http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2011/07/encores_no_more_a_perfect_circle_motley_crue.php
Please, God let this trend continue. Fuck stupid planned encores!
Please, God let this trend continue. Fuck stupid planned encores!
Is It Time to say "Thank You and Good Night" to the Pro Forma Encore?
Yeah the encore at Urge Overkill was ridiculous. They reserved their second biggest song (Sister Havana, and didn't even play their #1 biggest song, Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon, at all) for the encore, plus it took them like 10 minutes to come back onstage.
Best was the Datsuns playing to like 100 people at the club and then saying "This is when we're supposed to go offstage but instead we'll just do the encore right now" and then immediately returned to rocking.
Best was the Datsuns playing to like 100 people at the club and then saying "This is when we're supposed to go offstage but instead we'll just do the encore right now" and then immediately returned to rocking.
The most excessive I've seen was The Feelies' four planned breaks. Wilco take an absurd amount, too if I remember correctly. I actually heard an idiot or two complaining about no encore after My Bloody Valentine in Richmond as if YMMR wasn't the best way imaginable to end a show.
It would be great if a band left the stage for this purpose and everyone stayed quiet instead of applauding like seals barking for a fish they know is coming…
Herr wrote:
It would be great if a band left the stage for this purpose and everyone stayed quiet instead of applauding like seals barking for a fish they know is coming…
"Oh….you WOULDN'T LET US LEAVE!"
"Shut up! You wouldn't turn on the lights!"
The obvious reason for the encore break is so the band can start prepping the post-show inbibing so they peak at the right time. It takes a few minutes to get buzzed…..about the time it takes to do A.) a fan favorite and B.) their biggest hit which a band can usually do completely f'ed up.
Suede did that "Let's pretend we didn't go off for five minutes. Here's the songs we'd do for our 'encore'" a while back at WUST, didn't they?
Also, when they were dewy-faced, most-hyped-bands-on-the-planet, The Strokes and Oasis didn't do encores. Mainly due to the fact that they probably didn't have enough songs to.
Brian
i like the days of old in the world of hair metal . . . when they would go underneath the stage and bang broads. yeah . . . banging broads.
Wouldn't they do that mid-set during the obligatory drum solos?
I have no problem with the standard encore setup. However - You only get to come back once. You can play a few songs, but don't keep running off/on the stage. At that point you're just wasting my time.
The Dead were great about this. They'd leave the stage for a few minutes, come back and play one song. Thanks for coming. Goodnight.
And the "let's pretend we just went off stage" thing is as cliche as the encore these days.
The Dead were great about this. They'd leave the stage for a few minutes, come back and play one song. Thanks for coming. Goodnight.
And the "let's pretend we just went off stage" thing is as cliche as the encore these days.
One of the greatest encore stories is this Aerosmith one:
http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/aerosmith.asp
Sure, it MAY be an untrue urban legend…but wouldn't that just be a fabulous testament to how f'ed up they were in the 70's?
Brian
this is just me . . . but one of my favs, is on 6/26/11 at redrocks, final night for widespread panic three night run. all covers second set, final song being wild thing. encore. back into wild thing . . . then into sultans of swing. fucking sweet.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you and FUCK YOU" would be fine by me.
I like encores. I also like multiple ones when the show is great and the audience keeps clapping and they come out and have to think of songs to do.
If you dont' like encores just leave after the set.
If you dont' like encores just leave after the set.
i tell you what i hate: when the audience is really into it and the band refuses to come out for an encore..
that is L A M E
that is L A M E
^ Agreed.
I'm with Atomicfront, I like encores though some are obviously contrived. It gives the band a chance to pee and freshen up for a last blowout.
Although, sometimes I have to laugh, or even feel a bit sad for the band, when they quickly turn around and come back to play their planned encore set for fear the crowd will leave without cheering them on for one.
I'm with Atomicfront, I like encores though some are obviously contrived. It gives the band a chance to pee and freshen up for a last blowout.
Although, sometimes I have to laugh, or even feel a bit sad for the band, when they quickly turn around and come back to play their planned encore set for fear the crowd will leave without cheering them on for one.
