Polite Singers

Ever since the review of my Sept 09 gig at the Spice of Life by Sebastian Scotney (LondonJazz blog) I have been thinking about singers and their capabilities of getting an audience to shut up! "But she had a battle on, to win over the attention of a loud birthday group who had taken a table right in front of the stand" (click http://londonjazz.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-sarah-ellen-hughes.html to read the whole thing) Sebastian thought I was too nice, and should have told them to be quiet and listen. In fact, they did quiet down during one of the numbers... with a quiet piano/vocal intro, that presumably made them feel fairly self-conscious. I went to the Spice again a few weeks later... and delightfully one of the 'sitters-in' at the end was Gwyneth Herbert. She knew how to capture the audience. The song was accompanied only by Ian Shaw on the piano, and this did help to bring people's conversation down to a minimum. However, she also had a magical way of getting eye-contact with each and every person in the place - and would pause after certain words, not continuing until the person she was looking at returned the favour. Spellbinding. I have heard a report of Lianne Carroll, performing once at Ronnie's, turning to a noisy table at the front and asking them to quieten down 3 times before belting out a sharper-sounding request which sent them fleeing from the place! Cleo Laine also is someone who wouldn't stand for noise during her singing. So should I be someone who glares and belts? It's not really in me, but there must be a balance to be found between timid/nice (not particularly desirable qualities but ones that my personality dictates) and authoritative/not standing for disrespect. I did a gig the other week at Boisdale Cigar and Supper Club - in Belgravia - with the Boisdale Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. During a ballad - after the piano solo - I wanted to re-enter at the middle 8 rather than come in again at the beginning. So I leaned over and said 'can we go back to the middle 8 please.' The band were aghast at my politeness! So there we are... back to a nice singer. Perhaps this harks back to some advice I was given as a student about to make the daunting journey down from Lancaster (big fish) to London (big pond)... "It doesn't matter how good you are... people will only book you if you're a jolly nice chap!"