Can You Play When The Audience Sucks?
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- It happens. Sometimes the audience isn't right for the venue, sometimes the music and the venue aren't right for the audience.
I'm breaking down a show where this happened with my trio in 2022, and talking about how we got through it and some of the insane things the mind comes up with in the moment that you have to deal with.
No idea why the watermark appeared on this one out of nowhere. Will make sure that's fixed on the next video!
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Apologies for the audio in today’s video. I’m still learning this new software and it looks like I had the system audio AND the interface open at the same time. 🤦♀️
Hopefully it doesn’t distract from the analysis too much and you can get something out of the breakdown.
Playing in restaurants has always been a gamble to me: most of the times people are not there to listen to your music, they’re here to have a meal, fun, and they show you how they don’t care. The band, the art you want to promote is not an event by itself, the venue’s owners could have put a youtube playlist it would have been the same, really.
Now the best part of it is: no interest ? no pressure then ! then you start to play as freely as in rehearsals, and you just have fun with your bandmates.
Recording and analyzing my performances has helped my playing mature immensely. Now when I hear really busy players, I think “You haven’t actually listened to yourself, have you?”
bingo
Recognizing how the audience just wasn't there for you at all; I LOVE how you three guys dug in, were there for each other/the inspiration for each other and succeeded in making great music together. Respect!
What a great and honest story. I'm just a 59 yr old Bass player who plays in a covers band, but at times we just aren't right for the venue and things don't go well - It's amazing to hear that one of the best players in the world can also have, not a bad playing night, but a bad reception. Not many people would admit that this happens to us all.
Really awesome to see and hear, and experience the gig with you, and all the human factors, and other unexpected things, that affect the performance. Thank you for sharing the experience, and concur, bet there’s so much more to touch upon. I gig vicariously through you, great venue. Do more. You are appreciated! 👏
I play dance & pop covers and the worst thing that happened to live bands is the smart phone. For the past decade I've played to rooms full of people doom scrolling. Applause is a thing of the past and we get treated like dancing monkeys. Maybe its this town? But it is soul crushing.
I played with a singer who would just tell them they sucked. Straight up. With college crowds, this usually woke them up.
Been doing the same for the past 40 years, I am also nice when there ace, did a gig in Wales before Christmas and the crowd were singing along and were on par volume wise with the PA.. Ace stuff.
The Vibe for your Manchester gig a few years ago was great!
Cool video concept. Nice stories!
I’m playing solo acoustic guitar music at an indie punk house show tomorrow. Haven’t been on a rock bill in a long time. Really excited, hope the crowd is receptive!
Congratulations on 90k!!
I think it’s more a matter of how to play when the audience thinks you suck rather than the other way around. And in that situation (been there) you have two choices: engage with and get them onboard with what it is you do -or- just give them what they want to hear. Because nobody is going to pay you just to be you unless there’s something in it for them too. If you fail to connect with an audience then it’s your failure rather than the audience’s. A complete flameout with an audience is never a pleasant experience. But it’s also a golden opportunity for some serious self reflection and possible reassessment.
The new Playlist and this style of analysis is fantastic janek. i really enjoy it and actually learn a lot from it.
It's quite reassuring to know that even the best of the best such as yourselves have had this kind of experience. Sometimes the stars just don't align as much as we'd like them to. Bouncing back from such an experience is not always easy, and I think you've handled it perfectly. You still put 100% into the performance, learn from the experience, and move on.
To be fair - and I think you’re a flippin’ monster and personally I’d be fan boi-ing, but if it wasn’t you. And I was wondering into a restaurant for a lovely dinner by the sea and the band were angular-jazz, I’d be thinking - ‘yeah but have you got any tunes coz this is musical indulgence’
I suggest it’s like getting a pizza in a sushi joint - it doesn’t matter how great it is, it just isn’t what you wanted!
Cool video breakdown - really interesting.
I don’t really ever get to perform live, but recording myself to analyse my playing and mistakes has been the best addition to my practice routine and I started doing predominately because of Janek
I record all of my gigs to see how we all did. It's so useful. All of us play to audiences that are amazing all the way to completely uninterested. It is definitely a challenge. Honestly, I don't really belong watching this channel. Your friends and you are so completely on another level. I do find that audiences are often so dumb that they immensely enjoy the music I play sometimes. Here's to wishing you get the audiences you deserve. Maybe they just are so mesmerized by your playing that they look like they're uninterested!
