SurfGuitar101.com | Forums: Stage Banter - how do y'all approach it?

SpaceTimC

Joined: Apr 18, 2015
Posts: 189
Bay Area, CA
United States

Posted on Oct 07 2017 12:03 AM

I'm the band loudmouth, so it is my responsibility to handle stage banter. I think I've done pretty well so far (nobody has pulled the mic out of my hands) but I'm sure I could do better.

How do you approach stage banter? How do you keep from repeating "Thank you! Appreciate it!" after every third song? How much is too much, how much is too little?

—

The Reverbivores - we're local favorites!

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shake_n_stomp

Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 600
Vancouver BC
Canada

Posted on Oct 07 2017 01:31 AM

Even if it is kind of a canned, stock phrase, if it is genuine and natural, your audience will feel a connection. A few lines about yourself and the members of the band, something unusual about the song you are going to play next, Imagine yourself as an audience member and what banter you'd like to hear.

—

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada

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Syndicateofsurf

Joined: Oct 08, 2014
Posts: 1073
Northern Ohio
United States

Posted on Oct 07 2017 06:12 AM

Here is a good article that addresses stage banter and a number of other common mistakes. Written in plain English, no need to wonder what the point is that is being made.

http://www.toiletovhell.com/hey-local-bands-stop-doing-this-bullshit/

—

Da Vinci Flinglestein,
The quest for the Tone, the tone of the Quest

The Syndicate of Surf on YouTube

http://www.syndicateofsurf.com/

http://sharawaji.com/

http://surfrockradio.com/

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h3dg3h0g

Joined: Jun 27, 2015
Posts: 226
San Francisco East Bay Area
2 News Pins

Posted on Oct 07 2017 10:41 AM

Hey Da Vinci!

I really enjoyed that article. It actually pointed out some obvious issues of etiquette that had not occurred to me. (All money to touring band. I think we are guilty of violating that one at least once. )

I will say that I don't completely agree with the author on "cringy stage banter." For one thing, stage banter is highly genre-specific. Some of my favorite bands have the cringiest stage banter - one hopes deliberately but nevertheless. I think most important is energy flow across the performance. I like moving rapidly from song to song for instance. But you gotta tune at some point. Then your frontperson can unleash his/her inner cringe.

—

Jonathan the Reverbivore

The Reverbivores

Please check out our latest album The Reverbivores Watch TV!

www.thereverbivores.com
Facebook
YouTube

Last edited: Oct 07, 2017 10:43:08

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ArabSpringReverb

Joined: Jul 13, 2012
Posts: 490
San Diego CA
United States

Posted on Oct 07 2017 12:15 PM

Listen to this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1-cH1voT8w

...you'll know what to do .....

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casey

Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 520
2 Security Pins

Posted on Oct 08 2017 02:05 AM

Less is more in my opinion.

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Badger

Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4536
Wisconsin
United States

Posted on Oct 08 2017 08:40 AM

casey wrote:

Less is more in my opinion.

I agree. Was reminiscing this morning (due to this thread) and reflecting on what made our band a pretty busy ticket years ago in the area; for about a year & a half till we all did other real life stuff like focusing on careers & starting businesses.

These were days of the old roadhouse. We didn't have blistering craft but we could play adequately enough, were ALWAYS prepared, and could tailor our 4.5 hours to the phases of the audience. (Older folks in on Friday night for the fish-fry are different than the drunken wedding party doing shivaree from bar to bar on a Saturday eve.)

2 of the establishments that had us back regularly (and club owners share information) told me specifically that they never felt the need to do something they'd do to other bands who were more into shooting the shit than playing music. Like I said, times gone by but if you're on stage - between songs bantering around - and the light goes on in the back of the room because the owner plugged the jukebox back in... this is what some in police work would call a 'clue'.

Be professional. If you have to say something, know what it is that you're going to say, say it & move on.

—

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Top

Agent71857

Joined: Apr 15, 2014
Posts: 164
Pittsburgh, Pa
United States

Posted on Oct 08 2017 09:31 AM

We're a 3 piece instro combo. We do a lot of our gigs with no p.a. That's one way to keep the banter down to a minimum! Our solution was to give our drummer a bullhorn! A couple of times a set, he'll say "we're Vertigo-go! Thank you very much for coming! Continue bowling!" (We play a lot at our local lanes. He says that even when we're not at the alley! Our regular fans get the joke... the folks that don't will ask about it! It's a great way to invite them to our next alley gig!) we also do a lot of mash-ups & segues. That helps to keep the music flowing.

