TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

What do you gfind makes an enjoyable gig? Is it the venue, knowing you are playing well, audience response? Often wondered how those on stage viewed the proceedings.
Conversely what makes a bad gig?

cheers, rachel

a gnu at the gnig, always works for us. :P

In my limited verging on semi-pro experience
1 Audience
2 Audience
3 Audience
4 inter band dynamics
5 how well you play

Having proper hair.

Patchouli, strangers that share herbal remedies (well, it was the Grateful Dead), strangers that share crates of beer (Neil Young), bumping into friends you had lost touch with (Stones, Led Zep) and enjoying the music.

Not ANALysing, not dissecting just enjoying the gig for what it is.....

I'd say its artist audience rapport - I have seen some big bands who just played their stuff and then went back to the rider and the groupies and some smaller, and bigger bands who just wanted to be part of the show.  The ones who rocked, well....rocked. ;)

Pigmy Gnoats.  And Gnhorses.  And Gnuinness (large not pigmy) ;D

never looking at your watch until they play their big hit and then going "what!?!? That was it!?!?!?"

Had you asked me that 35 years ago I would have said coming home deaf through having head in bass bins all night.

Now its good venue, good company, good band, few drinks, somewhere to dance (if appropriate) and somewhere to sit when the joints ache (this is obviously from a punters point of view).

Sandra

 no, it's from the bands' point of view too, these days.... ::)

I was trying to analyse what makes a good gig for me. And my two favourite gigs were both at Cropredy.
1/. Edward II when we got the whole field rocking. That was such a buzz for the band.
2/. Morris On at Cropredy. Watching an unsuspecting audience getting into it as the gig progressed.
So the answer to a 'what makes a good gig' seems to be the audience reaction.

Well done to the Croppers crowd for being very openminded and encouraging

Simon

What makes a good gig? When the band are enjoying it as much as the audience and the electricity is flowing between the two.

And a bad one? When the band is only communicating with each other and not with the audience at all (often because of the influence of drink or other substances).

Over the years, I've experienced both extremes watching Fairport! Thankfully the latter only once.

SPEAKING AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER,  sorry caps again,  its getting lost in it all, sometimes with hed in bass bin, and at festys really getting lost in it all somewhere, but speaking as someone who has been sent millions of demos and booked and organised a load of gigs then its the attitude of the band.  there's nothing worse than bands who overcharge and produce ridiculous lenthy riders - except perhaps that all too common breed of performer who has forgotten that his/her sh1t does stink and has disappeared up their own a**8hole.
the best gigs i've ever been responsible for organising have been the ones where the band turns up early, didnt moan about the sound, got changed in my living room, ha d a cup of tea then played their pants off.  thenstayed behind for a few beers with the punters.
great memories ;D

Whilst generally concurring with most of the comments below the icing on the cake for me is how much the artist/band get have got into it as well.  Even if I'm not overly keen on the music a band obviously having a bloody good time causes me to have a bloody good time too :D

The band/performers & roadies & mixer
The material
The audience
The bar

...are all crucial. Well, perhaps not the bar, but that generally helps of a real ale is available.