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Concerts where the audience is silent

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited May 2008 in Other Music
Anyone been to such a show? Not neccessarily meaning that the audience isnt paying attention or could care less for the show and band, but more, that the musicians music is better listened to intently.

An example from long ago is scenes from Dont Look Back the Dylan doc, and many scenes in the movie the audience is sitting, silent, hanging on every word dylan was singing.

Do any bands these days play shows where the audience hangs on every word and is silent? I cant think of any.
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  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 30,522
    radiohead33 wrote:
    Anyone been to such a show? Not neccessarily meaning that the audience isnt paying attention or could care less for the show and band, but more, that the musicians music is better listened to intently.

    An example from long ago is scenes from Dont Look Back the Dylan doc, and many scenes in the movie the audience is sitting, silent, hanging on every word dylan was singing.

    Do any bands these days play shows where the audience hangs on every word and is silent? I cant think of any.

    no i can't think of any, but i'm sure a few around here would of prefer if some of the idiots shouting out at the vedder shows would of kept shut ...
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    Saw Dave Pajo last year and everyone was dead silent. Was really bizarre, but a great experience. I think it really needs to be the right music (i.e. something that depends on the lyrics rather than the melody) and the right audience.
    Paul
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  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Unfortunately, those days are gone. I blame the additives in the food, text messaging, and a lack of good corporal punishment. Idiots think they have some kind of democratic right to yap over an artist, who is by definition a superior life form to them. The sooner they realise it is their cultural imperative to shut the fuck up, the better.

    I've been studying Jim Jones. He had good techniques in crowd control.


    I think there may still be attentive audiences in folk clubs, but then they always were a more civilised lot.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    josevolution wrote:
    no i can't think of any, but i'm sure a few around here would of prefer if some of the idiots shouting out at the vedder shows would of kept shut ...


    hehehe...hells yeah....however, once ed started singing the crowd got quiet....especially during arc....everyone was transfixed....:)
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    would have been nice to hear Benoroya Hall without all the fanboy yelling.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    Elvis Costello with Steve Nieve at the Paramount Denver 1999. It was just those 2 on stage.

    Tom Waits - same year same venue.

    The Paramount is a very nice venue though and I can't help but think it had something to do with it.

    what a nice change of pace that was.
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,711
    Mute Math
  • PorchsitterPorchsitter Loganville, GA Posts: 1,078
    I saw Tori Amos back when she wasn't touring with a band (96-97). It was just her and the piano and the entire audience was dead silent. That was the only concert I've been to where people were that quiet.
    We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.--Bill Hicks
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Porchsitter wrote:
    I saw Tori Amos back when she wasn't touring with a band (96-97). It was just her and the piano and the entire audience was dead silent. That was the only concert I've been to where people were that quiet.

    Mind you, she's been known to throw people out for talking.
  • GardenpartyGardenparty Posts: 1,910
    Mono, Explosions in the Sky and Sigur Ros. Also, Ed Ved at Zellerbach night one. It was pretty quiet in there.
    “I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version.”
  • pearljamgirl07pearljamgirl07 Posts: 792
    I'm a little confuse about that ...cause the best thing in a concert is the crowd shouting :D but is nice when the crowd is silence and pay attention to the band:rolleyes:
    "You're the eve of my destruction in the garden of fears"
  • audiodaveaudiodave Posts: 1,623
    Saw Damien Rice last year, and the audience was silent. It was awesome, but a very different concert experience than the ones i'm used to.
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

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  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    pearljamgirl07 wrote:
    I'm a little confuse about that ...cause the best thing in a concert is the crowd shouting :D but is nice when the crowd is silence and pay attention to the band:rolleyes:
    There's a time for applause and shouting and yelling...it's called between songs...I want to hear the band, not what a frat boy's plans for later are....or what drunk girl's deep thoughts for the day are....that's the point we're getting at with this thread.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    tybird wrote:
    There's a time for applause and shouting and yelling...it's called between songs...I want to hear the band, not what a frat boy's plans for later are....or what drunk girl's deep thoughts for the day are....that's the point we're getting at with this thread.

    agree!!! couldn't have said it better myself
  • deadmosquitodeadmosquito Posts: 729
    it used to be like that for bright eyes. now it's a bunch of emo girls singing along and guys texting on their phones b/c they are only there for some kinda indie cred or something. it's sad. i wish it would go back to the "staring in awe at the genious" type of show.
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,954
    Sigur Ros and Sonic Youth.
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  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Not many any more. Radiohead at the Tower Theater a couple of years ago, they were playing Nude and it was so delicate and beautiful that people were sitting on the edge of their seats paying rapt attention. So rare any more. Then they played Exit Music and it was beautiful and of course someone had to announce their love right in the middle,,,,,, "RADIOHEADDDDDDDDDDDDD!"
    Well I actually knew it was Radiohead we were seeing, but thankfully he reminded me! ;)

    King Crimson , California Guitar Trio have quiet respectful audiences,




    Philadelphia Orchestra! :)

    I've never heard ANYBODY there at the Verizon Hall yell,,,,,, Wolfgang Sawallisch!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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  • gtrplyrgtrplyr Posts: 115
    Sigur Ros.

