Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I'd rather see a rockband when I go to a concert. Some reasons are because I sometimes think that electronic artists just press the "play" button and wave their hand a couple of times. This isn't always the case though.

When you see a rockband you can see how much effort they put in a gig. They connect better with the public...for example by telling jokes. The people at a rock-gig are very differrent too. I went to a Bloc Party gig yesterday and i loved how the crowd sung along. You don't see that kinda of shit at an electronic-gig. They also go ape-shit for some bands...like at the Bloodhound Gang gig I went to recently, people got up on stage and also got kicked off..there was loads of crowd-surfing too(i can understand that some people hate this)...in my opinion this is fucking great!

I'm not saying that electronic gigs are crap, because i love them too. But i think rock-gigs are better in general.

For a night out you can;t beat a good dj-set of course.

What are your thoughts?

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I have problems at rock shows. I often don't know what to do with myself. There's a lot of standing around and staring at the band. People tend to stay where they are, there's no kinetic motion.

Whereas at a club / rave, part of the experience is the music and part of it is the crowd, mixing and intermingling.

I feel what you're saying about the "Liveness" of a rock band though and I'm waiting for that to start happening with electronic music. Mostly because I still love electronic sounds over acoustic. I love hearing sounds that make me go "what in the HELL was that" and then bouncing around the room and going out of my mind. I think very soon there will be people making electronic sounds and it being just as live as a rock show.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

concerts are arduous and unsatisfying.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

At dance concerts, the crowd move more and dance more whereas at rock concerts people mostly just stand there (except for nutters in the mosh pit at the front). in a rock band, the musicians have set pieces to play and there are breaks in the song for each member to play to the crowd. with electronic music there are usually so many layers of music going on that it can be quite complex and requires more concentration. im sure its like playing a few instruments at once. Add to that in between songs theres a lot of sequences to set up and it doesnt leave much for chat in between.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I love watching that gradient of appreciation at rock gigs. The nutbags at the front jumping up and down against the barrier; the already-fans jumping about and singing along a little further back; then with quite a sharp demarcation you move into the zone of nodding appreciation.

Rock gigs are great if you are a jump-around-fan. I used to like that when I was into a band. And a really tight band is a thing to behold (Maximo Park being a notable example recently but I haven't seen too much lately).

It's true though, the dance thing's often more communal.

More and more I like gigs where there is a real mixture of different groups in the crowd. That's where I've really enjoyed myself, looking back.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I think you should make your mind up mate:D

See faithless live and you get musicians playing Drums/bass/guitar/keyboards and you also get 'electronic music'..........and the crowd sings along;)

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I mean for night time i'd rather hear electronic music and for an evening rock music. ;)

And no I don;t want to sing "We become one". :D

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Well I can't really choose between the two.
First of all, let's not compare a DJ with a rockband, that's just something different. Comparing a live-electronic act with a rockband comes much closer. But then, there is quite some difference between electronic acts too. You've got the button-pressers and you have those that really put effort in their liveshow (Underworld).

Last summer's Lowlands festival in Holland was my first real experience with rockmusic live and I have to say that it rocked ;) I have respect for them doing it all live, all together and put on a great show for the audience.
But still I can't really say I like a rock performance better, as my love for electronic music is just really fucking huge and if done well, also ROCKS live. And by a rocking electronic performance I DO NOT MEAN THE AUDIO BULLYS!!!! Grrrr

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Ahhhhh i misunderstood you;)

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Hmmm...Well I think the visual aspect is important too. A rock band playing instruments live on stage can be quite impressive to look at. An electronic artist making music with Ableton Live is dreadfully boring to watch. I once saw Matthew Dear doing an Ableton performance and I just wasn't impressed (all you see is some guy looking at a computer screen and clicking a mouse, the whole show)

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I find that live electronic gigs are much better, the people generally have a good dance around and everyone talks to each other. At some "rock" gigs i've been to, the people have been very aggresive towards each other, even if you just knock in them accidently!

