JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Humorous Things to Say Between Songs

Hi Everyone,
I'm a solo performer in the Maryland, D.C. area. I'm making a list of funny things to say in between songs. Instead of saying, "This next tune is from Jimmy Buffett", I say stuff like, "I had a very special request, but I'm gonna keep singing anyway". You get the idea. If you can tell me two or three of your favorite lines to use, I can include them in my show and make people think I'm incredibly funny when all I did was post a message on jpfolks. Thanks

Erik

DANGER! DANGER! WARNING! WARNING!

This is just my opinion, but most of those "funny things to say between songs" are not really funny. I've heard 'em all from, "You can request any song you want as long as it's 'Proud Mary'" to the imitation Elvis, "Thank you... thank you very much."

Don't mean to offend, but your performance is a personal thing. Why muck it up with stock lines? I really believe that the best humor is spontanious: watch what happens around you when you perform and you'll see all kinds of funny stuff that you can comment on.

Self-depreciating humor ("I had a request but I'll keep on singing anyway") is ok in VERY small doses. Keep it up and your audience will begin to think less of you.

A bar owner once cornered me during a break and said, "Who do you think you are, a friggin' radio announcer? More music, less talk." I took his advice to heart. It's not necessary to name every song you play, or even to comment between every song.

I just think it's best to keep the patter to a minimum.

Peace
Billy Bob

Ahhhh I gotta chime in here! I'll disagree with BB a bit on this one. I think a few lines here and there make for a more personable and memorable experience for the audience.... and maybe this is just that... a personal preference. I don't like a TON of chat from the performer, but perhaps laying down where the idea the song came from if it was written by the performer and I loved that "special request" line.

Maybe those of us who perform (me NOT being one of them) have heard all of those funny, tried lines..... but I think some personality showing through a performance if done well only enhances the totality of the program.

I agree with BB on the limiting the self deprecating humor. And canned one liners from the stage don't do it for me either. But I also agree with Teri on making it a personal experience between you and the audience. The talk between songs should give the audience a chance to get to know something about you and your music. One liners don't do that.

"So did you hear about the musician who went around getting a punch line in between each song? No, nobody else ever heard of him either."

Oh, Terri, I agree with you almost totally. There has to be SOME verbal communication with the audience or the entertainer is no different than a juke box. The key is to get the audience involved when you do speak. And that's why stock lines, for the most part, don't work. Every audience is different so in a way every performance is different.

It's surprising how many great singers are lousy talkers. I guess that's the difference between a musician and an entertainer. How many times have you heard a good singer mumble and ramble between songs? Hardly anyone but the people who are really digging you listen.

And therin lies another danger when performing. Most times you'll have a couple of tables who are really into what you are doing. The rest of the people may be enjoying the performance, but they may not hang on every word. The important part is to stay focused on the entire audience, not just the people who are giving you feedback.

I suppose it depends on the location as well. If you're in an intimate, acoustic setting, you can get away with more talk. But in a bar setting (and I've played more than I care to remember) you gotta keep your patter short and sweet.

I remember how disillusioned I was the first time a bar owner asked me to announce the drink specials - LOL! But it's part of the job.

"So did you hear about the Nashville Publisher who got hit by a train. He just didn't hear it."

Billy Bob

[This message has been edited by BB Wilbur (edited 11-07-2002).]

I'm in the camp of be spontaneous. Okay, that said, extended tuning time without talk is death. I heard this once from a guy in tuning hell:

"Anybody here have perfect pitch?" Crowd does not respond. "Good, then I'm in tune."

I enjoy interacting with the crowd between songs, but I don't script it. There are a couple of humorous stories I'll tell about particular songs, but the rest of the dialog is spontaneous.

Of course, not everyone feels comfortable winging it...so, in that case I don't see anything wrong with having a couple pat lines to use in awkward situations...like when tuning.

