Entertainment or Expression

By David A. Barber
Author of Gigging, Everything You Need to Know About Playing Gigs (Except How to Play Your Axe)

Recently, we’ve seen a few bands who seem to have gone out of their way to hire musicians who seem so serious about their art that they can’t even be bothered to smile while performing live. We know there’s a market for serious-emo or whatever you want to call it, but it brings up the question of whether the band is playing for pleasure (theirs or the audiences) or for the expression of an idea or concept so serious that it cannot or should not be delivered with a smile.

Our opinion is that most people listen to music for entertainment reasons. Not educational reasons or because they want to learn something or be preached at. Even church-gospel has entertainment value and can be quite fun to perform as well as listen to. The same must be said for in-your-face rebellious punk, which should be delivered with an angry snarl. But for most genres it just makes no sense. A smart entertainer can slip in a serious message while entertaining (Bono or The Beatles, for example). So why then would any band perform an entire set only cracking smile when they are chatting with each other between songs? (Hey! Let us in on the joke, please!)

It’s clear from decades of observation that when a band enjoys performing, the audience will pick up on that and derive more pleasure from listening. A performer who also connects with the audience, speaking to them, telling them what the songs are about and engaging them in the performance can transform an audience into a huge mob of humanity completely focused on the performance. You can see this when audiences sing along and jump up and down when the lead vocalist does. By contrast, bands that don’t appear to enjoy their playing, seldom, if ever even acknowledge that there is an audience. It’s like they are performing in spite of their own fans.

Musicians will answer my assertions with the argument that they are artists and it’s about the music, not how they look or act while on stage. If that’s the case, then why should these people ever perform live? If it’s just about the music, then let’s just all stay home and play the CD. Going out to a club for a live music show or concert is an event. Audiences want to be entertained. There is a distinctly visual aspect to performing on stage. People want to see something more interesting than the cover of the CD. That’s why bands are not expected to perform live behind a curtain.

We’re not suggesting that all bands should wear fancy costumes and use carefully choreographed dance moves. We are suggesting, though, that they should at least pretend to enjoy the performance of their music. Every market has acts that play constantly, have a huge following and never seem to have a bad show. Well, even those guys get sick or have a bad night. The key is to learn to behave as if this were the greatest show ever. The road-weary artists who have any level of success know how to fake it. And, of course we have to mention the bands who aren’t very good on an artistic level or who simply aren’t such great musicians, but always have a blast while on stage. These are the bands that suck, but end up with a big following. Why? Because people have fun at the shows.

Ok, sure. Faking it is not true to the artistic integrity of the music. If that’s the case, and you aren’t willing sacrifice your integrity, then, all you have to do is choose to remain a starving artist. Cancel those gigs you are not feeling good about. It’ll be tougher to get gigs, but you’ll remain a true artist. Don’t let the audience know that you really do enjoy performing. They won’t come back to your next show with a bunch of friends, but you’ll still be an artist. Why would they tell their buddies how great you are if they didn’t have a good time? Even self-loathing, depressed, Goth kids want to enjoy themselves. Why not help them out?

There is a middle ground where you can be true to the artistry of the music and still be entertaining. It’s not always easy to find, but it’s there. Keep looking.

Everybody wants to enjoy your music, why not start with letting them know you do?