Songs you hate playing - but audience wants

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 3 Jan 2009 10:36 am

Steve,That's good advice,Do you know a bass player named Bob Sunda in new Orleans?Stu

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 3 Jan 2009 10:44 am

The last time I played "Wipe Out" I was still using my ART processor. I dialed up a setting called "Night Demon" and played the tune ala Steve Vai. Elephants trumpeting, seagull squeals, pulled the strings off the side of the neck, whammy insanity, etc., etc.. Lots of shocked faces! But a young guy came up and said, "Freakin' fantastic!"

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 3 Jan 2009 11:16 am

This thread started on songs you play because they're requested, even though you don't want to. It has degenerated into whether you should honor all requests.

As soon as you accept money, you have an obligation to give the customer what he wants. Logically, the more you are paid, the greater the obligation to play what the audience wants. However, when George Strait or Neil Diamond perform for tens of thousands of dollars, they don't feel any obligation to honor a request for "Smoking in the Boy's Room." ?????

Seems to me that some of you assume perfect communication between audience and musician, and that's not the case. "Too Loud!" Is the whole band too loud, or just one instrument. Or perhaps one instrument is too bassy for old ears, or has razor shorp highs. Some people say the guitar is too loud, when they mean they don't like the sound of distortion.

Similarly, the request for a certain song may mean it has a sentimental meaning to that person; the words are meaningful or they connect it to a particular experience. Or they like that beat for dancing, or the particular singer, or the vocal harmonies. You don't know.

A performer has an obligation to entertain the audience. It is up to the discretion of the performer how he goes about that. He is the professional, the expert. If, from experience and insight, you can understand what the person wants when they ask for a particular song, you can deflect it into a different selection.

If I get a request for an unusual song, or one that hasn't been heard in 20 years or so, I will always do it, if I can. A song that is done to death, that every band does, no. I'm not getting paid $3,000 a night. While I play for the money, I need to enjoy it myself. And playing the song I don't care for means skipping one I really would like to play.

If, however, the request is submitted with the proper paperwork (say, a ten or a twenty,) that's a different matter.

Jerry H. Moore · Post by **Jerry H. Moore** » 3 Jan 2009 11:28 am

I play sometimes with a band that uses a processor for drums and other stuff. a beat box i guess. It has "Werewolves of London" (with the same changes as Sweet Home Ala#$%@bama) and when we do that it winds up being Werewolves of Alabama.We play skinnerd over the break >>>the drunks....i mean crowd loves it.

where wolf.............there wolf......there castle.....

Marc Friedland · Post by **Marc Friedland** » 3 Jan 2009 11:53 am

I’ve been playing “Proud Mary” in cover bands since it was a current hit on the radio about 40 years ago.
If the band sounds good doing it, and the audience appreciates it, I still enjoy playing it. It’s the most fun for me if I get to play it on organ, but I’ve also played it on psg & 6-string.

Usually, the only songs I don’t enjoy performing are ones that I don’t feel as though the particular band I’m playing with that night doesn’t do a good job of. For example, even though I typically enjoy playing train beat songs (10 step), if it’s a substitute drummer that doesn’t play that style well, then it just doesn’t work and it’s not fun. The same thing applies if the guitarist is only good at one style and the set list includes numerous songs that aren’t in that style. But, of course these are exceptions to the rule, as my norm is to play with bands that are well rehearsed and only include songs that sound good.

Here’s a little story I think fits the conversation that happened about a year or so ago.
We were playing at a private party. Even though we were booked as a “country” act, we were also very equipped to play classic rock as well.
As a general rule, whenever anyone would request “Free Bird” the lead singer would always say we’ll do it if it’s written on a $100 dollar bill. Well this time someone actually took him up on it! Fortunately, the guitar player knew it pretty well. The lead singer has sort of a photographic memory when it comes to words and melodies, so of course he was able to sing it. Even though I had heard the song and heard requests for it many times, this was the first time I actually ever played it in its entirety. I went back & forth playing it on pedal steel and keys. After that we got 2 more requests, also accompanied by $100 bills, I think they were for George Strait or Alan Jackson tunes, but I don’t remember exactly which ones right now.

Marc

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 3 Jan 2009 12:28 pm

Hey Jerry - it's funny, we've done the same "Sweet Home Alabama/Werewolves" medley for years.

