Most annoying song requests

Subject: Most annoying song requests
From: GUEST,alliekatt
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 02:37 PM

After several blowout weekends of a zillion gigs leading up to St Patrick's day, Irish musicians around here are, I'm sure, enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. For those of you ceolers who play on a regular basis, what are THE most annoying song requests that you get? Ours is that stupid Unicorn song by O'Shel McSilverstein, and we never play it; it's painful enough playing Finnegan's Wake and not rolling our eyes when the audience plays oh-look-who-kept-clapping-after-the-chorus.

I'm actually trying to _ceol_ out there. Tossing pearls before swine, like. Doesn't Christy Moore sing a song about it? But at least in any given pub audience there are three or so people who pay attention to what I'm doing and comment later, thank Christ.

No friggin Unicorns.

alliekatt

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: MMario
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 02:54 PM

?? If you don't enjoy playing the songs your audience wants to hear, maybe you need to seek a new audience?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 02:59 PM

I once heard Con O'Brian of The Irish Decendants boom out, "I'll 'Rattlin Bog' you if you ask one more ******* time !" Just to learn it, you would have to sing it a thousand times more than it would take to get sick of it, let alone have it requested over and and over.

Personally, I'd like to strangle someone with a "Black Velvet Band".

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:00 PM

MMario... you request "Seven Old Ladies" don't you ?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:08 PM

ONE: People who come up to me when I'm lashing out folk music and ask for old top 40 radio crap like Piano Man or American Pie... This is balanced by the pretty girls who occasionally come up and ask, "Do you play any Jethro Tull?"

TWO: People who ask for a song that I don't know, and when I say "Oh, I'm sorry.. but I don't know that one..." say either "Well, play it anyway", or "Yes you DO, play it!" Why on earth would I lie to someone I don't even know about knowing a song or not????

THREE: People who request a song and want to hear it RIGHT THE HELL NOW!!!!!! "Play "Drunken Sailor'!!!", they holler... "Ya... cool... will do... I'll end the set with that!"... and then, after EVERY SONG I play, these idiots continue to yell out for 'Drunken Sailor'.... It's got to the point where now, if they request it more than 3 times, I tell 'em flat outright, "One more request for a song I already said I'd play, and I'm not playing it at all!"

FOUR: People who request a song, then while yer playing it are so engrossed in conversation or in tongue wrestling with some dockside tramp that they don't notice and then request it right after I just finish playing it... This is up there with people who ask, "Do you play and Gordon Lightfoot?", right after I just finished 'Early Morning Rain'...

So what's that?? About 78% or 85% of bar/pub audiences??

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: MMario
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:09 PM

which version?

I rarely request ANY song - unless the artist asks me what I want to hear.

(And I know several who do "Seven Old Ladies" on a regular basis)

Seriously - I don't understand - if you are going to take requests then you have more or less said "I'll sing what you want" - if you *don't* want to sing what the audience requests, then why take requests?

Any place I've been that took requests either answered "don't know it" or played the request - when getting single requests; when they had multiple requests I am sure they would pick and choose. (Of course I know one guy lied about not knowing a song - sing I had heard him play it the night before )

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Benjamin
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:09 PM

Classical Gas has to be the most annoying request for a classical guitarist. Why do people think I'd waste time on that? Lots of people want to hear me play rock songs as if they all transfered over. Although no one as ever asked me to play Dee by Randy Rhoads surprisingly enough.

A teacher of mine was performing in an elementry school once when a kid asked him if he knew La Bamba. His responce was "Yes, next queston! but the kid insisted that he play it. So my teacher made him come up and sing it for the school.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: PeteBoom
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:13 PM

"Can you guys play a song? I don't know the name but its a great song and its about beer and drinkin' and it goes something like 'doh-da-doh-doh-dum-doh-doh' (tune-less sounds obviously meant to represent part of said song about beer)?"

"Can you guys play 'I'm a Rover'?" (one song after finishing "I'm a Rover"...)

Alliekat - we tell people that we'll do The Unicorn song if everyone at their table gets up in front and does the motions that go with it... If that doesn't deter them, we also say we want $50 - a man (5 of us)...

Pete

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:20 PM

MMario... why take requests? Ooops, sorry. I misinterpreted. Many (hehe) times, the audience is not invited to make requests, but do so, perhapfs from lack off ettaket... hic.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Jim Krause
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 03:27 PM

While doing a show with the band once upon a time, a gentleman in the audience asked for "Orange Blossom Special." Our bass player without missing a beat said "How 'bout that Orange Blossom Special!" And we played the next number on out set list without any more comment. I refuse to learn OBS, so I can honestly say "I don't know it."

