大象传媒

大象传媒 HomeExplore the 大象传媒
This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving.
Listen to Jazz - 大象传媒 Radio Player

Jazz

  1. Happy Feet?

    • Mel Hill
    • 14 Sep 06, 02:29 PM

    A few weeks ago I was down in Bude with the Old Fashioned Love Band for the festival. We did two gigs in two different but equally satisfactory venues. Each room was packed and the audiences were relaxed and attentive. Drinks were drunk, people felt free to pass the odd comment but the gigs were, in effect, concerts.
    This is a situation that today's musicians and fans recognise as the norm and so it was a bit of a shock to the system when, last week,the band were playing at a jazz weekend in Lowestoft where the majority of the crowd were out on the dance floor that seperated us from the people who just wanted to sit and listen. Nothing new about this of course, as anyone who remembers the Trad Boom will testify, but it was still a situation to be adjusted to.
    Words - whether in clever lyrics or smarty-pants introductions - tended to get lost. Subtlety was trodden underfoot. What's more there was precious little eye contact between band and audience but there WAS that half forgotten kick that comes with providing the beat that gets to the feet.
    Speaking as a boringlly middle of the road guy I now think that there's room for both kinds of audience but - what do you think?

Comments

Post your comment
  1. 1.

    Hi Mel - from my own experience as a musician, DJ, MC, audience member etc etc, it's a case of horses for courses, and to be pre-warned is to be pre-armed. Bands and audiences alike should enquire whether to expect a concert or club gig experience and tailor their sets and expectations accordingly. But I have a special plea for the people responsible for programming major civic venues - please try to understand the nature of the acts you're booking e.g. don't book Courtney Pine for a seated concert hall and expect everyone to sit politely in their seats. Having said that, there are many civic venues here in Wales who are using their public spaces and removable seating in imaginative ways to give the bands and audiences a rewarding experience. It's vital for the music's survival as these venues are often the only ones who can afford to book the big names.

    Complain about this post
    Post a complaint

    Please note Name and E-mail are required.

    Contact details
  2. 2.

    Great Blog.

    Complain about this post
    Post a complaint

    Please note Name and E-mail are required.

    Contact details
  3. 3.

    I think this is a much broader issue than just jazz. Gigs for jazz and global music at the Barbican for instance predictably go through the following cycle: everyone sits at first, a few enthusiastic folk dance a bit in an aisle and get escorted to their seats, the band then invite everyone to dance near the end of their set and the security police have to abandon their policy in the face of mass civil disobedience. It's all a bit predictable. Venues need to adapt their policies to the audience and not the other way round.

    Complain about this post
    Post a complaint

    Please note Name and E-mail are required.

    Contact details
Post a comment

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this weblog until the author has approved them.

Contact details

The 大象传媒 is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



About the 大象传媒 | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy
?