monologue
"I will not relate to you and you will not identify with me. I will give you no input and will expect no feedback. This will not be a learning experience, nor will it be a growth period. There will be no sharing, no caring, no birthing, no bonding, no parenting, and no nurturing. We will not establish a relationship. We will not have any meaningful dialogue, and we definitely will not spend any 'quality time' together. We will not be supportive of one another, so that we can get in touch with our feelings in order to feel good about ourselves. And if you're one of those people who needs a little space, please.. GO THE FUCK OUTSIDE."
- George Carlin
Giving some thought to band/audience interaction lately. Fronting a band has become an exercise in unwitting self-parody, filled with empty rhetoric and recycled cliches. At CMW this weekend, I noticed just how desperately each performer tried to make that elusive connection:
"We rock! We roll! We kick ass! Are you ready to rock, roll, and kick ass with us?"
Blah blah blah. Or, worse yet:
"This is a song about my painful pain, and a metaphorical knife that cuts deep inside my pain. I painfully encourage you all to feel my pain."
It's difficult to front a band without sounding completely contrived and pandering on stage. I always kind of liked the idea of challenging, even consciously alienating the audience. Bands are generally expected to bond meaningfully with their audience; this kind of irks me. This is not to say I don't enjoy playing for crowds. It's just that some nights, I don't wanna be your monkey. I almost resent the idea that I am expected to leave people with anything.
Bands: Instead of ranting about what you plan to do (rock, roll, brood, pontificate, etc.), take a cue from Carlin and tell the audience what you will NOT do. Refreshingly honest, it would be.
- George Carlin
Giving some thought to band/audience interaction lately. Fronting a band has become an exercise in unwitting self-parody, filled with empty rhetoric and recycled cliches. At CMW this weekend, I noticed just how desperately each performer tried to make that elusive connection:
"We rock! We roll! We kick ass! Are you ready to rock, roll, and kick ass with us?"
Blah blah blah. Or, worse yet:
"This is a song about my painful pain, and a metaphorical knife that cuts deep inside my pain. I painfully encourage you all to feel my pain."
It's difficult to front a band without sounding completely contrived and pandering on stage. I always kind of liked the idea of challenging, even consciously alienating the audience. Bands are generally expected to bond meaningfully with their audience; this kind of irks me. This is not to say I don't enjoy playing for crowds. It's just that some nights, I don't wanna be your monkey. I almost resent the idea that I am expected to leave people with anything.
Bands: Instead of ranting about what you plan to do (rock, roll, brood, pontificate, etc.), take a cue from Carlin and tell the audience what you will NOT do. Refreshingly honest, it would be.
posted by Pj at 2:06 AM
2 Comments:
Just an outsider's opinion. Wrote this not long ago and to no one in particular.
"Nowadays, who lives in the real world? Fantasy and dreams are so much better. If I could sleep all day I might. There would be...hmm... World peace, sure. Judgemental people, not allowed. Critical thinkers, rerouted. Rude people, turned away. You ask what kind of place would this be? Just as boring as now...maybe. After all, where would we be without our politically correct attitudes or controversies that elicit endless debate and rhetoric?"
This is what your group seems to represent...the fantasies/dreams. Many people want the courage to live out their dreams, but instead can find solace in those dreamers who are doers even if only for a 30 minute set. No matter what you say or don't say on stage, we just want to experience the rockin' time you are having, even if we are only a subcontious after-thought. ;)
}{ Angel
You should take Carlin one step further, and insult your audience. Who do you people think you are? You paid to see me? Sorry man.
Then Rock their asses off.
What do you think they want from you? If they're there to see you they obviously get it. It's Rock 'n Roll baby. Pure raw rock...titties and beer. You don't need a message, and you sure as shit don't need to play to your audience. When I last saw you it was the standard college/pre college idealist liberal type females with big dreams and no direction that made up the bulk of the crowd. These people don't know Rock N Roll. They think Nirvana is classic rock, "that band my dad listened to" of course they expect to relate meaningfully with you, that's all they've known. Pop/Rock in the past 15 years has been miserable. Whiny bastards talking about feelings, shitty Nu-metal with no soul, just anger/aggression at top volume. Is it run-off from our need to label everything that we seem to have in this country? Is there no room for message-less rock? Music with no purpose but fun and games and a good time? Enough already... Go listen to "Back in Black" and keep up the good work.
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