zmd Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 a friends band, mike and the shit kickers, plays the golden girls theme song. he rocks it out too! maybe that would be the trick to all your problems jessica, play all tv theme covers! so, its not so much about curing it as it is about hiding it...to help spread it faster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 jessica just performed a 50th birthday party as solo on sat night. it was an outdoor barbieque party under tarps in the middle of our winter. I was an invited guest who happened to take along his small portable rig, as the party haver was a good friend and i casually asked if theyd like some music. well they were so happy i set up in place of one of the bbq units. Started off with three midifile songs and wondered if they enjoyed them...aussies at parties are not inclined to hurl thunderous applause at you...a few scattered clappers,[but I noticed that many were intently looking in between talking.]especially a party that was full of Hot rodders and vintage car nuts.Me being one myself. well at that moment., the birthday boys wife siddled over and was talking about how she had thought about having a karaoke thing there...so quickly i connected up a spare mike and handed it too her to much humour of the audience.... she was having a great time and so was the audience for maybe three songs then they were humouredly sick of her wailing..and litterally pulled the plug on her to much laughing...unfortunately pulling the electricity to the gear too...damn..but from that point on I knew i had em...I was one of em by allowing her up to sing....still not a lot of clapping...but my worry was quelled when as each group of people was leaving they all siddled up to me as they left and thanked me,[at least 12 individual comments,many complementing my voice...wished they complemented my playing too [but most people at parties only hear your voice,as that is all they understand],some even apologizing for not clapping much blaming the cold. in between aLL THIs i hit em with lots of piano/vocal songs,piano man,let it be ,i dont like mondays,and you could see the heads stop and listen when the vocals were at those crucial sections...a lot of nodding in appreciation at those points,a lot of rocking to the rythym with all this in the middle of winter outdoors. YOU SEE JESSICA...clapping does not always tell you if you are good or bad..often you can think you are failing [as i had thought after the first few songs when in fact i wasnt],actually the opposite,but the clincher was to include the wife of my friend in the entertainment it meant i was one of then,aND after that they took me to thier heart.i would not have done this at a club gig though.i picked my gig to allow this. but i also knew that she was all that was needed for participation for that night...an ice breaker in a way. play the game,read them on the night.Unfortunately its hard to not feel a failure if they are not clapping much but believe me you cant take that as an indicater.often you are there to be part of the fun...not the only fun. include others when you are sure the audience will respond....even when they are laughing at thier own friend....its all good humoured . and i had a blast...ready to go ahead with the new duo partner i just got. the above can be applied to nursing homes,parties and similar but it is not as i said before a good idea at venues...but that doesnt mean that there arent some venues where it can work...i have been known to allow one alpha male/female to get up to sing and thus win the hearts of a club or pub...but i refuse to let that become a drunken karaoke experience...as it may jepiodize your standing with management. Parties are a different thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I did play a nursing home once with an acoustic rock quartet - for want of a better term - two acoustic guitarists and two excellent female vocalists - and at first it was bizarre. Some of the people seemed to be in another dimension somewhere, and there were some bad smells coming out of the audience, like they weren't in full control of their bodily functions anymore. Turns out that some of them were mentally alert, and they really enjoyed it. It's true, some of those people must be bored out of their minds - they can't go out and see a movie or hear a live band or play or whatever... see any entertainment they get they really do appreciate! I'm glad we played there, but no, that's not my FIRST choice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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