Only at dublin shows...

Darraghnormal

Hi!

Would like some opinions on this, I'm 22, been gigging for about 7 or 8 years, various original/cover bands and solo gigging as well.

Do any other musicians feel somewhat hated/extremely judged/alienated by the audience whilst setting up/ playing their first 1 or 2 songs, only for it to improve throughout the set?

I played in the porterhouse on grafton street last week, to a nice few greetings of "you're **** mate!" or some other form of cheap heckling (before i'd started) Only for it to turn into applause/positive vibes after about 6 or 7 songs.

I've began to notice this more as i began to gig anywhere that isnt dublin, the response and anticipation of anyone performing is far friendlier than any of the usual spots i play at home.

Thoughts?

120_Minutes

**** em, Val Normal kick ass!

godfrey

The general public are morons, and people seem more aggressive than ever before. It's a tough road being a performer dude. Good luck with it...

Darraghnormal

Aggressive as ever is right, seems to be worse in southside venues....

CrimsonSounds

Gigging to an audience that isn't yours can be tough - and sometimes more tough than others ! I've played a gig once in the howl of the moon a fair few years ago, and the band that were on before us started to rip into our guitarist (who was extreemly shy, insecure and introverted). We didn't get through our 3rd track by the time that the bar stools had started to be thrown.

Irish crowds are tough - even when you are established. I was at a sold out Wallis Bird gig in the Academy a few months back, and she made a number of comments about the crowd talking through her tracks. I think it's an Irish thing. I've played the pub scene in Germany, and they are full of respect and all ears for a random pub cover gig. I do remember one particular gig, there were a few hardcore bikers in the pub, and they were getting a bit noisy - not enough Scorpions in my set I think. I found out it was one of their birthdays - I even remember his name "Olly" - so the whole pub focused their attention to Olly for about 1 minute as I lead a song for Olly's birthday. Olly was pretty quite for the rest of the evening when he felt the spotlight could be turned on him very quickly !

Thick skin required. Concentrate on the people who are enjoying it - and ignore the ones who don't. Maybe try to develop ways of disarming the naysayers if they become a big issue. Most importantly, try not to let it get to you and enjoy yourself - the ones who matter will pick that up and support you ;-)

Darraghnormal

Ah I've learned to ignore any heckles etc, It doesn't bother me I'm just curious to hear other musicians thoughts on the matter.

Irish sober crowds are tough man! But only ever for the first song or 2. I'm pretty quick and doling it back out if anyone goes over the top. Always funny by the end of the night to get the initial hecklers shaking my hand at the door. Again, outside of dublin its very different, friendly open-taste listeners regardless, we play fairly full on rock and the most unlikely characters are the ones interested in CD's or whatever after.

Darraghnormal

120_Minutes wrote: »

**** em, Val Normal kick ass!

:pac:

petethedrummer

CrimsonSounds wrote: »

Irish crowds are tough -

No they're not. They are very accommodating and will generally applaud and stick around to watch out of politeness.

In other countries they won't clap if they are not interested and will not wait to watch your band out of curiousity if they came to see another band.

If anything, Irish crowds are FAR too forgiving of shoddy shows.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

petethedrummer wrote: »

No they're not. They are very accommodating and will generally applaud and stick around to watch out of politeness.

Ive never seen that to be honest.

Ash.J.Williams

godfrey wrote: »

The general public are morons, and people seem more aggressive than ever before. It's a tough road being a performer dude. Good luck with it...

those words are fact

petethedrummer

Julian Mysterious Bait wrote: »

Ive never seen that to be honest.

I don't mean rapturous applause but an acknowledgement that you just played a song. I've gigged in London in a crowded venue, finished a storming song and ..............crickets...song after song... silence. Happened in Cork too, but there were only 6 people watching and 1 person of the six clapped. I think the other 5 felt that 6 people clapping would have been more insulting than not clapping. Played a few gigs in the States too. Some bands would bring a huge crowd that would leave 30 seconds after their gig. Here at least a few will hang around for a look. Over there it was tumbleweeds. Saw it happen to larger (and probably better) bands than I was in too.

Anyways all these soul destroying incidents are good for you. They stop you getting above your station, reaffirm the importance of publicising a gig to get numbers in and the importance of working on stage craft and songs.

If crowds don't like you or don't want to listen to you, its not their fault. Your friends will always tell you you're great but how a room full of strangers reacts to your band is probably a more honest assesment.

petethedrummer

Darraghnormal wrote: »

I played in the porterhouse on grafton street last week, to a nice few greetings of "you're **** mate!" or some other form of cheap heckling (before i'd started) Only for it to turn into applause/positive vibes after about 6 or 7 songs.

As it happens we were talking about pubs in Dublin last weekend and when someone mentioned the porterhouse (the temple bar one) one of the lads said.
"yeah its grand, till the f**king busker starts up."