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Jeffrey Altergott
http://www.jeffinthebox.com

Hi Folks,

I heard one of the few bits of patter that I ever appreciated from Greg Brown ( the well known singer/songwriter from the midwest).

Setting up a break up song, he told of another songwriter friend of his who was despondent over a final breakup. When the friend tried to put a brave face on it by saying " yea, Greg, but I got a good song out of it," Greg replied by saying " sure buddy, try sleeping with your new song."

Generally I agree that patter should be handed out in small doses.

have a good one

Peter Taos NM

Most of my patter is with the audience rather than at the audience and with as much eye contact as possible with as many as possible. I almost always start with a question such as, Ok ,People, This guy had a terrible voice, couldn't sing worth a darn, but, He sang with such feeling, stayed on pitch and had perfect timing. I loved hearing him sing almost any song, but, this is my favorite. Tell me who he was. He sang---(I play the intro to the song on the last two sentences) Then I sing,
I see trees of green, red roses too
I watch them bloom, for me and for you
And I say to myself
AHHH, What a wonderful world.

Then I watch them smile because they like the song and they know who sang it. I think working the people is one of the most rewarding parts of this business. I rearrange, and change my shows as I am performing and reading the audience as I sing and play. That is one reason I do not have a specific joke planned. My jokes are spontaneous and are mostly delivered to include my spectators in my shows. Never to ridicule or to insult, but, to lend humor and interest in my next song. My shows are an hour long and sometimes run over a bit if we are having a wonderful time. I almost always use Mustang Sally, an audience participation song and give them fair warning to turn down their hearing aids and hang onto the sides of their chairs because I get a little wild and a lot loud. The end of that is quite loud with drum accompaniment and really does shake the room. After some much appreciated applause, I ask if everyone is all right. Then I ask them to please join me in singing another of my favorite songs, One that will tell how I feel right about now. By now my intro is starting and I can jump in anytime. I ask them, sing with me now--
I'll be loving you, Then I point the mike at them and they always sing loud and clear--ALWAYS> The End. Idamarie

Well, I do comedy music and use a lot of in between song patter to keep the laughs going. Part of this is because I am usually performing in comedy clubs or locations like that..

I will say that coming up with somthing that will usually get you a laugh every time is hard. The lines that work were many months in the telling/bombimg/rewriting/retelling.

However, i have noticed that crowds that come to see music and a lot more giving with their laughs than a comedy club crowd.

I am sure this adds nothing to the topic, but it was worth a shot.

Grant

A really great piece of advice, that I think came from Derek Silvers at CDBaby:

When onstage, be yourself, but amplified. I don't mean "plug in" - but rather, take your personality and amplify it. The real you will come across.

I am a big advocate of onstage banter. It connects the audience to you...just don't overdo it!

I am primarily an originals artist, but even when doing covers, there's usually something you can tell the audience about the artist, or the song, or the title that you are covering. You don't have to have a whole history of the artist, or a running monologue. Take a look at the songs on your setlist, and see what leads towards a comment. It can change based on the weather, news, your mood, etc.

Good luck!

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Marian Mastrorilli
mastrose@aol.com
http://www.projectmercury.net

Occasional very short patter is OK. If the set up for a punch line is long, it better be a very good punchline. I don't usually like hearing why someone wrote a song. A very long intro or dedication makes me want to say, "Sing already." I feel the same no matter who is singing. Famous or unknown. It's all the same. My two exceptions to this is the late Victor Borge and Tom Lehrer. I love to hear their patter.

JeanB

[This message has been edited by JeanB (edited 11-08-2002).]

I have to disagree with you Jean on this one... I think occassionally giving the story behind a song helps the audience make a real life connection to their life, especially if it's something they've gone through on a personal level. It can make the difference between the song being actually listened and related to, or just being "background" music, at least in the coffeehouse situations I mostly perform in. I don't think it should be on every song cause then it does start to take away a bit. But, I've always like the VH-1 show "Storytellers" for that reason. You get the reason behind the song. As for humorous talk, I try to interact with the audience and do things spontaneously, cause I have a quick wit.
davey O.

