What makes gig a good gig for you??

[iainw]

been discussing this with some work mates, suprised by the various answers received!

simple question, what makes a gig a good gig in your opinion??

for me (roughly in this order) its obviously how much i like the band, the set list, the venue, the sound set up, and the city in which they are playing.

some of my colleagues like it when they play a song slightly differently on stage compared to the album/single edit and dont just play their new album and a few classics.

agreed i like the odd cover thrown in but i am not a great fan of when they alter the tempo or style of a classic hit. i remember for example i saw britney spears in concert (yes i am not proud of this) and she did hit me baby one more time in like a jazz style, it was 'kin brutal! a travesty, i wanted school uniforms and the classic original.

i saw the view last night at the barras at the barras and i thought they were awesome but some folk in my work who went said they would have been as well standing there wi the CD playin in the background... but to me its just testament to how well they played live! they sounded as good as their produced album roughly (although they ballsed up tradesman and had to restart.)


dont mean to ramble, its friday pm and too sunny to think about thinking about work.

iainw

[Guest 43206]

A good gig for me would be...

- A band I like, supported by at least another band I like or am curious about.
- An enthusiastic crowd, for all bands playing (unlike when I saw Bloc Party and the support band Kaito got a bit of stick, not on really.)
- No talking/shouting in the middle of the gig, VERY annoying, you're there to see the band shut the **** up or go to the bar/outside/anywhere else, etc.
- Not being too near the route to the bar, nothing worse than people barging past to get the lager they starved of for 10 minutes.
- Unusual setting for the gig, makes a difference (Ian Brown in Thetford Forest was excellent.)
- Quality acoustics, setting, etc. (i.e. not Earls Court, it's like a massive sports hall.)

[Guest 51185]

I like to watch a band that put on a good 'show' (ie. not just standing there looking bored) and throw in a few surprises - old songs/B sides.

My favourite gigs have been Manics, Mansun, Super Furry Animals and Radiohead. Different each time I've seen them!

[Guest 13289]

Generally I find the atmosphere makes a great difference. The crowd has to be up for it!

I also love checking out support bands, especially the ones I haven't heard of.

[Guest 23929]

Atmosphere - a good crowd.

Band must be in a) good humour and really enthusiastic or b) really ****** off with each other and the crowd. Can't have anything in between.

Thats it, really.

[Crawf]

Atmosphere, a band who I actually like live (so many disappoint) who are actually enjoying playing, no queues at the bar.

[Guest 60088]

Mine -

- Suprise support bands, someone i have never heard of but win the crowd over
- enthusiastic crowd (copied Ohood here, but totally agree!)
- Good sound, not like the wireless festivals where a strong guest of wind drowns out the music
- A bit of chat from the band instead of playing there album straight through, (nothing too wrong with this but as iainw mate say you may as well sit at home and listen to the albumn)
- Something different in the encore a cover or something!

[iainw]

yeah i like a bit of audience/band banter- the view tried last night but i doubt many of the glasgow folk picked up on the dundonian patter.

can't say i am a fan of encores tho- especially when down at the front an inch away from collapsing from exhaustion, i am of the opinion: eh you've played for an hour now, why do you need to go backstage and dab your brow for 5 minutes just to come back for two more songs... just be honest you're going off to come back for more adulation, just ask for it and get on wi the last two songs lol

i used to love it how the strokes didn't do encores... unfortunately now they have 3 albums under their belt they seem to have bought into them

[Guest 11700]

Being able to see (so good standing position, or reasonable seats)
No idiots near me (this very rarely happens!)
Decent sound
Varied setlist - mix of old, new + covers

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by ohood

- Unusual setting for the gig, makes a difference (Ian Brown in Thetford Forest was excellent.)

I'll second that! That was a fantastic gig, and easy to get right up to the front! Shame none of the bars in the local town stayed open after 12!

I always enjoy it more if it's a band I know and can sing along to when I'm jumping around! Not quite the same if you're not familiar with the songs! I tend to prefer tours after an album has been out for a while as opposed to one where they've got a new album due out and half of it is songs you've not heard yet!
Smaller venues are always better than huge ones to me. I love places like Astoria, Brixton is a bit too big really unless you can fight your way to the front, and stadiums..... no chance. The only band I'd ever bother with in a stadium in Muse (hence having tix for Wembley!)

[Johnny Vodka]

Um, just a good band, with some good songs and (preferably) some interesting instruments on stage.

When I went to see Husky Rescue, there were only ~20 people in the crowd and that was pretty cool. Meant we could easily get near the front without being shoved (and I could gawp at the singer).

[Mr Majestik]

Naked belly dancers and juggling dwarfs are a must for any good show.

[Guest 51185]

Originally Posted by Mr Majestik

Naked belly dancers and juggling dwarfs are a must for any good show.

That sounds like the sort of gig The Darkness would do!

[Mr Majestik]

Originally Posted by Kirs-tea

That sounds like the sort of gig The Darkness would do!

Motley Crue did it on thier last tour.

[Guest 49181]

My taste in music is very varied ; however one element is vital - crowd interaction.

For really full on gigs, a crowd that is into the music is a must. Get a few toes tapping, get a few bodies swaying, get a few of the more energetic throwing themselves around in a mosh pit.

Equally well, I enjoy quiet and more intimate gigs as well. The sort of gig where the band commands the total attention of the audience, hanging on their every word. As an example, there was a band on in Leeds earlier this week supporting Fields, they were called Hush the Many. I got a few pictures of them at the start of the set, but put my camera away after the first two songs because I didn't want to spoil the intimacy of the set.

[mikegray]

A crowd that doesn't talk through the gig. That would be just fine.

[Guest 51185]

Originally Posted by mikegray

A crowd that doesn't talk through the gig. That would be just fine.

i'll 2nd that!

[NicolaUK]

Originally Posted by mikegray

A crowd that doesn't talk through the gig. That would be just fine.

I can never understand this, why go to a gig to chat to your mates

I'm not a fan of being sardined - I think it's old age

I can also forgive bands that don't sound too great live providing they put the effort it, I like passionate performers

[mjb1975]

I do like it when the band changes things with some tracks - mix it up a bit. Otherwise, it's a bit like playing the CD really loudly.

(I went to The Killers at Wembley and wondered why I didn't enjoy it. I'm sure many can put forward lots of reasons (!), but I think it sounded exactly like the CDs).

Having seen (and loved) The Raconteurs and The White Stripes over the last couple of years, I do find musicians who can mix it up a bit and change the way tracks sound, etc. to be particularly impressive.

Oh, and not having a crowd full of *******. I mean the typical fan of Razorlight/Arctic Monkeys/Kooks, etc. Total and complete ********.

[Boink!]

I hate the sea of bloody mobile phones held aloft as people try and photograph the show. Come on, most mobile phone cameras can't handle lighting and show any discernable image from a distance to the stage.

Finally got to see Laibach on tour at the Colchester Arts Centre (a disused church) last night and it was one of the best gigs I've seen in a long while. The band comprised of a pianist, drummer, two synth players, two backing singers and vocalist. There were backing tapes, but they weren't overdone. The band played their new album in the first half of the show; classical / industrial interpretations of various national anthems, not the easiest thing for the audience to try and dance to, and a 'greatest hit' type for the second half which was much more upbeat. They had twin projectors showing various videos and images that matched the songs and twin girl singers / drummers for the second part.
It was a total audio visual package and made for one hell of a show even on a smaller stage. Oh and long sleeved & t-shirts were only Ł13 each.