tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112646.post109562645959907285..comments2023-11-03T02:32:44.671-06:00Comments on Shattered Soapbox: Stage Presence"GretnaBlast"http://www.blogger.com/profile/11304446986793400987noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112646.post-1095918032160414582004-09-22T23:40:00.000-06:002004-09-22T23:40:00.000-06:00You're hitting on a very old artistic problem here...You're hitting on a very old artistic problem here.<br /><br />Recently, I heard jazz sax player Branford Marsalis being interviewed on NPR. At one point he was talking about a particular gig he did with the funk band he played with in high school, a similar battle of the bands thing. Apparently they were blown off the stage by another group that couldn't play nearly as well as his. "They just hit a simple groove, and the audience went wild." What this other band had was better showmanship; they didn't really try to go beyond what they knew how to do, and they really worked the audience. Instead of being confused or bitter, Marsalis said that he learned a valuable lesson: the audience doesn't really care about the same things that musicians care about; they just want to have a good time.<br /><br />Like it or not, this is a reality that all artists must face. People don't really care how it's done, don't really focus on particular aspects of a given work of art. They're into receiving a total package; they're into being entertained. The greatest poem, painting, play, song, dance is utterly irrelevant if is only able to appeal to a very small niche audience. <br /><br />You have to ask yourself what you're trying to do. If you're playing for yourself and only yourself, then it doesn't matter that this other groovy band beat you. But if you're trying to affect people's lives, you need to find new and innovative ways to reach out to them. This doesn't mean pandering: the Beatles did it, and so has Elvis Costello. In fact, even though they didn't jump around, the Ramones had intense stage presence as well. Their leather jackets and sunglasses, their quiet determined playing poses were just as show-oriented in their own way as David Lee Roth's karate kicks or Pete Townshend's windmills.<br /><br />Even Jim Morrison eventually came around.<br /><br />Really it's all about invoking God on stage, any way you can, as long as it's YOUR way. I'm sure you guys are up to the task.<br /><br />Viva la revolucion!Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13926407749563737116noreply@blogger.com