laughin at the people who sit in for a song?

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 13 Jun 2006 7:49 am

Idol may be a popular show, another that I've never watched, but that doesn't change the fact that Simon is downright rude. It's obvious that they plant bad singers in the program just so Simon can shred them on the air. I guess a lot of people get a thrill out of knocking someone else down.

Never have. Never will.

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HagFan

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 13 Jun 2006 8:09 am

I played a set at Tootsie's last Friday, and it appeared there could have easily been 100K folks milling around town. I don't know about the future of the "CMA Fair", but there was sure a lot of money changing hands... I was backing up a very young girl on a Nashville label, and although several of the band members were a bit unpolished, the house band and sound crew were all gracious to the band.

Some years back I had a house gig at the premier country showcase club in Atlanta. The band was polished and popular, we had national acts in on Weekends, but Tuesdays were an organized sit-in night. People signed up to get up and sing a couple with the band, and the roster was always full as it was seen as venue for getting gigs with other local bands, and even a showcase for management, clubowners, etc.

The Bass player/bandleader would talk with the "sit ins" about key and when they should be ready and so on, being very pleasant, and then turn around and mock them to the band, within their hearing. A weird behavior with a chip on his shoulder, apparently purposely to make them uncomfortable, and resulting in not a few tears and folks leaving with their crowd.

When I talked to him about it, he seemed to think me some kind of bleeding heart- "If they want to get onstage with pros, they'd better be ready to hear the hard truth", etc.
It got more aggressive and disturbing as time went on, and ended up being a main reason for me leaving a high profile good paying gig. The last I heard that bassist was eaking out a living in a backwater gig.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 13 Jun 2006 8:55 am

Damir, I admire your integrity, but, as always, there's two sides to this coin. You have to know when to NOT take things too seriously, either. Just my 2 cents ....[This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 13 June 2006 at 09:55 AM.]

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 13 Jun 2006 9:19 am

Back in 1977 I got a call to fill in on bass for a band that lost it's bass player. When I got to the gig I saw why.

The band was fronted by a guy named Al, who had no more business trying to be a singer than any of us have doing brain surgery. Let's just say that he would have had to improve to have been merely terrible. The bass player simply refused to play with him and left the band.

The bass player was more honorable than the rest of the guys. The other guys in the band deliberately subverted his perfromance and made him sound worse than he was. They did things like switching keys and changing rhythms and playing the verse when the guy sang the chorus. It was the most unprofessional thing I had ever seen.

The guy fired the band at the end of the evening and asked me to put together a new band for him. I declined, but I told him that I agreed with him that the guys he hired did him wrong, and he was right to fire them.

I told him as gently as I could that I didn't think he has what it took to be a professional singer, but that was no excuse for the band to behave the way they did.

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My web site
[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 13 June 2006 at 10:22 AM.]

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 13 Jun 2006 9:22 am

I'm usually the most respectful and accomodating guy I know when it come's to being the master of ceremonies at open mic nights. Even if a person is completely talentless, and devoid of any musical or entertaining qualities. Every once in awhile though, there will be somebody SO BAD and SO CLUELESS who demands to get up onstage, that it's almost impossible NOT to laugh. I'm thinking of a couple as I type who make William Hung look like Andrea Bocelli. I've had to chew on my tongue more times than I can count.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 13 Jun 2006 9:23 am

quote:
_____________________________________________
"100k people in town for Fan Fair? I guess thats as good a reason as any to make fun of one of them. I sort of doubt that figure. Rumor has it Fan fair will be a thing of the past soon."
_____________________________________________

The actual figure was between 150k and 161k, depending on whether you ask the CMA or The Tennesseean. Facts are there, check it out. And I at no point was justifying the laughter, merely trying to point out that there WERE other factors that might be relevant. As for the rumors, please do keep us informed regarding any news items you hear about before we do.
Kudos to the band leader who fired the bass player. But there IS a LITTLE difference in complaining (boisterously or not) about a fly in your soup, and willfully attempting to derail the train. The guy should have been fired.
As for musicians needing to learn, How can one truly speak knowledgeably about trench rot unless they're actually in the trenches??

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Jun 2006 9:41 am

If you have ever played those all day
"Sunday Jamboree's",
then you understand why this was rude.

This is likely to be a personal highlight of this "singer's" life.
Especially to have sung just one song
on Broadway in Nashville.

I sat in on bass and mandolin on my visit,
Even played 2 sets with Smiley!

I was treated quite well.
Except at the bluegrass jam at Station Inn,
and I let them know that they were WAY out
of the bluegrass spirt I have know from all
over the country and Europe too.

But for those that can't wing it and make it look easy...
well sometimes it IS crash and burn.
But many times, what for US the backing band, is a crash and burn,
it is a lifetime memory that
they will treasure till their dieing day.

If the tradition is a tourist can get up and do a number.
Then it is incumbent on the backing band to give them
their shot with nothing ruder than a benmused smile,
and some semblance of the actual rythmn and chords for the song.

