To go to a Van Halen show — like tonight’s reunion gig at the Pepsi Center — and not sing along with hits “Jump” and “Panama” would be a punishable offense in certain Southern counties.
Is there a better way to celebrate the reunion of singer David Lee Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen (after 23 years apart) than rocking out and singing along to their band’s biggest FM-radio ragers? No, and you won’t get any dirty looks from your neighbors in the crowd while singing along with the call-and-response of “Somebody Call Me a Doctor,” which will come early, based on recent set lists.
Van Halen is one of those bands you can sing along to. But those inclined to vocally participate in every show they attend should reconsider before opening their mouths.
It’s an important slice of concert etiquette: Think before you sing. At Tori Amos’ recent Denver concert, two women sitting behind us ruined many of the songs — quiet, well- known ballads — because they couldn’t not sing. Even after getting the look, they didn’t keep their mouths shut, even when they didn’t know the words.
Artists and fans agree, music is a moving experience. But there are obvious rules as to how far (and loud) you’re allowed to be moved.
“There are times where it’s the crowd vibe, and everyone’s singing along and it makes sense,” said Megan Sforzini, a live-music aficionado and sales and marketing rep for Universal Music Distribution in Denver. “But there are other times, especially at the more mellow shows where there’s not a lot of audience noise in general, where that’s not OK.
“In fact, there’s nothing worse than being at a show and having somebody singing so loud and off-key in your ear that it ruins the whole show.”
Some artists agree that it is a matter of knowing when to sing and when to keep quiet.
“There are some of our songs that are obvious choices for audience singalongs, and people take that cue well,” said Scott Avett of the North Carolina punk-roots band the Avett Brothers. “There are others, some of our quieter songs, that don’t lend themselves to that. And our fans usually let us take those ones on our own.”
But other artists say that it’s not a matter of when, rather how.
“I guess I like it when (a crowd) sings along,” British singer-songwriter James Blunt said recently. “I don’t think one can say there’s a right moment and a wrong moment to sing, but there is a right and wrong way to sing.
“If I’m singing ‘No Bravery,’ a song about war and death and destruction, and people were singing along with it like they were in a bar watching a football match, that would be wrong. But my audience knows that, and they’re capable of singing appropriately.”
Certain artists aren’t nearly as discriminating.
Deborah Harry, best known as the lead singer for pop act Blondie, loves to hear a crowd sing along, regardless of the song’s personality.
“I love it,” Harry said. “You don’t know how great that feels to be on a stage singing your song with thousands of other people.”
And she’s not alone.
Country superstar Brad Paisley: “There’s no greater honor. Your fans listened to your music so much that they know all the words. And now they’re singing them back at you? It’s great.”
Solo artist/producer will.i.am, also the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas: “That’s awesome (when they sing along). Especially when you’re improvising . . . and (fans are) just mouthing along. That’s a connection, regardless if they know the words or not.”
R&B singer Mary J. Blige: “Do I like it when fans sing along? Absolutely! ‘Cause then I don’t have to sing … I really appreciate it.”
Outspoken Fall Out Boy bass player Pete Wentz will never forget his band’s last tour through Japan. In between songs, the crowds were intensely quiet. But during the actual songs, they knew every word.
“It was the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen in my time in this band,” Wentz said. “We kept wondering, ‘How did these dudes from the Midwest end up in Japan with everybody singing along to their music?’ It was almost like an out-of-body experience.”
The connection between band and fan is an intense bond, even though each side offers a unique perspective, according to Win Butler, frontman of indie rock heroes the Arcade Fire.
“It’s really cool when people connect to your music so much that they sing it back to you,” Butler said. “It’s abstract, in a way, because you don’t have an intimate connection to your fans. You do have a relationship with them, and you’re trying to express the music to them, I guess.
“In a way, it’s like seeing a film that’s powerful. . . . I’ve cried once or twice at a live show, and I’ve sang along, too, but sometimes it’s because you’re exhausted and you’re at a really open place, and this piece of music really nails you.”
Denver Post staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson contributed to this report.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com
Singing with the Band
Are you one of those people singing along at concerts? Here are five telltale signs that you should clam up.
1. The artist is playing a song most people would consider “quiet.” (Piano ballads, solo acoustic songs sans band.)
2. You’re getting dirty looks from the people around you.
3. You can hear your own voice over the performer’s vocals.
4. That “Shh!” coming from a few rows back is likely directed at you.
5. You’re past the three-cocktail/four-beer mark. Remember, no drinking and singing.
Van Halen
Rock. 8 tonight, Pepsi Center, with Ky-Mani Marley opening. $49.50-$149.50. or 303-830-8497.
