A rant about encores (and stuff on gigs in general)

[Tom_Violence]

Okay, so in the last week I've been to see Interpol and The Chemical Brothers. Both did good sets, although Chem Bros seemed to be throwing in a bit too much filler for my liking in between their decent stuff - honestly, there's no need to waste my time playing droning bass beats for a few minutes after each track - and both crowds seemed strangely reluctant to move at all while they were playing (too cool to dance? Stand at the back then!).

But anyway, encores! I hate them. I really do. After having stood up watching a band play for an hour or more, I really don't want to be made to wait around doing nothing at all for another ten minutes, just so they can walk back on and play again for another twenty minutes! Seriously, by that stage I am getting tired, and the encore tradition just annoys me these days. There is literally no need for it at all.

Opinions?

[averagejoe]

I like 'em. Gives me a chance to scoot out early and beat traffic. :smallsmile:

But, yeah, in general they're annoying. I mean, if you want to play another song, just play another song. Although, I did find it amusing once when I saw someone who announced to the crowd that he was done, then walked offstage. People called for an encore for something like fifteen minutes before enthusiasm waned and they streamed out of the auditorium. Very much an anticlimax.

[RTGoodman]

I enjoy encores if they're long enough to matter. When I saw Elton John a couple of years ago, he went offstage for about 5 minutes and then came back and did like another 30 minutes (of course, that five minute break was the only break they took during the three-hour long show).

When I saw Foreigner, Styx, and Def Leppard last month, the first two didn't do an encore (which I was okay with, because they weren't quite as good as they could have been). Def Leppard, on the other hand, left for about 10 minutes only to come back out and do ONE FREAKIN' SONG ("Rock of Ages") for an encore.

Also, I went to OzzFest and two groups did encores. Lamb of God played for what seemed like a bajillion hours, and then came back and did another super-long encore in which every song sounded like every other song they played. Ozzy, on the other hand, did a pretty enjoyable encore (and show in general), including Zakk Wylde's 20+ minute guitar solo.

[Gaelbert]

When I went to a Weird Al concert, when it was over the crowd went crazy. Then, after about 5 minutes or so, he came back on and played a fairly long song that I had never heard before. I was ok with that encore. It was pretty good.

[Tom_Violence]

I can suffer an encore provided the break is just long enough to count (i.e. very much a break purely for the sake of it). But even then I just don't see the point. Everyone knows you're coming back - the house lights are still off. What really bugs me is a long break and then a long encore - that's just tiring. Play a full show.

[Hoggy]

I'm trying to think... encores... the only encore I've seen that I can remember was at Opeth.

a) They told us they'd be back, but their company had asked them to do a proper encore or something;
b) It was Blackwater Park.

I didn't mind. :smallbiggrin:

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Isn't the concept of an encore to give an audience a little something extra 'cause they won't stop cheering? You know—sort of a "We love you, too" present? If ya wanna go home, just clap for a few seconds (a little token appreciation), then go on and leave. I mean, the idea is that you are making them come back out and do something more rather than them making you wait.

Likewise, a lot of the "filler" is just playing around, trying to get reactions from the audience. Something a little silly to get into. I guess sometimes it is really filler—a few of the other members having to make instrument adjustments and so on between pieces. But in either case, it's one of the things that's gonna separate a live concert from the album. I wouldn't see any benefit to seeing the performance over sticking a CD in my stereo if the performer(s) didn't make any attempt to interact with the audience. (And "audience participation" can wear out quickly, too.)

[Serpentine]

The Foo Fighters' encore started with Dave Grohl coming out with a bottle of beer, followed by the entire stadium chanting "scull!", resulting in his doing so and getting brain freeze. I was pretty happy with that :smallbiggrin:

[thorgrim29]

Well, I went to see an Éric Lapointe concert this summer, and he did a couple encores, to everyone's delight.... And the musicians played solos for like 20 minutes because he was too drunk and/or wasted to continue.....

[Dispozition]

Ah, the always awesome encore. Only live concert I've been to (greenday) and they did one, and it rocked...Awww yeah. Hopefully the RATM concert next year will be awesome and encore-ish to the max.

[Crow]

I honestly got over the encores when I was much younger. Sure, it's cool sometimes, but when it's planned ahead of time, like most of them are...Seriously, I don't want to wait around waiting for you to play something you were planning on playing one way or the other.

It's gotten to the point, where if you go to a concert, you expect to see an encore. Though it is still entertaining to see everyone start leaving, only to stream back in once they realize the band has come back on :smallsmile:

[Amotis]

For most of the concerts I go to there's really no backstage to...go off to. Perhaps they should learn to walk through walls. Or rather, for the local symphony and stuff, they don't leave because that's a waste of time. So either way its pretty obvious when they want to do an encore.