The key to something like that - or the songs that are SO overplayed you just can't stand them - is to throw some twists in. I don't play in a country band, but you can still adopt the same thing - we'll take a 4/4 thing like Old Time Rock & Roll and flip it to a blues shuffle; play Secret Agent Man (like Dave, I've played it hundreds of times...at least...) as an extended jam-band thing and let everyone take a "ride" (including a drum solo. AND a bass solo. It serves 'em right!).

Requests we don't know are answered with "I can't hear you very well - could you please write that down on a $20 bill and pass it up here?" or "well, that song we don't know, but here's one with a bunch of the same notes in it".

That last line actually has worked very well for 30 years.

Sheesh - New Years' I actually had to play "Alabama". "Werewolves", "Mustang Sally", Brown Eyed Girl" and a bunch of other usual "p-l-e-a-s-e- God...no!" songs.

Glen Derksen · Post by **Glen Derksen** » 3 Jan 2009 12:35 pm

Jerry H. Moore wrote:Only One! SWEET HOME ALA @#*#@ BAMA!!!! The rest get old but after you kick them off and the crowd screams its like the first time you played them all over again.

Yes, that one too! I am so sick of that song, and what bugs me is the fact that Lynyrd Skynyrd had a lot of good playable songs, but people are stuck on that one song!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 3 Jan 2009 12:54 pm

As soon as you accept money, you have an obligation to give the customer what he wants.

I respectfully disagree strongly.

The way it works is this - if certain customers don't like what you're doing, they have a choice to not come. If nobody likes what you're doing, nobody comes and you don't have a gig.

But just because some chucklehead comes in and makes inappropriate requests that don't fit the band's format doesn't mean you should necessarily honor them. You can't please everybody, and I would not piss off my main crowd, who expects blues, Americana, classic-country, rockabilly, surf-punk, jazz, or whatever format I'm playing, to play "Feelings" or "Sweet Home Alabama". I would rather they leave and find a band more appropriate to their tastes.

I think there's an audience for most any type of music, and if you have that audience, it behooves you to know what they like and play that. If a request is within that scope and you can do it, great. Otherwise, forget it.

My earlier comments were directed to tunes that fit within the band's format, but I'm just sick of playing. We played 'em anyway, but no way would we agree to be a human jukebox in all styles. If that's what you're doing, great, but it's not universal.

IMHO and all that. Carry on.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 3 Jan 2009 1:03 pm

Abdo-lutely right Meester Mudgett! And that thing I said about "Feelings?" After I got the see the musicians faces fall, I'd usually tell them I was only kiddin'. Not always though!(':twisted:')

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 3 Jan 2009 1:03 pm

I should add to my post above that it's the bandleader's call, anyway - he pays me and I play the tunes he calls. When that becomes unacceptable it's time for me to find employment elsewhere.

This is somewhat hypothetical in my case - while I am currently doing a few gigs with a cover-band, I'm usually a part of a pit-orchestra. Thankfully, audience requests don't often enter into the proceedings....

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 3 Jan 2009 1:39 pm

My band doesn't do requests unless we get asked for them.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 3 Jan 2009 2:03 pm

True story: Some lady who had a few too many drinks once requested me to "Play that song, you know which one I mean, it's the one they play on the radio."

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 3 Jan 2009 2:57 pm

Dave M

I accept yur disagreement, but two things to add:

When you accept the money, the obligation is to the customer; the customer is the person who gives you the money, be that a bandleader, club manager or person hiring you for a private party. Usually the person asking for "Freebird" is not one of those.

Give them what they want, which may not be what they asked for. Unless they have a sentimental attachment to a particular song, they are asking for a type of music, not a particular song. The average customer knows the name of a few songs, but is not able to ask for the particular genre. He asks for "Johney B. Goode" because he wants a fast rock'n'roll song.

What the person paying for the music wants is entertainment, and a club manager is more concerned with the music of a ringing cash register than what comes off the stage.

Another point: if you first win over the audience by playing songs they know and like, they will let you do some of the ones that YOU like. But most audiences will not respond to a night of songs they never heard before.

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 3 Jan 2009 3:02 pm

Mike

I think that gal showed up at one of my gigs too.

Illustrates my point that you need not take the request literally; the requestor is asking for a type of music rather than a particular song. You can diplomaticly offer to do a substitute.

Of course, I shouldn't assume that there isn't some station in California that only plays one song.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 3 Jan 2009 3:24 pm

Rich, I agree with your points for the typical commercial gigging band. To me, it's about establishing a relationship between musicians and either a specific audience or a hiring agent, who is buying or selling the band's general approach.

