OT: What was the best compliment you ever got?

[gangsu]

Markyboard told me he's been waiting for me, all his life.

Anybody seen him?

[Tom Fiala]

"Jeez, you really CAN play"

[Garrafon]

"Wow, that was the greatest rest I've ever heard anyone play." LOL

[mate stubb]

My up and coming southern rock boogie band played two shows with a well known headliner at a gorgeous theatre back in the day. To say we blew them off the stage was an understatement.

 

Between shows, we overheard the headliner's manager screaming at them about being upstaged. During the second show they added some things to their set to copy us.

 

That was pretty flattering.

[area51recording]

Not long after relocating to this small corner of the world I was playing a gig in a small jazz (sort of) club. On the first break I met the drummer's buddy who turned to me and said "I don't know what everybody's talking about- I think you sound GREAT!"

[RABid]

Originally posted by AUSSIEKEYS:

great story Robert

 

I hope after that night you shafted the band and walked out on them.

Actually, once I tuned them out and decided to play what I wanted to play how I want to play it things went very well. But when the band finally split that guitarist never did find work again. His talent could not back up his attitude.

 

But that reminds me of another compliment, given to me when I tried out for that band.

 

Wow. You can play with two hands, on two different keyboards!

 

Yep, in the early 80s bands were desperate for keyboardists.

 

Robert

[Mr. Nightime]

Originally posted by mate_stubb:

My up and coming southern rock boogie band played two shows with a well known headliner at a gorgeous theatre back in the day. To say we blew them off the stage was an understatement.

 

Between shows, we overheard the headliner's manager screaming at them about being upstaged. During the second show they added some things to their set to copy us.

 

That was pretty flattering.

I had a similar occurance. I was in a country band playing a huge club in Tulsa, opening for a major country artist. In between sets we heard the headliner chewing out his band because we sounded better. I felt sorry for those guys having to deal with this, but it felt good, especially after the better-than-you attitude they had before the show.

[MidLifeCrisis]

The best compliments come from fellow musicians. I am always impressed when a keyboard player from another band comes up to compliment me. It certainly means more when a peer who is in someways a competitor likes how you play.

One of the most memorable ones came from a really good local keyboard player who asked me what kind of Hammond I had hidden on stage. Guess I really get some good sounds out of my VK-8.

[JeffLearman]

After a short solo vocal/keyboard set playing some blues & jazzy blues, I went to the bar to get a drink. Sitting there was a hot little Latina vocalist who said "Gee, I looked up and there was a white guy!"

 

As the poster child for "White men can't jump or dance", I especially appreciated the remark.

 

Of course, I always appreciate compliments from musicians that are several levels above me.

[The Real MC]

I played LH bass in this R&B/Blues band. We were a really good band. I spotted a bass player friend in the audience whom I really admired and caught up with him after the show. He said he had been listening to the band and thought wow, good bass player but - where's the bass player? Then he spotted me playing bass guitar on a couple of songs and he said wait that's the keyboard player. Finally it dawned on him I was playing LH bass. Not only did I impress an african-american (I love those people), but I fooled expert ears from an expert bass player.

 

Another band I was in, a very discriminating guitar player came up during break and asked me where I was hiding the Leslie. You should've seen his reaction when I showed him the Dynacord CLS-222 leslie simulator.

[dv8.Maker]

Well, playing guitar I've had a buddy walk in and go "holy crap, I really thought you were listening to a Steve Vai CD"

 

Vocals..I think a woman had an orgasm while I was singing for her..don't think I'll top that one

 

Piano, I've had an entire Marina ask for my cd, but my fav is either the instant phone numbers from the ladies, or when they cry when I play very somber stuff (sometimes the best compliment isn't words, but rather an emotional reaction to what you've created).

[DafDuc]

A high school girl from the first church that I was music director at (1997-2002) wrote me a note after I announced I was leaving. In a nutshell, it said that my ministry there had transformed her church experience into worshipful enthusiasm from whatever it was before - just putting in an appearance, maybe?

 

Daf

[Jon May]

Our Friday night jam band had just finished a spirited rendition of Oye Como Va during which I'd done my best to channel Greg Rollie, when Lennie Kravitz walks in and sits in on drums

I can't remember what tunes we played therafter, but the next day a friend told me "Like, Lennie was totally asking about you!"

Sadly, an invitation to tour never eventuated [Cool]

Lennie...if you're reading this...

[Jon May]

Our Friday night jam band had just finished a spirited rendition of Oye Como Va during which I'd done my best to channel Greg Rollie, when Lennie Kravitz walks in and sits in on drums

I can't remember what tunes we played therafter, but the next day a friend told me "Like, Lennie was totally asking about you!"