I play different genres and am nowhere near your level, but a few things really resonated with me. You cannot underestimate the joy of playing with a great drummer, and that doesn’t always or even often translate to incredible chops. I will take a solid drummer with great ears and totally into the music for the music’s sake every single day. When I have to sub the drummer, it can turn it into work rather than play, but with a drummer that connects with my bass, creating a compelling groove worthy rhythm section, and getting out of your head is what makes the music so much fun. We bass players love our drummers! Second, when the audience is into the music, you can feed off that energy and channel it back into the music. There’s a sense of expanding consciousnesses. Your mindfulness and presence, reinforced with the drummer, enhanced with the rest of the band, connecting to the audience, at each level the collective consciousness just expands and expands. Getting out of your head (i.e. not looking to throw in that riff will make the socials) and connecting to everyone is the difference between playing Music and just fiddling around on an instrument in front of people. That all said, when the audience isn’t there, either because they are distracted and uninterested, or literally not there (we’ve all played to nearly empty venues at some point in our careers, right?), you have to really dig deeper into yourself and trust your band mates to connect to the Music and energy anyway.
Man the unison at 29:05 is mind boggling. If that's not rehearsed it's actually insane how the drummer played along with you like that
Don´t judge too hard on me but the flow of that set reminds me of Bitches Brew in a way, in a very positive way. And thank you Janek to adress such an uncomfortable situation for us to learn something from it. Great concert btw.
Comment for the algo. Only 2nd one, loving these, wish I had gotten the chance to see this trio live, Nic is one of my absolute favorite drummers, i discovered him via all his playing with Hadrien Feraud.
Following the very first sounds from the video you showed, I can say for myself: I regret not having been a 'listener' or even a 'participant' at this performance!
I also dare to say that I am not surprised by the audience's reaction. It seems that people wanted to spend a pleasant time on the promenade and not concentrate on enjoying the music. I have not yet been to Monaco. However, I hear that the people living there basically already have everything they need to live and be happy, especially themselves.
I once heard the saying: What costs nothing is worth nothing. (I don't fully agree). However, the sentence seems to be true here, especially in contrast to the performance in London. It also seems strange to me as a listener sitting at a table poking in the food with a fork and trying to follow the music. Personally, this seems so unappreciative of the musicians that I have not yet wanted to take advantage of such an opportunity.
About this video (discussing the gig and what you played): That is absolutely 'stellar'!
I'm not a musician but I like listening to music and as an outsider I don't understand so much of the dynamics that are happening among the musicians. That's why I'm really excited about this kind of presentation, because it teaches me to listen to music better and appreciate it even more. This video remotely reminds me of the so-called 'work review' as it is known from classical music. With the insights gained, the album becomes really interesting because I gain an understanding of what is happening in the music and among the musicians. I would therefore like to buy the album from the Pizza Express (even if it will be somewhat different from the performance in Monaco).
My personal highlight at 23:12 f: '[...] they do it for no reason. There's no intent [...].'
I really like this approach: the struggle for 'intent' and the struggle for a coherent statement to be made in the music. That excites me because it's about meaning and not about being able to play a fill very fast. It seems to me that I often encounter this in classical piano music: an incredible ride over the keys and through the chords at an unbelievable tempo and often enough it leaves me wondering: why was this composed for this point in this piece and even put into notes?
Everyone has a slightly different answer to this question, but I have this question and for me it always leads to: what is the meaning/intent/message? Of course, I also totally understand the struggle for attention that you mentioned! And the need to gain attention, because in the end this also means listeners and, in the best case, listeners who reward this art financially. Because none of us on this planet lives on air and sunshine alone.
Thank you very much for this video and for having the courage and greatness to subject yourself and your own music, with which you certainly identify the most, to such criticism. To give an insight into what was difficult for you as a musician during this performance under these difficult conditions - that is so exciting and instructive. I am of the audience that you can't tell when they enjoy the music during a concert. But I am now working on doing this differently so that I can contribute to shaping the energy that can happen during such a performance!
