Open Forum: What Do You Like Most About Live Music in Second Life? What Do You Like Least?

Last week, Delinda Dyrssen suggested an open forum on SL's vibrant live music scene, an excellent topic indeed. What do you like most about music in Second Life? What do you like least? For myself, I most like it when live music fully leverages Second Life as a platform and an experience; Grace McDunnough's Musimmersion does that, of course, and some innovations even change our perception of what live music is: consider the musical instrument avatars of Lorin Tone and Madcow Cosmos. What I like least? I've never seen lip sync or instrument-playing animations that consistently sync up with the audio stream; at some point, the performer's avatar inevitably plunges a body part through their guitar, or keeps singing long after the performer has shifted to mid-set patter. Always an immersion breaker for me. How about you?

Comments

[Sioban McMahon]

Likes:

I LOVE being able to hear and interact with such a wide range of performers from so many countries.

I LOVE being able to choose from multiple live music events (assuming I'm not working an event at our own venues).

I LOVE the professionalism and personal generosity of the musicians who perform live and for free to benefit Project Children.

Dislikes:

I dislike the 20-30 sec delay associated with the use of a stream. Streamed music beats voice hands down, of course, but it would be nice to allow the performers to more readily interact with the crowd. Small price to pay to broadcast live music so widely, though, I guess.

I dislike the learning curve associated with using WinAmp or SAM and wish it were easier to set up to play initially, particularly for the PC users. (Mac users have a MUCH easier time)

[Arcadia Codesmith]

I love the easy comraderie of SL musicians. In general, they love music and love other people who love music, and they tend to be friendly and free with their time and ideas, both to their fans and to other musicians.

I hate the necessity of tip jars. It seems that even in the most elegant of venues, the musicians often have to beg for handouts like street buskers. Especially in mixed-use sims where the venue is an anchor for retail rentals, would it really hurt for owners to divert a small part of revenues to the entertainment? Some owners are very generous in doing this, but many aren't. If you can afford it, you ought to... or at least hit the tip jar generously when the night looks a little lean.

[GoSpeed Racer]

I love being able to interact with the artist, especially if I can make them laugh. I really hate the noisemakers, the whole "Hoooo" things is idiotic. I outright mute them now.

[Effie Emmons]

Likes:

- The ability to hear musicians from all over the world with people from all over the world.

- Being able to host live music events at my venue.

- Low cost of having live music compared with RL.

- The social aspect of live music events. I've made many friends at them. And, the artists have become my friends too.

Dislikes:

- Having been on the other side of the microphone myself, the delay is a bit of an issue. However, some of the better entertainers have learned to work with it very well and fill in air space between songs.

- Artists that think they have to perform 20 shows a week. It wears them down and also makes for the crowds at shows smaller. It's easier to get some energy going with larger crowds.

- Certain venues that constantly beg for people to buy their merchandise. Live music should be enjoyed for what it is. It can be used as a vehicle to introduce your location to people; however, it rarely makes you a profit.

Arcadia, from my experience, most venues do pay their performers. I know I do. However, I have ran into some locations lately that will hire on tips only. Although, I do pay my performers, I've also ran into a few performers lately that ask 2-3 times the average rate of other performers. Since I have shows for fun and to support live music, I have a hard time justifying the higher rates.

[Crap Mariner]

This could be ten pages long, but I'll just do a full post at my site and hit the big ones

HATE WORSE THAN NAZI VAMPIRE WEREWOLF CHILD-MOLESTERS "Tribute Bands" performing and advertising as the band in Events. They're stealing the likeness and music of the band and trying to get tips from it. It's a clear violation of CS/TOS and should be DMCAed into oblivion before some dimwit in Congress or the RIAA gets the notion to scream BAN ALL MUSIC FROM THIS DEN OF PIRATES AND THIEVES!

