Jazz Gig Etiquette

[Old Grumpy]

I was recently at the Sage Gateshead to see The Impossible Gentlemen. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the gig overall that enjoyment was somewhat compromised in during the first half by a drip stream of latecomers entering the hall. The door staff were allowing them in and then showing them to their seats, sometimes in the middle of a row where people were already seated. There were gaps between the numbers when latecomers could have been shown their seats, rather then during the music. Indeed the Sage has flat screens outside the entrance doors to both the halls specifically to allow latecomers to see and hear what is going on inside!

To my mind this is discourteous to both the musicians and those who had made the effort to be seated on time. Am I being unreasonable here (this experience was nothing to that of hackneyvi at the Pizza Shed)? I emailed the Sage the day after the gig, but to date have not had a response.


OG

[Serial_Apologist]

Not unreasonable, no. As one who has sometimes been guilty of turning up after a gig has commenced, I always creep in as inconspicuously as possible, and wait my turn until either a substantial break appears to be taking place between numbers, or until the main break. The Vortex appears to operate an implicit if unspoken policy of discouraging punters from taking seats during a set, and most audience members appear comfortable with this. It is usually at larger venues such as The Barbican that I come across the kind of behaviour you describe, Old Grumpy.

S-A

[hackneyvi]

I was recently at the Sage Gateshead to see The Impossible Gentlemen. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the gig overall that enjoyment was somewhat compromised ...

To my mind this is discourteous to both the musicians and those who had made the effort to be seated on time. Am I being unreasonable here ...? I emailed the Sage the day after the gig, but to date have not had a response.

OG

I know I went off the deep end about my gig, OG, so maybe I'm not the best person to comment. (This gap is what I consider to be a dignified pause ...)

I think you are absolutely reasonable and since it's some time ago (?), perhaps print the text of your email out, sign it and send it again but by post.

In defence of the latecomers, accidents will happen, the best laid plans etc. But if the auditorium has made provision of this sort, the fault lies with the staff which in the end comes back to the management who either aren't aware (which is still a shortcoming on their part) or are aware and don't care/understand. Not all people working in a venue have any interest in music and some have no sense of musical etiquette. If their musical experience is pubs, clubs and rock venues, silence will be meaningless to them and needs to be firmly explained.

Pizza Shed made an announcement about a silence policy before the gig I went to but it was the staff (and not just the waiters) who were making the noise.

[Serial_Apologist]

The "silence" policy at The Albert, in Bristol, wass maintained by Ian Storrer, who, of extra large build, and as promoter and pub landlord, only had to fix his glare on miscreants to achieve instant silence.

The aim of achieving untrammelled attention can be pushed to extremes, however.

One gig I attended was of a performance by a trio consisting of the singer Norma Winstone, whom I know, accompanied by John Parricelli on guitar and Iain Ballamy on sax. The music was so quiet and intimate as to be drowned out by the hum of the air conditioning. Arriving late there were no seats to be had, and I stood at the back, quietly munching the packet of crisps that were by substitute supper, looking around at the table occupants to see if I was eliciting disapproval. At half time, a man from three tables away approached - I assumed with the intention of asking if he knew me. Instead he berated me for "ruining the first half" with my crunching. I apologised, offering to buy a round of drinks by way of compensation, and was waived away.

Norma spotted me at the end of the gig, and was coming over to have a chat, when the same man got up from that table to speak to her. Obviously someone she knew very well. I leave it to you to imagine how embarrassed I felt, and disappeared behind a pillar until the man and his party had left the venue. "I seem to have upset a friend of yours", I told Norma, explaining what had happened. "Oh - take no notice of him", she replied, "I've known him for years - he's just an old misery-guts!"

[Old Grumpy]

Nice story S-A, whilst reading it I felt your embarrassment too!

Hackneyvi - I have re-sent the email to another address (Head of Customer Services) and so hope for a response. I have also contacted a guy who runs a local jazz website and he has offered to use his contacts to encourage a response. We'll see.

OG

[Old Grumpy]

Side issue - Jazz Record Requests knocked off the schedules again... grrrrr!