[This message has been edited by 3daveyO3 (edited 11-09-2002).]

I try to play as much of my original stuff as possible. Telling a story of how the song came about usually works for me. Some of the info and background usually turns out to be quite amusing to the audience. Mind you, sometimes I'm not sure why. I use whatever it was they found funniest the next time I play, and try building on it. I don't consciencely do it (like sit down with a piece of paper and write myself a little script or anything.) It just happens. Up here...in my head.

Heeeeelp!

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"I've heard the allegations and I know who the alligators are."
~ Jake Campbell

Davey,

I wasn't advising against it, I was just saying that I personally don't like to hear the motivation or the story behind it. I don't like hearing things like, "This song was inspired by my latest failed relationship" or "I wrote this song during my latest tour, or "this song helped me break out of writer's block, " or "this is a song about twisted love" or "this is about a love gone wrong" etc.

Although I don't mind a very brief dedication to individuals or groups, I really don't want to hear why they are dedicating it to them or the story behind it before I hear the song. I prefer to learn about it in the song itself. Why someone wrote it is not important to me, the song itself is.

Jean,
I understand where you're coming from on this, however, it's easier for us as musicians and/or songwriters to focus and listen to a piece of music or a song. Because of our musical backgrounds we pay attention to those things more readily. As for the average listener, sometimes they need to be prodded into paying attention so that they can hear that someone else is going through the same things as they are and find relatabilty through a particular song. Case in point, my song "Eugenia" which I posted on the Lyric Board #2 recently. When I introduce that song and explain how it was written and the things I went through with the passing of my Mom, I can see the audience take notice of what I'm saying and actually stop chatting (which people often do in coffeehouses) and LISTEN to the song which always results in very positive reaction from the audience. As well, I've had people come to me between sets and tell me how touched they were by the song. Furthermore, when people are actually listening to what I'm performing, they have a tendency to come over to the merch table and look at my CD's to find which CD the song they connected with is on, which usually leads to sales. I'm not attempting to "dumb down" an audience, but I know for a fact that I listen to music much differently than say my brother, wife or sisters. I can listen to a song and block out other parts enough to just study the hi-hat pattern on the drums and how it's subdividing the rhythm, or find little guitar lines that are interwoven through a section. Either approach to communicating with the audience is really neither right or wrong, I guess it's just a matter of learning to read the audience and figure out through experience what's gonna work or not. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, yet I respect your honest opinion.
Best,
davey O.

[This message has been edited by 3daveyO3 (edited 11-09-2002).]

I think it also helps to "personalize"
your comments for a particular venue,
place or city.
Audiences LOVE hearing something special about their home, especially if it is humorous.

Emily

I see your point, Davey. Especially for people who don't often go to see live performances and who may not personally not know any performers. It's food for thought.



JeanB

Heck JeanB, all of those examples of banter that you gave are truly boring and I can see why you wouldn't want to hear "the story behind the song". Ozzy Osbourne usually fills time between songs by cursing, and throwing buckets of water at his audience. I'll have to try that next folk night at the local pub. I'm sure it will go over big, and will no doubt be quite a surprise to the unsuspecting mocha latte crowd.

Seriously, there are people who really are interested in knowing about how a particular song came to be. Making the story interesting is our job. If we can't make it interesting (or funny) then we should think of doing something else to interact with the audience. Of course we could just throw a bucket of water at them and call it a night.

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"I've heard the allegations and I know who the alligators are."
~ Jake Campbell

[This message has been edited by Dwells (edited 11-09-2002).]

I'm a True Fledgeling at this Performer's Thing, but (& Yeah, this'll Date Me a Bit) Frank Sinatra just about ALWAYS prefaced a Song with its Songwriters' Names and a brief bit about The Song.

The Crowd EXPECTED This, he allus Delivered. A real Act of Respect towards the Writers, by The Singer.

