House shows - please explain me.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

this was brought up in another thread and I decided to not derail it any further so´I make it a topic of its own.

House shows... Please explain me. I don't get it. How's it different from performing really silent at a speakeasy?

I've seen a few pictures and vids in the past two years that have made me vaguely aware of such phenomenon. Nothing like that in Finland, not that I know. A funny thing.

The closest I've been involved with must be the private parties for a 10-20 people plus the band, like private parties thrown for friends and hangarounds that were coming to the rehearsal place. So outsiders and the cops doesn't really ever know.

But I haven't performed in anybodys living room, at least I can't remember.

Apparently they work for You guys, and I can totally predict those gigs being insanely intense, too, but... Wouldn't that turn the poor bastards living room into a mayhem and then just heaps of debris, rubble, and cooling embers.

This is apparently something culturally very American, is it? Share me experiences, tell me more about this.

If there's tickets to the show doesn't it follow it becomes a speakeasy = troubles with the cunts from the neighbor and then with the authorities? Or does the drunk and loud guys getting out of thrown out before it gets out of hand? What do You do with Your next door neighbor, invite them over or bribe them? Threaten with the performing bands drummer moving over?

I've done gigs and surprise events in even the smallest rock bars in here, yeah, perhaps located in large apartment buildings And STILL that's not the same, nothing like it if they pay the band, pay their taxes and have got a lawful permission to sell booze and have live bands (even if we had to quit early). One small club even had a weekly radio program recorded live in there so every Finish known band wanted to perform there.

Okay well the label Some Place Else have had a few 'headset living room parties' for limited audience of a dozen or so. Noise/ Glitch/ Ambient assault in the label record store room, artists using laptops so there's no actual sounds. Nor was there any booze, nor party if You ask me, but it was still a pretty cool and original idea.

[Schlatte]

I never got that too. Here in Austria there are "house parties" too.. but.. like... with less people and more 'private'.. I guess that's the point of a "house party"... to have it 'private'. If I want 50 drunk people around me I just go to the next bar... or pub.. and if I like a band I go to a club they play in.

[theavondon]

So, in the DFW area, there's a lot of house shows, and such.

They usually look kinda like this.


Buncha people in a room, holding red cups full of beer, kinda just standing there, and a band is playing. The shows are usually free, and if a touring band is playing, donations are usually taken. The person's house gets about as trashed as it does when a party happens. House shows are great (to me) because of a few reasons.

1) People show up.

People love parties, and they love music, and they love (most of all) drinking. House shows are the combination of all of those things, and since they're free, most bored college students will just go to a house show even though they're not really into seeing music, or anything like that.

2) The energy level is a lot higher.

There's no stage, nothing between the audience (who's probably drunk) and you. They literally get into it. Here's (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2597166772046) a video of my band ECCOTONE playing a house show where the audience pushed us around, and we pushed back. Shenanigans usually occur at a faaaaaaar greater rate, and I love that.

3) You can usually piss people off, and get the cops called, and then the show is over.

I don't know why I like that one, but I really do. I have near endless stories of cops showing up during our set. We're too loud, really. But, I kinda like it. One time we knocked lightbulbs out of the ceiling of a dorm. One time a cop gave us a ten minute lecture.

BUT THE TICKET FOR NOISE VIOLATION NEVER GOES TO ME, ALWAYS THE HOUSE OWNER MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

[Chankgeez]

I could try to explain or you could just hop on a plane and come over here and find out for yourself.

Maybe like an ILF house show tour or something like that.

I think that'd be more fun.

[Bellyheart]

Played a new years one. Fucking great! People go insane. People always try and help clean in return for an entertaining night. Sometimes it's small and too many people show, sometimes the house is big and not enough people show or way too many people show. Sometimes cops bust it , sometimes they don't. Anyone who plays energy driven music enjoys these more. People care less and drink more. Sometimes bad bands get good response do to the booze. Touring bands sell merch, get donations,, and keep on.

Start the trend. You'll be a god.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

3) You can usually piss people off, and get the cops called, and then the show is over.[/u]

I don't know why I like that one, but I really do. I have near endless stories of cops showing up during our set. We're too loud, really. But, I kinda like it. One time we knocked lightbulbs out of the ceiling of a dorm. One time a cop gave us a ten minute lecture.

BUT THE TICKET FOR NOISE VIOLATION NEVER GOES TO ME, ALWAYS THE HOUSE OWNER MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

BECAUSE YOU'RE A SICK SON OF A BEETCH YOU NOISY MOFO

Thanks, that explains some of it.

So... is it mostly a style to party involved with the student life? How serious biz is it to have the police crash a party over there?

[Bellyheart]

Not student life just music lover life. Depends on your area. I live near a college so it's woven together. In Philly the shows we played at houses were more a community of peers. New York was the same as Philly. Definitely some students but not as much as here. Ive seen older house shows as well, but people think its socially unacceptable to be at a house show at a certain age due to it being more of a party atmosphere- fuck them. Music is good if it's good and it's worth seeing if it's worth seeing.

[Holy Schnikes]

Being underage was the reason we attended/played house shows years ago, bars weren't an option. I'd still rather play a well attended house party than a bar any day. Awesome live experience with insane energy but my gear hated it and took significant "mob damage" frequently. Lost my SG's headstock and a vintage DMM back then, devastating gear losses when you're 17!

[O Drones]

Have them here in Glasgow all the time. Generally consists of people with the info of where and when putting a notice on Facebook, then you message them for details.

There was a great flat in Edinburgh called The Negative Dungeon. They put on lots of great shows.

[Derelict78]

You also need to understand that the US is a HUGE country often people not living on top of each other. I have played lots of house shows and usually the closest neighbor is 1/2 to 1 mile away. Also you can always invite the neighbors.

[coldbrightsunlight]

How serious biz is it to have the police crash a party over there?

In the UK, not serious at all, they just tell you to shut up and leave. I once played a friend's house party where the cop had to knock on the door for like 10 minutes before anyone heard! He was pretty annoyed, but it was all cool because it's not a proper crime, just a noise complaint.

I think it's the guaranteed good audience that makes it.

Basically just like any other show in a tiny, crappy space, but everyone is so drunk and generally know the band so it's a really friendly, happy atmosphere, everything like that I've done the band all get drunk and just invite people up to do crazy jamming and stuff. Played a lock-in new year's at a local pub 2 years ago and it was possibly the best new year's eve I've ever had, everyone getting smashed and swapping instruments and getting strangers up to play songs nobody knows. Pretty sure we played our entire set, swapped instruments and did it again, then did requests (none of which we knew properly) and invited people to play until 3 or 4, then carried on drinking.

[Toonster]

In the Netherlands I see an increasing popularity of gigs at peoples homes, most of the times they are singer-songwriterish with a low-volume level, I never saw gigs of fully amplified noise bands in peoples basements unfortunately..

[skullservant]

I've started to play house shows more frequently than actual real gigs as of late. Feels a little more connected, there is a bit more atmosphere, and its overall a lot more cozy than at a bar or venue. Been playing at this house's basement, the guy who rents the place lights about 200 candles the night of the show and everyone plays in candlelight. its unreal

[kaboom]

house shows are great. a little lower-key than venue shows, but i don't play big venue shows anyway. being at a friend's house is way more fun and comfortable than being at a bar.
this happens in my neighborhood every so often: brass tree sessions

[snipelfritz]

Why not?