(no subject)

[johnny9fingers]

Saturday night's gig was interesting. Three-quarters of the way through the first set we had a power cut. The caterers had managed to blow the fuses on the whole school complex. We finished 'Brown Eyed Girl' (yes that one, alas) acapella and the audience joined in (it's a function band - it's what we do).
Down for fifteen minutes while the school janitor (or equivalent) worked with a torch and fusewire. We then played straight through to the end of the second set. People forgot endings, cues were missed: basically, chaos ensued.
We got large numbers of messages the next day saying how brilliant we were. Amazingly subjective thing, judgement.

Comments

[vlion.livejournal.com]

One thing I learned when I performed regularly: most non-musicians think musicians are godlike in their abilities and make no mistake.

[ankh156.livejournal.com]

If only it were true.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha. It was chaos and no one noticed.

[ankh156.livejournal.com]

Did you manage to play it "just like Eddie" ?

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

70%, dammit. Wish I'd practised it a bit more.

[masquedbunny.livejournal.com]

I think audiences rarely notice the errors that scream out at the people doing the performing, whatever the art may be. I once had a ribbon break on my pointe shoe during a performance, and I basically ran off the stage and bawled after the number was finished; but nobody understood why I was upset, and they thought it had been great.

So really, even when things feel like they've gone horribly wrong, you're probably still doing much better than anyone in your audience could do in the same situation--so they'll still be impressed.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Dash it, that could be difficult.
I must admit to a small pash for Sylvie Guilleme, and in my youth I stepped out with a dancer from the corps for all of two weeks*, so I do know whereof you speak.

Am much amused by your bridesmaid stories. I think I'm allergic to shopping in person, but I can bear reading about it.


*I couldn't stand her dietary habits - no-one should ever eat tissue paper as a meal.

[tripinthehead33.livejournal.com]

At least you were skilled enough not to step on the power cord to your guitar and yank it out of the thing. Something like that gets noticed, and unless the audience is high, it tends to irritate them.