"Sinatra at The Sands", a GREAT Live Album, with Count Basie's Band backin' him, has TONS of Great Patter between Songs. At one point, a guy obviously gets up to head off to The John; Sinatra notes this & adds "8-to-5 he don't Make It..."

Thanks for Sharin' all these Great "Insider" Moves, Folks!

Big Hug,
TampaStan

I suppose I'll add my two cents. I think it really depends on the situation and your personality whether you talk or not. I don't really like to hear a lot of "smart" banter on the bandstand. And there are very few who do it well. I think those who are just about the best at it is the Barenaked Ladies. It's all spontaneous, and a lot of it is funny. But if you're not into talking to the audience, it's really painful if you try--usually for both audience and front person. I'm a singer/songwriter and I've played for a number of years. I've tried just about every approach--silence, explaining everything, being funny, etc. It's all about "feeling out" the audience. Sometime they want it, sometimes they don't. And if it doesn't feel natural to you, by all means don't do it.

I don't know. I like those folks who don't talk a lot. I could listen to James Taylor all day, and I don't think he says much between songs. Of course we all are familiar with his music. It's much harder being unknown as you all know. I guess striking a balance is important. People want to know a little about you, but if they hear a dissertation on stage between songs and the music isn't there, then it doesn't matter what you say.

Mark

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[b]Mark Carson Band[b]
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[*] javamusic


[*] mp3 site--3 CDs for sale

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My shows are about a 50/50 mix of covers to originals.
The venues are a mix of coffee houses to restaurants to bars.
Most audiences want to hear music not talk. I do however give some banter. The majority of the time it's a quick snippet about the song. I'll give the true story about how Steve Goodman got City of New Orleans to Arlo, or that the next song is the longest in my set, when it came out it had to be put on both sides of the 45.(American Pie)
Other than that it's a little one on one coments with crowd members.
I have come to realize that it is a fine line between talking too much and not enough.


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New CD "Penny for My Thoughts now available at
www.kenfranz.com,CD Street, CD Baby and Amazon.com

Saw McCartney twice this year, and he told the same things at the same spots, but it felt VERY fresh the second time too. It was practiced spontanious talk! Very Pro, short and sweet. And not a dead moment in the 2 and a half hours! Even when he was changing instruments, one of the guitar players or the drummer would say a few set words, then Paul would shoot back a sentence or two, tben on with the song. His more involved stories were far apart, (not doing them long after each song). "Flow" was the focus. Like some songs, the show had a beginning, middle, bridge, and end. Well crafted.

Besides already being a pro performer, like Paul is of course, I think SOMEHOW "being relaxed" is the first step to being able to relate a joke or short story to a crowd. Jitters sounds like Jitters! Not appealing at all, no matter the lines. It can be a letdown from the music.

Trial and error is the way for most. Some have it naturally, and others don't. You'll know soon enough which one you are. If not so good at the verbage, either seek pro help in public speaking, (there are people who teach this), and/or with some comedy pros, or just play the damn songs and smile a lot, looking at people! Use your eyes to say a lot if your brain is full of marbles!

I have tuned pianos for many pros for their concerts. And at rehearsal, some would rehearse their lines, or story, to keep them fresh in their heads, and for the "timing", so it's not forced, but flowing, just like the songs they would rehearse in sound check. Some can wing it, and that's great for those kinds of natural talents, with a great natural appeal, no matter what they say.

Again,,,,,KNOW what you can and can't do, and work hard on your weaknesses. Have honest others let you know if you're not sure because of a local friendly crowd. Don't seek back patters, but REAL honest folks with educated opinions......
Just Plain Folks!

I once tried to tell an on-the-spot joke about our song title, and the crowd looked puzzled! It was called "My Blue Moon", but I don't remember what I said. The audience looks are all I can remember. Must have been bad. I was told to "shut up and just play" after that! I did, and later got to play with people like Chuck Berry and many others, so listen to strong opinions, or the looks on people's faces! I'm funny around my wife, but not on stage. She just doesn't know it yet!

