Line Dance ?

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 2 Jun 2008 12:22 pm

Wondering how many musician's would turn down a gig if they knew it was Line Dancing Crowd?

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 2 Jun 2008 12:52 pm

Here!

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 2 Jun 2008 12:55 pm

I'd rather sell Amway!

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 2 Jun 2008 12:57 pm

It wouldn't even be a factor for me one way or another..... you wanna work or stay home?

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 2 Jun 2008 1:31 pm

Turn down the gig? Most certainly not. Be asked back? Very possibly not. What I do (play music) seems to interfere with what they do (....whatever that is---first time I saw them doing that thing I asked the bass player "what on earth are they doing?" He said "dancing" I said "nah. Get outa here!" I still haven't gotten a good answer).
As can be seen in the other thread about line dancing, they are apparently the experts on how music should be played and even playing a song the way you think it sounds good (one way to describe my job) isn't good enough if it runs counter to the tiny little brains in their heads.

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 2 Jun 2008 1:43 pm

I do them quite often. I was dubious at first about joining this band, but Gary Lee Gimble talked me into it. I'm not sorry for one second, it's making me learn stuff I otherwise wouldn't in a million years and it's making me a better steel player. I also found out that I genuinely like every single person in the band and they are all professional and an absolute joy to work with (come on, how often does that happen!?!?!?!?!?). The boss is a good singer, good songwriter and an honest stand up guy and it is going to take a crowbar to get me out of this band. Now I'm assuming I'm the exception to the rule here on this forum, but the plusses FAAAAAAAAAAAAAR outweigh the negatives for me.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Jun 2008 2:02 pm

Unless it's radically changed from 15-20 years ago when it was real big, I would "Just say no". I think the whole concept is kinda' hokey - but that's not the real reason I wouldn't do it.

The big problem, to me, is that the people who actually enjoy the music I tend to play - alt-country/americana, honkytonk country, blues, and old-time rock-and-roll - wouldn't come near us if a club allowed line-dancers to dominate the floor. If you think that's rude, it's nothing compared to the line dancers I've interacted with. They really need to understand that the world doesn't revolve around their stuff - they need to share the dance floor and club with "normal" dancers and regular club patrons. I expect they would find a whole floor full of "slam-dancers" equally annoying as our regulars found them. In fact, my old-school rockabilly band - with a pretty large crowd of pretty hardcore rockabilly punkers - did play a few country bunkers with some line dancers back then. Suffice to say, it was not pretty.

Not much chance I'll be asked to do this - that whole scene fizzled by the mid-90s here. For a while, they rented a VFW hall and had private dances, which is a better solution, IMO. I never did understand why they thought they needed a band - they wanted everything exactly like the records. I think they finally figured that out.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 2 Jun 2008 3:12 pm

Played at a singles club for awhile,Line danceing and MIXERS were about all they wanted,don't know which was worse.DYKBC.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 2 Jun 2008 3:31 pm

If you make your living at playing live gigs and love to play music. What is your problem?

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 2 Jun 2008 3:34 pm

I put in my time--fortunately, in bands that tried to hold to their own musical standards as much as possible, making only the minimum concessions necessary to keep the gigs. But when the last of those bands folded a few years back, I decided I'd had enough of that and turned down a job offer from a mainstream, steadily-working commercial country band. It turned out that left open an opportunity to a good friend of mine instead, and I've been fortunate enough to keep gigging in other contexts, so it's a win/win all the way 'round.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jun 2008 3:38 pm

Theresa Galbraith wrote:Wondering how many musician's would turn down a gig if they knew it was Line Dancing Crowd?

I'd ask myself, "What would Merle do?"

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 2 Jun 2008 3:42 pm

Theresa Galbraith wrote:

If you make your living at playing live gigs and love to play music. What is your problem?

