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Ever had your playing watched intensely by an audience member?

What's Hot
CaseOfAceCaseOfAce Frets: 1304
Had this at the weekend - audience member (guitarist? member of another band?) a few feet away to my right watching literally every chord change etc I made for practically the entire pub gig.
A beginner? memorising the set ?! 

NOTE: this is not a humblebrag post - I am not that sh*it hot - nor was I playing anything particularly complex.
At first it was slightly unnerving and then I just got on with the gig and had fun. It was kinda flattering in a way... ?

How do you deal with this, feel when this happens? Do you find it annoying, flattering, distracting.

Funny how you can usually tell the fellow muso's in the audience!


...she's got Dickie Davies eyes...
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Comments

  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    I get it all the time but then I used to go and watch a guy in a local rock band ever week when I was  younger and learning. I learnt so much just watching him playing stuff like VH and Def leppard covers. 
    Back before the net and YT etc this is how people learnt, literally watching someone else do it.  
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • maharg101maharg101 Frets: 684
    I've had this a few times. One time at a 40th birthday gig it was a young lad, about ten years old. Between sets he came over with his dad who explained he had just got his first guitar (acoustic) and was taking classical lessons. Clearly the lad had more rock-oriented leanings :)

    Generally I find that kind of attention quite flattering, and enjoy it, as long as the gig is going well and things are flowing.
    This one goes to eleven

    Trading feedback here
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  • lovestrat74lovestrat74 Frets: 2489
    edited October 2021
    people only look at me and think, what the f#ck is he doing lol

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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    At weddings I would sometimes get it with children. Often it was the first time that they'd seen live music. I'd turn to them so that they could see what I was playing. Maybe switch between full barre and thumb over on alternative verses, or emphasise when I turned effects on and off so that they could see more of what was going on.

    In pub gigs I might smile at them, but then turn to focus on the singer or the drummer.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    Yes, it's happened quite often over the years. The same guys will probably study your pedalboard, etc when you take a break. It just tells me they like the noise I'm making. Doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I've done it myself. As @Danny1969 said, it's how we used to learn - and still can.
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Jimbro66 said:
    ... The same guys will probably study your pedalboard, etc when you take a break. ...
    That will be me then. I always have a look at the guitarist’s pedals.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    lol yeah when i was 22-23 i was in a smiths tribute band in NZ and this guy followed us around the country. he'd stand right in front of me saying "johnny marr... johnny marr..." over and over again and trying to tickle me with flowers
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  • I play in a tribute band so most gigs I have people at front watching intently and asking questions after gigs. Goes with the territory, and I wouldnt have it any other way.
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  • CaseOfAceCaseOfAce Frets: 1304
    I play in a tribute band so most gigs I have people at front watching intently and asking questions after gigs. Goes with the territory, and I wouldnt have it any other way.
    You play in a Ramones tribute band ?!
    ...she's got Dickie Davies eyes...
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  • Much of this out there these days?


     

    I'm always looking for interesting USA Hamers for sale.

    At the moment I'm looking for:
    * Hamer Watson, SS2, Vintage S, T62.
    * Music Man Luke 1, Luke II

    Please drop me a message.
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  • I was that person in my teens. I remember being particularly obsessed with finger vibrato and it took me ages the figure it out. This was in the days before tuition videos.
     
    It has happened to me. The worst time was when I played the solo to Beat It for the first time live. The brass section were standing in front of me at the gig, so I thought nobody would really notice. Then the band leader announced "Now with Van Halen's solo it's...".  The brass section parted and all the band turned to look at me. And this guy in the audience ran to the front, folded his arms and stared at me. It all ended up being a bit of a blur.

    It's not a competition.
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  • I used to get it when I played jazz piano in a cocktail bar in Vienna. A little bit off-putting albeit slightly flattering when it was the blokes who went there . For some reason it was less of a problem when it was the ladies..
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • yep, had it this weekend, along with the guy nudging his mate when i engaged certain pedals and mouthing "thats a king of tone" along with a surprised face and lots of nodding, very weird. 
    https://www.gbmusic.co.uk/

    PA Hire and Event Management
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  • MikkiMcMurdererMikkiMcMurderer Frets: 352
    edited October 2021
    If someone is genuinely nterested that's cool but some people like to make a point that their watching you intently and want you to engage with them as if they are somehow a connoisseur and I tend to try and not encourage them,  it always ends in an awkward chat of them trying to out do you somehow....
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  • I've played a few folk clubs before, where you just go round the room and everyone plays a song or a tune. That takes a bit of getting used to at first because your audience can be very close indeed, to the extent you can sense every look and movement, and you can really feel people watching your every move. A bit unnerving but kind of nice also. 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    I remember blushing once when I realised I’d been caught staring constantly at Slim’s fingers for something like 90 minutes from pole position in the audience. Afterwards he said something like, “Did you enjoy the gig”, and I said something like “Fucking incredible, I’m going to buy a guitar tomorrow”, and I did.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • StratavariousStratavarious Frets: 3595
    edited October 2021
    Yep..

    Had a pair right up next to my stage left PA watching me like hawks and discussing my breaks on Saturday all night.  Def. eying my fingering and guitar.  I think they just liked the guitar show. We had two pretty girls up front they ignored.  The real guitarists are the ones turning their heads to judge my pedals (and lack of Stymon or Helix) or craning to read the set list.

    If its little kid staring at a function, i really try to engage them, you never know, might be the experience that triggers a new lifelong passion for music.  

    I know I am a solid player in a tight band so I am not bothered at all by the starers.   I maintain the mindset that the vast majority of the audience are generally going to be impressed  by most competent music and that I am playing and getting paid for it and they are not.  That is enough to give me confidence.  I also assume most other guitarists are pretty normal, nice people and like to see anyone getting a kick out of playing, whatever their skill level.  I just put down any funny or surreptitious staring to shyness.

    It is def. better to fascinate and flirt with women though.   That happens less these days  
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    When I was playing bass for a band their old bass player showed up and announced that the band he left my band to form had broken up.

    He then fixed me with a laser beam stare for the whole of the first set.

    In the interval he said "ah, you are pretty good" and left. I guess he wanted his old gig back and realized it wasn't going to happen.

    I also had the autistic son of a guy who used to come and watch us stand 6 inches from my mic stand (pub with no stage) and stare intently at me. He then started reading a magazine about tractors, holding it out in front of him so no one could see me.
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  • fastonebazfastonebaz Frets: 4065
    I get people staring occasionally.  I should probably wear trousers more often. 
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  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9550
    Only from people who want to learn from my mistakes.
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
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