John

[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 11-10-2002).]

I normally don't say anything in between songs during a writer's round. A lot of people do because I think that THEY think the audience wants to hear how the song was written, however, in my opinion, I like to just sing the song and let it stand on it's own. If I tell them what it's about, I might as well not have wrote a song about it.. hahaha

Seriously, if they like the song enough, they usually come up to me afterwards and ask ME if the song was true, or how I wrote it. That's when I know the message of the SONG got through, not me telling them in advance.

Just my 2 cents. (smile)

I have to agree here. Last year I saw BNL several nights in a row on their tour and even though the sets, musically, were the same each night (for the most part) each show felt completely different because of their in between song banter. The thing is thought, not EVERYTHING they tried was HILARIOUS, but they all are very cool about that and if something wasn't working they commented on it, which made it work!

Grant

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Check out
www.throwingtoasters.
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This topic has brought in a lot of good feedback. I do think we need to take the audience and night into consideration when using stage banter.

I can cite many examples of people coming to me afterwards, because a song I'd prefaced connected with them. They did sit and listen. I haven't had ANYONE (except impatient bandmates!) say "Talk less!"

Also - it's a great point that banter helps pass the time during instrument changes, tunings etc.

I'd say the best storyteller I've ever seen is Bruce Springsteen, in his "glory days." He could draw you in so close, even in a huge arena.

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Marian Mastrorilli
mastrose@aol.com
http://www.projectmercury.net

For me, banter that sounds like it's forced or TOO practiced doesn't sit well.

However, the songs we hear in a concert are about the music and the situations they frame...but they don't usually tell us much about the performer. So the banter helps us get to know the PERFORMER more intimately. (You can pick up on the performer's attitude, ego size, character, and a lot of other things by listening to WHAT s/he chooses to talk about between songs, and HOW the remarks are delivered. That has sometimes proven more interesting to me than the music being played!)

So I vote: Banter--YES!!
But on canned remarks--Only when used sparingly and delivered well. (still working on this one myself, folks...)

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www.mp3.com/crisisrocks
www.mp3.com/dianatyler

From a Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks Live Album: "This next song is about... oh, it's about 3 minutes long."
You can really play up the "I wrote this song" angle: "I wrote this song while I was an intern at the Whitehouse." "I wrote this song during my affair with Madonna, which lasted about as long as this song." "I wrote this song while I was in liars annonymous." I'm sure you get the idea.
You have to be larger than life when you're onstage. That doesn't mean that you have to be a clown, but you are supposed to be giving a performance.
Bob Dylan doesn't talk much, but if you write songs like he does you don't have to.
If you're having fun, your audience will too.

I have to agree with something Marian said, and that you DO have to take the situation and venue you're playing in into consideration. At many of the places I perform at, which are mainly coffee house venues, people aren't there to be blown away by your performance. For all intents and purposes, anyone could be playing, or they'd be just as content with piped in satellite radio. Alot of the folks are just coming in to get warm with a cup of coffee, for some dessert after dinner and a movie, to have conversation or alot of college students come in to study. One consideration that can totally turn a crowd against you is volume level. You have to be willing to perhaps suffer with not hearing yourself as well sometimes so that the people ther can talk at a reasonable level. Just some thoughts...
davey O.

I recently attended a seminar where a well-known expert in artist development said to actually chat with your audience for as much time as you are playing music! That may be taking it to an extreme, but his point was that you need to use the time between songs to connect with the audience, as some here have suggested. Since hearing his advice, I have noticed that what he said is true...when I see performers using that time to tell a personal story about what inspired the song, it really did build a connection with me and I paid more attention to the song afterwards. Storytelling is very powerful and sometimes the audience is so easily distracted that the song itself doesn't do the job. Also, regarding humor, the artist that I represent doesn't have lots of humor in his songs and notices that other songwriters use humor to hook audiences very effectively. So he is now using the time in between songs to weave some humor into his set. I think it is also a powerful way to connect with audiences.

