After seeing Madonna, Bowie (Glass Spider tour…..unfortunately….more theatre than gig) and U2 in the same summer at Wembley, I vowed to a avoid gigs of that size in the future. I like gigs to be intimate, where you can see the singer’s eyes, feel their energy and that of the people around you. I relented in 2015 and saw AC/DC at Wembley and they have the music to fill the stadium. But as the drunks got more pushy and I was faced with a 3 hour trip home, I remembered by pledge of 20 years earlier! Seeing a certain Mr M in Winchester with my (our?!) good friend Simon in October. Small venue with a mate you’ve not seen for a while…..perfect!
Such an interesting insight for an avid non-performer. Thank you. As a teacher you have to be the "naked" version. If you are anything but authentic they see right through it. Even if you are getting it wrong you're still getting it right because they are seeing what a true human being is.
All of those things. The audience (unless they are musos) aren't there to judge whether your performance. The biggest critics are ourselves. Question for you. How often have you left the stage feeling like you made a mediocre performance, and people come up to you and say "That was amazing, you are so good."? I perform to make connections. I want people to listen to my lyrics and where possible say "How did he know that about me?" Or simply to have people sing a chorus with me because they are having fun. Being self indulgent, I don't want to be the guy who is on stage, ignored as people in the bar focus on getting drunk, which was the reason they went there in the first place. They can have a background DJ and I avoid those places.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts and words. I shall ponder the questions a little but I just want to say that this newsletter really is such a great co-pilot for me at the moment. I am taking a lot from them. Thank you for making them :)
for me it's about communication generally rather than connection....connection is a type of communication for sure.....I liked it!....I hated it!....well at least it got a response...is NO response the ultimate rejection.....nothing....zip....?
Interesting musings as ever Jake. To me you summed it up with "What matters is that we feel something. That you make a connection. That’s what audiences are there for, that’s what artists are there for: shared experiences that feel memorable or meaningful."
First of all, just wanted to say am enjoyong your emails very much! Secondly, this is a very interesting topic and one I often discuss with my gig going friends. I am one of those who feels the lack of connection deeply and there is no doubt that when I see bands or artists that manage to find a connection with the audience, I come home from the gig much happier. There does not mean I judge those artist that for whatever reason don't seem to become one with the audience, so to speak. There might be a variety of reasons why this happens and I respect anyone who has the courage to be on a stage. I adore Ben Howard but he seems in pain sometimes when performing and, I don't know, it is probably my limitation but seeing a live act who appears to be having fun on stage affects my experience positively. Damien Rice used to be very grumpy during gigs. The stage always barely lit. He has changed a lot through the years and now when I see him I get the feeling he wants to be there and it makes for an enjoyable night. At the other end of the spectrum, the most "naked" band I have ever seen are Travis. There is something unique in how they connect with their audience. No fourth wall, so to speak. And my love for Half Moon Run only grew when I saw them live because the combination of great musicianship and high energy makes pretty much the perfect gig for me.
I am amazed by the number of musicians who have eg crippling self anxiety in their personal lives. When they get on stage, it can be a carefully crafted mask, or it can be a different route to self expression. Amanda Palmer, for instance often literally performed naked. Her blogs had no sense of self censorship. But if you REALLY knew her, you knew she still had private stuff. Of course she did.
Orchestra, session muso? Perhaps that sort of ensemble piece you do want an absence of self expression. But are you good enough for the repertoire, to get hired? And then play how the director wants you to? When you become the soloist, expression matters. Virtuosity is a means to an end.
A band, in front of an audience - is it possible to separate the craft of interacting with the audience, especially with a big audience and lights? My favourite form is a small showcase, where artists are interacting with the audience and able to feed on the energy coming back. I'd like to be part of a small jam session, where people trade things back and forth. Seeing that truly happen is very rare. True jazz improv - sometimes, but it's usually sequential chops.
And finally one particular artist - Tori Amos. When I first started seeing her, her level of communication with the audience was stunningly visceral. People would break down and cry as they watched her tell stories, and the musicianship was world class, Now, it's so polished I get no sense of communication at all. It's still a great performance. But I get the sense it would be note-identical even if no-one was there.
