Does the average person know what prog is?

When I go out and play shows and meet tons and tons and tons of bands, most of them don't know what prog is. If they ask what we sound like, I say "prog" and then if no response I try "Mars Volta." Then if they know Volta, then they kinda know what prog is. They will say "like Rush? Or Pink Floyd?" Then I will know I have made a friend. Haha

I don't mention prog. I just say I like Rock and mention Floyd, Who, Genesis, Alan Parsons Project, Yes.... I don't bring labels into it. 

Originally posted by Smurph ^Rock is still a label. :-P

Lol. Yes, but is mainly just says : I'm not talking about Pop, Rap or Country. Its not a very precise label, its almost like a musical gender.

By mentioning Prog bands, I establish that I like the redheads of the musical gender of Rock.

Most people don't know what anything is.

Actually, I assumed the "average music fan" meant someone who likes music, just as much as we do, and is not the average Joe listening to the radio who doesn't go much beyond that. That, to me, is just an average person who has a mild interest in music.

For example, I know someone who loves music and has a large collection of stuff. He hates the radio and usually listens to his collection. He had no idea what prog was or that it existed until I mentioned it to him. He had some Floyd, and maybe Coheed and Cambria if you consider them prog, but that was it. He was more into Ska, Hip-hop, "Indie", and modern rock (not prog though, but not necessarily stuff on the radio). I thought a lot of it was garbage, but the point is that he had a lot of music, but never came across prog (not surprising either, as his metal and rock collection was quite low, aside from some modern rock bands).

***EDIT*** One day a friend of mine, who is closer to the other friend I mentioned above, told me that if there's no lyrics, or if they don't show up in a song until, say, 4 minutes into it, then he won't like it. Basically, he doesn't like instrumental music, and Ive met lots of people like that - "Where's the lyrics bro?". It's like some people prefer music to their poetry Just another reason why some people will never come across prog rock.


Edited by darkshade - May 09 2012 at 11:44

Isn't it a bit pretentious to refer to those poor innocent ignorants as "the average people"?   

Originally posted by igySK I don't think a person can be a prog fan unless they play an instrument themselves

Guess I'm not a prog fan then

I have no idea what prog is, and I've been listening to it for more than 20 years. 

I thought I knew what it was before joining up here, but now I'm confused because everyone here seems to have a different idea of what "prog" is.

Is it possible people don't know what any type of music is?

If you asked them about funk?

If you asked them about new wave?

If you asked them jazz even? They may say: slow music.

Even the basics, whats the difference to them between pop, rock, rap and hip hop? Its just music to the average person. Not even that. They don't listen to albums. It's that song from Jay-Z or whatever.

I thought we already established that prog(or Prague) is NOT a city in Italy.