The advisor who did the seminar I mentioned said that doing this connecting with the audience in this way will increase CD sales at your shows. I am looking for examples from artists to support this assertion, so post your success stories if you try this out and it works.

Thanks,

Stacey

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my blog:
http://www.staceydepolo.com/blogger.html
my favorite music: www.mokaimusic.com
_ _____________ _

B A R D I C M E D I A
Telling Your Story
www.BardicMedia.com

One thing to remember. If it doesn't come naturally, it won't be funny/humerous.

i love banter. personal banter though - not that of a self deprecating nature. i do LOVE a good storyteller though. i always really enjoyed james taylor's music but after seeing him perform i was blown away. he was just so at ease and i was drawn into his stories and laughing at his jokes the whole time. his music made me respect him. his banter made me love him. jewel's another one who's fun to listen to between songs. even though there are some songs i want left to my own interpretation, if there's a great story behind a song, i wanna hear it it makes me like the artist better and want to know/hear more.

As a performer who plays both solo and with a band I figured I'd chime in on this...

I have a tendency to have people come up to me and ask where I got something that I said, my usual response is: "what did I say?" I have intensions on saying something that may have been thought of prior to performance, but then I always end up improvising.

A large majority of the time it's apparently witty/funny/inciteful/etc... There are occassions though, when I know it's not working and I end up starting a song and shutting my mouth.

Now, when I'm performing solo, that's usually when more of a story nature comes out for songs. People seem to expect that in a solo setting. However, when I'm performing with a full band - the whole thing changes.

With the whole band, I'm less likely to spew tons of words about a song. I'm more likely to bring other members of the band to the mic to include them in the banter, but it's almost always short and to the point and the music tends to be the major priority.

So my observation is: when solo - talk as much as you can get away with, without boring the audience. When with a band - say something here or there then shut up and play.

I think one thing that really helps the banter is somehow tying it to your CD's or your merch, or the song. Random, non-related stuff doesn't work so well.

Jody
www.jodywhitesides.com

Wow,
Lots of great feedback on this one...BUT...Alot of you are debating whether banter between songs is a good idea or not. The thing is...that's part of my schick. A lot of performers around here play one song after another and never talk to the audience at all. While they are wonderful singers/musicians, they sometimes come off as being stuck-up and way too serious about what they are doing. I try to remember that I am ENTERTAINING people. So if I can make them laugh and sing along and clap their hands, I feel like I'm doing my job. I don't want people leaving my show saying "That was the best singer I've ever heard" or "What a wonderful musician". I want them to say "I had a great time, let's come back again next week".
So, instead of the insight about whether I should talk between tunes or not, how about giving me a line or two that you've used or that you've heard and let me go my silly, merry little way.

Here's one that always works well.

I say, "What I do is tell a few jokes, sing a few songs, drink beer, meet women and I get paid. Is this a great country or what?"

hey

i havent started the performing end of my career yet, but i worked with one of the biggest bands around for two years and learned alot about FILLING SPACE.

here are some tips:

1. Learn the BARTENDERS NAMES, and introduce THEM to the crowd during the performance. Say something about them to the crowd (the way jay leno does with kevin eubanks). Anyone the bartender is serving during those few minutes WILL AUTOMATICALLY LISTEN. (club owners love this as well.) Thats when you can mention the drink specials too. Example: "FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDNT KNOW, RACHEL IS THE BEAUTIFUL BARTENDER YOU SEE BEHIND THE BAR. SHE'S THE ONE OFFERING "SEX ON THE BEACH" FOR TWO DOLLARS."

2. Never mention how your songs relate to YOU. Instead, mention how it relates to something the characters of FRIENDS or SEINFELD went through. For instance, takes the episode where rachelle dumps ross, because of the LIST. Let your song explain what you think he should've done.