What Jim Cohen said works for me too.

These people most likely LOVE country music in a BIG WAY,
enough to want to "Do It Just Once"
We should at least respect their balls for giving it a shot.

Heck, we ALL have played BAD.. REALLY BAD
sometime in our early careers; have we not??[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 13 June 2006 at 10:44 AM.]

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 13 Jun 2006 9:56 am

No matter how good you are, there's always someone better and faster...

...and no matter how bad you are, there's always someone badder and slower.

I was in Nashville last week before FAN FAIR and walked lower Broadway. I wasn't too impressed with what I saw. Decent singers singing the same ol classic country stuff and decent musicians who looked burned out.

None of the steel players I saw were playing anything extreamly hot. At times I was reminded of being in a VFW jam the way they called out songs..."this one's in A"

You see guys playing for one singer then an hour later you see them across the street playing for someone else...for tips. A sad way to mark time if you ask me. I can see where these type musicians can get a bad attitude.

Some of the singers and musicians down there were cool, some were not, just like most places around the USA.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 13 Jun 2006 10:10 am

These type musicians??

Most of these guys have artist gigs, then come play Broadway on their off days.
I myself played in Texas with Eddy Raven this weekend, got back at 12:00 noon Sunday and leadfooted it downtown to play at the convention center with a girl at 1:00, and then on Broadway that night. If that makes me one of "these type," then guilty as charged. I'm just happy that I'm able to make a living doing what I love, and I don't forget where it comes from either. And just for the record, I won't laugh at anyone who is trying.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 13 Jun 2006 10:13 am

Al, who had no more business trying to be a singer than any of us have doing brain surgery.

LOL..Mike..that`s funny

Nashville is a tourist town,that is how we make money down town...from tips...this gentleman was not loud or agressive...he barely even sang..the lead singer sang the 90% of the song...guy figured out he couldn`t do it and was pretty quiet...I personaly didn`t see any reason what so ever to be making such a circus out of this gentleman..who was with his crowd and just tried to sing a song...however..I just tought it was not nice and was wondering what do you guys think....I laughed my behind of many times on the stage down town but that was always on the account of another band member messin` up..and it was a friendly thing..I don`t have to say there was planty of times when they were laughing their behinds because of my playing..but that`s different...I always try to make people who sit in feel good and welcome...God knows there was a gazillion times when I should have been laughed at...and sometimes I was

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

[This message was edited by Damir Besic on 13 June 2006 at 11:15 AM.]

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 13 Jun 2006 12:38 pm

We've had people get up with us now and then and some were laughable but I think we've always been gracious and polite. Of course there's something else that can happen if you share your stage with unknown quantities. Sometimes you run across someone who can steal your thunder in short order. I remember one guy, just a local sleeper whose friends kept bugging us to invite up. So we did and he was VERY good and the crowd gave him a big response. Our own singer at that time was pretty reluctant to let that guy get up again

Another time we were the back-up band for an amateur show and a guy from out of town showed up and asked us if he could sit in with the band for the evening as well as sing a few songs in the show. It was a relaxed atmosphere so we said sure...the more the merrier! Well that guy turned out to be the best Telecaster picker I've ever seen around these parts and a pretty good steel player as well. I think I held my own on steel but he totally blew me out of the water on six string. After the initial shot of humility I was glad he showed up though because it was fun to make music with someone that good. No one was laughing at that guy.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Jun 2006 2:16 pm

Al, who had no more business trying to be a singer than any of us have doing brain surgery.

Speak for yourself, Mike. Some Forum members actually are brain surgeons (and rocket scientists, astronauts, etc.).

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 13 Jun 2006 3:24 pm

People with fragile egos would do well to forget going in the entertainment business.

I've been through a lot of trials and tribulations in my life. For instance, having a slew of doctors tell my parents I had less than 6 months to live (that was over 40 years ago!), and being carried to the hospital in an ambulance and hearing the ambulance attendant say to the driver "You'd better step on it, I don't think this guy's gonna make it!". Going through these types of things, I've learned to be pretty laid-back in my philosophy of life. If the worst that ever happened to me was to have someone laugh at my attempts at just about anything (be it a friend, or a stranger, a flunkie or a pro), I'd consider myself pretty fortunate!

Life is pretty simple, just remember the rules...

Rule #1 - Don't sweat the small stuff.

Rule #2 - Everything is small stuff!

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 13 Jun 2006 3:37 pm

Amen Donny, amen.

Vic Lawson · Post by **Vic Lawson** » 13 Jun 2006 4:37 pm

If Scott Shipley is correct in saying that there were only 2 other forum members on Broadway Sunday night, then I'm one of those. I agree with Scott on everything he said. It's been a nightmare week here, but the money was great! I play for artists as well as on Broadway. I'm not one to laugh at anyone, but occasionally, as small as those stages are on Broadway, you can converse with other band members, fairly quietly. Sometimes someone will say something funny that is totally irrelevant to the singer or anything else happening on stage. If for some reason that could cause someone to think we're laughing at them, then I guess we're not allowed to have any fun amongst ourselves. I for one don't believe that I'm involved in this particular situation, but I played Legend's 6 to 10 Sunday night. So let's just get to it...was it me?

