I'm a zealot of late for at least one thing: connection by the band. We don't play mega-stages or claim art audiences so the role of the band is to entertain and do it with decent musicality and that all happens through connection. We played a gig the other night and it was a huge pleasure. We played well and were applauded and danced and listened to and that's a function of connection. Not a lot is required, but a smile and introductions serve well as a starter. It's largely incidental but direct: I don't even use a mic. Just seeing you communicating goes a long way. Management noted that people came in off the street and that it was a busy night for this time in Canberra (famed for empty roads and locals at the coast). I noticed the presence of audience up close and enjoyed that a couple asked how long the break was so they could get back for the next set and they stayed to the end. It's satisfying when people stay to the end and they often do. And how nice to get some compliments from the bar staff. It reminds me of a lesser gig where we got approval but a description of "lounge music". Mmm. I prefer something more immediate and more fun. It's taken me decades to learn this (I'm just a bass player, after all), but some contact is a wonderful thing for a band and it's so often forgotten by jazzers. And then there's how you dress. That's another discussion but to ignore it is still another choice.
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