Though one free summer concert back in high school, my friends and I were watching this outdoor venue with the SD Symphony or some offshoot of them and this huge pipe organ in the background (make most of the building/backdrop up, anyone in SD knows this as the one in Balboa Park). So we listened to their set and watched everyone go (and didn't get to hear to organ much to our dissapointment). And so we don't have anywhere to go and traffic was horrible at that time. So it was sit back, relax and smoke tiem. Everyone left (old people seem to always have somewhere to go) and the stage emptied. Park practically empties in a manner of 30 minutes and we wander toward the stage to sit down on it. Spot someone in a tux, old balding fellow, and he turns and gives us one of the most child-like "hehehehe mommy's not looking" smiles, jumps on the organ, and proceeds to lay the Bachmiester on us with extra awesome.

[Tom_Violence]

Isn't the concept of an encore to give an audience a little something extra 'cause they won't stop cheering? You know—sort of a "We love you, too" present? If ya wanna go home, just clap for a few seconds (a little token appreciation), then go on and leave. I mean, the idea is that you are making them come back out and do something more rather than them making you wait.

Likewise, a lot of the "filler" is just playing around, trying to get reactions from the audience. Something a little silly to get into. I guess sometimes it is really filler—a few of the other members having to make instrument adjustments and so on between pieces. But in either case, it's one of the things that's gonna separate a live concert from the album. I wouldn't see any benefit to seeing the performance over sticking a CD in my stereo if the performer(s) didn't make any attempt to interact with the audience. (And "audience participation" can wear out quickly, too.)

Not really. I'm sure there are still some bands out there that do encores just because the crowd is begging for it, but most of the time there's no doubt whatsoever about a band coming back on (house lights! :smallwink:). As for the filler, again the difference is easily spotted. With music like the Chemical Brothers its obvious when they're playing around, and when they're just making a noise to fill up time.

[valadil]

What irritates me about encores is that they're rarely ever an actual encore - instead they've been reduced to a formality. It's like the crowd expects an encore and won't actually believe the show is over until the band has left the stage and come back. Naturally bands don't want their audience to leave disappointed so they plan encores. If you've ever seen the actual setlist from a show you'll see that the encore is planned.

I've been to more concerts than I can recall at this point (and yes, my hearing is suffering for it) and I can only remember one show with no encore. That was Marylin Manson. I can think of three shows with encores that seemed genuine. Flogging Molly, Jonathan Coulton (he actually asked us if he missed any songs that anybody liked, and of course some drunk guy yelled "play freebird," and Coulton played it), and Jerry Seinfeld (not a musical concert, but still a show, and the material he did after the show was way better).

[Shhalahr Windrider]

If you've ever seen the actual setlist from a show you'll see that the encore is planned.
You know, just because they have some material planned for an encore doesn't mean the encore's not genuine. When the people ask you to come back, it's best not to look like a total ass and spend five minutes trying to decide what to play.

Not saying all encores are genuine. Just that planning for the possibility of one doesn't mean you're gonna play one come hell or high water.

[Catch]

See, I like encores. They're a chance for the fans to influence what the band plays, for once. It's also a way to end with a bang.

Example: When I saw Tiger Army back in '04, at the end of their set, Nick 13 basically asked the crowd what they wanted to hear, and my buddy Pat immediately yells "ANNABEL LEE!" which everyone started to echo. It's a song Tiger Army never does live--mostly because Davey Havok did the backup vocals on the album--and they played it anyway, which rocked.

[valadil]

You know, just because they have some material planned for an encore doesn't mean the encore's not genuine. When the people ask you to come back, it's best not to look like a total ass and spend five minutes trying to decide what to play.


They're gonna take 5 minutes backstage before the encore anyway. And I'm willing to bet that most bands have already decided whether or not the crowd deserves an encore before they've even left the stage.

Yes I can understand why they'd have something planned, it just makes it feel more like a formality to me, as opposed to the band actually wanting to do something extra.

[Emrylon]

I'm not sure about encores.

Sometimes they can be really good. Like when I went to see Thin Lizzy last year. (Black Rose and Dancing in the Moonlight amongst others, what more could you want?)

But I went to see RHCP and they played an amazing show and then their encore was Under the Bridge and Give it away, which are both amazing songs but it seemed to be over so quickly what was the point in having a break anyway?

When I saw the LostProphets they didn't do an encore at all and the audiance stayed there for ages because they were expecting one even though the house lights came back on!

Don't get people who leave before the encore though usually all the best songs are played then...