Every buck you give a "Tribute Band" is a buck that should end up in the hands of a musician who takes the time to learn a cover song and adapt it to their own style (and pays the proper royalties if applicable)

OH BOY! You can play a live album CD and dress up avatars like the Rolling Stones or David Bowie or Michael Jackson. What a f-cking TALENT you are!

If you host these graverobbing parasites, not only should you lose your parcels, but you should be force-fed every key on your keyboard. TWICE!

(assclowns)

-ls/cm

PS: Now I owe Foamy the Squirrel royalties... where's the tipjar at IllWillPress. UGH!

[chaddington boomhauer]

Love performers who can interact with the audience and who play off what's happening in-world. Dislike the limit on how many people can attend a concert.

[Effie Emmons]

Hmmm... I guess I forgot about those "Tribute Bands." Although I'll be a little more gentle with my words, I agree with you. I've noticed that DJs and "Tribute Bands" have widdled their way into Live Music Event listings. Although there are some SL DJs I dearly love, they are not Live Music.

[Dianna Voight]

I love the mutual and reciprocal influence - the interaction - between the musician and the audience. Especially when you can feel that the artist is having so much fun as you are listening and shaking pixels.
This interaction is unique, if the artist learns how to use it right (not ignore or get disturbed by the comments in open chat). Not even possible in rl, where the musician in the stage gets in another dimension state until the end of the show. Be at home performing or in a studio is probably much more relaxing than in a crowed bar, with all kinds of noise (just one tiny aspect of the difference between rl and sl)
I hate clubs that uses "bots" with smart gestures to pretend there is a crowd there ( YOU ROCK! \m/ to a classical pianist for example :/). The artist dont need that. More than 5 lines, it is muted. They dont let the real interested people interact too with all that spam.
I dont like know about some wanna-be that cant manage a venue or dont have enough to support their sl experience as a club owner to lobby for the "only tips" thing. This must be a choice, a deal between the musician and the venue. Not a rule!
And the fake tribute trash? I cant even talk about it.
Most of the dj events (IMHO) should be listed at night life entertainment option (like it was a loooong time ago. Unless is a dj mixing samples and backtracks in real time, making their own songs or interpretation, in real time, there is no reason to be listed as live music. Just a few do that in sl, i guess.

Live music is what made me come to SL and could be the most important thing to bring new people in. Just make it easy. Just mix with rl (usinge the media option) and quality and variety will increase.

My L$2

=^.^=

[Rosi Vinson]

Performers who obviously enjoy what they're doing, interact with their audience and create a fun atmosphere. Sometimes it must be hard to keep up with the chat, but I love when they comment in between songs, or when they have a chance to greet people by name - it makes it more 'real' and personal.

I also boggle sometimes at how much of a performance they give for 'pennies' compared to what they would earn for RL performances. I am happy to see their tip jars and only wish sometimes I could throw more $L at them.

I also love that there are so many great venues, which also probably don't cover their costs, and again am glad of the chance to contribute to tip jars for those.

There are so many performers in so many different genres that almost any time I feel like dancing or listening, there is somewhere to go.

I also love that I can be sitting in my jammies with a facepack on and my hair all mussed and have way more fun times than if I'd spent two hours getting all dressed up and booking a taxi into town and spending a fortune on drinks.

As for dislikes, I know I'm not paying for it unless I want to contribute to tip jars, but it annoys me when I go to a venue and there's a musician who is singing, sometimes badly, to a backing track. SLaraoke is a bit of a swizz in my book, unless somebody has a really amazing vocal talent but can't actually play an instrument.

Lots of 20 line gestures can sometimes be annoying, but I use my mute button when I need to and if there's too much gesture noise it's easy to turn down the 'sounds' slider so it's not a huge problem. 'Overhosting' can be sometimes. Hosts are great and useful and often hugely entertaining, but if they're just pasting the same pre-prepared gestures into chat and there are five of them expecting you to tip them for not doing very much at all then it can be irritating too.