Sadly, an invitation to tour never eventuated

Lennie...if you're reading this...

[Jon May]

(Rats...how DO you edit posts without creating a double???? For that matter,is it possible for the author to delete their own posts?)

 

Some 25 years ago when I was playing my first bar gigs,a lady comes by and places a reefer (!) on the piano. Ah the symbolism!

[Mr. Nightime]

There have been occasions where I was playing at a blues jam with my full kit, and I'll be introduced to a keys player that is supposed to be very good. Then I'll play for a bit, and when the time comes to invite them up, they're on the way out the door. They don't want to follow my playing. I guess that can be taken as a compliment, but I don't care if I can outplay them, or they can outplay me. I just like to hear others playing my kit.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

ok ok you guys are so serious about this thread...

 

its as if you are all sharing in touchy feely church group....share with us brother Aussiekeys.

 

Well I couldnt get a laugh when I told you about my opposite compliment where I was paid to move away while busking...hee hee

 

So I will get serious here....but not enough to elevate myself...As often I take complimemts at drinking venues with a grain of salt...hey they are drunk.

 

but you all have that one story that has stuck in your mind so here is mine

 

The one silent compliment that really moved me and still does...[but doesnt move me for my own elation] for I feel for that person to this day.

Oh damn I sounding so shareable emotionally.

please pass me a tissue.

 

Was the first paying gig I did with my last duo partner...we were playing a far western Sydney pub [a bit cowboyish,truckerish etc],,,a little rough around the edges...we did our sets and they liked us..

 

but the emotion moving incident was when I was singing "What a Wonderfull World" a lady had sat down lit up a cig and listened to the song.

 

By the end of it she was in tears [normally at this point Id say that was because of my singing..tee hee; but as we are all touchy feely now] Id say that she has experienced a hard life...perhaps a difficult day as I think she may have worked there...perhaps I was thinking she was the cook.

 

obviously the song, my singing, had touched a nerve and she just let it all out...to me it was not the compliment I remember as much as I actually feel for her {damn it,I hate to be soppy ] and often wondered did things get better for her,

 

Her reaction was a compliment to me [she would not have known whether I was a good player or not but she would have appreciated the emotion in my voice I guess.]...

 

far better than the many worded compliments that are thrown at you over a long music career...as you know they really mean nothing when you boil them down unless they can lead you to more work or higher in your career...for words are cheap.

 

So i will remember that gig to this day...did her life get better, was it really stuffed anyway, or did I really sound that bad.

 

So endeth the second reading..Copies of this speach can be obtained at the foyer.

 

ps does Keyboard Corner charge for these Dr Phil segments.

[b3keys]

I had a great experience yesterday! I play a monthly church service at a nursing home and at the end of the service all of the residents gave me a standing ovation!

[raddtunes]

Best two compliments were from aritsts I played with -

 

1. In 89 I got a call to play with The Four Tops. Their MD got my name from "someone" in Vegas. They gave me their next two weeks of dates as an audition, then offered me the gig after the first night. That was a very nice compliment.

 

2. About six years ago, came home, checked messages, and there was the name Angela Bofill on my caller ID. She hired me to put together a band for her 1-week gig at the Blue Note.

[linwood]

Peter!! Man, nice to see ya here. It's been a while since we've talked. Hope things are well. Nothings changed on my end. Same ole nightmare, if ya know what I mean, and I know you do.

[Mike Davis]

This is a variation on the theme --

 

A bandleader calls me: "Hey, are you available Friday?"

 

"No, sorry but I'm busy."

 

"Damn! EVERYONE is busy..."

[MikeT156]

Recently, I played the local Elks County Club for one of their Friday night gigs. I was doing a sound check and went up to get some pepsi and then played my first set, which is about an hour. I do a "one man band" thing, with most of my songs sequenced, I play piano oir other sounds live, sing lead, and use a harmonizer. I noticed a guy sitting at the bar during my sound check and throughout my first set. He was watching and listening closely, so it seemed. When I took a break, he came up to me while I was still sitting behind my rig and he said "Incredible, and you know what? These people have no clue what it is that you're doing and what it takes to pull your show off" Then he asked me how much main KB cost and was looking around for a computer too, which of course is in my Yamaha Motif ES8. He was surprised that all the sound was coming from one KB (expect my ION, which is not connected to my Motif). He asked me how long it took me to put my act together and I said "I'm still working on it". He smiled.

