Some musicians are more comfortable in studio than on stage, and it shows. While on stage, they often resort to clichés and canned lines.
We should have a game called “musician bingo.” We can print out cards and bring them to shows. Here’s what I have so far:
- musician mentions name of city
- musician asks how crowd is doing
- musician mentions name of city, but gets it wrong
- musician mentions name of bar
- musician mentions name of bar, but gets it wrong
- musician thanks audience for coming
- musician thanks sound guy
- musician thanks lighting guy
- musician thanks bartender
- musician tells audience to put their hands up/together/in the air
- musician mispronouces other performer’s name
- musician mispronouces city
- musician mispronouces bar
- musician asks if anyone is from other city
- musician tosses guitar picks or drumsticks into crowd
- musician toasts (with) audience
16 four down, 8 to go.
How about Musician Drinking Game?
Here, I’ll add these to the pile – musician starts sentence with:
• “This song is about…”
• “can I have some more x” (higher volumn on his mic, less spotlight in his face, more water, possibly some Ex, although no one should drink that stuff)
• “Anyone from ” (as segway into a song about
those are all I can think of before breakfast…
As far as getting the name of the city wrong, it’s probably inevitable result of a whirlwind tour in which they get whisked from one city to the next. I’m impressed when performers actually have localized content for their patter rather than being let-down when they don’t.
Musician toasts audience and drinks beverage. Extra points if they toss the cup, or its contents, into the crowd.