The Dandy Warhols are pretty good about this - instead of an encore - whomever (usually Zia) has to use the restroom/take a smoke break whatever they have to do - usually leaves and the band continues on without them. Sometimes Courtney takes over drum duties if Fathead is gone but it runs smoothly.
I figure they took that from Bowie after touring with them - as Bowie used to just say he was leaving for a cigarette break and he'd be back in 10 mins or so and everyone should get a drink. (or at least thats what he did at the Warfield show).
But my personal favorites are the bands that have one album - are on their first ever tour (sometimes first show ever in the states) and they have an encore listed (naturally their 'hit'). Never makes any sense when your set is only going to be 40 mins anyway. Thankfully this doesnt happen much.
I figure they took that from Bowie after touring with them - as Bowie used to just say he was leaving for a cigarette break and he'd be back in 10 mins or so and everyone should get a drink. (or at least thats what he did at the Warfield show).
But my personal favorites are the bands that have one album - are on their first ever tour (sometimes first show ever in the states) and they have an encore listed (naturally their 'hit'). Never makes any sense when your set is only going to be 40 mins anyway. Thankfully this doesnt happen much.
99.9% are contrived.
I think I may have seen two or three uncontrived ones in my lifetime.
I think I may have seen two or three uncontrived ones in my lifetime.
Jaguar wrote:
^ Agreed.
I'm with Atomicfront, I like encores though some are obviously contrived. It gives the band a chance to pee and freshen up for a last blowout.
Although, sometimes I have to laugh, or even feel a bit sad for the band, when they quickly turn around and come back to play their planned encore set for fear the crowd will leave without cheering them on for one.
azaghal1981 wrote:
99.9% are contrived.
I think I may have seen two or three uncontrived ones in my lifetime.Jaguar wrote:
^ Agreed.
I'm with Atomicfront, I like encores though some are obviously contrived. It gives the band a chance to pee and freshen up for a last blowout.
Although, sometimes I have to laugh, or even feel a bit sad for the band, when they quickly turn around and come back to play their planned encore set for fear the crowd will leave without cheering them on for one.
the only way an encore can anything other than contrived is if the band sincerely had no intention of continuing and the audience demands it. Otherwise it's just a dumb ritual, which kind of proves that most rock fans are idiots.
Once or twice over many years, I've seen some local band with a small repertoire finish their set, and people want them to keep playing, and they have to make something up and or play something they haven't really practiced, and it sounds like shit. That's the only time it's actually something special.
Well Hope Sandavol didn't so an encore when I saw her. Of course she also played in darkness and got mad at the guy adjusting her microphone and told him he ruined it now and walked off stage.
Maybe she can not only start the no encore trend but also play in complete darkness trend.
Maybe she can not only start the no encore trend but also play in complete darkness trend.
Herr wrote:azaghal1981 wrote:
99.9% are contrived.
I think I may have seen two or three uncontrived ones in my lifetime.Jaguar wrote:
^ Agreed.
I'm with Atomicfront, I like encores though some are obviously contrived. It gives the band a chance to pee and freshen up for a last blowout.
Although, sometimes I have to laugh, or even feel a bit sad for the band, when they quickly turn around and come back to play their planned encore set for fear the crowd will leave without cheering them on for one.
the only way an encore can anything other than contrived is if the band sincerely had no intention of continuing and the audience demands it. Otherwise it's just a dumb ritual, which kind of proves that most rock fans are idiots.
Once or twice over many years, I've seen some local band with a small repertoire finish their set, and people want them to keep playing, and they have to make something up and or play something they haven't really practiced, and it sounds like shit. That's the only time it's actually something special.
Exactly.
The most memorable uncontrived one I saw (the only one I remember off hand, honestly) was the first night of Devo at the club last year. The crowd would not leave for a good 15 minutes and they came out in street clothes and did "Beautiful World." That was a lot of fun.
It was also after a BS contrived encore, though.
Swans treatment of the ritual last year was amusing. They came back, played a bunch of noise for less than a minute then Gira did a solo vocal rendition of "Little Mouth." Anyone ever see a band do a "encore" at Velvet? How could anybody deny the goofiness of that?
you do know . . . that most bands don't care what people want. they are the ones that have to suffer through the industry and put up with all the bullshit. they care about what they want and what makes them happy. if they want to do or not do an encore, they will or they won't because they want to. the end.