Monday, February 11, 2008
at
21:30
|
0
screaming fans
MA's synopsis of this weekend's performance at the Royal Hotel was accurate. I wanted to add my own reflections about this past weekend.
Yes, it was cold. And for the weather being uncooperative, I expected a very poor turnout. We were pleasantly surprised when we entertained two near-capacity crowds throughout the weekend.
I was quite pleased at the turnout of both Thursday and Saturday jams. There were an exceptional number of talented players to show up, and the music that happened with the local artists was of a professional level.
When you play in a local bar band, there are some things that happen rarely, and when they do, it's magic. Many things contributed to this, but it starts when the band is confident, tight, and the entire band is firing on all cylinders. When the band looks like they are having fun, that energy is perceived by those who are listening and watching. We were fortunate to have played so well, since we hadn't played together in almost a month.
I like it when the people in the bar are watching the band, and are not immersed in idle conversation. I like it better when they are tapping their feet, or nodding their heads to the beat. I even catch the odd metal-head banging his head like a post-pubescent teen at a Metallica concert.
I like it better when they dance. I like it when the dance floor is packed.
But I like it most when they are so fired up, that they are jumping up and down, with their fists raised in the air; focused entirely on the band.
And that's what happened this weekend.
To the point where some lunatic climbed a load-bearing post in the middle of the dance floor, trying to reach some "higher state", I surmise.
It's things like this that are most gratifying for me. And before I dig myself too deep, I would hope I could make it clear that even though I appreciate a crowd's enthusiasm, I do not like it when their enthusiasm gets out of control. I have seen it happen even at my level, but it gets even scarier in the bigger venues. When I played the Minnedosa Classic Rock Weekend in 1999, my act had the crowd so wound up, that they were even jumping the barricades -- and we were just some cover band from somewhere in the prairies. We were such a small act that our band name was last in line and barely visible on the poster!
Nobody should get hurt at a concert, but they do. The safety of the band and the crowd means a lot to me, and I get jittery the moment a fan jumps on the stage. I have seen too many drunks take a spill, and in an instant render a piece of delicate electronic equipment into an ornate doorstop. It breaks the heart, limbs, and the pocketbook.
The stage is sacred ground for a band. It's not there in order to 'put us above everyone else'; It really is for our own health and safety. If you still doubt me, then I suggest you watch the Blues Brothers movie. "Why is there chicken wire at the front of the stage?"
I rest my case.
Yes, it was cold. And for the weather being uncooperative, I expected a very poor turnout. We were pleasantly surprised when we entertained two near-capacity crowds throughout the weekend.
I was quite pleased at the turnout of both Thursday and Saturday jams. There were an exceptional number of talented players to show up, and the music that happened with the local artists was of a professional level.
When you play in a local bar band, there are some things that happen rarely, and when they do, it's magic. Many things contributed to this, but it starts when the band is confident, tight, and the entire band is firing on all cylinders. When the band looks like they are having fun, that energy is perceived by those who are listening and watching. We were fortunate to have played so well, since we hadn't played together in almost a month.
I like it when the people in the bar are watching the band, and are not immersed in idle conversation. I like it better when they are tapping their feet, or nodding their heads to the beat. I even catch the odd metal-head banging his head like a post-pubescent teen at a Metallica concert.
I like it better when they dance. I like it when the dance floor is packed.
But I like it most when they are so fired up, that they are jumping up and down, with their fists raised in the air; focused entirely on the band.
And that's what happened this weekend.
To the point where some lunatic climbed a load-bearing post in the middle of the dance floor, trying to reach some "higher state", I surmise.
It's things like this that are most gratifying for me. And before I dig myself too deep, I would hope I could make it clear that even though I appreciate a crowd's enthusiasm, I do not like it when their enthusiasm gets out of control. I have seen it happen even at my level, but it gets even scarier in the bigger venues. When I played the Minnedosa Classic Rock Weekend in 1999, my act had the crowd so wound up, that they were even jumping the barricades -- and we were just some cover band from somewhere in the prairies. We were such a small act that our band name was last in line and barely visible on the poster!
Nobody should get hurt at a concert, but they do. The safety of the band and the crowd means a lot to me, and I get jittery the moment a fan jumps on the stage. I have seen too many drunks take a spill, and in an instant render a piece of delicate electronic equipment into an ornate doorstop. It breaks the heart, limbs, and the pocketbook.
The stage is sacred ground for a band. It's not there in order to 'put us above everyone else'; It really is for our own health and safety. If you still doubt me, then I suggest you watch the Blues Brothers movie. "Why is there chicken wire at the front of the stage?"
I rest my case.
Posted by
MC
Labels:
Enthusiasm,
Party,
Royal
