Is it a "show" or just a "set"?

Tony Palmer · From: St Augustine,FL

How many of you would categorize your band as performing a show, rather than just playing a set?
If so, what makes it a "show"?

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

With us, it's a show. I think it's the costumes...

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

So Mark...
is that you sitting down front next to the push me pull you?

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Kidding aside, Tony, I play with a number of different bands, quite a few of them play just sets of their material. I'm fascinated by the wide variation in factors such as quality of songwriting, audience rapport, confidence and projection of the front-folks, and so on that drastically affect the response they get. One of the bands I play with has a very structured "show" with goofy patter and complicated arrangements. I find it a bit overblown, but it always seems to go over well. Personally I prefer the bands that let the music speak for itself, but that's just my taste.

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Yup, David, that's before I went grey... nice timing on our posts, huh?

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

When the Derailers play at the Broken Spoke is Austin, for instance, we play from 9:00 to 1:00 typically, and we break it up into 3 "sets" with breaks in between. Most of our gigs have opening acts, and our contract will dictate what time we start, and the duration of the "show". Usually it's 75 or 90 minuite "show". No breaks. We may start at 10:30 or 11:00 and play one "show". So I think by definition, a set would be a segment of music for a cetain amount of time. Then break. Then another segment, and so on.

Tony Palmer · From: St Augustine,FL

I guess what I'm getting at is, should a live band performance strive to be more than just playing a set of songs?
I define a show as a set of songs that create a sense of momentum, provide entertainment and hold the interest of the crowd. Maybe a little humor (or drama) thrown in....also, good audience interaction (whether staged or spontaneous)
The alternative being just going up there and saying "Here's a song by Merle Haggard..."

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

The reason a lot of bands aren't working anymore is they didn't do a "show", they just played music. My old band was more a show band than just a music machine. A show is a show. It means you're not just providing singing and playing, you're entertaining!

What's that?

Well, it could mean you do more than just play one style of music. You could have a variety of different types of music, choreography, comedy, some audience involvement, or a "slick production" (with uniforms or special effects, animated stages, etc.. Or, it could be (as in the case with a lot of stars) a musical biography (timeline) of the performer, featuring old sounds and new sounds, and explaing something about the songs.

Does the word "personality" ring a bell?

Singers and players just banging off one good song after another with nothing "extra", with no personality, isn't really "entertainment".

A jukebox can do that.

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 03 February 2005 at 02:28 PM.]

Bowie Martin · From: Wilson, NC USA 27896

There is a lot of work in our area, especially for bands that put little show into the sets. Unfortunately, some of the best musicians are not working regularly because the groups they are involved in do not have any show. I think we as musicians have to realize that we are in the entertainment business, and that music is a big part of that, but only a part of it. Our group has two great female singers that front the group, put on a super show, and the band contributes as much as it can to the show. Most concerts with the country greats such as George Jones and Merle Haggard run for about 1 hour 20 minutes. We are on stage for 4 hours a night; a great singer with a 100 hits can hold the attention for the 80 minutes on stage, but a non star group has to add a lot to the 4 hours to make it last, and it takes more than just great music and song selection. Groups with some show seem to play a lot more than the musicial groups (with superb talent) that do not have a show, or do not understand they are really suppose to be in the entertainment business.

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Texas is dance country. We play sets designed foe the dancers with just a little show. Jody.

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

The show part often brings the audience in so THEY feel connected.
The best "entertainers" make that connection.
Elvis and his scarves etc.

And the VERY best also have super music and production values.
But that also doesn't mean there can't be some flexability to the show too.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 04 February 2005 at 03:02 AM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Our band calls it a show..

but I still don't know why....

Although the SET is very organized and the guys change tunes or add tunes without any loss of momentum.

There is about 5 seconds between tunes.

I usually catch up with them after about 30 seconds..so I guess I'm playing a SET and they are playing a SHOW !

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 04 February 2005 at 02:03 AM.]

Tony Palmer · From: St Augustine,FL

(Tony, yes, I know that feeling! I need about 30 seconds and they give me 5!)
Anyway, implied in this discussion is a performance where dancing is not the main purpose of the band...outdoor festivals, concerts, etc.
I think a live band performance should be more than just a "jukebox with legs"...

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

A band I play with quite often is The Dave Russell Band, which I call a Country Show Band. When it's appropriate for the venue, Dave does impressions & jokes as well as sing & play. He may not be the best on the planet at this, but I've seen worse performing for a living at major casinos. The order of the songs in a one hour show, or set if you prefer, have been carefully selected to provide the most entertainment possible to the audience, not just in terms of listening, but visually also. Except for parts that we've designated to be "loose," just about all notes played, are by design. We also do some switching around on instruments on stage as well. This is not because the singer can play the drums as well as the drummer or the drummer can play a dynamite keyboard solo, but because we feel that visually it's more entertaining to the audience, and because it works. The feedback we usually get is that they really enjoyed the show. www.daverussell.com www.marcfriedland.com
-- Marc

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Regarding the "5-second gap" between songs that many bands try to do, our club owners always welcomed some "down time" between songs. Many clubs in my area went to line-dance music, only to discover that they made a big mistake. Oh sure, the crowds were much better, but all those people weren't spending any money! (People that are constantly on the dance floor don't have time to eat or drink.) Small clubs couldn't charge enough door-money to make a decent profit without running away the hillbilly-disco customers (who, like Cinderella, left at midnight, anyway). It was a fast, downwward spiral. In 5 years, there were virtually no clubs left.

One big club nearby, "Latella's" (which used to be called "Dairyland") now sits vacant. Up until about 4 years ago, it was the home of the "Steelin' for Hearts" jam, but I remember back in the '50s and '60's when crowds of 1,000 would pack the place to see Jerry Lee Lewis, Webb Pierce, Ray Price, and later, Buck Owens and Johnny Cash. Those were the days, my friends.

I can't describe how "hot" the music scene was back then, you had to have been there to understand what it was like!!! Now, well let's just say those days are gone forever, and I'm glad I was able to experience the whole thing, first hand.

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 04 February 2005 at 10:04 AM.]

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Donny-You brought up some good points. One of the bands I worked with all over northern michigan, always was conscious of doing a show, lots of entertainment with our music. We played everything from Hawaiian, to Country, to Polkas , to Pop to Jazz and even to rock.
In other words, we connected to the audience....al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Hey Donnie..I know exactly what you are saying about the 5 seconds between tunes..I was not a proponent of this at the begining..but the two large clubs we play have actually requested this..and we MUST break exactly on schedule and return exactly on time. Both clubs Dejay between sets..line dances and such...

Neither club has folks on the dance floor all the time..many sit and listen or watch or something..theres not enough room on the dance floor for everyone in the clubs anyway...who can figure it..

anyway..I could be exagerating..it could be 10 seconds between songs..

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

There are many line dancers who's main, forlorn hope and aim is
to get their size 12 lard butt down to a size 7.

So they spend the whole night stepping off
a WAY too big dinner and avoiding the bar.

They could care less about who plays what...
if the beat is there
and they could care less about being "at one" with the entertainer.
They only want to impress their small clique of equaly myopic lard butts

THAT'S ENTERTAINEMENT!
some what close to internment in my view...

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 04 February 2005 at 01:54 PM.]

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