Hello, legions of internet TMBG fans. I promised you a more cheerful Audience Participation entry this week and I am hope this one delivers. It should at least be an interesting discussion topic.
After having yet another conversation with a band member (Marty this time) on Thursday in which I said nothing particularly intelligent and just enough to be kicking myself for sounding stupid, I have conversations with the band on the brain. Despite my desire to come across as an intelligent, normal and perhaps only moderately star struck individual when conversing with members of the band, my mind always seems to go to mush and I either say almost nothing or something reasonably innocuous that I manage to convince myself later sounded idiotic. Not once have I been with-it enough to ask a question (except would you sign this?) and I always think of several that I would like the answer to after the fact.
Which brings us to today's topic. If you were given the opportunity to talk to the band, either in a formal interview or an informal chat over coffee, what would you ask them? There is a whole Fantasy Interview page of questions over on the wiki but most of the questions are either outdated, foolish (when are you coming back to Chicago? Can I see the Rabid Child video?), or I've already heard the answer in interviews. I'm really curious what questions you, the loyal readers, would want the answers to.
Here are mine. A few of these are very self serving but I think some of them would be interesting. I did 25 questions but you can do as many or as few as you want.
-Do you actually mind fans taking pictures and videos during shows?
-You sometimes refer to your most loyal, active fans as your "front row" but does it actually bug you to see the same people in the front row at every show? Would you prefer those fans stepped back and gave some else a turn sometimes?
Ok, I admit those first two were the completely self serving questions, but they are two that I desperately want to know the answer to because I would completely change my concert behavior if I knew for certain that it bothered the band.
-You've dabbled in so many different forms of media for music (film, TV, videos, commercials, video games, etc). Is there anything you'd like to take a stab at that you haven't tried yet?
-With the face of the music industry changing so dramatically, CDs dying a rapid death, and more and more bands leaving their labels to strike out on their own where do you see the future of the music industry lying and where would you like TMBG's place in that future to be?
-Settle an age-old annoying fan debate. Self Called Nowhere: it or id?
-What instruments do you typically write songs on or does it vary depending on the needs of the song?
-At what point in the song writing/recording process do you involve the rest of the band? How much input do they have into their respective instrument's part?
-Dan Miller regularly singing back-up on some songs live but does he also sing on any of the recorded versions of songs and if so which ones? (This has been my personal favorite debate question lately)
-For each of the members of the backing band: What is your musical background? Where/when did you learn to play? Why that instrument? How did you become involved with TMBG? How much of a time/career commitment is playing with TMBG? What do you do when you aren't playing with the band?
-With Dial-A-Song, podcasts, free downloads and the like, you have a history of testing out new material on the fans but you seem to have shied away from that in recent years. Deliberate and any particular reason or just lack of time?
-What are a few of your best tour stories from 25+ years on the road?
-Crazy fan stories? Creepiest thing a fan ever gave you or asked you to do?
-Has working together for so long spoiled being friends at all? I mean when the day is done and the work is over do you still want to hang out just for fun or is enough enough?
-What are some of your favorite pastimes when you aren't working?
-Do you ever begrudge the kid's music a little for messing with your rock career or are you mostly just grateful for it providing added support for your rock career?
-After a lifetime of interviews, what is the one question you are absolutely sick of answering?
-Do you see a lot of yourselves in your fans or do ever look out and wonder what the connection is?
-Looking back on your career so far, any regrets or things you would have done differently?
-How do you take your coffee? Favorite kind or just anything that comes from a bean? (Ok, yes, this one is just me being silly)
-You've, I'm sure, meet thousands of fans over the years, most of them desperate to tell you how much they love you and their personal TMBG story. Any really memorable fan encounters that truly touched you or had an impact on you?
-If you could go back and re-live any show you've done, either because it was so much fun or because you want to improve on it, is there one you would choose?
-Do you think you would still be making music if no one ever came to listen?
-What is the best perk of being in a rock band?