3. Go to the place your going to be performing at, and go to the bathroom. can you here the band playing while your in there. If so, dedicate a song during YOUR performance, to the guy on the TOILET. Let him know you understand. Be careful with this approach when playing in resteraunts.

im tired of typing, but hopefully this helps.

scott

Wow, I couldn't agree less with this! I'd much rather hear about a real live person's story than a rehash of a fake sitcom plot! Especially since I'm one of the rare creatures that didn't like Seinfeld after the first few years.

"Never mention how your songs relate to YOU. Instead, mention how it relates to something the characters of FRIENDS or SEINFELD went through. For instance, takes the episode where rachelle dumps ross, because of the LIST. Let your song explain what you think he should've done."

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Marian Mastrorilli
mastrose@aol.com
http://www.projectmercury.net

I'd have a problem with that too - seeing is I don't even know who Rachel and Ross are.

If you can connect the banter about a song to someone in the audience or one of the bartenders - that's very cool. Gives them and the folks around them one more reason to listen carefully.

But relating it to a sitcom - not unless its playing on the TV's behind the bar while you're on stage and you really feel like you want to get the attention of those watching it. Otherwise, you just might be encouraging those wathcing you to watch the TV.

hey if you're in the dc area, where do you play? it'd be interesting to see this banter first hand... also there's a dc chapter just in case you didn't know and we've been talking about getting something together one of these days... ciao, flo

Seems too good a topic to pass up replying to. I think you are either funny or you are not, and it's incredibly important to know which category you fall under. As for banter in general I agree with the sentiment that it needs to be spontaneous and not rehearsed.

Just be yourself times 10. If you're naturally funny.. be funny.. if you are deep and philosophical, use that in small doses..

Preaching a topic won't typically gain you much positive response though. Usually humor or something of an interesting/educational nature that is short and concise and INTERESTING to the audience can work if that is your thing.

In general, long intros about songs better pay off in a very big way. Steve Seskin is a genuis at doing this.. but his songs always pay off in a big way. If you are still developing, it's often best just to get to the songs and be friendly and responsive to the audience in sincere and non-canned ways unless you've found your own comments work for your audiences and you haven't used it with a particular group before. (i.e. you're touring across the country and playing for folks who have never seen you.) Using the same pre-canned jokes/comments over and over in a local town can backfire.

There is no right or wrong way in the end. There's only YOUR way. And if YOUR way is good enough, people will respond positively.. if not.. they'll let you know!

Brian

Hey Fanito,
I don't get to D.C. Can't find a place to park. I'll let know if I do. Thanks,

Erik

According to a recent survey, men say the first thing they notice about a woman is her eyes, and women say the first thing they notice about men is they're a bunch of liars.

Pre-canned lines like:

"What I do is tell a few jokes, sing a few songs, drink beer, meet women and I get paid. Is this a great country or what?"

seem too generic to really entertain the audience. If you want your listeners to really connect with you, find some common ground. Talk about the venue, the bartender, the city, local events, etc. Create something you can share. Also, interaction in the form of questions helps get the audience into a joke. For example, if playing in a bar, ask:
"How many of yall are out there sippin' on a beer?"
::light applause/noise::
"All right, how many of yall are havin' some mixed drinks?"
::more light applause::
"Right on, and how many of yall are suckin down a big glass of fruit juice?"
::silent pause...::
"All right, my kinda crowd!"

I feel like spontaneous lines are the best, but they don't have to be straight off the top of your head. When you first enter the venue, look around for distinguishing features to comment on. Like if there's a gigantic deer head mounted on the wall, say "That dude with the antlers up there has no taste in music. He hasn't clapped for any of my songs so far." Make the commentary unique to the audience and the venue, and they'll feel more personally connected to you.

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"The place to improve the world is in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there."
- Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

This next song is from Pete Townsend. It's called "The Kids Are All Right".

