What Not To Say to The Band

Actual comments from strangers following a gig:

You mean they let just anybody get up there and sing? My girlfriend wants to try.

Don't you know any good songs, like Titanic?

You have another job, right?

Actual comments from friends following a gig:

It was okay. Yeah, it was, uh, good.

Well, now I've seen you sing.

It was okay but you've ruined Avalon for me.

I can't believe you just get up there.

You know you're fat, right?

And my favorite: during a staff meeting, about 36 hours after a gig,  someone who had heard me sing turned to me and snapped, "Too much vibrato! Can't you try to control that?"

A few friends (musicians) have said the following and I think it's just about right:

Well done!

I enjoyed that!

Well sung!

They left it at that. That's fine by me. I don't want to discuss the line-up with everyone I meet: much of the artistic arrangement is a collaboration and I have more and more confidence in how we put things together. We have a new set and I think it's a killer, very diverse musically and with an interesting house-party approach to how the songs flow together. I haven't heard any other groups take this approach to music and I like the fact we're putting our own spin on things. We're not a cover band and I'm dead lucky to be working with such a talented guitarist who can play jazz, blues, lead guitar and straight out rockabilly--not to mention pick--with such ease. It takes a lot of rehearsal to build that sort of musical intimacy, where you can glance at each other and shoot off an improvisation that works, and we're finally there. My thanks to the audiences we dragged out there during the first few months--many moments were NOT pleasant to witness, I'm sure, but then again, birth isn't an easy thing to watch.  We're almost there. We've started getting paid gigs, and we're getting better all the time. I'm sure the weird comments will continue to flourish as I attract the crazies, but that's part of the deal.