Why do people snub the musicians? They feel like selling their gear afterwards when practically nobody gets up and dances. It's stupid. Tough crowd to please? The horror being the opening set and having nobody dancing. Shy? Right....and boring.
A band might have all the talent in the world, and often they do, but never get a chance to know if people are enjoying them or not. The dancing fools that don’t care who’s watching are the best feedback by the grins on their faces.
Honestly, how hard is it to get up and dance without apologizing to everyone on the floor that "I'm sooooo drunk." Good for them, learn to lose inhibitions and recapture a bit of childhood without a bottle of booze in hand.
Seriously, musicians practice for hours. It's not just a lark, They ride their reputation to any potential record company agent who might be there checking them out. If they see a flat bored crowd, somehow it reflects on the band. It might be a chill crowd, but if it's not a jazz or triphop trance lounge, what are they waiting for?
Doomsday Dance Revolution? Don't dismay yet.
Without getting into buying alcohol for drunk kids at all age shows and trying to figure out why people are so random, all agers are still, in my memory, the best shows I've ever been to see.
Everyone is so much friendlier, imaginative, the bands more wild and spontaneous, talking it up with the crowd because there's usually a small stage if any at all. The community halls have atrocious acoustics, but nobody cares. They are too busy having fun. Besides, it only cost five bucks at the door; instead of thirty to forty bucks for any slick record company whore act.
Slick, polished acts too have their place, but to spend forty to eighty bucks to see an awesome band live that you could just grab their DVD at HMV, what's the point? Almost the same price for the DVD.
There is a certain electricity in the air at arena shows. There's also the drunken fools all around you screaming their heads off through the whole set. Why bother. You can't mosh properly, without getting thrown out by security for being unsafe. It's a mosh for Pete's sake. Eat my elbow when it's meeting your head for whining.
Tell someone who cares.
And you can't talk to the band either to thank them. I've met and kept more friendships with more local and touring bands then i would ever expect to meet as a groupie whore to high strung acts. When it's just wishes that fans would pay the ticket price, buy the CD and stop screaming, it's time to hang up the guitar.
Sure hope they aren't all about the coin, though obligations in record contract to recoup recording costs are a mighty harsh pressure. They sure don't seem get very much into autograph signing -- if they even bother to turn up after the show. Musicians might be tired from touring for the past few months. Yet, good bands still make the effort to never lose contact with their fans.
They are still playing ten years later, having gelled to an amazing level of musicianship and sophisticated lyrics; all without having the sell out feel.
All the same in the beginning.
How does this lead back to the local bar show? A lot of musicisans started there and probably will end there too. Some snuck in under-age and promised not to get too drunk. Some tripped over a rockstar ego disillusion of making good music. The crowd sits stock still in disbelief, politely refraining from laughter or walking away, because they are waiting for the main act to kick the posers off the stage. That might be too harsh as those musicians think they have something worth playing. They too deserve their half an hour to impress or depress.
To compare them to amazing bands might sound unfair. Think of it like bubble gum for the ears that nobody will really remember after the flavour of the month wears off. Not memorable unless a band member has a scandal with eating disorders or a singer has photos flashing their fanny unceremonally published.
Scandal aside, do people not have respect for the music anymore to get up and groove or is it a matter that all the good musicians are practically dead? Entertainment industry includes erotica and sexy singers sell. How base is that commercial consumption?
It's not that bad.
Have no fear, punk and ska have survived fairly unscathed, as have the bluegrass and country. Only because fans still have an awesome time with huge festivals and little regard for major record labels. College radio and live shows are their word of mouth. When was it cool enough to be a beat poet and sing something unpopular that wasn't politician bashing?
Does it really matter anymore? If the fans would only see the stage light and get into it. Do something besides wear over-priced branding t-shirts and raise a fuss if anyone insults their favourite band.
True music lovers may have a few absolute favourite bands, but are open enough to evolution of musical ideas and themes. It truly reflects on the values of society. The conformity or rebellion to become free. The chance to talk to the local band after their set, instead of loading up on more beer. If they seem fun on stage, they probaly will be as much fun after they come out to sell CDs and sign posters.
Granted, there are still many bands who are unsung local heroes of the bar scene. They are the ones scraping enough to fill the touring van gas tank and hope it makes it back over the mountain and through the long winters back to record more after the day job is done.
The true bands keep slogging away for those in the crowd who give it their all and enjoy every minute of it purely dancing their hearts out and singing along.
Thanks hosers!
So, it's just as well those others just sit holding up the wall and enjoy the music, wishing they could get up and dance. Thanks for the extra space. The crush and grinding is too much heat is too much sometimes.
Next time you want to go to a concert, ask your music loving friend and he'll find a local band. You never know how much fun you might end up having. They might take forever to get on stage and start late with squeaks of PA monitor speaker feedback at first. Once the bumps smooth out, guaranteed, it will be the most fun you'll have without a video game controller or beer in your hand.
So take your date, take your love, or take your friend, to rediscover the music as it was meant to be; loud and wild and free.
Turn it up.
Some music can be like candy for the ears and other tunes like cod liver oil. However, you won't know until you go search out the hidden gems,
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