    Theres one song where they stop playing completely for about 60 seconds and they just freeze on stage before continuing the song. not a sound in the audience. its really amazing how they can completely own an audience like that.
  • Strangest TribeStrangest Tribe Posts: 2,502
    Cowboy Junkies

    I've seen them twice, both intimate candlelight settings. Applause was the only crowd noise.

    Neko Case

    ditto
    the Minions
  • joeendjoeend Posts: 30
    saw Raul Midon at the Barbican in London and venue was deadly silent, great atmosphere though !!! wish there would be more gig slike this, been to many where the crowd intent on talking and they are not interested, they were given the ticket for free, or it is just for them good to be seen at a gig !!!
    London Wembley Arena 28/10/1996
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    Reading Festival 27/08/2006
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  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,240
    Sigur Ros

    amazing live. quite an experience.
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  • PearlJamaholicPearlJamaholic Posts: 2,019
    lou reed
    ani difranco (for the most part)

    those are two that ive seen where the audience was very respectful and quiet.
    http://db.etree.org/PearlJamaholic
  • Fender_ManFender_Man Posts: 408
    I went to a classical gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London many years ago. During the performance you could here a pin drop and even between pieces there was only a polite ripple of applause, this was really weird for me coming from a rock background. But fuck me! when the gig was over the audience took the roof off the place. I've never heard anything like it (and that includes gigs by Zeppelin and The Who), the ovation must have lasted over 10 minutes and never let up for a moment. All these guys in penguin suits and ladies in evening dresses, totally kicking up a storm. It was a riot!
    I'm all for singing, cheering and raising the roof at a rock show, but I can't stand the morons shouting out rubbish between songs and during the quiet bits. It's always worse, when it's known beforehand that the show is being recorded, then the fame seekers tend to go for it in a big way.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    cutback wrote:
    agree!!! couldn't have said it better myself
    It was fresh in my mind....had frat boys behind us and drunk girls in front of us at the Plant/Krauss show 2 weeks ago...:rolleyes:
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • chimechime Posts: 7,839
    audiodave wrote:
    Saw Damien Rice last year, and the audience was silent. It was awesome, but a very different concert experience than the ones i'm used to.

    Saw him aswell last year and the crowd was pretty quite. Also saw Ray Lamontagne and the crowd was silent ... think we didn't want to scare him away he looks so uncomfortable on stage ... but sounds so amazing.

    ... and for those that have mentioned them I cannot wait to experience Sigur Ros live :)
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • searchlightsoulsearchlightsoul Posts: 583
    Soundgarden at the "Garden of souls", 94'. Japanese crowds are very polite.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,165
    I saw a free Jack Johnson concert at Lou's Records in Encinitas a few years back. The lot was packed, but everyone was pretty quite and considerate during the performance.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
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  • JordyWordyJordyWordy Posts: 2,261
    only shows ive been to that had silent crowds were

    Antony & The Johnsons
    Australian Pink Floyd
    The Eels
    The Pale
    Sigur Ros

    and when i saw Bob Dylan few years back the crowd was close to silent...i was at the front with all these die-hards so maybe wasnt as quiet further back :)
  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    Fender_Man wrote:
    I went to a classical gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London many years ago. During the performance you could here a pin drop and even between pieces there was only a polite ripple of applause, this was really weird for me coming from a rock background. But fuck me! when the gig was over the audience took the roof off the place. I've never heard anything like it (and that includes gigs by Zeppelin and The Who), the ovation must have lasted over 10 minutes and never let up for a moment. All these guys in penguin suits and ladies in evening dresses, totally kicking up a storm. It was a riot!
    I'm all for singing, cheering and raising the roof at a rock show, but I can't stand the morons shouting out rubbish between songs and during the quiet bits. It's always worse, when it's known beforehand that the show is being recorded, then the fame seekers tend to go for it in a big way.

    Exactly! STFU and let the artist do their thing, then make noise aftewards!

    I've seen it - at Springsteen on the Devils and Dust tour. He basically laid down the law before the show, said he didn't want to hear any of that 'bruuuce' crap and that people needed to be quiet during the songs. They were, believe me. He totally owns an audience and is in control of whatever show he's putting on at the time.
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  • lephtylephty Posts: 770
    Sigur Ros is probably the quietest shows i have been to. i've seen them twice and both were amazing. of course, like JaneNY mentioned, at the first show there was some jerk-off screaming like a maniac during dead silence. he was really annoying and was only a few rows behind me. people (including myself) were telling him to shut the hell up and he played the "What?! i am just really into the music" bit. meanwhile people from across Radio City were also yelling at him.

    the next Sigur Ros show had no fools like this. it was amazingly quiet. i mean... during that song where they stop playing, it was unbelievably quiet. i seriously think that if someone dropped a pin, you could probably hear it.
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