Great thread this! My Tips:

Be yourself!
Have fun! – Because if you aren’t enjoying yourself there’s no way the audience will be!!
Personally I like a bit of banter between songs, interaction with the audience is great, but don’t overdo it!
Keep the show going – chat is better than nothing! Make sure you have something to say when the band is not ready to start the next song (e.g. instrument changing).
If there’s a good story relating to a song – tell it!
The odd stock one-liner is ok, but don’t do it between every song, the audience will get tired of it.

Cheers

Nige

PS. “Excuse me if I get a bit tearful during this next song - I’ve been feeling upset lately because my wife’s run off with my next door neighbor – ..and boy! do I miss him!”

This song requires some amazing guitar work. And at no time do my fingers leave my hands.

When I did the bars and restaurants in Australia, in the 80's before backing tracks & karaoke, I would always inject a few lines to liven up the evening - with 4 main points in mind;
1 The timing should be right (ie Beer consumption level) or you won't get a titter
2 Make sure to switch off the reverb because talking is different from singing. They won't hear a word
3 Don't take the p**s out of customers
4 Pick the biggest (usually the liveliest) group of people in the room and get one of them on stage to do a number with you - the rest will bring the room up a notch.
Ditties;-
- Don Maclaine finally disclosed what the song "American Pie" means - he said it means he doesn't have to work for the rest of his life
- This song is by Stevie Wonder - he had an arguement with his wife last week, so she changed all the furniture around
- To the barstaff/manager "can I have a bottle of champagne for this table please"? What? Why not they seem Ok to me?
- "Anyone here like Jimmy Buffet?" (Reply Yeahh!!) "Me too he's good isn't he I wish I
could do some of his songs! OR
"I'll tell him when I see him"
- Any intellectuals out there? (response?) OK I'll play the William Tell Overture and if you don't think about the Lone Ranger I'll buy you a beer!
- Mark Knopplfler and Chris Rhea are forming a band together - its going to be called Dire-Rhea

Spread evenly over a night it can lift the crowd a bit. Some nights they get it some nights they don't - them's the breaks
(Well you did ask Erik?)
Tony

Tonight, for the first time, I played Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why". At the conclusion, I said, "Norah Jones, Don't Know Why, She Didn't Come....Maybe she was thinkin' about baseball".

Now THIS is an enjoyable, useful, entertaining, and completely on-target thread!!!

I think that "canned" jokes can work, I've seen them work pretty well, and other times, not at all; depends on the "delivery"...

I think that humor tailored to the situation, the room, and the people in it works more often.

The rare success story for me in this context happened at an open mic; I got up on front of the microphone, looked out right in front of me, and there was a yound kid at one of the tables who was a dead ringer for the actor in the Harry Potter movies. I said "before I get started, I just wanted to acknowledge that we have a big celebrity in the audience tonight... right down here in front, we have Harry Potter!"... The kid, of course, loved it, and the crowd reacted positively to the kids enjoyment. I at least had their attention for my two songs...

[This message has been edited by Bob McKillop (edited 03-12-2003).]

I wasn't gonna get in here...this is a dangerous subject..too much "patter" or "schtick" as I grew up calling it, can kill you...on the other hand, not enough interplay with an audience and they might as well have a friggin' jukebox !

One little tip....in my experience, I have found that the "WC Fields" under the breath technique works very well...it matters as much more how you say what you say than what you say....

A simple "yeah...sure" muttered a bit off mike so that it sounds like you're talking to yourself can bring down the house as readily as a 4 minute story with props and two topless waitresses !

Learn to talk to yourself..just a bit off mike...the audience will often quiet down to hear what the hell is going on...if you say something that bombs you can even ridicule the utterance to yourself (that's the last time I buy a joke from a busboy) or something like that...

Try it...it's easy and it can really work for you....the hard part is not overdoing it..comedy is addictive..once you find a way to make an audience laugh..you wanna be Richard Pryor....it's really seductive.

Good luck

Bob Young