I prefer live electronic stuff becuase all of the samples etc are all pre-programmed, so the perfomer can totally mix it up and fuck around with the song structure to keep the audience guessing. I.e. Underworld, The Chemical Brothers. Four Tet was ace when i saw him, he just ripped his own stuff apart!

With a lot of indie/stuff, theres no room for improvising and seeing a band more then say 3/4 times can start to get boring. Though i agree with some abbleton live performances can be shit, i'm sure Aphex Twin just pressed play [but the stuff was still incredible!]

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

You are right about electronic bands having the oppertunity to fuck around with pre-programmed sample, but how many electronic bands actually do that? I saw Chemical Brothers once and I've heard some recordings and the songs are quite similar if not exactly the same as the studio versions! It was a great show nontheless, but still.

It's really cool you mention Four Tet is ace, because I really really love "Unspoken", it's one of my favoute tunes ever. Whenever he's in Holland, I'll go and see him.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

We Come One

That kick ass mate;)

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

How about the karaoke-ish electronic acts? I think it depends on the artists' music and how into it the crowd is. I'd consider underworld or depeche mode kind of electronic shows right, both put out amaaaazing sets, but then again their fans are insanely devoted. (btw I'm seeing DM again tonight, they put on a great show last night, my voice is 90% gone)

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I'd say - normally, I'd rather see an electronic band over a rock band

as there just seems to be a higher likelihood of a communal vibe, and it's really rare that you encounter what are the stereotypical rock-crowds here in DC... you just stand in one place chainsmoking... and give glares at the people who - gasp - might actually be enjoying themselves!

and I find the rock bands who do nothing but stand still during the whole gig (only moving to grab another beer) just as obnoxious, if not moreso, than the electronic bands / performers who don't move away from their laptops

I also think it's much much harder for a rock band to really grab an audience than it is for an electronic act - basically going back to that whole communal aspect...

like... I don't really know how this is relevant overall - but anyways, it's a good story. So, I saw Moby on both his Area1 & Area2 Tours, during these tours he had a rather large band, yet still had a nice electronic feel with a loose-ness that you can get from a larger band with percussionists, et al (much improving their respective albums... seriously) -> then I saw him here in DC for the Hotel Tour, which not only was a low-key tour, it also had a stripped down, more 'rocky' band eirgo, all the songs were definitely more rock-vibed.

Well - in Area1, it was easy to get close to the stage, and there was a real sense of 'connectiveness' with him on stage (he'd even stop and chat with us) but at this Hotel Tour show, you couldn't move whatsoever. The only time I was able to move at all was... well a bit of a preface. This guy was (obviously) trying to impress his girl, and her friends - so he pushed forward knocking people over, to get them up front. All of the girls were obnoxiously overdressed (high heels and sequins). Then Moby starts playing "Natural Blues" at which, all the girls start getting excited - like "oh this is my favorite song" and start singing along.... until they realize that Moby's playing a very very very different version.... reeaaaalllly slow

-> meaning - they can't sing along to it... get pissy looks on their face, and start to aimlessly wander back a bit - allowing me + my friends to get closer to the stage

...and none of that would happen at an electronic show

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I tend to agree with electronic over rock gigs for the overall live experience, having seen very many of both over the years. Maybe it is because, in general, for dance acts, people are there to party (and very often aren't even bothered whether they can even see the stage or not as long as the sound and the vibe is good), whereas for rock acts they are more likely to be there to listen/watch.

Sure, you can get a good vibe from a rock gig but as Dirty 0900 pointed out, you often get quite a bad vibe in the crowd too -there doesn't seem to be any solidarity or cohesion among the audience, just "I'm here to watch the band, stay out of my face and don't spill my beer."

Last year I took a friend to the last Orbital gig in London. She had never been to an electronic gig/rave before and she was absolutely astounded by the warmth and respect shown by the audience to each other, which she had never experienced at any other gig she had been to.

