remphish1 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Which singers have you seen have the best stage banter..can be from the past too... My favorites include1. Mark Sandman-Morphine2. John Flansberg-They Might Be Giants3. Ryan Miller-Guster4. Morrissey..everytime he opens his mouth something wacky is coming..5. Jeff Tweedy-He has some great zingers...6. Mike Doughty-Soul Coughing..off the wall stuff7. Dave Grohl-Foo Fighters8. Springsteen-Good story teller...sometimes witty9. Fountains of Wayne Bands I like with not so good stage banterRadiohead, Phish (Trey says at most 2 words to the audience a show!), Son Volt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Without a doubt, Todd Snider. it's more stories than banter, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Son Volt Not so good? You are very, very generous! I would give Jeff props for being number one in that category. Other faves, living or dead: Bruce Cockburn, Phil Ochs, maybe Harry Chapin. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Some of the funniest off the cuff stage banter from Chicago connected artists:Neko CaseKelly Hogan (with and without Neko Case)Jon Langford (with or without Sally Timms)rRobbie Fulks Funny Brits:Billy BraggRobyn Hitchcock LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Some of the funniest off the cuff stage banter from Chicago connected artists:Neko CaseKelly Hogan (with and without Neko Case) LouieB A Neko Case/Kelly Hogan/Carolyn Mark show from many years ago was probably the high-point in stage banter that I've witnessed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 all of these have been very funny. Neko CaseRobyn HitchcockWarren EllisSun City Girls (Rick and Alan Bishop)Jeff TweedyHar Mar SuperstarDavid YowBob Pollard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 A Neko Case/Kelly Hogan/Carolyn Mark show from many years ago was probably the high-point in stage banter that I've witnessed.Having seen Kelly and Neko and also Kelly and Carolyn (and I think Nora O'Connor was there) I can only imagine the interplay between the three of them. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cam Jones Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Some people tend to talk AT the crowd and not with them you know? Jeff Tweedy talks with the crowd. Guy Garvey from Elbow does too. I've noticed on some videos E from the EELS talks AT the crowd. He knows what he's going to say each night and just says it.i tend to take pride in my stage banter when I play out since it's something I always remember from shows. One of my favorite bits of banter I've been involved with was Elbow at the Paradise last September. People were hollering out songs and I said "Play Independent Women!" (their cover of the Destiny's Child song haha) Guy stopped and looked at me "do we look like an international traveling juke box? thats a great request but we're not going to play that fucking song" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 John S. Hall Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 The Kirkwood brothers (Meat Puppets) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I thought The National were surprisingly talkative and entertaining. Edit: Justin Townes Earle is pretty good too, though I assume his banter is planned ahead rather than off the cuff, which makes a difference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Yeah, Justin Townes Earle is probably number one for me. Bad experience Banter - B.B. King. At first his stories were great, but after two hours of them and only playing 3 or 4 songs, it got very old.... But he's B.B. King so he can do that... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bumpyjonas Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Leo Kottke Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Leo KottkeYeah, great music, decent banter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saluqi Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Lyle Lovett is pretty funny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Meat Puppets and Lyle Lovett are great.But, for my money:Jonathan Fucking Richman. [/thread] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I thought The National were surprisingly talkative and entertaining. Edit: Justin Townes Earle is pretty good too, though I assume his banter is planned ahead rather than off the cuff, which makes a difference.Yeah, Justin Townes Earle is probably number one for me. Definitely gets it from his dad. I never saw a performer (Steve Earle) diffuse situations (drunk audience banter, etc,) better than Steve. Lot's of Steve banter is definitely planned, too, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Not witty but my favourite ever:- The Undertones 'cos with their thick Derry accents I couldn't understand a bloody word, but it was pure magic. Reminded of that by the BBC4 Undertones doc that's just finished. Some great stuff, including the real perfect cousin Kevin. Shame Feargal dedlined to take part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fgIhtJtsfo Forget your mohawks and safety pins, thats punk fashion as I remember it right there Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Bad experience Banter - B.B. King. At first his stories were great, but after two hours of them and only playing 3 or 4 songs, it got very old.... But he's B.B. King so he can do that... I've experienced that...twice. At the second show, some people were audibly groaning during the stories, and a few even walked out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fritz Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I second the mention of Warren Ellis. Tim Rogers is another one. Funny one liner from Mark Snarski (The Jackson Code) when his microphone stand was slowly drooping during a song: "Ah, that's just like a night with me in the sack." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Jeff Tweedy, ObviouslyRobert Plant (in the zep days)Chris Bailey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I second the mention of Warren Ellis. Tim Rogers is another one. Funny one liner from Mark Snarski (The Jackson Code) when his microphone stand was slowly drooping during a song: "Ah, that's just like a night with me in the sack." SO agreed on Tim Rogers! I could listen to him ramble for hours. Such a natural performer, so very funny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Buzz Osbourne of the Melvins is *very* funny but usually doesn't say much on stage. However, check out some of his interviews or do a YouTube search for his appearances on Fox TV's Red Eye. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Freedy Johnston is pretty good, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thingfishp Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I haven't seen Todd Rundgren in a while, but he was usually good for some amusing talk. He is great at the savagely-witty comment. Saw him at Toad's Place in New Haven once and his drunken bitching about the quality of his $110+ haircut in the city was a bore. I remember leaving that one early, which I never do. As for the not-so-goods, Robert Fripp has the worst stage presence of any performer I've seen. When he was quiet in the shadows and took a polite bow at the end, that was OK. During the last round of shows they plaid in NYC several years back (the last they will ever play, I'm sure), he hid behind his rack then stood behind the stage while the rest of KC took a bow. What the fuck is that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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