Don I, too, have been giggin' for more than 30 years. Your question seems to cut through the years of "what does the audience want or expect?" Certainly its an ever changing situation. As a former studio engineer, My feelings are that each song may have a different mix. The vocals usually stay in the forefront, but that should be varied. Such as when going from vocals to a lead, obviously the lead will be potted up as the vocals dimish, but how much above intruments a vocal needs to be is truly up to the performer. The previous poster states the need for a sound man. Luxury not always feasible on musicians pay. I've also found few sound men who know both the technical side and the sensitivity to mix. Just like our job is to constantly change emotional pitch (entertainment) the support (lights/audio) also gotta play a role in affecting the listeners. The best at this was the Moody Blues. Find an old reording of On the threshhold of a Dream or In Search of the Lost Chord and listen to them through headphones. The mix was as much a part of the arrangement as the vocals and instruments. As for volume and table talk, I've always thought it my job to entertain these people so well that they don't want to talk to each other. Of course there are always jerks that don't understand the reason of LISTENING. Turn it up 'til you're told to ease it down. Change volume levels often during the gig. Use everything in your arsenal to move the audience. Ever thought about the word audience? Latin, means "listeners"! pekay