-How do you go about choosing songs for a setlist at the beginning of a tour? Aside from the must-plays (Birdhouse, Istanbul, etc) and the songs from whatever album you are touring, do you just pull a few at random out of a hat that haven't been done in a while or is there a method to it? Are there songs that we will likely never hear again or is anything fair game?
And finally:
-Will you please, please, please play Man, It's So Loud In Here for me at a show? Just once, so I can die happy? Please?
I could probably come up with a ton more, but that's what I've got for the moment. Can't wait to see some of yours. I'm actually sort of curious if anyone has ever asked about doing a fan interview with questions submitted by fans to post on TMBW or something like that. Seems like the sort of thing that might be possible and good promotion if presented in a professional way. I'd also love to see interviews with Dan and Danny and Marty. Too bad I'm not a reporter.
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Gah, Blogger ate my comment twice and now I can't remember half of it... :( Anyway, I totally nodded along to all of your questions, and can't really follow them up, but I've got a few.
ReplyDelete- Do any of you have any classical training - music theory and so on? In your line of work, what's your opinion on it? Does it help or get in the way? [This is the obligatory self-serving question.]
- Here Comes Science had a fair few inaccuracies, particularly the DVD ("International Astrological Union"...). Have you entertained the thought of putting out a fully corrected version, or are you content with leaving it as an example of scientists' fallibility?
- My understanding is that you're not keen on being considered a nerd band to the exclusion of everything else, but are there any aspects of that particular culture (science, technology, SFF, etc.) you're familiar with?
- You've both done solo projects before - what was most different about making those compared to regular TMBG projects? Are/were there plans for more?
- To change the topic completely: are you interested in language? Any in particular, besides English? If so, what's interesting about them?
- And... does Flans actually read Pharyngula? ...Does he comment, ever?
Sorry about the evilness of Blogger. That happens to me sometimes with my email. Great questions. I'd particularly like to know the answers to your first one and the solo projects question.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know the names of Flansburgh's cats.
ReplyDelete/creepy
(And also the answers to your questions, and blitzente's too. I would mostly just like a 2-hour Q&A of fan questions. It'd be nice if everybody could submit a bunch of questions and then we could all vote on the ones we'd most like answered, and the top 25 or whatever got answered. Not that that'll ever happen, but still.)
It isn't evil, it isn't good, it's only what the people miss.
ReplyDeleteHehe..sorry. Couldn't resist.
That happens to me sometimes, too. Which is why I always copy what I type before submitting it. Which works fine until you accidentally hit "paste" instead of "copy" and erase it yourself. Blargh.
Anyway, on to the topic at hand. A good topic, at that, although that comes as no surprise. And great questions! :)
Wouldn't it be strange (and beyond awesome) if the Johns were surfing the 'net and just happened upon this and posted a comment answering all of your questions? :D
As for my questions, many of them would be similar to many of yours. And honestly, they'd really all be self-serving questions, even if other people were interested. Of course, I'd probably be ridiculously ineloquent and drive them away before I even asked the questions. But, assuming that I was able to hold their attention for a short while without freaking them out or annoying them greatly, here are some questions I might add to yours:
* I'm curious about your song-writing process in general. How do you go about starting a song? Do you always work on them together? Do one of you write lyrics to one while the other writes music and vice versa, depending on the song? Does the person who wrote a particular song sing lead on that song? How do you come up with so many interesting and unique melodies without repeating yourself?
(I realize at least some of these are kind of generic song-writing questions, but I'm particularly interested in the They Might Be Giants song-writing process, for obvious reasons including melody, fidelity, and quantity.) :)
* You've released four children's albums and seem to enjoy writing songs aimed at kids (but also enjoyed by adults -- whatever those are). What kind of music did you listen to as a kid?
(I'm really interested in their pasts, so I would probably ask a lot of questions like):
* What were you like as a kid?
* What was your family like growing up?
* What was your favorite subject in school?
* What is your earliest memory?
* What did you want "to be" when you grew up?
