The power of smiling

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
If you want to improve how much the audience likes you....instantly....without having to work not one second at the kit...

Smile while you play.

As much as you can, during every song.

Yes, even if you have to fake it at first.

It really is the truth. And it's just that easy. It's contagious.

I swear, and I almost resent it, but smiling is the #1 most powerful thing I do from the audience perspective while drumming. This was made clear to me from an audience member seeing us for the first time tonight

Nevermind that I think about drums and drumming... and you guys.... like every waking moment of my day. Beyond that, I practice at my limited field of focus on a semi regular basis, and drumming-wise, I feel that my own voice is fairly well defined after all these years.

But to the crowd, the amount of fun I am having, and/or the degree to which I am immersed in the music.... that's what they see. Or not, that's the downside.

I don't play out enough to be bored. Playing out is literally the highlight of my limited little life, and I genuinely live for it. So it shows naturally. But I never realized until tonight just how much of an impact that one person smiling has on the room. The sound is secondary and the visual trumps everything to the non musician.
So smile your ass off.

It's almost too easy. I'd even go as far as to say that it's just as important a trick as anything else you can name that's in your trick bag.
 
I agree. It seems that if I'm having a good time then the audience is having a good time.
 
I'd even go as far as to say that it's just as important a trick as anything else you can name that's in your trick bag.
It's even more important than any trick in the bag Larry. I'm the one who's always looking deliriously happy or immersed. Either way, there's always something going on with me, & I've lost count of the number of times punters have commented.

Our keys player is notorious for pulling the most extreme playing faces / poses too, & that's always a crowd pleaser :)
 

Attachments

  • pikester.jpg
    pikester.jpg
    339.3 KB · Views: 593
  • pikester b&w.jpg
    pikester b&w.jpg
    424.4 KB · Views: 592
stevesmithfischer09875.jpg
cindyblackman.jpg

ringo5502012.jpg

stantonmoore42.jpg

jojomayer989856.jpg

charliewatts550222.jpg
stevegaddley2.jpg
keithmoonmichaelputland.jpg
tonywilliams550.jpg
vinniecolaiuta32.jpg
stevejordan.jpg
davewecklstevemaher3.jpg
buddyrich500999.jpg
simonphillips640.jpg
jefrfporcaro.jpg
petererskine444.jpg
john-bonham27.jpg
billycobham5.jpg
 
Could not agree more. One of the most valuable things I've ever been told has been to smile, because playing music is quite simply a hugely enjoyable thing to do, and that to do it in front of an audience is a privilege. Sometimes I have to make myself, but usually I can't even help it, and somebody ALWAYS says how nice it is to see.
 

Attachments

  • B&W photo jam night Plough.jpg
    B&W photo jam night Plough.jpg
    27.6 KB · Views: 574
Just when I thought my near orgasmic porno-esque look was doing so well.
 
YES !

Perfect Larry.


.
 
Who can watch Papa Jo Jones and not start smiling and feeling happy. I tend to jut my jaw and look more like Mick Fleetwood, but I played this one gig where I was smiling like a fool and I got more compliments than any time I've played. I've been working on it but it really takes me a conscious effort to smile-I note my mother juts her jaw when she plays piano too. Got to learn to concentrate and smile at the same time. Funny usually I'm a smiling fool all over the place-pretty happy go lucky guy. But behind the kit I go into this zone that looks like I'm being tortured. One of my daughters says I look like I'm possessed and diabolical-dang that isn't what I want to hear.
 
I totally agree.

Often people tell me that it looks like I'm the only one "having any fun up there".

Everyone else in my band is so stone faced when we play. I just sit back there and smile.

Actually, I have two drum faces. "Stinky Face" when I'm concentrating and "Raining Candy" when I'm smiling.
 
But behind the kit I go into this zone that looks like I'm being tortured. One of my daughters says I look like I'm possessed and diabolical-dang that isn't what I want to hear.

I used to get comments like this too. I never used to smile, I was waaaay too serious. Which was pointed out to me. It took me years to relax enough to not take everything so seriously while playing. As my facilities started to increase, the seriousness faded away and the joy started to come to the fore.

And yea, Papa Jo....who can't not smile when you see him do his thing.

Madge you look awesome in that shot. I just want to jump your bones.

The Jojo pic always scares the crap out of me. Nice collage Henri.

Stinky face, raining candy, priceless!
 
Good stuff from Larry, as usual.

Here's Bernard Purdie in the latest Modern Drummer:

...let others know how good it feels by smiling as you play. That's the first order of business: Smile and be humble, because a smile can get you in the door. If you smile when you play, you're going to make the music feel good, and every bandleader will respect and trust you.
 
This is a very good point. As a child, my father always said "Brian, make sure you keep smiling when you play those drums". Many times. I never understood why THAT was so important to him, it was the only comment he ever made and seemed a bit awkward actually. He played sax through college but almost never talked about music with me, extremely humble.

Is there a point you can smile, engage etc. too much? I have heard others say (not that I necessarily agree) that certain drummers "look and act weird, disturbed" as they are too animated, or etc.
 
I usually can't help but smile when I'm playing. I also dance in my throne, often times. Whenever I'm happy I'm a very kinetic person anyway. Gotsta move!
 
Hells yeah!

If the players look like they're having fun it lets the audience know that it's ok for them to have a good time too.

Another grinning idiot (Larry, please don't threaten to jump my bones!)

@Magenta - GREAT pic of you there!

Profile Pic.jpg
 
Couldnt agree less. I am a drummer not a politician looking for votes. "Even if you have to force it"? What the. Be yourself for goodness sake, I have enough to concentrate on behind the kit without thinking "Oh must remember to smile while I am playing".

The photos of drummers smiling were natural, they were smiling cos thats how they were feeling at the time, they were not forcing it.
 
Couldnt agree less. I am a drummer not a politician looking for votes. "Even if you have to force it"? What the. Be yourself for goodness sake, I have enough to concentrate on behind the kit without thinking "Oh must remember to smile while I am playing".

When we're playing out we're there to entertain.

Most non-musicians won't hear the biggest musical blunder if the body language doesn't give it away. But they will - and do - pick up on the visual clues.

We're not looking for votes, but we are looking for gigs, so we need to be as charismatic as we possibly can.

If you have a front man who can wow the crowd the pressure is off to a certain extent, but otherwise everybody needs to charm the pants off the crowd.

The big difference is that when people see a drummer smiling they think "Man! That looks like heaps wicked awesome fun...I wish that was me!". With politicians, not so much.
 
One thing I have gleaned from non musicians watching musicians....They want to see us having a good time. I've heard this many times. We are supposed to be having a good time.

I used to get comments (from women) like why so serious? Because I'm trying too hard to play my instrument the best I can! And I have no headroom and I think the drums are the MOST important thing in the band! Lol.

I guarantee that the great majority of people, given the choice of watching a band of totally serious and "look how cool I am" staring a hole in their guitar neck type of people, or watching a bunch of people up there having a good time with one another and the crowd, most people will pick the fun band, especially women. It's a known quantity that girls just wanna have fun. Cyndi Lauper said so and I for one believe her.

So I found that the funner your band, the more the fairer sex will stick around. And like baitfish, where there's bait, there's predators lol.

Smiling is so easy to do, and it makes so much of a difference out there in audienceville. I'm just starting to understand how big a factor it is.

Why not use every advantage I can get? It's stupid simple. My worth as a player goes up in the bandleader's eyes too.

Plus drums are the most fun instrument, if you're not visibly enjoying the experience, somethings wrong.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top