An Ode To The Honest Bands

Here I am sitting in my local Starbucks thinking about some of the great gigs I’ve been to over the years. Whilst on this train of thought I started to think why some of the gigs I’ve attended have been great, and the answer most of the time comes down to this; bands should always respect their audience, no matter how big or how small.

This is what I like to call an honest, hard working touring band. You see, manners cost nothing and they will always leave a lasting impression. Fans like to feel like they’re part of something and to feel respected is what keeps them buying tickets for the next show. I only have to refer back to a gig I attended and reviewed last week. The Ghost Of A Thousand have always been an extremely good live band, but it’s not just the quality of their show that makes them worth watching twice, it’s the sheer amount of fun they appear to have on stage. The band are as ruthless as live bands get, but never have I seen this band not snigger and smile throughout the whole set, and respect the diverse crowds they play to. This most recent time I seen the band was in support of We Are The Ocean and this pinpointed my thoughts exactly. Their were plenty of ignorant bystanders in the venue who were not willing to give the band a chance but the frontman Tom Lacey done a good job of making sure they enjoyed themselves regardless rather than hurl abuse at them.

The same thing can be said for another band I recently watched in Aberdeen, The Elijah. This particular band tore through an incredible set of sonic brilliance, and after leaving the stage proceeded to offer their hand shakes to every single person on the dancefloor willing to give them a chance. This, personally, has left a massive impression on me. These guys are in it for the music. Their are no hidden agendas, they just want to be heard. The same can not be said for a particular Glaswegian band who recently supported The Gaslight Anthem, and spent the set pissing and moaning about the crowd not being “good enough” for their “homecoming gig”. There are two problems here. Problem number one; the audience you are talking to are not your inferiors, they don’t appreciate being talked down to. Then we have problem number two; it wasn’t even this bands “homecoming gig”. They were supporting a bigger and much more successful band. I can gamble my house on betting most people in that crowd couldn’t give a monkeys nuts about Twin Atlantic. The point is, respect your audience and they will no doubt respect you. It’s amazing how many bands lose sight of this simple golden rule (Guns ‘N’ Roses deserve their own blog, coming soon), but this blog is paying homage to those who remember it, and care enough about their audience to enforce it.