As far as St. Pat's Day is concerned, I don't get any gigs out of that event anyway. Most of my ancestry is Dutch, anyhow. So I figure I'm immune from all that Unicorn-green beer-whenirisheyesaresmiling nonsense.
Jim

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 04:07 PM

I don't perform for pay but I do play at Civil War re-enactments. I can honestly say that the only time I get annoyed is when people ask to hear someting over and over again. I will refrain from mentioning names but the person in question requested "Marching through Georgia" Fifteen times. I played it once and said no fourteen times. Kindest regards, Neil

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: GUEST,a fellow concerned musician
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 04:11 PM

I always get one man in the crowd who shal be left nameless who is bellowing for an " irish " song. I got fed up with the old coot one time and let Bean Phadeen go ........... in irish gaelic. The dirty beggar gets up then and tells me "That's not Irish!" Nearly losing it then and being restrained by my bandmates he then pipes up and asks for the Unicorn ( written by a jewish man no less ). The man in question was then told in no uncertain terms that any further disruptions would result in the band leaving the stage so the rest of the crowd shut him up. Until the next gig. Some people just never learn do they?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Devilmaster
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 04:39 PM

Well I don't know bout the rest of ya.....

But I'm still waitin for Clinton to do 'Wind Up'

:)

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: RichM
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 04:48 PM

Just say you don't do requests. What's so hard about that?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:22 PM

Clinton, you've just reminded me of the ONE QUESTION I've never been able to even come close to figuring out. A human being asks you for a song...you say "Sorry, I don't know that one"....and they say "Sure you do, play it eh"?

Do you realize that these creatures actually have the vote?!

One of my little fantasies before I left the bars, was that the next time that happened, I was gonna stop all proceedings, and sincerely ask that person (from the mike) just what they were thinking. Did they feel that I'd LIED about not knowing it. If so, why? Capped off with calling them a stupid idiot who should be executed on the spot.

If I'd been Big Mick's size, I might have done it too!

Cheers

Oh, P.S. My most annoying request (on St. Paddy's) was also the Unicorn.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: radriano
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:24 PM

Unfortunately, when you play on St. Patrick's Day you will get requests for what I call the "cheesy" Irish songs. These songs are what the general public will think of as the "classic" Irish folk song. I've complained over the years but I've come to the realization that it's better to placate your audience by learning a couple of these songs than fighting with them. The other way of handling this situation is to say up front before accepting the gig that you don't do those kinds of songs and take your chances with the audience.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: GUEST,alliekatt
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:39 PM

Some very humorous responses.

We do requests of the most popular songs, just because we would lose touch with our audience if we didn't; becoming background music. Now that we are actually starting to get fans, we need to stay in touch with people. So learning "Fields of Athenry" or "Four Green Fields" or "Galway Shawl" is a must. We can do them as creatively and as lively as anything else, but I want to keep playing the jigs and reels too, and stay in touch with our session side. That's the real reason I stay up there and play the drek well. The fire ceol keeps things from getting tooralooracheesy.

But that steeeewpid Unicorn seems only to be requested by drunk six foot meatheads who are permanently stuck in kidneygarten. I'd rather play Black Velvet Band six times in a row for a bunch of old ladies at the back table.

alliekatt

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Kim C
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:43 PM

Orange Blossom Special. Especially when I'm in 1860s dress. This actually happened to me.

Neil, at least you get to PLAY Marching Through Georgia! It's one of our favorite tunes, but the folks here in Tennessee don't care for it much. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: InOBU
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:49 PM

Well, I am no fan of Danny Boy or Wiskey in the jar, For the second request, I tell them I can sing an older version of the same, which they likely don't know, and I sing another ballad which comes from that Patrick Flemming line, The Devil's In the Women... a much better and older song, then for Danny Boy I just play dumb, looking at them wide eyed and saying, "Sorry mate, we're an Irish band..." Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 05:53 PM

.... tooralooracheesy.... ROTFLMAO !!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:02 PM

I have a problem with a lot of songs I am asked to play.

I don't like even a little bit, "The Old Man" except for a few lines about the color of a pheasant and fishing it is a baddly written mess of sentimental obfuscation.