Theresa, speaking for myself, my problem is: I do my best to put my heart, mind, and soul into the music I play every time I play. When I play in a room full of people who are so self-absorbed (Gotta remember, it's stomp, stomp wiggle, stomp, stomp, THEN turn) that they are entirely oblivious to the musical communication I and my colleagues are trying our best to get across, it has a discouraging effect that builds over time. Music is a sharing thing.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Jun 2008 3:46 pm

If you make your living at playing live gigs and love to play music. What is your problem?

Not sure who you're addressing this to, but I don't think I have a problem. I think someone who likes, wants, or needs to do such gigs should do them. But you asked which of us would turn down a gig if it was a "line dancing crowd" - which I interpreted to mean dominated by that crowd.

Even though I love to play music, I don't make my living playing live gigs anymore. I turn down more gigs than I take right now - just not enough time to do them all. But even when I played full-time, I took some gigs and turned others down. Part of it was "business decisions" - some gigs were just "bad business" to me at a lot of levels; and part of it was "personal decisions" - I just didn't want to play the gig or that style of music. In any field, one typically takes some opportunities, and turns others down.

Know thy own heart. Saves a lot of heartache. IMHO, of course.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 2 Jun 2008 4:03 pm

Who cares what Merle would do?
You have to make a living.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Jun 2008 4:45 pm

Who cares what Merle would do? You have to make a living.

Most of us (except trust fund babies and other independently wealthy types) do indeed need to make a living. Luckily, this is America, and we have the freedom to choose how we do that, to a fairly large extent. I make my living in the computer and information sciences world - so does b0b, for that matter. We can afford to "care what Merle would do".

All kidding aside - consider that the gigs a musician takes and becomes visible in determine, to some extent, the types of gigs one is considered for in the future.

For example, I had a long run in blues and rockabilly bands. Many musicians didn't know I played lots of other styles, and when they were putting things together, didn't initially think of me for them. Many country musicians especially wouldn't hire me at the time because of my association with blues and rockabilly bands. Go figure.

Musicians, like actors, can get "typecast" pretty easily. To me, it makes absolutely no sense to get typecast as a player who caters to line-dance or modern-country types of gigs. You may not understand it, but a lot of people who play other styles of music - including traditional country - have fairly deep resentment about that whole phenomenon. Like it or not, associating with that kind of thing would carry with it a stigma, in my musical world.

Add that to the fact that I don't personally care for the scene - why would I ever consider such a gig? People do things for their own reasons. Sometimes those reasons may not be obvious to someone with a very different perspective. But those decisions may be entirely reasonable - from the decision-maker's perspective.

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 2 Jun 2008 5:00 pm

Theresa, you just don't get it. You asked the question, but you've already made up your mind as to what the answer should be. I want to play for people who appreciate what I'm putting my heart and soul into. Playing for people who think you're just musical wallpaper just sucks the life out of me. You should try it some time and you'll see what I mean.
PS Fortunately there are other ways to make money!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 2 Jun 2008 7:34 pm

Before the linedance craze started,For years played in pop clubs,rock and roll clubs,and country music clubs,The people that came wanted to dance to live music,They wanted to dance with EACH other,men would dance with their wives or girl friends,They would dance to two steps,shuffles,jitterbug,waltzes slow love songs,they did'nt commandeer the ENTIRE dance floor,These people did'nt bitch about a cover charge,drank beer or mixed drinks[the ONLY way a club can survive]instead of nursing a coke all night long,These REAL dancers appreciated the band,would tip you for playing their favorite songs,The only feedback you will get from the linedance crowd is [HEY MAN YOU PLAYED THAT SONG TOO FAST.HEY MAN YOU PLAYED THAT SONG TOO SLOW,]and the most asinine statements[HEY MAN YOU DID'NT PLAY IT LIKE THE RECORD]this is just my opinion only of line dancers.DYKBC.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 2 Jun 2008 8:31 pm

Back in the late 60's and early 70's. it was called "The Four Corners" . It finally went away and showed up again in the 80's as a "Line Dance". Even the RAP crowd has their version called" Do Your Dance". Everyone should know if you are a pro. you play what the customers like, not what you personally like. For the past year I have been in a band that really tested me. The money is great, but sometimes I wonder. Jody.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jun 2008 8:35 pm

Theresa Galbraith wrote:Who cares what Merle would do?
You have to make a living.

