Rant 309 4/11/12 Subject: Lack of audience etiquette

Rant number 309

There are various types of gigs - and as such, many different ways to enjoy gigs. Either way though, when it comes to enjoying music and respecting musicians - I have only one thing to say:

Shut up.

If someone is performing, they have worked hard to build up the skills you have paid good money to enjoy. If you talk over it, you are doing yourself, the people who are also in the audience and the musicians a great disservice.

It's like people who pay to see comedians and then try and heckle them. If the comedian is really crap - fair enough, you might want to boo them or whatever. If you have paid to watch someone and be entertained by them though - you are not really helping anyone by screaming out every half a second.

Yes, I know that some comedians (Jimmy Carr notably) do spring well off of hecklers. For the most part though - they just come across as bloody idiots - which is what they are.

Another really irritating thing people do is go to the bar and wander around while you are entertaining them. If the music is meant to be background (lounge piano, string quartet) then fair enough, you can talk and get drinks and generally act like a dick. In a proper sit down gig though - you just come across as a douche and show great disrespect to everyone.

The way I look at it (which fair enough is a biased opinion.) There are people on stage, and people in the audience. The people in the audience are the people to be entertained, the people on the stage are the entertainers. It needs to stay like that.

If you had talent, you would be on stage - but you are in the audience, and even if you are talented in the audience - its not your turn.

Either way and simply: show some bloody respect.

Rant over.

Rant 155 3/6/12 Subject: Karaoke

Rant number 154


Today was Jubilee day.
Now don't get me wrong - there are plenty of things I could (and probably will) say on the subject. None the less, I shall not pander to popular consensus and shall stick to the norm - ipso facto: ranting about what bugged me most, not what bugged me most topically.

Today, as prophesied in yesterdays rant I had to do my 10th (and thankfully final) march of the weekend. It was cold, it was rainy - it was: in a simple word... grim. But that's not what I'm going to talk about (particularly as I covered most of my points on the subject yesterday.)

Afterwards, I had a couple of hours to kill and so me and some other band members wandered on down to the local watering hole for a few.
Now to start off with, there was some quiet background music - which was spot on, as we had various insults to trade and subjects to discuss.

A short while later, some jubilee festivities were to kick off - which meant that the music got a little louder. I wasn't in the mood, but it really didn't bother me much at all.

Until...

The real music disappeared and the Karaoke began.

I really hate to listen to Karaoke, its terrible.

It encourages those who just can't sing, to try - and in public. Gone of the days where people sung into their hair brushes in the shower to prevent everyones embarrassment.  Now its all about getting themselves on stage - to try and fill the void of talent in their souls.

The whole thing is a bit of a sick joke. Even those with genuine talent seem awful with the terrible backing tracks and the lyrics running by on screen. Those without - well. It's just awful.

It's also inspired all of the terrible bloody TV talent shows, which says a lot doesn't it!

I hate Karaoke!

Rant over.