After seeing Madonna, Bowie (Glass Spider tour…..unfortunately….more theatre than gig) and U2 in the same summer at Wembley, I vowed to a avoid gigs of that size in the future. I like gigs to be intimate, where you can see the singer’s eyes, feel their energy and that of the people around you. I relented in 2015 and saw AC/DC at Wembley and they have the music to fill the stadium. But as the drunks got more pushy and I was faced with a 3 hour trip home, I remembered by pledge of 20 years earlier! Seeing a certain Mr M in Winchester with my (our?!) good friend Simon in October. Small venue with a mate you’ve not seen for a while…..perfect!
Such an interesting insight for an avid non-performer. Thank you. As a teacher you have to be the "naked" version. If you are anything but authentic they see right through it. Even if you are getting it wrong you're still getting it right because they are seeing what a true human being is.
All of those things. The audience (unless they are musos) aren't there to judge whether your performance. The biggest critics are ourselves. Question for you. How often have you left the stage feeling like you made a mediocre performance, and people come up to you and say "That was amazing, you are so good."? I perform to make connections. I want people to listen to my lyrics and where possible say "How did he know that about me?" Or simply to have people sing a chorus with me because they are having fun. Being self indulgent, I don't want to be the guy who is on stage, ignored as people in the bar focus on getting drunk, which was the reason they went there in the first place. They can have a background DJ and I avoid those places.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts and words. I shall ponder the questions a little but I just want to say that this newsletter really is such a great co-pilot for me at the moment. I am taking a lot from them. Thank you for making them :)
for me it's about communication generally rather than connection....connection is a type of communication for sure.....I liked it!....I hated it!....well at least it got a response...is NO response the ultimate rejection.....nothing....zip....?
communication is the point of art...maybe...
Interesting musings as ever Jake. To me you summed it up with "What matters is that we feel something. That you make a connection. That’s what audiences are there for, that’s what artists are there for: shared experiences that feel memorable or meaningful."
First of all, just wanted to say am enjoyong your emails very much! Secondly, this is a very interesting topic and one I often discuss with my gig going friends. I am one of those who feels the lack of connection deeply and there is no doubt that when I see bands or artists that manage to find a connection with the audience, I come home from the gig much happier. There does not mean I judge those artist that for whatever reason don't seem to become one with the audience, so to speak. There might be a variety of reasons why this happens and I respect anyone who has the courage to be on a stage. I adore Ben Howard but he seems in pain sometimes when performing and, I don't know, it is probably my limitation but seeing a live act who appears to be having fun on stage affects my experience positively. Damien Rice used to be very grumpy during gigs. The stage always barely lit. He has changed a lot through the years and now when I see him I get the feeling he wants to be there and it makes for an enjoyable night. At the other end of the spectrum, the most "naked" band I have ever seen are Travis. There is something unique in how they connect with their audience. No fourth wall, so to speak. And my love for Half Moon Run only grew when I saw them live because the combination of great musicianship and high energy makes pretty much the perfect gig for me.
I am amazed by the number of musicians who have eg crippling self anxiety in their personal lives. When they get on stage, it can be a carefully crafted mask, or it can be a different route to self expression. Amanda Palmer, for instance often literally performed naked. Her blogs had no sense of self censorship. But if you REALLY knew her, you knew she still had private stuff. Of course she did.
Orchestra, session muso? Perhaps that sort of ensemble piece you do want an absence of self expression. But are you good enough for the repertoire, to get hired? And then play how the director wants you to? When you become the soloist, expression matters. Virtuosity is a means to an end.
A band, in front of an audience - is it possible to separate the craft of interacting with the audience, especially with a big audience and lights? My favourite form is a small showcase, where artists are interacting with the audience and able to feed on the energy coming back. I'd like to be part of a small jam session, where people trade things back and forth. Seeing that truly happen is very rare. True jazz improv - sometimes, but it's usually sequential chops.
And finally one particular artist - Tori Amos. When I first started seeing her, her level of communication with the audience was stunningly visceral. People would break down and cry as they watched her tell stories, and the musicianship was world class, Now, it's so polished I get no sense of communication at all. It's still a great performance. But I get the sense it would be note-identical even if no-one was there.