I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to give a view on how a situation like this came about, and certainly not on how the band dealt with it in the moment- no armchair expert from me. What I will say is that I really enjoyed the video. Something different from other channels. I look forward to more. Thanks Janek.
Really enjoyed this. Great info and perspective.
Janek as usual love your content. Can I please beg beg beg you to have subtitles available on your content. Your last video has subs and it’s game changing. Love the channel!
There are almost always subtitles on the videos, but it takes time for UA-cam to generate them, and then a bunch of time for me to go through and correct spellings and make sure they make sense. They will almost always be available on a video within 24hrs of it being posted.
Brilliant new series. I kind of hope in these situations if all the audience that's really into it is just hiding at the back.
Can't wait for the live record !
Yes! Of course the London show was great, I was there! I’m a lucky charm. Looking forward to the ‘live after pizza’ record.
Great improvisation in and out but still staying in the pocket, fantastic, were is this venue?
Monaco
That drummer...
@@StaCeciliaSound 💪 one of the best
Nicolas Viccaro 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Is he also the drummer with Ettienne M’Bappe?
@@jimmynickles828 yep
He is a MONSTER. You are blessed to play with that guy!
I wish i could going to dinner and find a band playing music as yours, but i usually what i get is Bon Jovi covers and infamous reggaeton. Greetings from Venezuela.
hey your good sounding "F bass" sooooo nice
On another point, did you meet John McLaughlin after the gig, and if so did he enjoy it, and what was he like as a person ?
I did get to meet John both before and after the gig. He was super nice, said he enjoyed the show. Who knows? 🤷♀ It's always nice to meet a hero and find out they're a nice cat.
@@janekgwizdalaI got to spend a couple days with John several years ago, had meals with him and very deep conversations about various topics, both music and non music related. I found him to be a very intelligent, thoughtful person, that could not have been nicer. John and his band were rehearsing for their US tour, Hadrien was on bass. I got to jam a bit with them, Gary Husband was also playing. John said he liked my playing, I choose to believe he was sincere though I know I’m nowhere near the player they are😊 I became a fan in 1990 when I bought Live At Royal Festival Hall with Kai Eckhardt and Trilok Gurtu, still one of the best live recordings/performances I’ve ever heard.
John McLaughlin in the audience? Man, I would freak out if I were performing there
31mins - grooving!!!
Nicolas Viccaro the GOAT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 cocorico ! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷
Wait, “audiences”? What’s that?! 😂
What software is it?
Ecamm. Was just on a trial version to check it out. I’m digging it. Will get the pro version.
I don't know if I'm missing something, but it looks like the audience wasn't even that bad? The audience was not there explicitly to see you, and dinner is also being served at the same time; wouldn't it be normal for some people to chat or not be paying attention? It seemed like a great venue with a professional setup, and it sounds like the band was playing well that day too. I didn't see anything in the video particularly egregious, but I'm not a touring musician, can someone help me out?
There's a big difference between being the band who plays background music at a venue that serves food and drinks, and being an international touring act there to perform a headline show.
Like I said in the video, the venue was fantastic, the staff were amazing, the food spectacular, and the setting idilic. None of that is in question. The thing I'm questioning in this video is the incompatibility of the music the venue booked with the type of audience they were expecting to attend.
It was an un-ticketed event which opens up the potential for not a single person in the place having any interest in hearing live music. The venue is one of a very few in that prime location in Monaco, which means people will "tolerate" the music while they eat, but not take part in the performance at all.
@@janekgwizdala I was not there during the gig or during booking, so I can't speak to any misplaced expectations. It is a bummer to fly across the world for an uninterested audience though.
First one
To be fair - and I think you’re a flippin’ monster and personally I’d be fan boi-ing, but if it wasn’t you. And I was wondering into a restaurant for a lovely dinner by the sea and the band were angular-jazz, I’d be thinking - ‘yeah but have you got any tunes coz this is musical indulgence’
I suggest it’s like getting a pizza in a sushi joint - it doesn’t matter how great it is, it just isn’t what you wanted!
Cool video breakdown - really interesting.