More Annoying: "Freebird!" vs. "More Cowbell!!"

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I vote for the latter because of the odd, forced smattering of laughs it seems to induce. Funny for maybe a week; not fucking anymore.

― PB, Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"One less!"

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"More cowbell!" is the "Yeeah Baby!" of 2005 - an annoying but hopefully short-lived phenomenon at live shows.

"Freebird" is eternal, I'm afraid.

― mike a, Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What is the origin of "Freebird"? Do people call for it at Depeche Mode concerts?

― Huk-L, Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

The Continental on St.Mark's used to have a sign up that threatened that anyone who yelled out "Freebird" at a show would be physically ejected from the premises.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

What is the origin of "Freebird"?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005NWLO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

What is the origin of CALLING FOR FREEBIRD at concerts that do not feature Skynyrd?

― Huk-L, Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"More cowbell!" is the "Yeeah Baby!" of 2005

And 2004, and 2003, and 2002, and 2001.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

My friend Adam used to yell "Play some more bullshit!" at shows. A mixed compliment if ever there was one.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Huk:
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/04/the_history_of_.html
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/0,,SB111102511477881964,00.html
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/11279824.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

― ()ops (()()ps), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

more cowbell is worse.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard there was some wiseass radio deejay in Chicago that tried to encourage the practice (yelling "Freebird" at concerts like a jackass) and it simply caught on. That might be an urban myth, though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

During the Roots' set at Jazzfest, they did the whole cowbell sketch and eventually used the tempo of Don't Fear the Reaper to kick into another tune. On one hand, it was awesome, but on the other it was kinda embarassing to be in a giant crowd of people either yelling "more cowbell!" and congratulating themselves for getting the joke.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

heh. been going to shows for 3 decades and have yet to hear nary "freebird" or "more cowbell" yet.

― william (william), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Not being American, I don't get the 'more cowbell' joke. Could someone explain?

― maryk, Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

congratulating themselves for getting the joke.

Bahahahahaha. That's it exactly.

The "More Cowbell" comment, maryk, comes from an over-celebrated sketch on Saturday Night Live wherein Christopher Walken plays a producer working with Blue Oyster Cult.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It was a Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walken: here

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I went to some shit sports bar in Austin, and the crappy bar-band Dave Matthew college rock band that was playing introduced "Don't Fear the Reaper" as "More Cowbell"....they even did the starts and stops at the beginning, interrupting the song and saying "wait man...I need MORE COWBELL" and the crowd would hoot and holler.

It hurt my heart to see one of the greatest rock songs ever be turned into a joke.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard there was some wiseass radio deejay in Chicago that tried to encourage the practice (yelling "Freebird" at concerts like a jackass) and it simply caught on.

If that's Steve Dahl then that's TWO reasons he needs to be kicked in the jimmy.

"More Cowbell" arose its ugly Walkenite head at an otherwise grandtastic First Avenue Rapture show in '03, and that was one time too many.

(xp Matt: I think that SNL sketch woulda been funnier if it was about the Stones and "Honky Tonk Women")

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

The annoying thing about "More Cowbell" is that it seems like a lot of the people who yell it (or wear those t-shirts) had probably never heard Blue Oyster Cult and or many other bands from the era when cowbell was often used in rock.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, fucking posers. I demand a beatdown on said parties, led by Leslie West.

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, "More cowbell" was earnestly shouted last night.

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"Free Bird" is never earnestly shouted... unless you're at a David Copperfield performance and he's holding a pigeon. In which case, what the fuck are you doing there???

"More Cowbell" wins.

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

D: Both cowbell & freebird requests
C: Summer of '69

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

heckling always rules you fules!

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

especially positive heckling wtf!

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

what's next - more annoying: "o baby o baby yeah that's the spot yeah yes yes YES" vs. "surrender dorothy"? DON'T DENY NATURE FOLX. DON'T FUCK WITH MAGIC. AND DON'T FEAR THE REAPER.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, "More cowbell" was earnestly shouted last night.

...i meant it in a positive manner on the LCD thread. james m is maniacal when he plays it!!!

― william (william), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I don't mind it when I'm actually playing cowbell. Seriously.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

> Matt: I think that SNL sketch woulda been funnier if it was about the Stones and "Honky Tonk Women"

I always get a kick out of imagining the same skit with "Gimme Danger" instead.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"Surrender Dorothy" is better than both though. (blount, kizza me)

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

If that's Steve Dahl then that's TWO reasons he needs to be kicked in the jimmy.

No, it wasn't. Not to mention that there isn't really a first reason.

― ()ops (()()ps), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"Free Bird" is never earnestly shouted...

