revmike
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3854
North Atlantic
|
Posted on Nov 03 2010 08:48 PM
Preparing what to say often comes off as awkward. Especially when the audiences vibe is not taken into account.
Throughout the 15 years I've been fronting USK, I developed the character of Reverend Hank. On nights when the audience is loud and rambunctious the banter is very interactive. On quieter nights, there's less talk. It all depends on the crowd. We try to play with the same intensity regardless. Those 10 people paid good money to see us. Those 1000 people paid good money to see us.
Some of the stories are reoccurring (Legend of Bog Road), but a lot of the banter is improvised on the spot. As our playing, the banter has developed and become better over the years.
So my advice would be to do what you are comfortable with, and keep the time between songs short. I suspect our average in between songs time is 10 seconds or less. It keeps the audience interested.
Rev
— Canadian Surf
http://www.urbansurfkings.com/
|
elreydlp
Joined: Sep 04, 2009
Posts: 1800
Temecula, CA
|
Posted on Nov 03 2010 09:09 PM
revhank
Preparing what to say often comes off as awkward. Especially when the audiences vibe is not taken into account.
Throughout the 15 years I've been fronting USK, I developed the character of Reverend Hank. On nights when the audience is loud and rambunctious the banter is very interactive. On quieter nights, there's less talk. It all depends on the crowd. We try to play with the same intensity regardless. Those 10 people paid good money to see us. Those 1000 people paid good money to see us.
Rev
I too developed my character "El Rey de los Pescados"-The Kingfish-and like him to be a bit off kilter-like "The Kingfish" on Amos & Andy. It helps me relax, and our bass player calls me "Rey" all the time now. Well, he can call me Rey, or................
|
bodysnatcher1
Joined: Mar 16, 2010
Posts: 215
Norwalk Ca
|
Posted on Nov 04 2010 02:18 AM
I'm still developing my on stage voice, I think atleast one person in the group should engage the audience vocally, It helps stoke reaction and build a connection I think. At the same time you shouldn't call out the name of each song, you cant motivate people to dance and come up, and you cant expect people to remember to look you up on http://www......blah blah blah.
Just a hoot and a holler, and a thank you should do, but if im nervous enough even I can forget my own rules 
— http://reverbnation.com/Bodysnatchers
http://facebook.com/TheBodysnatchers
http://myspace.com/TheBodysnatchers1
|
elreydlp
Joined: Sep 04, 2009
Posts: 1800
Temecula, CA
|
Posted on Nov 04 2010 08:59 AM
Always, I repeat, ALWAYS acknowledge the bartenders and wait staff. Get their names and mention them by name. They will love it and so will the manager/owner.
|
spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3787
tn
|
Posted on Nov 04 2010 11:29 AM
|
jimmyjazz
Joined: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 47
Twin Cities
|
Posted on Nov 05 2010 03:00 PM
One night we played to mostly 20's crowd. Our friend's surf band came to watch us. The youngest was in his mid 50's.
The guitarist says between a song: "We thank our parole officers for coming out to see us".
Everyone turns to look at the 4 old guys at the back table.
— Looking for some jazz and a little libations - js
|
morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
|
Posted on Nov 05 2010 03:05 PM
|
killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
|
Posted on Nov 15 2010 11:49 AM
We are still developing our stage banter. It is coming together nicely though. We created an entire backstory/mythology to our band involving us being greaser alcohol bootleggers in the late 50's who were gunned down in 1960, only to return from the dead 50 years later to destroy the world with our 'reverb drenched terror'. It works nicely for banter, since we can discuss our utter shock at the fall of Communist Russia and the other changes in society since we were laid to rest. For crowds that are less than PC, we discuss shock of seeing Black people using the same water fountains and bathrooms, women in the workplace and such. Also, we have a nice schtik going about the fictional sister of our Bass player, Sandy, who was the town "go to girl" for lonely Friday nights. We did an interview for a local paper recently and a third of the interview was us riffing on the subject of Sandy. It made for great comedic effect. It works, but we try our best not to have too much downtime inbetween songs.
The backstory is also leading to some very nice merch. ideas. We are currently having old EC style comics written and printed, telling our backstory. Also, we are getting "mars attacks" style trading cards to sell. Even better, we are soon to be selling "KILL, BABY...KILL! brand MOONSHINE". Yes, it is just water in Mason Jars, with a sticker. They are cheap to produce and people buy them.
The interesting thing about the "bootlegger" mythology is that, being from Alabama, much of it is routed in truth. Our drummer's family were quite active in the bootlegging business in the 50's, when counties were still dry here. He interviewed his grandfather to get old names and such to drop.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
|
matt
Joined: Oct 18, 2010
Posts: 656
Boston, MA
|
Posted on Nov 15 2010 04:40 PM
That's kind of what I was interested in, the "whole package" approach. I love the backstory idea, because you can totally make up characters, etc.
And it seems (though maybe I'm wrong) that the most successful bands outside of the "reverb ghetto" are the ones who have a really thorough stage persona. I'm thinking of Man or Astro Man (who I saw last night, amazing!) & Los Straitjackets in particular, who draw a more "mainstream"
crowd.
For anyone really interested, for the show we did last week, I tried a "film noir" approach & took some choice lines from a Raymond Chandler novel ("she had eyes that looked at me like I said a dirty word. . .") and read them over intros. Did not fly AT ALL. Try, try again. . .
btw Killbabykill34--what's in the water in Alabama? Aren't Daikaiju from there as well? : )
— Matt Heaton & the Electric Heaters
Boston's Premier Surf/Noir Combo
http://www.heatonsurf.com
|
MadScientist
Joined: Jan 17, 2008
Posts: 2188
Atlanta, GA
|
Posted on Nov 15 2010 04:48 PM
matt
what's in the water in Alabama? Aren't Daikaiju from there as well? : )
Yep... Huntsville.
