Classical guitar at a coffee joint. At night. Friday night.

Not bad, you think? Except everybody's ordering frozen coffee drinks, so, Serge is getting drowned out by a blender.

I really felt sorry for the dude.

Poor guy.

Occasionally I'll have the bad fortune to do a gig somewhere where the people really don't seem to want any music. Okay, I can cope with lack of applause, because some places (in England anyway) are like that - but what really gets to me is people talking at the top of their voices so loud that you can't hear yourself playing. And why is it always the people who are standing right next to the PA speakers? If they go the other side of the room they might have more luck hearing themselves and get out of my face!

Hopefully the poor bastid had been there before and played like it was a practice session. When you have a band at least you can play your ass off for your bandmates but by yourself, that's gotta be painful.

I had to deal with that a few times, back when I used to play with my friend. He sang and played guitar and I sang back-up and played the hand drum and shaker. Well, we played coffee shops. The best places have a separate room to perform in, or one place was really long and the espresso machine was at the other end of the building. Nothing ruins the moment of a groovy, mellow tune like those damn coffee machines.

And why the HELL do people STUDY at a COFFEE SHOP on a SATURDAY at 10PM? My boyfriend does readings at coffee shops as well, he writes poetry and short stories a la Kerouac, Bukowski, Hunter Thompson, etc. Anywho, I take the money at the door and sell the books. So it's like Saturday Night, 10pm and we feel kinda wrong for interupting these people trying to study. Fuck 'em. Then I see this couple come in with their BABY! I'm talking an infant, not even a year old I bet. 10pm on a Saturday night and they need their coffee?!?!?!

I think we've all been there if we've played coffee houses!! I haven't had an inattentive audience for some time... but boy I remember one night about 12 years ago when those a-holes weren't ABOUT to let some musician ruin their conversation!! Why didn't they just leave then, or sit somewhere else? It was odd.

Now I just make jokes when the coffee machines go off. You know, like "Oh, I forgot to mention I composed this piece for solo guitar and expresso machine", etc. Or sometimes I'll stop and "tune" my guitar to the whine of the machine. Stuff like that.

You just have to roll with it!!

otan said:

I've done classical/jazz gigs at coffee shops and honestly, I almost like it better when people aren't listening totally. I always improvise little relative minor B-sections to the classical bits and just make stuff up in general. It's awesome! Course the espresso machines are on the other side of the wall I'm behind and the last time I did this, it was an art expo so it was kind of a cool vibe. I got free drinks, got to check out people, and play some tunes. I guess it all depends on your mindset.

krebsne said:

Dude that is BRILLIANT.

Ouch man, we all had a bad gig. In england, its quite common to be drowned out by the bingo!

cloud9mission said:

Bingo?

no way!

You've gotta explain that one...





Jshua

Styles said:

You know:
"I never meant to cause you any sorrow... I never meant to cause you any -"
BEEEE NIIIINE!!!!
"I only wanted - "
BINGO!! I'm RICH BITCH!

otan said:

otan said:

That's just classic!!!!!






Jshua