So does Merle. Seriously, I think we should have as much respect for our own art as any singer/songwriter has for his or hers.

I suspect that Merle would play a barn dance for his friends up in Shasta, whether they line danced or not. I may be wrong, but I'd like to think that's what Merle would do.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 2 Jun 2008 8:56 pm

Line dancers are not into the music. They're into themselves. All I know is that the few times I've been subject to it, I felt really uncomfortable. It looks really stupid and lame, and I somehow felt cheated when railroaded into being their jukebox. I would never volunteer to play music for line dancers, no matter what the pay. Who needs the weirdness?

What I find most strange about line dancing is the way it stereotypes country into being a hip-holding, boot-slapping kind of music. It makes the club an instant hoedown or something.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 2 Jun 2008 10:01 pm

Yeah Chris, your point about country being stereotyped brings to mind an objection that was posted in a similar thread a while back. It basically
asked, why is country music used as a dumping ground
for every fad or weirdness that comes along?

The number and emotion of responses every time this
is brought up signifies that it is not a resentment
held by just a few.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 3 Jun 2008 12:28 am

Here in France, if a steel player turned a gig down cause there was line dancin'
he'd be outta work !
Mercy !

Gary Cosden · Post by **Gary Cosden** » 3 Jun 2008 3:26 am

I could not care less if people were line dancing or not - as long as they were dancing. I feel strongly that the function of live music in that environment is first and foremost to get people to dance and keep them dancing. The more they dance the more they buy drinks and the longer they stay and that is what pays the bills. End of story, except also I found that there is something really satisfying in it when the whole place is moving and having fun whether or not they are into your playing on a truly appreciative level or not. Sometimes I think as musicians we are "too close to the canvas" and tend to over analyze and intellectualize the whole situation to the point that we may lose sight of the truth - that at the end of the day it's really all about having fun. You are not there to set the world on fire but simply to provide entertainment.

Luke Morell · Post by **Luke Morell** » 3 Jun 2008 3:48 pm

For enough $$$$$$$$. "Real cowboys don't dance in a line". I played in a place several years ago, that was all line dances. Got depressing.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 3 Jun 2008 5:17 pm

Gary Cosden wrote:I could not care less if people were line dancing or not - as long as they were dancing. I feel strongly that the function of live music in that environment is first and foremost to get people to dance and keep them dancing. The more they dance the more they buy drinks and the longer they stay and that is what pays the bills. End of story, except also I found that there is something really satisfying in it when the whole place is moving and having fun whether or not they are into your playing on a truly appreciative level or not. Sometimes I think as musicians we are "too close to the canvas" and tend to over analyze and intellectualize the whole situation to the point that we may lose sight of the truth - that at the end of the day it's really all about having fun. You are not there to set the world on fire but simply to provide entertainment.

Actually, the line dance crowd are notorious for NOT buying drinks. And the band is not really charged with "getting them to dance". They came only to dance (if you call it dancing) and watch each other dancing, and they could do it just as happily to a drum machine track with occasional calls of "FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT" on it so they know when to start their regimented routine. It's always been a mystery to me why the line dance clubs even bother to hire live bands--recordings never make a mistake (or make any confusing creative changes), and get the tempo just right, so who needs the expense of paying a band? It's good for musicians, but doesn't seem to make good business sense for the club.

I exaggerate a bit--there were almost always a few people who would notice the band, but the overall atmosphere of being completely ignored does get depressing. A whole floor full of people not making a peep when the song is over, just waiting impatiently for the lull to be over, is no fun. And it wasn't because the bands I was in weren't good.

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