Opening for bands?

[Cameron]

Anyone here have any experience/advice for opening for a rock band?

I was just asked to open for two bands at my favorite local venue. I obviously said yes in spite of it surely being awkward because I'm excited to play there and feel like it will be a huge learning experience. To make it even more awkward than already probably would be, I was added last minute so people aren't going to be expecting anything other than indie rock.

And to make my nervousness jump even higher, this will be my first time performing at anything other than an open mic.

[Gene George]

Anyone here have any experience/advice for opening for a rock band?

I was just asked to open for two bands at my favorite local venue. I obviously said yes in spite of it surely being awkward because I'm excited to play there and feel like it will be a huge learning experience. To make it even more awkward than already probably would be, I was added last minute so people aren't going to be expecting anything other than indie rock.

And to make my nervousness jump even higher, this will be my first time performing at anything other than an open mic.

Break a leg!

[Nickflans]

Yeah, just do it. If you participate in shows in another manner(ie are in bands. put them on, etc) it can go a long way toward an accepting audience. Sometimes crowds can be good ad sometimes not. They can really go either way. It generally helps if the promoter expressly lets the audience know there will be japery at the event. Just have fun. Rock shows can generally be more fun than the shittier open mics out there.

[scottbox]

... or they can be fucking disasters. A lot of it depends on the type of bands, which dictates the type of audience you're dealing with. An indie hipster audience may either be receptive or not, but the worst you'll get is bemused silence. If it's a louder band- such as a metal or punk band- watch out! We're talking rowdy, angry, drunken audiences who want no part of comedy (unless you look like Henry Rollins, that is).

Sounds like you'll be okay. Don't have huge expectations, and roll with whatever the audience reaction is, as they aren't expecting comedy and maybe didn't come to laugh.

[drieux]

If you're going to open for a band, you can't have better odds than an indie/hipster band and their usual crowd. As somebody else has already said, most likely the worst you could get is generally disinterested silence.

The worst types of bands to open for would be classic-rock cover bands, heavy metal (unless you're Brian Posehn) and my most loathed of all types of bands, the old-guy blues band. For whatever reason they're remarkably humorless, they're bitter old cranks and their crowd is filled with people just like them.

Speaking of which, if anybody ever runs across a band named Malkum Gibson and the Mighty Juke (I think they're from Cleveland) please tell him to go fuck himself and then kick him right in the Jukes.

<a href="http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=91285391&a lbumID=0&imageID=6099820"><img src="http://hotlink.myspacecdn.com/images01/15/99bd112a3dfb998a86eb06c263e8fcfc/m.jpg" alt="Malkum Gibson and The Mighty Juke" /></a>

All that said, I would advise to take any gig possible. Standing up to a crowd of angry metalheads waiting for their favorite local band, SoulCrusher VonBloodRat, to take the stage and having no interest in comedy whatsoever makes you tough and appreciate the good shows even more.

[Jawa]

I would do it. It might be a hit-or-miss thing for you, but I think it's better to give it a try. You'll learn something no matter how it turns out.

I'm curious, who approached you about opening? Was it the club or the band(s)?

[dan telfer]

People see bands to listen, but occaisonally just have the noise wash over them while they talk to friends. The only regular disadvantage I've had opening for bands is how even a polite audience will talk at full volume during your set. If it's people out to see a pleasant indie band or something it's usually only people at the back of the house, but be prepared to kick your performance energy up a notch and perform through the noise. I think this is the reason a lot of my friends HATE opening for bands, but the audience doesn't always mean anything by it. They just didn't leave the house with an attention span ideal for comedy.

Good luck!

[Cameron]

I would do it. It might be a hit-or-miss thing for you, but I think it's better to give it a try. You'll learn something no matter how it turns out.

I'm curious, who approached you about opening? Was it the club or the band(s)?

The band asked me.

[KevinLee]

Members of the audience will see your set a chance to have a conversation without having to scream over loud drums, bass and guitar. I would recommend doing some jokes that are related to music to get the crowd interested in what you're saying. If you can tape the set I would love it if you'd post it here, later.

[Cameron]

Members of the audience will see your set a chance to have a conversation without having to scream over loud drums, bass and guitar. I would recommend doing some jokes that are related to music to get the crowd interested in what you're saying. If you can tape the set I would love it if you'd post it here, later.

A good chunk of my material is music related anyway, so hopefully that will work out. And yeah, I definitely plan on taping it.

[KevinLee]

yeah!

[Joe McAdam]

in my experience I've just been mostly talked over. the only people that liked it were the band (who asked me to perform) who were hanging out up front and my immediate friends who were there for the band. i've been yelled at when it's at the worst and just ignored at best. again it really depends on the type of band and the venue. i worked a college bar and some asshole kept yelling "freebird!" and demanding the bar turned the beastie boys back on. it can be a lot of fun though, and a good chance to do a really high energy show. try out some crowd work to keep em interested. don't expect to kill 'em, and you'll feel pretty good about your performance. good luck.

[theodoric]

Have somebody from the band introduce you. That will get the crowd's attention, at least until you say, "I just flew in from Chicago, and boy, are my arms tired!"

[JMoon]

I have done it a few times with mixed results. It is really good for crowd work. What drieux said earlier was pretty much spot on, it really depends on the bands crowd.

[KevinLee]

I just fell down a flight of stairs and boy are my arms tired.

[CaptainBreakfast]

Good one Kevin.

[HeyItsLiam]

I've opened for a few music acts. My least favorites are opening for serious singer-songwriters. Never do that again.

Opening for bands is okay for me as long as I remember to do my most set-up/punchliney stuff and ramp up the energy and throw subtlety out the window. Like any noisy gig it can only make you better.

I MCed a battle of the bands a few times at the Trash Bar in Williamsburg. That was a lot of fun.

[dannyfranks]

Just have fun and good luck. You may need to knock out some quick jokes or maybe some quick crowd work to get there attention up front. Thats just from my experience. I have also learned not to snap at them for not listening, they may not have known there was going to be comedy before hand and may not know how to take it.

[Cameron]

I just realized I never followed up on this thread. I think did alright. I certainly kill, but I didn't bomb either. It seemed that the people there came up to me after the show to tell me good job than any of the open mics I had been to up until that point.

Anyway, I just found out that I will be opening for Steel Train, Dear and the Headlights, and Forgive Durden tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. It should be interesting, as most of the crowd is going to be high school-ish scene kids.