Concert cliches

Hunter P · 07-18-2003, 01:33 PM

"We thought they knew how to rock in Shelbyville..."
"Boooooo!"
"...but nobody rocks like [looks at back of guitar] Springfield!"
"Yeaaaaaaa!"

From the "Otto Show" episode from The Simpsons, guest starring Spinal Tap.

This famous scene best exemplifies concert cliches that we in the audience just fall for every time. I was at a concert this week (John Mayer/Counting Crows). The singer mentions the name of the city and crowd goes nuts. Happened just like in every concert that I have ever been to.

What surprised me is that a ton of people started leaving after John Mayer thanked everyone for coming and told us he was going to sing his last song. Yeah, right, "last song," wink, wink. Haven't they ever heard of the other big concert cliché: The Encore? They didn't even turn on the auditorium lights and people still thought the concert was over. Encores have become such a cliché that you are surprised if there isn't one.

It's like in wrestling when a wrestler makes a "surprise" entrance to the ring. If it was so surprising then how come his theme music is already cued up and ready to go? In concerts, the encore is so rehearsed that even the lighting guy knows what song is going to play so that he can coordinate with the show.

It always cracks me up whenever I see it happen. We're so easy.

Paul_Medenwaldt · 07-18-2003, 02:09 PM

"Its great to be back in 'insert city name here' its been such a long time since we've been here."
"We have missed you, you guys rock."
"Your such a good looking crowd, give yourselves a hand."

I'm not sure why people cheer when they here an artist say the city's name. I like it more when they forget the name of the city they are in. Its more entertaining seeing a groveling rock star try to make-up for their mistake.

I think one cliche has pretty much burned out....pun intended...its the lighting of the cigarette lighter during love songs. I always thought the lighters were lit at the end of the show encouraging the artist to return for an encore.

Paul

andrew markworthy · 07-18-2003, 02:21 PM

Hunter, you've just cited a couple of the reasons why I stopped going to rock concerts. Contrived cliches aimed at a mass of people that behave like cattle and get the treatment they deserve as a result.

The other thing that drives me nuts is the number of people who think that a rock concert is somewhere to go for a chat, and spend half the concert shouting conversations at each other. Quiet contemplative songs are welcomed by these morons because then it's not only easier for them to talk but ensuring that everyone nearby who is trying to listen to the song gets to hear their conversation instead. A sub-species of this is the cretin intent on yelling 'woo-hoo', 'well all right', or (cringe) 'rock 'n' roll' or similar bon mots at any opportunity (I once heard a moron shout this last phrase when a singer announced that the next song was dedicated to his mother who'd died the previous week). It was this sort of this behaviour that led Roger Waters to write 'The Wall'.

I think large concert venues are largely to blame. Smaller theatres meant that it was largely the diehard fans who went. Now it's the fans and then every airhead that wants a noisy start to the evening before heading off to a nightclub. Plus, large stages encourage graniloquent gestures that inevitably are theatrical rather than heartfelt.

Years ago I saw Camel on the last night of their world tour at a relatively modest 3,000 seat venue. They played through their set and then came back on stage for 90 minutes of encores. They played their own stuff and then rock and roll standards, not because they 'had' to, but because they wanted to - they were winding down after a hard tour and playing the stuff they liked. No fancy lighting, no contrived gestures, just good honest *fun*, which is, let's face it, is what popular music is supposed to be. Fat chance of seeing that in a stadium performance.

Thank you, we love you, goodnight.

Hunter P · 07-18-2003, 04:11 PM

A sub-species of this is the cretin intent on yelling 'woo-hoo'

Too funny because I was lamenting the next day that my friend couldn't make it to the concert because he is our designated "whooooo"-er.

I always feel silly clapping for an encore when I know damn well that an encore is inevitable and it was planned well in advance. Why not just play the amount of songs you wanted to play in the first place? Don't come out with a towel around your neck as if you were "coaxed" by the stage manager to do a couple more songs. I would appreciate the encore more if it were a true encore.

Another cliche is to throw in a couple of cuss words into the lyrics so that the audience can get the feeling that they are getting some taboo version that they would never hear on the radio. "Oh, my gawd, Sandy. He totally, like, said 'shit' instead of 'stuff.' That is soooooo awesome!"

MikeDeVincenzo · 07-18-2003, 06:06 PM

You people need to see more Tori Amos concerts. Tool as well. That is all

**HTF Ads**

Peter Mazur · 07-18-2003, 06:34 PM

I'm not sure if this is the kind of cliche you are talking about but I personally hate solo's. Guitar, drums, keyboards, etc...

I saw Van Halen in concert back in the mid 80's. I swear Eddie had a 20 minute solo. Then there was a 10 minute drum solo. Hell, there was even a bass solo. Definitely not my thing.

andrew markworthy · 07-19-2003, 03:34 AM

Quote:

You people need to see more Tori Amos concerts.

Mike,I didn't realise you hated us that much.

Rob Gillespie · 07-19-2003, 05:37 PM

Fact: The toilets get crowded during the drum solo.

MikeDeVincenzo · 07-19-2003, 09:01 PM

Andrew

LOL...I'll grant you that she's definately an acquired taste and there are many who don't go for her music at all.

However, I think anyone who has heard her truly hillarious/bizarre in between song banter will agree with me that its delightfully free of the stupid cliches that have been mentioned in this thread.

I mentioned TOOL because not only does Maynard avoid the stupid cliches, he openly mocks the practice.

Example: I attended one of their shows a few years ago at Madison Square Garden. Maynard says, "Repeat after me: Think for yourself. Question authority. Think for yourself, question authority." Soon, nearly the whole crowd is chanting it back at him. Maynard then calmly stated, "Don't fucking repeat anything people say to you." Great moment.

Mike Broadman · 07-20-2003, 02:04 PM

Quote:

I mentioned TOOL because not only does Maynard avoid the stupid cliches, he openly mocks the practice.

They also don't do encores.

I read that supposedly Tool ended up doing a gig at some Scientologists' convention unknowingly. When Maynard found out, he stepped up to the mic and belted out, "Bah! Bah!"
(as in a sheep- I'm bad at typing out onomatopoeia.

I saw Tool live once. He didn't do anything so wild, but the show was intense. I was really blown away.

Mike Broadman · 07-20-2003, 02:07 PM

Right now, I'm listening to the Vince Guaraldi Trio's Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, based on music from the film. I had to listen to it because I finally saw the movie last night.

This is a hybrid stereo SACD from Analogue Productions. Great stuff- I'm sure you'd enjoy it.