Singalongs at gigs... love/hate?

[skyscraper101]

If its just a singer being lazy then yeah its crap, but get it right and you get a pass. E.g. Dave Grohl is masterful at this sort of thing and Foo Fighters gigs are all the better for it.

 

[Siouxsie]

I don't mind belting out a good singalong at the top of my it's all part of the experience.

I like it when the crowd keeps themselves entertained, even when it's not the groups song they are singing that they've gone to see

 

[Steel Icarus]

I mean who wouldn't be buzzing being part of this

 

[Dr. Furface]

generally.

Yes, tend to agree. There have been a couple of times when the crowd's carried on after the band that I've enjoyed though. Glastonbury's good for that. They got Jack White back for an encore by singing the riff to 7 Nation Army at him.

That reminds me of a few years ago when I saw Peter Hook and the Light in Mexico City and as we were leaving going down the stairs everyone was singing or humming the chorus to Love Will Tear Us Apart. It kind of made the night and whenever I hear it now it always reminds me of that moment.

 

[Dogsauce]

It’s the fucking clapping along I can’t stand, It reminds me of shit variety shows on telly where people do this. There’s always a bit of a delay on the beat too due to distance sound travels and people’s response time so it kind of drags the song. I think I’ve been at a couple of gigs where people have done this (possibly Leonard Cohen?) and really wanted to shout ‘shut up you cunts’ but felt hopelessly outnumbered.

I’d have probably given the MC5 a bit of a pass on the crowd participation though.

 

[Dogsauce]

I also remember seeing a shit local band in the late 80s giving it the whole U2 / Simple Minds stadium gig posturing in a pub for a free gig in the upstairs bar. The singer literally straight-faced did that ‘divide the crowd and see who can cheer/sing loudest’ thing when there was myself (pausing on the way back from the bogs) and two other guys in the room. It was like the opposite of crowd interaction, pretending there was a crowd there when there wasn’t. They weren’t even a sixth form/kiddie band, this was grown adults.

 

[Chilli.s]

I hate singalongs, i pay for a ticket I wanna hear a proper singer

 

[krtek a houby]

There was one sing along at a recent Andy Irvine gig that was genuinely entertaining. In response to recent gains by the far right, he incorporated "all you fascists are bound to lose..." into one of his compositions.

A joyous moment at a joyous gig.