Question about performing live...

A few hundred for me. I will say it's way easier to play in front a crowd than just a few.

 

35! You packed the joint. I think there was 4 at our last parlor jam.

 

3500..just give er..with that many people it doesnt matter what you play they love it

 

Big crowds don't phase me at all (the biggest I've been in front of was about 4,000 people). Empty rooms, now that throws me off quite a bit.

 

Maybe 15,000ish. It's no differnt, they look so small back there you can't see them anyway.

 

2-3 thousand. Much easier to play in front of thousands that you can't really see as opposed to 10 people that you can.

 

20K ... in front of Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey ... no, seriously ...

 

I have some advice for playing for a crowd of 20,000. Turn your amp up pretty loud...

Oh, and try to remember this: Pay close attention to whether you inhale on the upbeat or downbeat.

 

Maybe a couple of thousand at a city festival. It was fun. Now maybe if they'd all decided that they didn't like us, it might have been different.

 

What's the event?

 

Almost twenty years ago, I played at the Salmon Valley Music Festival
in British Columbia.
It was a 3 day festival that had a fairly long run, up till 1995.
The headliners were Alabama, Mark Chesnut, Tanya Tucker, Farmer's Daughter, Charlie Major and locals like Harley Davis (the act I played with).
Though I don't know how many people we played to, it's the biggest crowd
I'd ever stood before.
I'd guess 10,000 +.
I was also a stage hand at it, so I was kinda used to the crowd.
Ironically, all the stage crew got "stiffed" by the local promoter.
He was (much) later charged with murder!!!!
All the musical acts were paid, including me.
We did 3 shows, 1 a day.
I also played a number of country music festivals in Texas, and opened for
national acts at big crowded dance halls, and the good ol' Armadillo World Headquarters.
If you are "ready" you should have a great time!

 

Nah, I wouldn't bother plugging it in for a mere few thousand in the audience. Just hit the strings a little harder and you should be OK.

 

Biggest crowd ever? Nearly 300,000. That's what Columbus, OH law enforcement estimated was in and around the park when I played bass on the main stage at Pridefest a couple years ago. But really, it was like playing a big picnic.

First truly huge crowd was around 80,000. Opening a Brooks and Dunn and ZZ Top double bill. I was nineteen years old. Scared the ever loving hell out of me. Until I woke up and smelled the coffee. Truth is, everybody came to see the headliners. They had no idea who the hell we were, nor did they care. In the least. Once that sunk in, I was able to relax and have a ton of fun.

 

20-30k was the largest for our band. I thought I was ugly...until I saw myself on those huge video screens. Then I realized I was REALLY ugly!

 

180-200 i think, indoors, it seems real big

 

I've played in front of 1200 or so on several occasions. Mostly anywhere from 100 or so up to 750 on a regular basis. I really don't notice the crowd as I'm too busy. We did a few small poolside gigs a few years ago and I definitely noticed those wahini's in the tiniwinni-itsy-bitsy-bikini's but that was the exception and my playing suffered a bit with the pleasant distraction and nobody noticed.

My observations over the years have been that you're JUST the band.... the crowd the partiers are there for 1 or 2 reasons and you and the band usually are not it. The band acts as a catalyst for that after-hours activity.

So... don't sweat it. Play your best, provide a good service, don't get drunk and try not to be part of the party... you are in the band and you've a job to do.

 

Hey... we played a new years gig at an AA hall. NOBODY was there... oh there was few dancers but NOBODY was there. We played like it was a dress rehearsal and played and played and NOBODY showed up.

So after an hour or so we decided to take a break in get a soda. We walked out of the meeting room and into the "café" room and there must have been 200 people in there chain smokin' and drinkin' hot coffee.... AA'ers love smokin' and drinkin' hot coffee. And there was a written rule that No Smoking was allowed in the meeting hall where we were set up. Lot's of positive comments and thanks for the jam.

We got our drinks and went back in and played for a couple of more hours and that was the gig. Kinda' different and we've been back several times and to some of their BBQ's.

Here's the takeaway. AA'ers grew up (so to speak) in a very social atmosphere and although they're recovering the still enjoy being social. We've played some great AA gigs and they really appreciate that. BTW AA BBQ's are phenomenal and the food is outstanding!