I dunno the extent to which this is caused by the fact that the drug of choice for electronic/dance crowds tends to be eccies, though. ;) :p

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Saw LCD SoundSystem this week (3rd time I've seen them), and they never fail to impress. They're definitely a hybrid of the two - the band are incredible to watch, especially the drummer - but everyone has a good dance as well. During tracks like Tribulations and Yeah!, the whole crowd were going wild.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I've only really been to a couple of 'dance' gigs (Orbital and Kid606), most of the electronic gigs I've been to have been... well, I was going to say quieter affairs, but maybe just less hectic. When I saw Four Tet the crowd didn't move that much, and to be frank, I thought his set was appalling (drum and synth loop, then he just messes with delay so it speeds up and slows down and presses a couple of buttons that make squawking noises. For over an hour. Really fucking awful), whilst most 'rock' gigs (again, I've only really been to one 'rock' gig, most stuff I've seen has been indie/whatever you want to call it) have been more lively and I've got into it more.
Folk gigs are the best. Everything's so much more intimate.

Anyway, I've given up on going to big gigs unless it's someone I REALLY, REALLY want to see. Smaller, local gigs are far more enjoyable.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Yeah, I love eccies.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

If this is the case you must have been going to some pussy-band.
The last two rock gigs I have been too (Bloodhound Gang and Bloc Party) everyone was going fucking nuts and beer was flying everywhere.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

well, being in a live electronic band (albeit a verrrrry small one) I thought I'd throw in my two penneth.

For me its about exactly what an electronic band can pull off live (i.e. what they're actually doing) and then what sort of a performance they do. In terms of structure our live stuff is pretty much as our studio stuff, I'd say 85% of our synths are generated live on stage which leaves is free to tweak synth parameters live or play the synths live. For me its soooooo easy to see when a person's miming.

What I dont want to see on stage is a bloke hunched over a laptop pressing a mouse with about as much passion as though he's checking his emails

The exception of course if when I went to see Kraftwerk.. :D

This is us in Liverpool last month...hey yup its a plug but its a good illustration of what we do :o
http://media.putfile.com/Emmet-at-Di...-11-11-05/wide

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

That's awesome. Now THAT's what I want to see when I go to an electronic music gig. Live tweaking on synths, and not just some nerd clicking on Ableton Live or pushing some buttons on an electribe :D

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

at the end of the day, however, there's still no getting away from the idea that it's faithless up there and that, as sure as eggs is eggs, maxi jazz is going to ruin it :D

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

i think there's gotta be some distinction between electronic "bands" that simply sequence and button-push, and those that make an effort to tweak and improv. i mean, if you go to see an electronic band live, then its understood that you'll be hearing live renditions (read: different from LP) of tracks. It shouldn't be a DJ set, imho.

As good examples of doing it right, i'm thinking of course of Underworld, but also Moby, Hybrid, and Depeche Mode, all of whom include live musicians in large part to their shows.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I agree with the distinction between live acts and DJs. I think of going to a DJ set as a totally different thing than going to a gig. I go to a set to hear music that I've never heard before, I go to a concert to hear music I know and love. However, I think that there's a further distinction to be made within live electronic bands. Underworld and Orbital were completely revolutionary in their performance as they were, as far as I am aware, the first people to basically put their studio on stage and then work with the freedom that this gives them. As has been documented here, most live acts either seem to rely on the pre-programming of their music or on live musicians. Both of these can be a lot of fun, but the levels that Underworld reach in their performances are something else entirely, the most complex and creative music I have ever heard.

Underworld (and I am mostly talking of the Underworld from 1994 - 1999) and Orbital are the only two bands that I have ever seen do this, and Underworld to far greater heights than Orbital (not to do discredit to one of my very favourite bands). Every other live act I've seen has either been pre-programmed or has used instruments.

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

I went to see Coldplay on sunday and most of the people were so rude! My brother tried to get forward to a space and soem bloke stopped him, saying something like it was his space and he weren't moving........

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

One of my mates went to Bloc Party in Paradiso, Amsterdam and his glasses got kicked from his face by some crowdsurfer :mad: :D

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

*choke*:eek: :eek: :eek:

Re: Electronic vs Rock music (live)
 

Hahaha I was there!
There were only like 5 crowdsurfers but still great. I didn't get hurt :)