I don't like "The Voyage" particularly for much the same reason., just don't like it. Same with "Grace", "The Unicorn Song" and a bunch of others. But the audience has paid to hear me entertain and the people with the money are paying me to entertain and that stuff is what they find to be entertaining, so I do it. Its the job. But its also the job to enrich the audience, so I do "My Old Man" by Jerry Jeff Walker. And Instead of "The Voyage" I give them "Outward Bound" by Tom Paxton.

I draw the line when some one asks for "New York, New York" or "Edelweiss". And because I play a banjo I surely must know "Dueling Banjos". Some jackass Irish lounge singer in the Catskills started doing Las Vegas act tunes and now every blue hair that ever saw a show at The Pines thinks folk singers should wear a tux and do Sinatra.

I tolerate a few requests I don't like because I want to be hired next year. But jeepers gimme a break and at least keep them close to folk.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Bardford
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:05 PM

Also in the ROTFLMAO dept.... kidneygarten...!

How about the guy who comes up to tell you how to play? We had an expert come up (during a tune!) to tell one of the fiddlers to "play a third above the other guy". There was no stage in the pub, we were on the floor, so this fella could get his beery face right into ours -"play a third above the other guy". Jeez. We told him to go away.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Little Hawk
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:07 PM

Thank God, no one has ever asked me to play "The Unicorn", but I was asked to play "Me And Bobby McGee" more times than I want to remember. I started to hate the song after a while. I bet Kris doesn't like it much anymore either.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Pseudolus
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:13 PM

I can't imagine telling an audience I don't do requests and I can't imagine not doing one if I knew the song. The only time I say no is if I've already done the song. If none of those "drunk six foot meatheads who are permanently stuck in kidneygarten" showed up at pubs, there would be a lot less gigs to go around. Sad as it may be, they're paying the tab.

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:14 PM

Apologies for the drift, but it seems to fit, because this is a most requested song, which is NEVER refused... There's a local pub of great fun, where anyone can advance to the mic whilst the performers are on break, or after the entertainers are done for the night. It never ceases to amaze me how many people, filled with liquid courage, can absolutely massacre "Barrett's Privateers" and still have the crowd with them, cheering as if it were himself from beyond.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Hollowfox
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:22 PM

Jim Krause, poor lad, you're Orange without being Irish *g* (so's my ex-husband) I have a bit of Orange Irish in me, and my grandmother worried every St Pat's Day that I'd bet beat up over it. Apparently there was quite a bit of recreational brawling over this when she was young.
Regarding Orange Blossom Special, once upon a time, the Boys of the Loch had a gig at the Eighth Step coffeehouse in Albany, New York. Afterward we locals and the band went out for a beer, taking our instruments, etc into the bar, as was usual. At the bar, some college kid kept requesting OBS from Aly Bain. Finally, Aly played it, beautifully I might add. Amazingly enough, the kid didn't bother him after that.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: AllieKatt
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:40 PM

> It never ceases to amaze me how many people, filled with liquid courage, can absolutely massacre "Barrett's Privateers" and still have the crowd with them, cheering as if it were himself from beyond.

YEAH REALLY! I guess a crowd feels better when one of their own gets to fearlessly murdelatin' a song. Sometimes we'll put them in for a bit of comic relief, and people like to be made stars so we occasionally do that shtick. But we pack up the PA system so fast after our last set that it nearly disappears off the stage instantaneously. Just to avoid the postscript of _really_ drunken patrons playing "MY-15-minutes-of-fame-courtesy-the-band". Usually we designate our guests beforehand and we're often lucky enough at our home pub for several talented local musicians to appear at our shows, so they like the exposure during our breaks and the yodeling is kept to a minimum.

We also figured out that by barricading ourselves with really big monitors, the people who insist on trying to make requests WHILE I AM PLAYING AND SINGING!!!!!!!! will keep that to a minimum. The first time we did that, we had the satisfaction of watching our most annoying drunken heckler fall face-first on top of the stage left monitor, and after that embarrassment he never got obnoxious with us again.

People will actually **poke** me, while I'm **flatpicking** in the middle of a song, to make a request. Even when I was just a patron, I always wrote it on a napkin folded in with five bucks. I think it has something to do with the unspoken belief shared by many locals that being a musician isn't a real job, even though I come out of it exhausted and sore.