Vic Lawson · Post by **Vic Lawson** » 13 Jun 2006 4:39 pm

P.S. I have no idea who the other member would me. I didn't get around to see who all was working Sunday night.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 13 Jun 2006 5:30 pm

David, it's equally as likely that it was a forgettable lark to the 'singer' done on the spur of the moment. I've played BAD more times in my career than I'd like to admit, and been laughed at for doing it. Life ain't for wimps, so let me reiterate - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.... [This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 13 June 2006 at 06:48 PM.][This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 13 June 2006 at 06:49 PM.]

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 13 Jun 2006 10:44 pm

Vic, not attempting to speak for Mr. Besic but, I personally do not believe that it was you he was talking about, nor did I think so before your post. That's not your style. The other forum member who was working that night (I believe in hindsight) might just be the victim of his own laugh.........bless his heart, it's very recognizable and pretty darn loud. I still do not believe he intended anything malicious either.
Ok, let's analyze this for a moment strictly from the standpoint of comedic content. Mr. Besic stated that the sit-in singer basically had to have the regular singer sing the song he was supposed to be singing, because he (the sit-in singer) couldn't remember the song. Did I get that about right? Is it just me, or is that in itself pretty darn funny?!? I prolly would have had at least a good chuckle at that myself. But hey, everyone has a different threshold of humor.
And it is very doubtful (save for the remote possibility that said guest singer had an independant record deal, and was there solely for the purpose of selling his wares and/or showcasing, which is pretty unlikely if not very smart since he couldn't remember the words to his big number anyway), that he was taking it very seriously to start with. It is likely however that the guest singer's friends were out in the crowd having a good chuckle themselves......"C'mon, all your friends are doing it!"
People come to Broadway to have fun, as was stated by Mr. Besic himself in the original post that preceded these 17,203 replies. This includes "these type" pickers themselves, myself included. If you go down there to work (and I think everybody ought to have to at least once), expecting to win a grammy from it, then you're gonna be very disappointed.
Like I said before, walk a mile.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 14 Jun 2006 3:53 am

The opening comments about the steel player laughing at the singer gets under my skin. A musician who does that in public to me is embarassing. I would probably never go across the street to see the steel player perform again. I have played behind some singers who were awful but never laughed at them while they were singing. I have thought how did they have the guts to get up and sing soungding as bad as they did. I sure wouldn't laugh at another musician.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 14 Jun 2006 4:29 am

It's painful to watch a performance that is failing.
Does this mean then, that when a performer is on stage, and doing their act, that we subconciously want them to do well...?
I've always thought it was that way.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 14 Jun 2006 5:02 am

Why, just the other night we had a "professional singer" come up and attempt a medley. Her husband told us she sang "everything", had "perfect pitch" and had "done Broadway" (The New Yawk one, which always translates to "MASSIVE VIBRATO")...not only did she not know the words to any of the songs she chose(usually helpful in singing situations), she was so far off key it was like Tuesday over Monday. Not obviously drunk, but certainly "reality enhanced" on some level

So whaddya do? We all sang along to get through it. Everyone had fun. No one made fun of her (at least until we got in the car!)

Then the husband came and said "WhaddI Tellya? PERFECT PITCH!"

As the wise old bumper sticker says: Mean people suck.[This message was edited by John McGann on 14 June 2006 at 06:07 AM.][This message was edited by John McGann on 14 June 2006 at 06:08 AM.]

Ron Kirby · Post by **Ron Kirby** » 14 Jun 2006 5:07 am

One thing for sure, The(new)Broadway brings in alot of singers, Songwriters, future artist to the stage, to try for the big break a (record deal)! Some made it big time, most did not ! MOST singers(these days) take the Broadway stages very seriously !

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 14 Jun 2006 5:51 am

OK, here's a good one. Way back in the 70's, in the NCO club in Germany where I was stationed, some guy wanted to sit in with the band, with the urging of his "friends." The band graciously allowed this extremely drunk guy to come sit behind the drums. Naturally, in the shape he was in, he should never have been allowed onstage, and his friends should not have persuaded him to get up. I and my friends laughed our butts off at the guy, and his friends. Misguided people are everywhere, and sometimes, laughter is the gentlest way to steer 'em back on track!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 14 Jun 2006 7:33 am

So far I hav'nt got good enough myself,to criticize anyone else.On the other hand,I have always been against having someone sit in [that you DON'T KNOW] For the simple reason if they suck,and a group of people that have never heard your band walks in,that the first impression they get[THE BAND SUCKS]!!!

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 15 Jun 2006 6:05 am

amen Scott!!
Keep going on this way making a living!!
I think a lot of people wish they could live this way.
Making music for a living is working hard, every-one with his or her own skills and joy!
Take care!

Johan