All good points, but it depends entirely on the venue. When playing a dance, keeping the music going is a priority. Maybe even doing some limited talking during the intro of a song, or the transition between songs (with your music still playing). One of the neat things about the AK, is being able to either shorten or extend the length of a song according to what's going on the dance floor... playing the room. That's where you also have to "feel" how much jib-jab is appropriate.

On the other hand, when you're doing a senior home, it's usually a concert type venue and I generally talk to the audience between every song. Sometimes with song info and sometimes to interject humor. Developing a rapore with the folks.

When I was still playing the nite-club and bar circuit, the maximum time I permitted between songs was a few seconds at most. Often, when the intro to a song was playing, I would acknowledge some of the customers who were regulars, and if rememberd one of their favorite tunes, I would dedicate that somg to them during that time. That usuallly put them on the dance-floor of the nite club, and others would frequently join them.

When I play for a dance crowd, especialy when the dance-floor is packed, the time between songs is one to two seconds at most. Anything beyond five seconds and they're headed back to their seats. I sincerely believe this is where preplanning every job really pays off, especially if you utilize every tool at your disposal and have the ability to deviate from the plan to accommodate the nature of the audience.

Gary

Don't forget, if people stay on the dance floor constantly they can't spend money on drinks.
DonM

Yeah but if they stay on the dance floor, when they poop out, they are going to want a drink. I dunno... what the right mix is there... except a bar owner told me one time "Work their ass off (play fast dance songs), they'll get thirsty."

My $0.02..

If you're playing a dance there shouldn't be dead air between songs. However, if you're playing Nightclub/lounges there should be.

These two are not the same gig and nightclubbers may not want to dance 3 or 4 dances in a row with the same partner. Having a long enough break to get off the dance floor and have a drink is a good thing in a singles bar scene.

I talk for five minutes between each song. I tell the folks about my belly button lint collection. I have lint from Inglebert Humperdink's belly button! I also talk about my past pets, especially when I introduce a tear jerker I wrote about my dead iguana, Elizardbeth.

I almost never get rehired, but I'm sure it has nothing to do with my entertaining stories.

Beakybird

Well let's take last night as an example.
There's 5 of us in the band. Bill, our lead guitarist and one of the lead vocalists, really has the gift to relax an audience, usually, if there's a pause, it's anywhere between 5 to 10 seconds max between songs, but for the most part, it's bam-bam-bam, right into the next number. Lisa,(another lead vocalist) can shmoooz a crowd as well. I do it in solo gigs, but with the band I've just got too much going on in front of me, and on the floor. If I have to switch from keys to guitar, I've got it down to about 10 seconds max. If Bill needs to switch guitars or busts a string, as he did last night, Paul,(drummer) and Dan (bass) and myself started the next song regardless of Bill taking a little extra time. The transition was seamless and no one left the dance floor, which was packed tight. Lots of good comments actually from some patrons on how the music just kept flowing, which was good to hear.
Just my thots..

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...L

[This message has been edited by shboom (edited 10-17-2004).]

Nice reply Beaky - made me laugh anyway.

KF