Oh well. I still love doing it, more than anything else!

alliekatt

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Louie Roy
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:58 PM

I'm like the guy who was taking request in a bar and a lady came up and said do you know (Your Pants Are Unsipped And Your Balls Are Showing)He politely told her NO but if you will hum a few bars of it I will try to play it.Louie Roy

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Mickey191
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 07:02 PM

I hate to say-but I will-most of you sound like you hate your job. Perhaps you should put a sign up stating which songs you absolutely won't sing, no matter how much the paying customer begs. Then they would know where they stand. Husband & I were on vacation, in Durty Nellys in Eire, we asked the piano player to sing a certain song. Can't remember which one-we were in a great mood-non drinkers-and he had a tip jar on the piano. Fifteen yr.s ago a 5 pound note was a damn good tip, and the guy had a great voice. You know what's coming--he never sang our song. It was a lousy,lousy thing to do.IMHO. But he damned well kept the money. Was the intent to put one over on the Yanks? Or had we the nerve to ask for a song he hated? How is one supposed to know?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Maryrrf
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 07:55 PM

Well, I guess we all have to realize that, unless we really make it big and people will like anything we sing, we have to take into account what the audience wants to hear. I used to naively think that pub audiences would love to sit through all eight minutes of "Willie o'Winsbury". No, Mary, they wouldn't. I made up a "cheat book" of songs people often request and I didn't have time to learn, and I do try to sing what people ask for. I politely say I don't know "The Unicorn", "Finnegan's Wake" and a few others which I really don't like) and I also decline songs like like "Tooralooraloora" that are just so corny I can't bear to sing them, but otherwise I give it a shot and am gracious about it. It is kind of awkward when somebody hands you their request with a tip and you don't know it. I usually ask if they have an alternative, and if they don't I'll pick a similar song or at least a song in the same genre or by the same group "I'm afraid I don't know that one by the Pogues but here's another one they did that you might like...." and I'll do that. I don't like to do songs like "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" but usually the requesters are sincere and really think that's Irish music. What annoys me is when people persist in requesting songs that are obviously not what somebody solo with an acoustic guitar could do - pop songs, broadway show tunes, heavy metal (???). If you want to hear that kind of music why are you in an Irish pub or folky coffeehouse - which is the type of places I play in???

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:01 PM

Now, I only play at parties anymore and most of them have other musicans playing, too, but in my area of the country it's "Free Bird", hands down, or some song that's currently playing on the country radio stations.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:11 PM

Among blues musicians the hell songs are "Mustang Sally" and "Sweet Home Chicago", and in parts of the country there's always some clown yelling "Play Freebird".

A friend of mine who had a blues band in North Texas used to stop the band, and yell over the microphone "We don' Know any Lynryd Skynyrd, but just for you we're gonna practice them all week and THEN NOT DO 'EM, just for you."

A leading blues musician around where I live in N. Calif. burbles over the microphone "I've had to do this song for twenty years but bartenders love it so buy lots of booze and get sh___faced, here's Mustang Sally."

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: AllieKatt
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:24 PM

I don't think any of us hate our jobs by the sound of it. I certainly don't. Polite audience members certainly outnumber the other ones. I know I love to play for people.

Many people aren't pro musicians, so they often don't understand the root of what the musician is trying to communicate through sharing his or her talents.

Like the young Tom Waits who knew the old hat classics and played them as a lounge singer, sneaking in his original stuff when the situation permitted, I think that a sort of dispassionate and lighthearted relationship with the annoyances of public performing is far more productive in the long run.

But one can enjoy a crusty bit of halfhearted complaining without missing out on the fun. I might get nauseous on a roller coaster but it doesn't mean I don't love the loop-de-loops.

alliekatt

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:25 PM

Kim: No bitch about playingh the song and I rather like it myself but not fifteen times. Play it anyway what the Hell/ Are you going to Anteitam in September? If so let me know I will be there and would like to meet you and Mister. Slan, Neil

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: 53
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:26 PM

Damn good counry song by David Alan Coe. Must of played it at least 1000 times.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: gnu
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:26 PM

...."A friend of mine who had a blues band in North Texas used to stop the band, and yell over the microphone "We don' Know any Lynryd Skynyrd, but just for you we're gonna practice them all week and THEN NOT DO 'EM, just for you." "

Gee, I can only surmise that such would go over as well in Texas as it would in Albert County, New Brunswick. You think you got some rednecks in Texas ? If they said that down in Albert County, there might be Hell to pay ! After all, the anthem in AC is "Sweet Home, Albert County" and the "Albert County Liquor Pigs" be the religeon down thar ! Best watch out what ya say bout them good ol boys, lest you wanna be leavin yer gear here after the gig an get away wit yer hide !!

