Connecting With Fans: Paul Simon Invites Fan On Stage To Play Song After She Yells That She Learned Guitar To It
from the a-nice-way-to-connect dept
Carl J points us to a story from a couple months back, of how singer Paul Simon found a neat way to connect with fans (well, one fan in particular). As you can see in the YouTube video, Simon invited one fan on-stage to play a song.As we've discussed, one of the key "scarcities" out there that musicians can really use to connect with fans is authenticity. And the thing about this video is that it's such a genuine and authentic moment. Obviously, he connected with that one fan... but he also connected with everyone else in the building, judging from the cheers they gave. Furthermore, the video already has a few hundred thousand views, again allowing Simon to connect with more fans who are impressed by his decision here. It may seem like a simple thing. And, in fact, it is a simple thing. But no one said connecting with fans needed to be complicated at all. You just have to do it. And Paul Simon did in this case.
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Filed Under: connecting with fans, paul simon
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Awesome Paul!
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And you might be an alien from another planet. It is entirely possible, but very, very, very unlikely. If it was an act, this woman needs an Oscar right now, and needs to be signed up for every drama out there because she is far more convincing than every actor I've seen out there.
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Eventually James invited him up on the stage to dance with him. He kept him around and let him sing a song by himself while James stood back and watched. It was awesome. The look on the guy's face was priceless.
Back in the 90s I saw Soundgarden. They did a cover of Spinal Tap's Big Bottoms. They let someone from the audience come up and sing it. I though, "Oh, like this random kid is going to know the lyrics." He did, and once again, it was awesome.
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LOL
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[:SITD:] does such things too
They also had an contest for the best fan-made remix which will be released on the next single.
I think a lot of musicians, especially from the indy part, have understood how music works quite well.
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A gig I was at recently, a girl was recording video with her cameraphone. Instead of the usual "security shines a torch on offender and tells her to stop" you see at gigs though, what happened was this: the lead singer spotted her, and grabbed the camera off her, and sang into it, and ran in between the bassist and drummer, and sang into it again, and handed it back to her.
It's not something you can fake. You can't give a performer a "If X happens, do Y, then fans will like you more" heads-up. You can't draw up a cheat-sheet or present the how-to at a conference.
But if you just hold a certain attitude, a certain approach, to other people, to your music, to your gigs, then you'll make the most of the opportunities to gain people's good-will and admiration. And then you'll deserve the fruit that fall for you, and that's all it comes down to.
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ANTIQUE TECH, been done for at least a century.
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Re: ANTIQUE TECH, been done for at least a century.
Ironic that you're just repeating the same old spiel we've heard ever single time a CWF article is written.
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Re: ANTIQUE TECH, been done for at least a century.
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Well, to be fair, most of the regular "anti Mike" commenters and common sense still need to connect with each other.
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U2 details
So, on every show for the rest of the tour, Bono would invite a random fan to come on stage and play his guitar.
It was an inspired choice and gave a few dozen fans the greatest moment of their life. Of course the rest of the crowd went wild and it helped reinforce the strong connection U2 has always made with their audience.
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The Who did this in the 70's (I think)
It is completely possible that this is an urban myth, but I always thought "Damn, the Who kicks ass".
I tried to Google it, couldn't find it, any other Tech Dirt readers remember hearing this/collaborate the story?
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Re: The Who did this in the 70's (I think)
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Re: The Who did this in the 70's (I think)
> ...too drunk to continue playing...
I have it on good authority that in Keith's case, there is no such thing as 'too drunk to play'. Too drunk to get to the kit without help, maybe, but once he was perched on the stool he was away. The story's true, but it was sleeping pills or somesuch that knackered him, not mere alcohol :)
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But then Billy Joe can really work a crowd.
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Too cool
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Um. Who said it was "new and novel"? Not me. I never suggested that at all. Just pointing out an example of a neat way to connect.
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connecting with fans.
One fan was holding up a camera and was snapping away. Ogre (the front man) took the camera, walked around the stage, and began taking close-ups of each of the band mates before returning the camera.
The reaction from the fans was overwhelming. Even though it wasn't my camera, even though I didn't have the photos, seeing the singer do something cool like that just made me like him even more.
For him, it's just a little thing. For the fans, it's huge.
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Disturbed did something similar for disabled at concert
This act was a small gesture, but still makes me enjoy the memory of the concert, which would make me more interested in going and seeing them again(and it's also a great PR move too(I'm talking about them/then)).
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There was even a better performance by another fan of Paul Simon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkS8U1Vc1fM
This is for 100% NO fake. I know this person. Paul Simon forgot the lyrics, Mr. Fournier told him...and so in the end he was invited to sing the whole song as a duet with him. It is incredible good how they share the lyrics (this is not a duet song at all). This was never planed.
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Re: There was even a better performance by another fan of Paul Simon
he brags about their meetings constantly. In today's world, it
is too dangerous to bring anyone you don't know on the stage.
Even Paul laughed at that girl in a press conference. Oh sure
Paul takes stranger to meet with his senator too. That sing
along was so funny, he was half drunk. I can't believe how
many people believe this stuff.
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And he didn't mind she violated his IP
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This is staged
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On the other hand, it IS entirely possible - even probable - that after the first time Simon did this as part of a genuinely freak accident and saw how wild the crowd went and how much publicity it got - that he started to "spontaneously" bring a fan in on the action at every show.
The fan is still genuine, but the moment planned for.
Even though U2 did it at a lot of consecutive shows, they had a "legitamite" reason behind it - Bono's arm was indeed broken and couldn't play guitar! If Simon is indeed doing it more than once, his reason is simple - it gets attention!
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It was only the girl singing the song (alone), and a few weeks later a guy singin another song in duet with him. There is no plan.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfqWklEtRsI&feature=player_embedded
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Very true...
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The good ones know the value of fan interaction
Now some people will no doubt comment that a singer doing shopping mall concerts is a has-been. This particular "has-been" has been doing appearances on Melodifestivalen, which is the Swedish feed platform for the Eurovision song contest. She's placed high in Eurovision in the past.
I think the point Mike is trying to make he is that these little moments do happen, and the smart entertainer could learn a bit about fan involvement from such as Paul Simon, or Nanne Grönvall.
Part of why I bother to collect albums from a singer whose songs I can't understand without Google Translate is the energy she has and her fan interaction.
And to throw in the obligatory copyright-paradox point, the only reason I know about Nanne at all is from an AMV (Anime Music Video, for those unfamiliar with the term) that combined Nannes "Håll om mig nu" with clips from the anime "Princess Tutu". The result of this is that I bought the Princess Tutu box set and have chased down every Nanne Grönvall album I can find.
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great stuff
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