Musician who told the crowd to clap on the 2 and 4

April 9, 2023 4:57 PM

I recall reading an anecdote about a rock musician who, in the middle of a show somewhere in Europe (perhaps Germany), stopped and asked the crowd to clap on the 2 and 4, i.e. the backbeat, if they were going to clap, instead of the 1 and 3. Did this happen? Who was it?
posted by Fiasco da Gama to Society & Culture (12 answers total)

Could it have been Harry Connick Jr encouraging a French audience here?

https://www.offbeat.com/news/video-harry-connick-jr-heroically-tricks-crowd-clapping-on-the-2-4/
posted by CheeseLouise at 5:09 PM on April 9, 2023 [12 favorites]

You may be recalling this video the 5/4 measure.
posted by meinvt at 5:09 PM on April 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Could it be Justin Bieber in Spain in 2015?
posted by cthlsgnd at 7:19 PM on April 9, 2023

In related, I'd read an anecdote that the recording engineers on the song 'Bennie and The Jets' had intentionally spliced the dubbed audience claps on the 1 & 3 beats just to prank Elton, who hated it.
posted by ovvl at 8:03 PM on April 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I thought I saw this in an Adam Neely video, because I know exactly what you're asking about. I couldn't find any video, but the audio here (Taj Mahal, "Blues with a Feeling") matches my memory.
posted by invokeuse at 9:51 PM on April 9, 2023

the only crowd I've ever seen pull that off for more than a half measure: reggae.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:37 PM on April 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Taj Mahal. There’s a link to a clip in the article.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:19 AM on April 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

Not Europe, but relatively well-known: 'on tempo, Jack!'
posted by box at 4:51 AM on April 10, 2023

Could it have been Radiohead playing Videotape? WARRENMUSIC has a deep dive video on the song with a portion devoted to Thom Yorke struggling with the syncopation of the song.
posted by Doktor at 8:18 AM on April 10, 2023

Related: Charlie Smalls and Davy Jones illustrating it on The Monkees.
posted by jocelmeow at 5:24 PM on April 10, 2023

This was Wilco in Toledo. Looking for a link.
posted by handful of rain at 10:19 AM on April 11, 2023

Update: it's the 1998/09/06 Toledo OH concert, available on iTunes. I can't recall off the top of my head which song, but he definitely does this and I found it hilarious. He also apologizes for having had to cancel a previous show in Toledo, and assures the crowd it was unforeseen circumstances and that he has nothing against Toledo "as of yet." But that was before the off-beat clapping.
posted by handful of rain at 10:22 AM on April 11, 2023