate as I am) right into the opening riff to "Tie Your Mother Down" and, more often than not, we get them rocking ...

[meccajay]

Originally posted by stepay:

Theme to Sanford and Son would be great also (the best TV theme song ever in my opinion) [/QB]

Funkiest tune in the history of music!

[Chris Link]

Originally posted by Andre Lower:

Misterdregs, sorry for disagreeing, but most people are bad liars, and the more they push it, the worse it looks.

 

In truth, I don't think we do disagree. (Well, I guess I'm disagreeing now ) Most people CAN'T pull it off without looking fake, so I find it impressive when someone can.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Originally posted by Andre Lower:

Originally posted by The Real MC:

[qb]

Originally posted by Bridog6996:

[qb] Two words:

 

Then we patch the ending guitar solo (our guitar player is as passionate as I am) right into the opening riff to "Tie Your Mother Down" and, more often than not, we get them rocking ...

we like to use "Tie me kangaroo down"

[ grins...swaggers off with slouch hat and corks.]

 

this is my very bad attempt at Aussie humour...sorry.couldnt help it.

oh well back to the chain gang.