 

He told me he was an organ player of about 40 years, still had his "Hammond" (B3 with twin leslies). He said he had over 5 grand wrapped up in the organ and leslies and "All it can do is be an organ". He mentioned a locally "famous" person that he worked with for years, so I knew he wasn't puffing smoke, and I recognized the name of their band. They don't play anymore, but he told me he really appreciated the music.

 

It's nice to hear another musician say something like the above experience.

 

 

Mike T.

[Blue JC]

I got a last minute call to sub for a local blues legend who I greatly admired. His manager called me and he was the ONLY person who talked to me all night. The guy would just start playing the next song on the guitar, the band knew the songs and I just had to figure everything out on the fly.

 

At the time, I was sure that I was blowing the gig because I wasn't getting anything from anybody. And, I thought that I was getting the cold shoulder from the band but that was just how they did things. Quietly, efficiently and professionally.

 

At the end of the night, the blues legend looks at me and says "we start at ten o'clock tomorrow night" and walked off the stage.

 

Those few words of acceptance were the greatest compliment that I ever received.

 

Since then, we've become great friends and now I can't get the guy to shut up.

[stepay]

Originally posted by Blue JC:

I got a last minute call to sub for a local blues legend who I greatly admired. His manager called me and he was the ONLY person who talked to me all night. The guy would just start playing the next song on the guitar, the band knew the songs and I just had to figure everything out on the fly.

 

At the time, I was sure that I was blowing the gig because I wasn't getting anything from anybody. And, I thought that I was getting the cold shoulder from the band but that was just how they did things. Quietly, efficiently and professionally.

 

At the end of the night, the blues legend looks at me and says "we start at ten o'clock tomorrow night" and walked off the stage.

 

Those few words of acceptance were the greatest compliment that I ever received.

 

Since then, we've become great friends and now I can't get the guy to shut up.

My guess is Robert Lockwood Jr. Can't mention a "blues legend" without telling us who it was brother! I'm 98% sure that my guess is right -- unless it's Muddy Waters (that's my 2% guess). Come on, do tell.

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Originally posted by Dave Horne:

The best compliments are usually silent ... the sound of paper currency being placed in your hand.

I'm with you, Dave. Compliments are nice, and moving stories about how my playing really touched someone's heart are, well, heartwarming. But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and I really like paper action! Especially the kind with the number 100 written on it!

[dementedchord]

i started out life as a trombonist...and yeah i was good... but an auto accident yeilded among other things a torn upper lip (think hairlip) and a steeel rod in my right arm... so i took up piano... and going back to school i of course was way behind the typical performance major... but was required to attend pedagogy class with the "dame" of the joint. (had been a child prodigy/ studied with paderwski) anyhow when she was scolding them for "just playing notes" she would claim "she'ld rather listen to me" could'nt play much at the time but i played no doubt...

[Ian Sharrock]

Years ago our band was supporting Jr. Walker on a UK tour. Our set went down really well (people dancing on tables, etc), & when Jr. got up to do his stuff I was blown away by the band.

At the end of one song he says to the audience "What do you wanna hear next?" & some lout from the back of the room shouts the name of our band.

 

I think I'm with fellow poster about the best compliments are from your peers.

I always looked up to a certain piano player from my home town. Could play d4am near anything with such ease. Made me feel like a grade 1 student. I met up with him 2 years ago & he told me he always looked up to me 'cos my playing & programming always sounded exactly like on the original record.

[Sandy Hemenway]

Best compliment for me has always been the standing ovation.

 

Of course, with the good comes the bad - and my compliment story has an ironic twist.

 

In 1980, I played and sang an original song at the State Beta Club Talent Show (NC). I got a huge round of applause - but come trophy time, I wasn't in the top 3. (A judge actually came up to me afterwards and told me I was best, but had been disqualified for going over the 3 minute time limit.)

 

Anyway, after the talent show, there was a dance and a number of people came up telling me I was robbed. But one in particular comes up and says, "Man, you were great - but the judges at these things suck bad. They sucked bad last year, too."

 

Before I could stop myself, I responded, "I won last year." (which was true)

 

I felt really bad as the poor guy wandered off.

[JohnH]

"You play a million times better than Ray" Angelo Barbera, former touring bassist for the Doors of the 21st Century after his gig with Peace Frog in Venice and me on keyboards 13 November, 2005. This was my comeback gig after much rehearsal and not making the cut earlier that year so to have a great gig and get that compliment meant a lot. Oh and stuff like last night's "Are you under 30?" from a female customer makes you feel great even though she wasn't hot. Compliments are compliments.

 

JH

[Markyboard]

Originally posted by gangsu:

Markyboard told me he's been waiting for me, all his life.

Anybody seen him?

Nope - not a trace.