Being a fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan, I once read how when he and Double Trouble played the Montreux Jazz festival for the first time, they didn't get the appreciation you'd come to expect, which they got years later when they returned. However despite the audience reaction the first time, Stevie still played like his life depended on it.
I have to admit, some gigs we've played have been awesome, with a great receptive audience, and other times we've felt like we're just a jukebox or YouTube stream. But just like Stevie, if there's one lesson here, it is to still remain professional and play properly even if you don't think you're being appreciated, as you never really know who is listening.
Most recently Faye and I played a large private seated event, which following a lively wedding would present us with a very different crowd and vibe altogether. Observing the audience, we didn't play many of the modern pop songs we would have normally, choosing slower ballads but played in our own way, of course with me playing Beat Strum style. Good thing too since we discovered that one of the spectators had actually posted a video clip of us and a few Instagram posts later found out her sister was one of our future bookings and the original Instagramer didn't know she had already booked us.
So respect that just because you've been hired to perform at an event doesn't make you the main attraction, and remember that as you're performing, especially in big venues more people may be are enjoying your performance more than you actually think.
Till next time, have fun exploring, recording and performing.
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