But I think there is another more artsy phartsy world where these commercial considerations aren't as overwhelming. Another way to look at this is to simply pick a musical approach and try to gather and mold an audience around that. I think this is harder to do, but not necessarily impossible. There are people out there looking for something that's just not out there right now.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 3 Jan 2009 3:27 pm

1] Bad Leroy Brown
2] Wipe Out
3] Boot Scootin'Boggie
4] Achy Breaky Heart
5] Jeremiah was a Bullfrog (Joy to the World)

Realistically, I will play anything.....I figure if you give the audience 25% of the tunes they want....theyll let you play what you want the other 75%.....not a bad trade-off!

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 3 Jan 2009 4:02 pm

Larry Bell wrote:I'm delighted JUST TO HAVE A GIG.
(seriously -- just keep bitchin' to the wrong folks and you won't have one)

I'll happily play whatever they ask me to play. I see it as my job.

I only get maybe a half dozen gigs in a good year. But this is my attitude as well. I'll play whatever they want me to and like it. This liking and disliking stuff is all in our heads anyway. C'mon....

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 3 Jan 2009 4:06 pm

Dave Mudgett wrote:
As soon as you accept money, you have an obligation to give the customer what he wants.
I respectfully disagree strongly.

The way it works is this - if certain customers don't like what you're doing, they have a choice to not come. If nobody likes what you're doing, nobody comes and you don't have a gig.

But just because some chucklehead comes in and makes inappropriate requests that don't fit the band's format doesn't mean you should necessarily honor them. You can't please everybody, and I would not piss off my main crowd, who expects blues, Americana, classic-country, rockabilly, surf-punk, jazz, or whatever format I'm playing, to play "Feelings" or "Sweet Home Alabama". I would rather they leave and find a band more appropriate to their tastes.

I think there's an audience for most any type of music, and if you have that audience, it behooves you to know what they like and play that. If a request is within that scope and you can do it, great. Otherwise, forget it.

My earlier comments were directed to tunes that fit within the band's format, but I'm just sick of playing. We played 'em anyway, but no way would we agree to be a human jukebox in all styles. If that's what you're doing, great, but it's not universal.

IMHO and all that. Carry on.

That is my one caveat.

Terry Winter · Post by **Terry Winter** » 3 Jan 2009 4:07 pm

I have to agree with Toney's top 5 but the one I really have a problem with is Steel Guitar Rag. It is probably the first song I concentrated on learning some 30 plus years ago. I can play it easily on E9th and C6th but no matter whether at regular jam dances or sitting in with other groups or even with my regular band it is always requested and it is really all some people know of as a steel song. I only play it now when asked. It's not I don't like the song but I will always do what is asked of me and the idea of not wanting to do a request and suggesting one by the same artist or a similar song works real well. Band leaders I have worked with do it all the time. Terry

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 3 Jan 2009 5:58 pm

What I hate is when a clueless frontman feels compelled to volunteer songs that I hated years ago in some misguided effort to "work the room" when the room doesn't necessarily need working. If an audience member is nice and really wants a song that I sort of know, I'll try to put on my best face and make 'em happy.

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 3 Jan 2009 6:43 pm

There used to be a band around here called the Stupids. Their concept was to play the worst songs of all time. Which means they played most of the songs mentioned here and worse. For the second set they took requests. If they never heard of the song they just made one up with the title somewhere in the lyrics. Big fun. They also were wearing so many shirts they could take one off after every song and still not be shirtless!!!

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 3 Jan 2009 6:56 pm

"Bob Wills is still the King" by the Stones

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 3 Jan 2009 8:02 pm

Glen Derksen wrote:How about 'Your Cheatin' Heart'? I think that one has been done to death.

Jeez, we have a segment in our shows and gigs where we do a Hank Williams set. That's about the only time that most of the crowd actually pays attention and sings along with us. Hank Williams had some unbelievable and timeless melodies behind his songs.

All of us still hate the Chicken Dance.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Jan 2009 10:08 am

Any fiddle hoedown
Devil Went Down To Georgia
After the Lovin' (Dinglebird Hugestink (Englebert Humperdink))
Rocky Top

And to top my list:

CRAZY

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Jan 2009 10:15 am

On Jam Night? You're right! " Crazy"
I ask her, "What key would you like Darleena?"
She says, "Bb, JB."
I turn to the band and say, "Crazy" in A guys."