Yes! It was very much skate punk they were playing, which is why I detested it so much. If I ever see them again I'll be fair and pass unbiased judgement on them. My banter theory: Not essential, but extremely beneficial if you get it right. If you can get a few laughs out of the audience, they'll warm to you more. And it can make a gig memorable. Jester's right about playing to the whole audience and not just a few mates - that's when it sounds like pub-band stuff. On a bigger scale, banter from a band can make a gig more memorable and seem more personal. It also makes sure that the gig isn't just a case of "go on, play songs, fuck off". The Morrissey and Manics gigs I've been to in the past year are far more memorable than, say, Interpol, who didn't interact with the audience much at all.