How many folk here play live sets with (mainly) live drum/synth synthysis

[tocsin]

Who gives a flying **** how interesting it looks?

From my experience, the audience.

How interesting is it to see a guitarist wank the fretboard?

Guitar players find it interesting in the same way turntablists find watching a turntablist perform interesting, in addition to a crowd. But, especially for bands that aren't doing anything all that interesting to watch with their instruments, stage shows are no stranger to such performances either.

I don`t suddenly expect musicians to start playing more than 1 instrument at once just to keep me interested.

That's missing the point though if you're respnding to me.

The sound coming out of the speakers is paramount, and as long as I can see there is someone playing the sublime music I`m listening to, that`s enough for me.

Consider yourself a minority. For many, sound is a factor, but not paramount. It's why people with a good sound, and also a good visual aspect, always seem to entertain the crowd more than those who just have a good sound.

I thought clubs were about dancing and drinking and munting and celebrating life. I want people to dance, not trainspot me all night to see my every exact move. When did we become dancing monkeys???

One of the main reasons I incorporate visuals into just about everything when I can. I'm not a dancing monkey and already know it will pretty much be boring to watch what I'm doing. Yet, for odd reasons, when stuck in noticable view, people do tend to stare unless you direct their attention elsewhere. So, why not make it fun and add another layer to things?

As long as the crowd get some indication that your performance is honest then shouldn`t that be enough?

"Should" is not a realistic element here.

If people aren`t entertained enough by the music and need to come and stare at the performer rather than dance, then the music itself needs a re-think.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. In my experience, it's never been the case, even though most people would say the music needed a rethink because it was "hardcore." But, that's chinstroker nonsense. Adding another layer to a performance, particularly visual, isn't about pleasing and distracting chinstrokers. It's about directing the attention of the crowd in general away from something that would otherwise be boring and making something that much more enjoyable.

[dirty_bass]

From my experience, the audience.



Guitar players find it interesting in the same way turntablists find watching a turntablist perform interesting, in addition to a crowd. But, especially for bands that aren't doing anything all that interesting to watch with their instruments, stage shows are no stranger to such performances either.



That's missing the point though if you're respnding to me.



Consider yourself a minority. For many, sound is a factor, but not paramount. It's why people with a good sound, and also a good visual aspect, always seem to entertain the crowd more than those who just have a good sound.



One of the main reasons I incorporate visuals into just about everything when I can. I'm not a dancing monkey and already know it will pretty much be boring to watch what I'm doing. Yet, for odd reasons, when stuck in noticable view, people do tend to stare unless you direct their attention elsewhere. So, why not make it fun and add another layer to things?



"Should" is not a realistic element here.



Perhaps. Perhaps not. In my experience, it's never been the case, even though most people would say the music needed a rethink because it was "hardcore." But, that's chinstroker nonsense. Adding another layer to a performance, particularly visual, isn't about pleasing and distracting chinstrokers. It's about directing the attention of the crowd in general away from something that would otherwise be boring and making something that much more enjoyable.

I dunno man, I can only speak from experience.
I gave up DJing altogether in 2002.
I`ve been playing live regularly since, and I`ve never really had a problem with the visual issue. I`m probably more acitve than a DJ in terms of finger fiddling, and most good clubs have lights, projections ,lasers etc that cost 10`s of thousands of pounds, specifically designed to provide visual distraction.
Acknowledging the crowd especially when they are enjoying themselves, and most importantly getting myself into my music fully so I can ride the crest of the sound is generally all that`s needed.

There aren`t that many regular pa`s on the circuit really, but the good ones I have seen, (Seb Marks, DDR, BMB, Tim Exile, Dean Rodell, Paul Cortex to name a few)
have seemed to do all right in the keeping it humming stakes. Admittedly when people see it`s a pa and can see actions translate into audible changes they get more excited, but I`ve never seen people walk away because said performer isn`t tap dancing.

Maybe I`m missing something??

[TechMouse]

I`ve never seen people walk away because said performer isn`t tap dancing.

Tap dancing is a definite plus, though.

[dirty_bass]

Tap dancing is a definite plus, though.

It is but have you tried walking in them damn shoes after 8 or 9 sambucas?
Fecking nightmare.

[tocsin]

I dunno man, I can only speak from experience.
I gave up DJing altogether in 2002.

Same here. I DJ here and there.

I`ve been playing live regularly since, and I`ve never really had a problem with the visual issue. I`m probably more acitve than a DJ in terms of finger fiddling, and most good clubs have lights, projections ,lasers etc that cost 10`s of thousands of pounds, specifically designed to provide visual distraction.

And this is probably a very big difference between both regions and the actual music being played in that most of the venues in my locale (NYC) that would book what I've done as a live PA do not have expensive visual set ups. Most didn't even have basic lights. And for a number of the ones that do, they are just very basic stage style lights. Old disco effect. No lasers or anything truly pretty. That's not the only reason, or even the main one, that I've enjoyed incorporating visuals though. It's just another layer to the music and, if you are trying to communicate a message with it, it helps significantly.

Maybe I`m missing something??

Yeah. I'm not stressing in the slightest that DJs or performers need to be dancers.