Overall, the live music in SL is fantastic and initiatives like Music Not Politics and the regular fundraising events held involving the bands and musicians who give their time and effort for free are one of the best things about the grid for me.

Rawk on, all of you, I really appreciate it!

[Adric Antfarm]

needs more cowbell

[Jura Shepherd]

I love music, SL or otherwise but I guess what I enjoy most about SL music is watching the scene develop. It's been 5 years or so since the first stream and even after all that time, fans, musicians, venues and sl media are all still getting their heads around it.

I have some of the same nuts-n-bolts type dislikes that others have mentioned but one of the biggest yokes on SL music is the lack of a "killer app" for browsing the selection of artist. Even if the event search was better organized, it's still assumes the user is looking for a specific listing rather than being engaging and intuitive. Using the event search and snooping profiles will uncover all the information but it's more like research than something fun to do.

[Richard Meiklejohn]

I love playing live in SL - more intimate than real live gig as you can see feedback from individuals and they can socialise and appreciate the music at the same time, but all from the comfort of your own studio.
I love attending real live performances in SL for the same reasons, for the amazing atmosphere and sense of fun that the best performers manage to generate and for the increased connection and immersiveness which paradoxically seems to come from bringing real life into SL and I'd love to see more mixed reality events, and fusions of chat from other listeners into SL. Maybe even streaming the video and sound of the SL performance live onto the web and into other worlds, OpenSim grids etc

I can't stand large amounts of prerecorded backing - I think performers should make it very clear what is live and what isn't
I can't stand huge chat gestures - they should have their own channel so they can be muted independently of other chat.
I think it should be a bannable offence to list a DJ or tribute act that is simply playing a recording as Live Music.

[Lessa Joubert]

I love live music for all the reasons everyone has stated. On a more basic level, what I look for most is someone who really gives me an experience of them as an artist. I much prefer someone who plays an instrument to canned tracks - I'll take a few strummed chords over the most sophisticated karaoke machine any day. I'd love to hear more duos and trios in that vein - a couple of instruments and some harmonies. Simple is best as far as I'm concerned.

[OhMy Kidd]

/me loves SL music for its intimacy, the supportive audience, and the spirit of adventure and discovery.

Best: Performing live for friends in a relaxed fun atmosphere.

Worst: Me or others taking ourselves too seriously.

What I'd Like To Improve in my SL Live Performance: Expressing myself more through my avatar and animations while I play. Obviously the delay/synchronisaton issue plays a part here but also interface - hard to type while paying guitar.

[Anonymous]

Dislikes:

Musicians that have "dancers" or guitarists with them, when they are the only one that is really playing. It's so fake! You've got:

1. The venue tip jar
2. The host tip jar (could be multiple)
3. The musician's tip jar
4. The dancer and multiple fake guitarists tip jars

If you play well, you don't need fake musicians to enhance your show. Plus how much is the audience supposed to fork over? Reduced revenues for all concerned! Distracts from the musician and the music.

[Anonymous]

Musicians that play at tips only places and then charge high fees for other venues.

Audience members that run off at the mouth about themselves and control the room chat.

Major venue spamming in green.

[Komuso Tokugawa]

Most: Connecting directly with True Fans

Least: Psychic Vampires

[Elyse Heron]

I Love
Sojurn Rossini

He is one of the best and most entertaining musicians in SecondLife.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

Pet peeve: people who don't respect voice as an instrument in its own right. A professional vocalist singing to a backing track is to karaoke as Jimi Hendrix is to Guitar Hero. Getting a good sound requires a significant capital investment in a high-end mic and mixer. Most musicians understand this and respect an experienced singer.

But there are a sparse handful of audience members who feel compelled to come to a vocalist show (billed as a vocalist show), make what they think are witty remarks about "karaoke", and poof... making themselves look stupid and annoying people who came to enjoy the show. If you have some irrational hatred of backing tracks, ok fine, exit stage left. Just don't disrupt the show for people who are enjoying it with a stunning display of your total lack of class.