I'd imagine it is at Lynyrd Skynyrd shows to this day.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I forget they were alive.

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:34 (twenty-one years ago)

The annoying thing about "More Cowbell" is that it seems like a lot of the people who yell it (or wear those t-shirts) had probably never heard Blue Oyster Cult....

OTM

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.angelfire.com/ultra2/dropkickmurphy33/cowbell.gif

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/110/cowbell.gif

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 12 May 2005 23:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Not to mention that there isn't really a first reason.

Disco Demolition, fool

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Friday, 13 May 2005 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

somebody shouted "Freebird" at Shearwater, the band who's opening for me this tour & the singer played a slow, gorgeous rendition of it - it ruled

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Friday, 13 May 2005 00:53 (twenty-one years ago)

the only time i have called for freebird was to a group of christmas carolers who entered a bar we were in. I stand by my actions

― ronny longjohns (ronny longjohns), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I never thought 'Freebird' was funny until my husband shouted it during a very quiet, introspective moment at an overlong (well, more overlong than the normal overlong-ness) Dave Matthews show. BEST. THING. EVER. The 'we are not amused' crinkly-frowny looks of disapproval from surrounding fans was worth it.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

It *wouldn't* be annoying to yell "More Cowbell!" at an orchestral concert though. Just like I think it would be cool if someone yelled "Freebird" at a Holocaust Rememberence Day speech or something like that.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 06:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd imagine it is at Lynyrd Skynyrd shows to this day.

I think that it would be funnier to yell "BIRD CAN'T CHANGE!" at these shows.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

How about "BIRD LIVES!"

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Disco Demolition, fool

Yeah I knew that's what you had in mind. Dude didn't like disco, and, although it's chic to fetishize it nowadays, who's to say you wouldn't have gotten sick of all the tripe that movement produced back then?

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The few times I've played a cowbell during a gig, the cowbell has been the star of the show, with audience members thinking they are so. bluudy. clever. by asking for "more cowbell."

While I think it is annoying, I'd rather the audience be engaged enough to participate by making a lame-ass in-joke than not be engaged at all.

That is, I would prefer an audience that was driven to a dionysian frenzy of pure appreciation of my musical genius. Failing that, an audience that yells "more cowbell" is preferable to an audience that is completely indifferent.

― The Mad Puffin, Friday, 13 May 2005 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to start a "boycott the cowbell" movement among drummers in protest.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Can anyone in England confirm if they've heard "YOU FAT BASTARD!" lately. 90% of bands with t-shirts used to get this chanted at the fattest member.

― everything, Friday, 13 May 2005 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

QOTSA just borrowed Will Ferrell to reuse the Gene Frenkel character to bang a cowbell onstage during their performance.

Except he was supposed to have been dead in 2000... so was it a cowbell banging ghost?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 15 May 2005 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I mention that a dull hippie wank band is named "MORE COWBELL" here? They are fairly popular among dipshits. I have been to like 30 of their shows.... unintentionally.

― A homunculus of Darby Crash, .... created for the purposes of *EVIL* (ex machina, Sunday, 15 May 2005 03:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I have been to like 30 of their shows.... unintentionally.
I take it you are banging a member of that band, then?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 15 May 2005 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I mention that a dull hippie wank band is named "MORE COWBELL" here? They are fairly popular among dipshits. I have been to like 30 of their shows.... unintentionally.

eh? this doesn't make sense!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 15 May 2005 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Their "shows" = parties with free booze at one of their houses! They're all pretty talented but they lay down directionless wankery.

― A homunculus of Darby Crash, .... created for the purposes of *EVIL* (ex machina, Sunday, 15 May 2005 05:01 (twenty-one years ago)

has anyone ever yelled "Less Cowbell!" at a Hugh Masakela concert during "Grazin' in the Grass" ?

― Amon (eman), Sunday, 15 May 2005 05:02 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

now you're messin with a -- A SON OF A BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEUTCH!
now you're messin' with a sonuva bitch.

― PappaWheelie V, Sunday, 11 July 2010 18:17 (fifteen years ago)

Is this the new pause-before-encore heckle? Totally forgotten this song.

― bendy, Monday, 12 July 2010 01:32 (fifteen years ago)

"Reverb!"

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Monday, 12 July 2010 01:52 (fifteen years ago)

When I used to go see local bands I'd hear "Freebird" shouted out a lot--usually by buddies of the band who seemed to want to prove they were so down that they could yell out the stupidest thing imaginable at a show & the band wouldn't get annoyed with them.

― President Keyes, Monday, 12 July 2010 13:27 (fifteen years ago)

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