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Benjamin
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:27 PM

I remember a girl once requested Lord, Won't You Buy Me a Mercades Benz telling me it would sound great in my voice. I was unable to pull it out of my head though. She later on told me we was just joking around. Ahhh, precious memories!

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Les B
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:36 PM

Irish Sergeant's plight might not be unusual for the time period he is re-enacting. I've read of several singers, who, upon introducing a new song in the days before recording devices (and even into the 1920's), would have demands for several encores of the same song so the audience could catch all the words.

This sometimes had the effect of "stopping a show", but it must have done wonders for the singer's ego if their voice and patience held out. It kind of puts our modern "pretend you're my juke box" problems in perspective!

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Amos
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 08:44 PM

After one Irish bar Paddy's Day gig I swore off "Danny Boy" for five years!!!

A

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: kendall
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 09:50 PM

MOOSETURD PIE! YUK. I now tell them to buy the tape.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: leprechaun
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 10:36 PM

The only request I ever get is to please stop singing.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: mzkitty
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 11:13 PM

I love my gigs and always do requests if I know the song. Many times I do the song even if I DON'T know it....that's REALLY fun! The one song that really makes me cringe inside is, "Margaretaville". I like to listen to folks in the audience while I'm playing (do any of you do that too?) and if I hear someone say "I wonder if she know's_______" I'll go right into it for the next song....I love to see that person react to my "mind reading" capabilities, heehee... But seriously, I like playing requests. I always try to remember that I am there for them not the other way around.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: GUEST,T-boy
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 08:05 AM

Can you sing '10,000 Miles Away' ?

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: kendall
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 08:11 AM

No, but I can sing "Close the door gently when you go."

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Tam the bam fraeSaltcoatsScotland
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 08:12 AM

I was playing at a festival in Irvine Scotland, and I had to sing The fields of Athenry for five days in a row, in the mornings, the afternoons and at night time, because people wanted to hear it.

I don't mind doing requests, however there is a limit to how much you can stand.

Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 08:20 AM

"NOPE DON"T KNOW THAT ONE".. say it a few times and they stop asking. I agree that for Irish musicians "THE UNICORN SONG" takes the cake, for most requested and most annoying.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: Midchuck
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 08:20 AM

"Can you do a tenor solo? Ten or more miles from here, and so low we can't hear it?"

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: VoxFox
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 09:04 AM

Playing in a classic rock and roll band, you'd think people would KNOW that you play classic rock and roll. NNNNNNNNNNNNnooooooooooo! We always, at sometime through the evening, get asked for stuff like Achy Breaky Heart (poooyuuuuuchchhchchch)and other such musical crimes. Makes ya wonder. Anyway, we usually try to be very polite when we can't or won't do a particular tune. Then there are the old dears who want a tango or a foxtrot so in good spirit we try our best to accomodate them. (Keeps the organizers happy.) *BG* VF

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: GUEST,Rich_and_Dee
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 09:37 AM

Hi,

I keep a songbook of all the old Irish dance hall favorites in my gig bag. If someone larger than myself insists on one of those old songs, we can at least sneak a peek at the lyrics, etc.

Sounds like that bloody rotten unicorn is taking the cake in this thread.

I enjoy taking requests. In a couple of magic moments, I've've taken a request or two that totally turned the audience from passive listening to active, foot-stomping, sing-along joy, which put them "on our side" for the rest of the night and made it easier to slip in the Christy Moore and Mary Black stuff. One time, we offered a patron a tradeoff for playing "Black Velvet Band". We said we'd play it, but only if you'll listen to a Richard Thompson song after that. The patron did, had tons of questions for us about this Thompson guy and we shared a pint between a set.

The worst was a gig playing Irish songs on a schooner cruise vessel. There was a British passenger who totally dismissed our set out of hand, loudly, and ordered us to only play American songs, which was our true heritage. Then he asked for Elton John and the Beatles, over and over.

For me, it's not the song requested that raises my ire, it's the odd failing of common courtesy.

Rich

Subject: RE: BS: Most annoying song requests
From: mzkitty
Date: 22 Mar 02 - 09:50 AM

My bass player has an odd, if not warped sense of humor..(quite like most of us, I would guess..). One of my favorite moments at a gig was his comment to the crowd after we finished playing a request that we don't personally like doing. He said, "I really like the ENDING of that song..."

I don't think anyone else "got it", but I still chuckle over that!