"Head-Nodding"

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Is this a good thing?

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 December 2002 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Follow Homer's wonderful guide on the Simpsons.

If it happens it happens, but nothing I can think of is more painful to watch then some guy reducing his movement in life to stylized nodding of the head.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 6 December 2002 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

(Nods head yes)

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Friday, 6 December 2002 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

There was some really "creative" head-nodding going on in front of me at an Elvis Costello show earlier this year. Not a good thing.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

(nods head No No No No)

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of meant it in terms of beats. What sort of beats get described as head-nodding? Maybe only I have ever heard this curious phrase.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, but where is the line of delineation between "head-nodding" (usually practiced by cooler-than-thou hipsters) and "head-banging" (invariably practiced by acne-speckled, bedenimed cretins)?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know, but the head-nod is totally unspoken communication for musicians.

It can be and is often used to convey a variety of messages such as these:

"it's time to change now"
"wow, that sounded cool, you surprised me"
"I could just play this groove for months"
"you've got a great idea there, now don't forget it you stoner"

Oh, and that line of which you speak? Either Ill Communication or Phrenology.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh Alex in your model head nodding is the branch of headbanging in which one doesn't get a hair out of place.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

EPMD, "The Crossover": i know your head is bobbin cos the neck knows

― tony bleach (blackshoeswhitesocks), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Bobyadhed2dis by Redman

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, it's a good thing. the rhythm is grabbing you and you just can't help but move yr head with the beat. (you don't actually dance, because you are too "hard") ;-)

― ron (ron), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh Alex in your model head nodding is the branch of headbanging in which one doesn't get a hair out of place
.. Or losing one's hornrimmed glasses.

Fite! - Head nodding -vs- Jammin' face

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Headnodding is OK as long as the eyes remain open...

― Jez (Jez), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

everyone knows hows terrible it is as a default movement at rock shows, but almost everyone does it. i tend to rock my head back with the backbeat, instead of forward, as is the prevailing style, but i suppose that's not much better. it's usually either too crowded for much other movement, or empty enough that i feel too inhibited to really bust a move.

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

bad at rock shows, good at hiphop shows

― Nicholas, Friday, 6 December 2002 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Personally, I have no control over how music affects my body. Depending on the levels of rhythmicness, my body goes from a gentle head-nod (for, say, Portishead or Hooverphonic) to all out full-body seizure-twitches (for, y'know, Primus or Outkast).

Fortunatel, I gave up being self-conscious about my body and the way it is affected by music long long ago.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 6 December 2002 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I've rarely been to a rock show where at least 70% of the crowd weren't head nodding. Where I live the hipster crowd is far, far too cool to do anything but head nod, unless of course they are crowding sycophant-like about Meg White at the far end of the bar ignoring the band on stage. It seems a bit weak that people are afraid to move when a band is really on, but I guess it's better than sitting down in the shadows, which most of the Wedding Present fans did when VHS or Beta played with them.

― webcrack (music=crack), Friday, 6 December 2002 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"Head-nodding" = "Nice beat that's too slow to dance to."

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 6 December 2002 16:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Mark is spot-on here, and might add "affecting" after "nice." I think there's a definite tone and mood that tends to accompany "head-nodding" beats, but certainly not all the time; I don't know if I'd be able to describe that tone efficiently but it's one that a lot of yes-y'alling "soulful" rappers are flailing wildly for these days.

Actually I think you could make a case that it connects up with certain ideas of the sublime and divinity, because it's one of the central moods of black Christianity in the American south! The 20-year-old nods his head to hip-hop in sort of the same rapturous way his great-grandmother nods her head to the preacher and the gospel choir: there is a lot of lineage here.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 6 December 2002 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

It's halfway to chin-stroking.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

In a car at a stop light, 2 or more people looks classic; lone driver looks sad & dud!

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

(Above, 2 agrees with looks, because implied "head-nodding" is the subject.)

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's positive when talking about an audience; negative when talking about the music they're listening to. Weird! Do we have a higher bar for how "into it" musicians must get?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Something I have to do to try and make me look like I'm enjoying myself and not like a totally uncool uptight square cat maan. Mostly, even when I'm enjoying the music, I don't move it to it. I mean, I'm HOLDING A PINT for crying out loud! A head nod is a token yes yes very nice music gesture. If I am doing more than head nodding I am DRUNK and haf probably spilled beer down myself and am RUNNING AROUND like a NONCE.