ETC.
* What is your favorite smell?
* What was the last dream you had about?
* What do you think about people who stand beside your tour bus after a show in hopes of getting an autograph or a chance to meet you? Are they terribly annoying?
* Have you ever serenaded anyone?
* Who came up with the dances for your music videos featuring dances?
* Do you have plans for another kids' album? Here Comes History? Here Comes Grammar And Sentence Structure? (hehe.)
* Has Henry ever expressed a desire to have a future career in music? Has he ever been directly involved in the writing of a song?
* What were your grandparents like?
* What's the strangest piece of advice you've ever received?
* What's one of your favorite movies?
* (To John Linnell) Is that a chicken pox scar in the middle of your right cheek, beneath your eye?
(There are more, but I can not keep my eyes open right now. I am quite literally falling asleep sitting up. Sorry my questions are a bit insane and not very well organized. Fun topic, though.)
haha, wow. I just re-read my comment after getting some sleep. And you thought YOU were creepy, Megan. haha
ReplyDeleteMegan, I have honestly never wondered about the names of Flansburgh's cats until you mentioned it and now I am really curious. Damn you!
ReplyDeleteAnd Jamie, I especially like your question about strangest piece of advice. I'd really be interested in the strangest piece of advice that they actually found helpful.
I agree that a fan voted interview would be pretty excellent and would save us from all the endless interviews asking the same questions over and over.
Sorry for commenting late, but as a journalism student, I'd jump at the chance to have an interesting conversation with John and/or John.
ReplyDeleteI second the Man, It's So Loud In Here thing. And, I want to hear fan encounter stories (BTW, you still want my awkward first show/fangirly Linnell story? Haha) and touring stories.
•How long do you guys plan to be around: touring, recording, etc., for? [It scares me to think that the end of TMBG is inevitable.]
•What is your least favorite song to end up on a record? [I want to hear their personal criticism.]
•Linnell, you've played quite a few instruments over the years. Is there an instrument you love to play live, but rarely do? [Like the clarinet and bari sax... I've never seen either live, and as woodwind player, it's killing me.]
•A little personal, but are there any band-related reasons behind the "Ringo Walks" era? [This bugs me to no end.]
•Do you have a favorite key? Not one to sing or play in, but one that, in your opinion, is very pleasant to listen to? [It's not weird at all!]
•Favorite film? Favorite album? [I'd be interested in this.]
•Flans, you seem to thrive on being the entertainer. What do you think you'd be doing if you weren't part of TMBG? [I could guess at what Linnell would be doing, but because of Flans' nature, I think his answer would be more interesting.]
•Flans: your favorite/least favorite thing about being left-handed? [Eh, why not?]
•Favorite/least favorite promo photo of yours? Any that you were pleasantly surprised with? Any you can't stand to look at? [I want their opinion on photoshoots, haha.]
That's all I got for now. Sadly. I could think of twenty thousand more, especially specific song questions, but those I'll spare.
Footnotes:
ReplyDeleteInteresting conversation/interview, that should be, haha.
Oh, and I should have added "million" to "twenty thousand" in the last line or two. ;)
Great questions, Erin!
ReplyDeleteJust curious, what do you consider to be the "Ringo Walks" era? Late '90s?
And I am so not joking about the Man, it's So Loud in Here thing. If they ever play it again live I'll know they really love me.
Oh, and yes, I still wanted to hear your first show Linnell story, Erin.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, okay. It was late 90s. The whole Mono Puff, State Songs thing.
ReplyDeleteI always figured that was the post Elektra period where they didn't have a label any more, were still figuring out what they were going to do about it and thus had time to spare. And the solo projects were all started earlier in the decade so it probably seemed like a nice time to flesh them out. They were also touring like crazy. It's kind of a wonder they had time for anything else but I sort of get the impression that they are the type of people (Flans in particular) who don't feel like they are accomplishing anything unless they are doing three things at once.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I guess you'll just have to ask them :-D