—

www.instagram.com/_the.outer.limits_
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX7iIpcAvL8In2HY9I7QoPw
www.theouterlimits.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/vertigogo.surf

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LordWellfleet

Joined: Jul 12, 2012
Posts: 170
Cape Cod, USA
United States

Posted on Oct 09 2017 12:29 PM

FWIW, and to echo the article a bit, I just saw The Pixies ravage Pittsburgh last Thursday. They played a set that lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. With the exception of one "Thank you, Pittsburgh" from bassist Paz Lenchantin toward the end of the show, the band said absolutely nothing to the audience the whole night--they just rolled from one song into another, stopping for three NASCAR-like pit stops to change guitars and wipe the sweat off themselves. It was something to behold, and certainly had no negative effect on the audience.

I think you have to play to your natural strengths and inclinations. If you've got someone in the band who's gregarious and can deftly bring some wit and/or wisdom to the proceedings without offending anybody, go for it. But, it's a fine line: everything should be geared toward entertainment and keeping the festivities humming along. To that end, nothing wrong with simply introducing the songs, thanking the audience for its appreciation, and maybe introducing the band members at some point.

Top

Toneschaser

Joined: Jun 14, 2012
Posts: 462
Ohio!
59 Calendar Pins

Posted on Oct 10 2017 07:36 AM

As the loudmouth in my band I've decided to turn the mic over to our bassist to let her do the talking, which she does very sparingly. It works well. Our drummer summed it up recently when he said Nobody wants to hear us jibber-jabber! And he's right!

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ScottyBravo

Joined: Jul 14, 2008
Posts: 92
Chandler, AZ

Posted on Oct 10 2017 11:44 AM

I have mixed feelings about stage banter. If everyone is ready to start the next tune, then stage banter is unnecessary, but far too often we have both guitarists staring at their tuners between songs and the the bassist and I are just sitting there awkwardly. Sometimes someone has to say something...ANYTHING!

—

Scott
http://thesurfsideiv.com/
https://www.facebook.com/surfsideiv/

Top

spskins

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3732
tn
United States

Posted on Oct 10 2017 01:56 PM

We try to save it for a broken string, switching guitars or other delay. If we have a new release, we might mention that the next song is a on the new record, available at the back, blah blah. Most of the time, I don't think barely anyone out there can make out what someone is saying.

—

http://www.satanspilgrims.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553
https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/
http://www.surfyindustries.com