― Sarah (starry), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

(Curt, I don't understand your second post.)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 6 December 2002 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't quite know what it means, but I love the word "nonce."

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 December 2002 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Head nodding suggests a kind of locked locomotion in the vein of Chime by Orbital, or any song which appears to groove steadily towards a particular point, just makes you think "yes" but it's not lively enough for you to jump around. In fact lots of Orbital songs are headnodding.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 6 December 2002 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Orbital is more of a swaying thing for me! They have all those busy-smooth breaks and rolls: I head-nod more to big chunky loping stuff.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 6 December 2002 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Tracer, my 2nd post was merely justifying bad grammar - subject/verb agreement - in my first post. Only, it was wrong, too. (I'll go back to nodding.)

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 6 December 2002 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

That's how you can tell the difference between a rocker and a techno-head! Tis true.

― Aaron W, Friday, 6 December 2002 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Ill admit it, Im a head-nodder. Dancing makes me feel awkward and moshing is retarded.

However, sometimes I do get into it enough to not care, and just dance. Actually, only once, at Flaming Lips.

― David Allen, Friday, 6 December 2002 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I've done and continue to do nearly everything criticized on this board and the only activity that really makes me feel like an ass (dancing, moshing, pogoing, headbanging, head nodding, etc.) is head nodding. I try to finish the booze in my hand as quick as possible so I can move on to more honest displays of how I feel about the music being played.

Frankly I'd really like to punch all the sad pitiful fuckers who stuff their hands in their hoodie pockets and nod throughout the entire set. Just sit down at the bar or stand in the back like the emotionless twerp you are and leave the front to us hard rokkas.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Friday, 6 December 2002 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Well then you're annoying and you suck.

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 7 December 2002 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I make better music than you

― Tom Millar (Millar), Saturday, 7 December 2002 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Probably.

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 7 December 2002 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

My sad pitiful acts of nodding are probably holding me back from more honest displays of musicianship.

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 7 December 2002 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"I've rarely been to a rock show where at least 70% of the crowd weren't head nodding"

It's probably cause it's late but the mental image of that is just hilarious.

― , Saturday, 7 December 2002 02:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't believe I broke my "don't be catty" rule, but it's just, like ... congratulations, abuse people who like the same bands you do because they don't move their heads appropriately to the music. Those sad pitiful fools! Off to the Hague with them.

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 7 December 2002 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey dude, understood. But if youy really like a band, show it with your legs and ass, not your head. That way it's not just some bizarre musician-audience etiquette, which is easily mistaken for fakeass hipsterism. That's what I'm trying to get at. If you're not sweating then you probably just showed up to be seen.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Saturday, 7 December 2002 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

B-but, if the place is packed, the band can't see your ass & legs moving, they see your heads bobbing.

Head bobbing : musicians and other fans :: burping : chef and other diners

It's complimentary to the creator, but pisses off all the other appreciators.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Sunday, 8 December 2002 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the idea (just the idea because I've never seen it) of that slowed down DJScrew hiphop stuff being head-nodding.Take a snow-cone, add some drowzy making coughmixture and some slow-ass bumping beats and you are sure to nod.

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 8 December 2002 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Head-nodding definitely has its time and place. I would think it a bit odd to see someone leaping about and doing the robot at a Sea and Cake gig, for example. I have less tolerance for head-nodding at dance-oriented gigs, although I respect that some people just don't like dancing.

I have far less respect for head-nodding at DJ gigs and clubs--if you go to a dance arena to see a DJ spin, you don't really belong in the middle of the floor unless you are there to move. Head-nodders should sideline themselves in this situation.

― webcrack (music=crack), Sunday, 8 December 2002 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember Pete going on about a song encouraging this, and opining that head-nodding is the weakest dance in the world. This was two days before I heard the song in which Busta Rhymes encourages us to nod ya head until you BREAK YA NECK!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 9 December 2002 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

it's an easy way for tall guys like me to move to music without smacking into the people around us. I also tap my foot too. It may look dorky, but standing perfectly still sucks at shows and its often too crowded to hop without worrying my lanky arms will jab people.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 10 December 2002 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Never mind head-nodding or even head-banging. Clearly the only wise action in these situations is to do the screaming blue messiah dance. Like so....

http://www.chatnoir.demon.co.uk/junp.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 10 December 2002 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

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