Some people just don't want to hear someone play music when they're in a pub drinking. And the people who said those things to you may have had their buzz/ambience temporarily upset by you starting your set. Only to be eventually won over. I don't know what the solution is. You could go all guns blazing from the start or ease yourself into your set very gradually to slip in under the radar. or carry on as you were and just ignore it.

mel1

our band has never had a gig in Dub City as they dont seem to want to pay bands a proper fee, or in some cases think we should pay them for the pleasure to play there, but we have played all over the country every where else and NEVER EVER been insulted to that degree. You might get the few odd grumps that dont want loud music while havin their nightly few pints but never PURE BAD MANNERS like that!!! Your title must be right, it is only the Dubs!:D

As someone who's played in a lot of places (especially pubs and clubs) in a good few places around Ireland and many countries abroad in Europe, the US, and South America, i have to say that the Dublin pub scene is my least favourite circuit to play in, out of anywhere I've been.

I just think that pubs in Dublin are not geared up for live music, and their crowds don't want it. Publicans couldn't be bothered when a sound system playing all the usual crowd pleasers is easier and cheaper, will be better received, and doesn't take up valuable space in a corner that they could stuff 10 or 20 heavy drinkers into instead. Also, by and large, there isn't any appreciation of live music by the public in Dublin, unless it's some covers band playing "one we all know", which isn't the most fullfilling gig a musician can take. Nobody seems to be interested in seeing a couple of musicians playing music that's a bit off the beaten track, apart from in a few niche venues around town, and the scene is nothing in comparison to London or NYC for appreciation of unknown, unsigned performers.

Worse still in my opinion, is the opposite end of the spectrum, where the handful of bars and pubs in Dublin that DO actually have stages and space given over to cater for live music are only interested in booking unsigned, unknown bands who will likely only ever play a gig or two before they break up. The plan there seems to be all about finding unsigned bands, and paying them a pittance for a one-off show (or worse, putting on a "battle of the bands" with some paltry, token prize) and then making a killing off of selling booze to all their mates who flock in to support them at their first and only gig.

I think that the importance of selling lots of booze to as many heavy drinkers as possible, and keeping them entertained with tunes they know well so they don't go 20 yards down the road to the next generic kip has wrecked the Dublin music scene over the last decade or so. It's all about booze, and there's no space at all for appreciation of live music.

Jesus Juice

Honestly man? You should approach it with a punk attitude. The more they heckle, the harder you play. The louder they shout, the louder you sing. Becoming defiant, pretend like you don't give a ****, play your songs and look them dead in the eye while you do.

kunst nugget

Deleted User wrote: »

As someone who's played in a lot of places (especially pubs and clubs) in a good few places around Ireland and many countries abroad in Europe, the US, and South America, i have to say that the Dublin pub scene is my least favourite circuit to play in, out of anywhere I've been.

I just think that pubs in Dublin are not geared up for live music, and their crowds don't want it. Publicans couldn't be bothered when a sound system playing all the usual crowd pleasers is easier and cheaper, will be better received, and doesn't take up valuable space in a corner that they could stuff 10 or 20 heavy drinkers into instead. Also, by and large, there isn't any appreciation of live music by the public in Dublin, unless it's some covers band playing "one we all know", which isn't the most fullfilling gig a musician can take. Nobody seems to be interested in seeing a couple of musicians playing music that's a bit off the beaten track, apart from in a few niche venues around town, and the scene is nothing in comparison to London or NYC for appreciation of unknown, unsigned performers.

Worse still in my opinion, is the opposite end of the spectrum, where the handful of bars and pubs in Dublin that DO actually have stages and space given over to cater for live music are only interested in booking unsigned, unknown bands who will likely only ever play a gig or two before they break up. The plan there seems to be all about finding unsigned bands, and paying them a pittance for a one-off show (or worse, putting on a "battle of the bands" with some paltry, token prize) and then making a killing off of selling booze to all their mates who flock in to support them at their first and only gig.

I think that the importance of selling lots of booze to as many heavy drinkers as possible, and keeping them entertained with tunes they know well so they don't go 20 yards down the road to the next generic kip has wrecked the Dublin music scene over the last decade or so. It's all about booze, and there's no space at all for appreciation of live music.

I'm coming from a non-heavy drinking punter's perspective here but I tend to hate music in pubs - not to the point of heckling, mind. If I was in a pub having a good chat and somebody set up beside me and start blasting out tunes I'd tend to head out the door. I'm at an age now where pubs are catching up with people and having a good natter rather than sitting around staring at each other, unable to talk while our ears are being pummeled by an over loud band. Maybe I'm being too segregated here but I go to live venues to hear music, clubs to hear music but pubs I want to hear the person across from me. I have an appreciation of live music but the pub is generally not the place I want to hear it.

I think comparing Dublin to London is hardly comparing like with like. NYC has roughly 8 times the population of Dublin and London 16 times it. These places are naturally going to have a lot more venues to cater for unknown musicians because they'll have a corresponding bigger audience to draw. While I can understand people's frustrations on here at not being able to find sympathetic venues, the pub for the most part is dying on its arse and most of the time they need to stick to tried and tested formulae to entice the punters in.

Also, the one or two drunken hecklers that you have at your gigs are not going to be indicative of the rest of the audience so it seems silly to call all the public idiots.