Last edited: Oct 10, 2017 13:57:01

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SpaceTimC Joined: Apr 18, 2015 Posts: 189 Bay Area, CA	Posted on Oct 07 2017 12:03 AM I'm the band loudmouth, so it is my responsibility to handle stage banter. I think I've done pretty well so far (nobody has pulled the mic out of my hands) but I'm sure I could do better. How do you approach stage banter? How do you keep from repeating "Thank you! Appreciate it!" after every third song? How much is too much, how much is too little? — The Reverbivores - we're local favorites! Top
shake_n_stomp Joined: Jan 09, 2014 Posts: 600 Vancouver BC	Posted on Oct 07 2017 01:31 AM Even if it is kind of a canned, stock phrase, if it is genuine and natural, your audience will feel a connection. A few lines about yourself and the members of the band, something unusual about the song you are going to play next, Imagine yourself as an audience member and what banter you'd like to hear. — Lorne The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers Vancouver BC Canada Top
Syndicateofsurf Joined: Oct 08, 2014 Posts: 1073 Northern Ohio	Posted on Oct 07 2017 06:12 AM Here is a good article that addresses stage banter and a number of other common mistakes. Written in plain English, no need to wonder what the point is that is being made. http://www.toiletovhell.com/hey-local-bands-stop-doing-this-bullshit/ — Da Vinci Flinglestein, The quest for the Tone, the tone of the Quest The Syndicate of Surf on YouTube http://www.syndicateofsurf.com/ http://sharawaji.com/ http://surfrockradio.com/ Top
h3dg3h0g Joined: Jun 27, 2015 Posts: 226 San Francisco East Bay Area	Posted on Oct 07 2017 10:41 AM Hey Da Vinci! I really enjoyed that article. It actually pointed out some obvious issues of etiquette that had not occurred to me. (All money to touring band. I think we are guilty of violating that one at least once. ) I will say that I don't completely agree with the author on "cringy stage banter." For one thing, stage banter is highly genre-specific. Some of my favorite bands have the cringiest stage banter - one hopes deliberately but nevertheless. I think most important is energy flow across the performance. I like moving rapidly from song to song for instance. But you gotta tune at some point. Then your frontperson can unleash his/her inner cringe. — Jonathan the Reverbivore The Reverbivores Please check out our latest album The Reverbivores Watch TV! www.thereverbivores.com Facebook YouTube Last edited: Oct 07, 2017 10:43:08 Top
ArabSpringReverb Joined: Jul 13, 2012 Posts: 490 San Diego CA	Posted on Oct 07 2017 12:15 PM Listen to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1-cH1voT8w ...you'll know what to do ..... Top
casey Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 520	Posted on Oct 08 2017 02:05 AM Less is more in my opinion. Top
Badger Joined: Nov 16, 2013 Posts: 4536 Wisconsin	Posted on Oct 08 2017 08:40 AM casey wrote: Less is more in my opinion. I agree. Was reminiscing this morning (due to this thread) and reflecting on what made our band a pretty busy ticket years ago in the area; for about a year & a half till we all did other real life stuff like focusing on careers & starting businesses. These were days of the old roadhouse. We didn't have blistering craft but we could play adequately enough, were ALWAYS prepared, and could tailor our 4.5 hours to the phases of the audience. (Older folks in on Friday night for the fish-fry are different than the drunken wedding party doing shivaree from bar to bar on a Saturday eve.) 2 of the establishments that had us back regularly (and club owners share information) told me specifically that they never felt the need to do something they'd do to other bands who were more into shooting the shit than playing music. Like I said, times gone by but if you're on stage - between songs bantering around - and the light goes on in the back of the room because the owner plugged the jukebox back in... this is what some in police work would call a 'clue'. Be professional. If you have to say something, know what it is that you're going to say, say it & move on. — Wes SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices. Top
Agent71857 Joined: Apr 15, 2014 Posts: 164 Pittsburgh, Pa	Posted on Oct 08 2017 09:31 AM We're a 3 piece instro combo. We do a lot of our gigs with no p.a. That's one way to keep the banter down to a minimum! Our solution was to give our drummer a bullhorn! A couple of times a set, he'll say "we're Vertigo-go! Thank you very much for coming! Continue bowling!" (We play a lot at our local lanes. He says that even when we're not at the alley! Our regular fans get the joke... the folks that don't will ask about it! It's a great way to invite them to our next alley gig!) we also do a lot of mash-ups & segues. That helps to keep the music flowing. — www.instagram.com/_the.outer.limits_ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX7iIpcAvL8In2HY9I7QoPw www.theouterlimits.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/vertigogo.surf Top
LordWellfleet Joined: Jul 12, 2012 Posts: 170 Cape Cod, USA	Posted on Oct 09 2017 12:29 PM FWIW, and to echo the article a bit, I just saw The Pixies ravage Pittsburgh last Thursday. They played a set that lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. With the exception of one "Thank you, Pittsburgh" from bassist Paz Lenchantin toward the end of the show, the band said absolutely nothing to the audience the whole night--they just rolled from one song into another, stopping for three NASCAR-like pit stops to change guitars and wipe the sweat off themselves. It was something to behold, and certainly had no negative effect on the audience. I think you have to play to your natural strengths and inclinations. If you've got someone in the band who's gregarious and can deftly bring some wit and/or wisdom to the proceedings without offending anybody, go for it. But, it's a fine line: everything should be geared toward entertainment and keeping the festivities humming along. To that end, nothing wrong with simply introducing the songs, thanking the audience for its appreciation, and maybe introducing the band members at some point. Top
Toneschaser Joined: Jun 14, 2012 Posts: 462 Ohio!	Posted on Oct 10 2017 07:36 AM As the loudmouth in my band I've decided to turn the mic over to our bassist to let her do the talking, which she does very sparingly. It works well. Our drummer summed it up recently when he said Nobody wants to hear us jibber-jabber! And he's right! Top
ScottyBravo Joined: Jul 14, 2008 Posts: 92 Chandler, AZ	Posted on Oct 10 2017 11:44 AM I have mixed feelings about stage banter. If everyone is ready to start the next tune, then stage banter is unnecessary, but far too often we have both guitarists staring at their tuners between songs and the the bassist and I are just sitting there awkwardly. Sometimes someone has to say something...ANYTHING! — Scott http://thesurfsideiv.com/ https://www.facebook.com/surfsideiv/ Top
spskins Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 3732 tn	Posted on Oct 10 2017 01:56 PM We try to save it for a broken string, switching guitars or other delay. If we have a new release, we might mention that the next song is a on the new record, available at the back, blah blah. Most of the time, I don't think barely anyone out there can make out what someone is saying. — http://www.satanspilgrims.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553 https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/ http://www.surfyindustries.com Last edited: Oct 10, 2017 13:57:01 Top

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Stage Banter - how do y'all approach it?