Bar bands, what's more important...

Larry

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
Making the crowd have a good time?

Or playing.... like awesome dude.

You can only pick one!

Haga!

(This is to thwart the dreaded thread killer, oh you shoot for both. Of course you do. So this forces you to prioritize.)

So what's it gonna be? Punk? (said like Clint Eastwood)
 
No one knows or cares how awesome I am so, I'm going with A.

I don't feel the need to be awesome, just to be part of some fun.
 
If you don't know the answer to that question, you shouldn't be a drummer. Or maybe you should be a "gospel" drummer where they don't mind you getting your awesomeness all over the music even where it's total overkill.
 
I don't do gigs, but if I would I would definitely go for B.
If my playing was, like, all awesome and stuff, and they still wouldn't be having a good time.. Then I'd know that at least I did the best I could.

You never know who might be watching you in the crowd that night.
If a certain somebody sees you playing on stage and you're really sounding good, it might lead to something.

To me sounding awesome means exactly the opposite of gospel chops or drumming overkill btw...
 
As a cover band, and this may be obvious, you are an employee. An employee to the bar manager/owner and also, frankly, to the patrons. Thats really the bottom line. As a working cover band, there is an equation...

People + Dancing + Drinking = Sales; Sales = Good

Sales and commerce is what the club owner or manager wants; Typically the club manager wants to do a good job and thus, if they hire talent, they hire talent that they feel will do a good job at the task and will make their bottom line look as good as possible. They do not care if you think you are the next american idol or Paganini. If your band has a following and brings people to the club, keeps them there and those people spend money at the bar, you will be a regular band at the venue. The band does not have to be a great band...just fun, entertaining and engaging. A sense of humor is also very helpful. A good songlist that is aimed at making the patrons have a good time is important....not Dream Theater or other stuff that shows how great the band *might* be.

If you are band that takes itself too seriously and is there to show how great you are, then perhaps you should be doing originals instead.

The cover band circuit is a business...I have fun doing it, but it is a business. Commerce.
 
Definitely #1.

That's our job as drummers...to make everyone else feel good (audience) and sound good (everyone else on the bandstand).
 
In a cover band you have to have a crowd period or you wont be back no matter how awesome you think you are.

only original bands can be awesome with no crowd...lol


Bonzolead
 
As a member of a cover band your top priority is to sell beer.
 
Okay, it seems that I didn't understand the question propely..
So in essence, a bar band = cover band?

Then yeah, I guess that's a different scene then. Entertaining the people and giving them what they want probably would come first.
For what it's worth, I would most likely fail miserably, playing a gig like that :D
 
Making the crowd have a good time.

once you lose the crowd, you could be playing the best your ever played, but lose the vibe, and the momentum dies.....




or maybe I've never played my best!
 
Answer is A!

Make the crowd have a great time! In addition to being asked back, all the compliments, and all the things that go with the crowd having a great time, chicks LOVE it when they can dance, either with a guy or within an entire tribe of females. Make the females in the audience happy, you've done 90% of the job.

Sorta equates to: "Mamma ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy."

(Daddy ain't happy, who cares?)
 
The answer is A. Always.

If there should be someone important in the music industry in the audience they would be more impressed by a band or musician that can whip up an audience, than someone who plays "awesome".

A happy audience would = lots of happy record buyers or gig goers. That would = more money for the record company in the long run. Meaning a bigger contract for you.
 
Looks pretty unanimous to me Lar.....and I'd be a fool to disagree. A, it most definitely is.

In the cover bands I've been with, it's particularly noticeable in the guy with the mic. The best front man.....the guy who can really turn it on and entertain a crowd has not always been the best singer.....but yet has always managed to trump him for the job.
 
"A" all the way. I think both Shemp and Karl hit the nail on the head. Honestly, bar / club owners could care less what you look like or how you sound. If they have a great night at the bar register, you'll can bet you'll be playing in that room again.
 
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