Man Or Astroman? and The Penetrators are other notables from Alabama. Good stock it seems...
—
|
killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
|
Posted on Nov 16 2010 10:01 AM
matt
That's kind of what I was interested in, the "whole package" approach. I love the backstory idea, because you can totally make up characters, etc.
And it seems (though maybe I'm wrong) that the most successful bands outside of the "reverb ghetto" are the ones who have a really thorough stage persona. I'm thinking of Man or Astro Man (who I saw last night, amazing!) & Los Straitjackets in particular, who draw a more "mainstream"
crowd.
For anyone really interested, for the show we did last week, I tried a "film noir" approach & took some choice lines from a Raymond Chandler novel ("she had eyes that looked at me like I said a dirty word. . .") and read them over intros. Did not fly AT ALL. Try, try again. . .
btw Killbabykill34--what's in the water in Alabama? Aren't Daikaiju from there as well? : )
Haha!....Yes, Alabama does seem to be a sleeper bed for instrumental bands...and great ones at that...Beyond Man or Astro-man?, Daikaiju, Jonny & The Shamen, and Penetrators, we also have Necronomakids(who play a middleeastern surf/thrash thing that is not to be missed) and, despite not being "surf", Hematovore...the greatest instrumental band you have never heard since 1992... There are times when Alabama really is a hotbed of amazing bands and then there are large dry spells.
I am loving the Film Noir concept though. I would love to see more of that. It is ripe for parody.
The "whole package" approach really does have it's merrits. As long as the guys you are playing with not only "get" the concept and have a passion for it. Otherwise, it will just not work. Our persona really is something we stumbled upon by just spending time together. It fit well with our obsession with the horror concept and allowed us to justify it all...
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
|
killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
|
Posted on Nov 16 2010 10:04 AM
I was not there, but speculation for why the Film Noir thing didn't go over well could have been that it either played to the wrong audience, or was not fleshed out enough to bring the point across.
If I was going that route, costumes(Fedoras, Trench Coats) would be the first thing that absolutely had to be there. After that, proper lighting would be essential. You know, dark lighting that only eleminates slight elements of youselves...and VERY IMPORTANTLY, neon signs that would harken back to the old bars, diners and such....
Even more, and I know this is overused by my own band and every other one out there, rather than speaking such dialogue, triggering sound clips from old Film Noir movies would be a great idea....Yes, we use horror samples, MOAM? uses Sci Fi....but NO ONE uses Film Noir...........
I really think you could have a great thing going if you fleshed it out well......
And, to answer the question about what is in the water.....I think it is all in the shine....
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
|
spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3787
tn
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 08:48 AM
|
morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 09:14 AM
|
da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 09:35 AM
Favourite onstage Jello quote:
"Light the band, don't fry the band"
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
|
CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 11:15 AM
Nice to see the main criteria for inclusion on that list was whether or not you'd been approved by the Beastie Boys or Thurston Moore.
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
|
matt
Joined: Oct 18, 2010
Posts: 656
Boston, MA
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 11:36 AM
killbabykill34
If I was going that route, costumes(Fedoras, Trench Coats) would be the first thing that absolutely had to be there. After that, proper lighting would be essential. You know, dark lighting that only eleminates slight elements of youselves...and VERY IMPORTANTLY, neon signs that would harken back to the old bars, diners and such....
You're totally right. I actually had an idea years ago for a surf band called "The Chandlers" in which all the song names were from Chandlers stories, and there are some gems: "The Big Sleep" "The Long Goodbye" "Killer in the Rain" etc.
But now I'm in a band which wears work shirts with a logo patch on the pocket. And home improvement isn't quite as much fun as film noir. Back to the schtick drawing board.
You've got me totally dying (no pun intended) to see you guys though! Do you tour up north?
— Matt Heaton & the Electric Heaters
Boston's Premier Surf/Noir Combo
http://www.heatonsurf.com
|
JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 12:04 PM
CaptainSpringfield
Nice to see the main criteria for inclusion on that list was whether or not you'd been approved by the Beastie Boys or Thurston Moore.
That is my single ethos in life, so I say good list!
|
WhorehayRFB
Joined: Jun 12, 2008
Posts: 3331
Huntington Beach, CA
|
Posted on Nov 18 2010 12:22 PM
|
killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
|
Posted on Nov 19 2010 01:01 AM
matt
killbabykill34
If I was going that route, costumes(Fedoras, Trench Coats) would be the first thing that absolutely had to be there. After that, proper lighting would be essential. You know, dark lighting that only eleminates slight elements of youselves...and VERY IMPORTANTLY, neon signs that would harken back to the old bars, diners and such....
You're totally right. I actually had an idea years ago for a surf band called "The Chandlers" in which all the song names were from Chandlers stories, and there are some gems: "The Big Sleep" "The Long Goodbye" "Killer in the Rain" etc.
But now I'm in a band which wears work shirts with a logo patch on the pocket. And home improvement isn't quite as much fun as film noir. Back to the schtick drawing board.
You've got me totally dying (no pun intended) to see you guys though! Do you tour up north?
At the moment, we only do regional dates. Wherever we can make it between the time we get off of work on Friday and back home by Saturday, we will go. However, we are supposed to record with Joe from The Queers this winter and then, if all works out, do a short tour with them in May. Perhaps we will make it up north a little ways. Having a professional desk job and two kids sort of limits the options a bit.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
|
May Birthdays 
