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I don't think that good audience response is dictated by the number of entertainers onstage, nor whether there are any kind of backing tracks or autoaccompaniment going on, the real common denominator is Strong Performance and that can be accomplished no matter what the presentation consists of, solo entertainer all the way up to the bigband and orchestral and everything in between.
I agree completely... but the main point of my original post was more about opportunity than anything else. In the past people seeking solo gigs have met resistance not only from people who hire the musicians, but also from audience members who say that anything less than a full band is "not real music" I see that changing... maybe not as fast as I'd like to see it... but when high visibility places like resorts hire solo acts, to me that signifies a change in perception. I'll use John DeJardins (aka Silvertones) as an example. Johns act is VERY well prepared. Its interesting, and John is an extremely talented musician and singer. But he only gets fringe opportunities because he's still running into that brick wall of perception that defines live music as being a whole band. Based on his posts, I'd say John has been plenty discouraged and it makes me mad that anybody would deny him the opportunity to show what he has up his sleeve. That's my main point... but I totally agree that its still up to the solo artist to serve up a strong performance once the opportunity arrives. (I think John does that) Somebody who gets up and sucks doesn't deserve a second gig. What bothers me is when somebody like John gets up and does a good job, and the local yokels decide it wasn't real music so they don't give him a second chance. But it looks like that's changing. How long it takes to get from the coastal resorts to western NC is another question. Hang in there John. You're awesome. Thanks Pat for the nice comments. It is frustrating however I continue to push on. I've been programming all of the lighting cues into my songs.What a cool visual it makes. I took it out on the porch at night. Nice. Construction on the Casino has started and it won't be long. The Cherokees are going to make this Casino their new focus point because of the proximity to Atlanta & Chattanooga. We also have a regional airport. Mr. Trump has also been here looking at property. NC and especially WNC is so $$$$ starved that it wouldn't surprise me, with Trump's involvement that this County goes 100% gaming like Atlantic City in New Jersey, He was involved there as well. Time will tell.
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I played a solo gig for many months after the band I was in self destructed and I was left with the bookings to fill.
It worked pretty good. It was just me with an acoustic guitar and the people in the clubs loved it. You have to be in touch with the patrons and get them involved.
With today's electronics and backing tracks so easy to make in BB..... I would probably opt to use the fuller sounding tracks..... but whether it's a band or a solo act, connection with the audience is the key. Without an involved audience you have nothing.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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*Audience Feedback" should always be on your mind when performing.
Learn to feel the audience response in realtime.
If it feels like you are losing them, don't plod on to the end of that long song, end it. Go immediately to another.
Always keep the transaction in mind when performing.
That transaction is simple enough, your audience are the people who are really paying you, NOT the club, venue, etc.
The audience is spending money in that venue that is used to pay us.
LOVE your audience.
It will pay dividends.
--Mac
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If I missed this in the thread I apologize.
All great points but I'll add that it is always good to do some research as to just who your audience will be prior to any gig, as this will help you prepare. And when I say prepare I mean in everyway leaving no stone unturned from the demographics of your audience, playlist and woodshedding that playlist, the order and timing in-between songs of your playlist to the layout of the venue.
Never skimp on preparation for any gig, whether you are a monthly or even nightly performer at the same venue. In fact I have a few monthly gigs that book a year or two in advance so I do my very best to bring the audience a new playlist every month.
Some audiences like to listen, some like to talk and could not care less what or even if you are playing, while others like to hear that beat so they can dance. Very often you get all three and when you can show each of these groups love, well that's when you have earned your pay.
Just my 2 cents FWIW.
Later,
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Danny,
Wise words from a seasoned professional.
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Danny,
Wise words from a seasoned professional. absolutely! Mac's post too!
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Danny,
Wise words from a seasoned professional. absolutely! Mac's post too! Very true. I read Mac's post yesterday and then I responded to Danny's post from today. Both are spot on.
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I played a house band gig for 2.5 years. Same club, same staff, same band members, same people in the audience. And the same songs.
We actually did try to add 2 or 3 new songs to our set list on any given Wednesday night practice session. They were in the sets on that weekend.
The main thing we looked at was.... can the people dance to it? Slow or fast, didn't matter. Try to limit the length of the song to 3 minutes max. People can only dance for so long before they get tired or bored.
No medleys of 4 songs that go on for 5 minutes..... we would see people leaving after the second tune in the medley.
Start the set with a fast song and end it on a fast one. Two fast songs, one slow,,,, repeat that formula. Keep the show moving.... if you're not playing, someone should be talking, telling a joke, or cutting up in some manner..... no dead air.
No matter how much we liked a song, it the people didn't like it, we took it out of the set list. No matter how much we hated a song, if the people liked it, we kept it in the set list. (Wipe out, Swinging, Toot Toot, and several others)
That band was good in so many ways, but most importantly, we knew what the audience wanted and we gave it to them week after week.
Our first gig, people in the club knew the last band had been fired after having been there for some time.....and here we came.... we played the first song, a fast one.....and the people just sat and stared. No one got up to dance. At the end of the song, silence..... so the drummer says over the PA.... "Are y'all just gonna set there like bumps on a log and let us have all the fun?"..... then without a pause, he counts off the next tune..... suddenly, half the club jumped up and was on the dance floor....and they stayed that was for the next 2.5 years. What a fun gig that was.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I have another post about StreetJelly.com here -- it seems like a fine way to practice your solo act (for those that are not that experienced at performing). For experienced folks, maybe you can find a few new fans. Although the site is mainly made up of other performers at the moment, I did run into a non-musician listener-only last night during someone else's show.
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Hey Robb, thanks for turning us on to Darrell Scott! He is great! I haven't heard of him before now.
Todd
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Hey Robb, thanks for turning us on to Darrell Scott! He is great! I haven't heard of him before now. Darrell Scott has a lot of really good songs. My favorite is about a small coal town near where I grew up called "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive". Patty Lovelace did a great version of Darrell's song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqDVObM1kxc
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Yeah Bob, I checked out her version. It's good but Darrell has truckloads of soul.
Todd
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Yeah Bob, I checked out her version. It's good but Darrell has truckloads of soul. Indeed he does. I've seen him a couple of times at Merlefest in NC.
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You have one guitar and one voice, so don't do "Seven Bridges Road".
Rita Coolidge proved with her recording of Seven Bridges Road that it can be performed beautifully without being in four part harmony.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
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