Stage Performance

[willo]

How do you guys roll on stage?

I'm intrigued to know. Having played a gig last night with our favourite local bands and at the best music venue in town (all mic'd up and a snazzy PA) got me thinking about our 'presence' on stage.

Our drummer rocks out like a mentalist.

But I don't. Don't get me wrong, everyone keeps saying it looks like we're having fun, so thats cool, but I don't really ever go gonzo on stage. Maybe its the music we play...maybe its nerves...I'm not sure. I mean, I do sometimes go mad when jamming at home, or in my old band just cos it was all groove/improvised based.

My band today, its all good, but the music is based more in the Radiohead/Editors world...so scope for going mental is limited.

Plus, I'm so busy constantly changing pickups, volume swells, whammy trills and switching FX - as well as some pretty dramatic position shifts along the fretboard - that I really want to concentrate on getting the music right at the start.

It's wierd though. I never really liked the bands that just stood and played.

Thoughts?

[Manji]

I've always thought that as long as you make eye contact with a few people in the audience (or just look at the audience as a whole) you're doing okay.  It does depend on the music though- if you're doing some complex shite, it's going to be hard for you to jump around, while the band I'm gigging in just plays straight up rock (Japanese rock, but yeah) so there's scope for me to flail around and headbutt the drummer's cymbals and windmill :D

[lulusg]

Well Willow, it took years for Ozzy to start moving, Tom Yorke does this funny dance around the stage but I would advice against doing the same(or imitating for that matter), Mark Knofler use to practice in front of the mirror the way he would look best while playing guitar, Perry Farrell is a crazy dude, if you are busy changing stuff onstage people will dig that, no problem. Master Robert Fripp sat two full hours without moving a hair and people understood......

[Sekhmet]

Genrally i get stuck on one side of the stage, but when we get stages were you can actually move i usually run around a bit.

Its fun jamming with the drummer or running over the other guitarist and playing each others guitars.

Oh and windmilling, that seems to fit the bill quite well at a metal bit, it's always fun to windmill strait through a really difficult passage and nail it.

But yeah i just like to have fun on stage.

[shaman]

for me, its about a spiritual experience....not nec. screw the audience, but once I feel the "groove" between the rythym section, I like to try and "jump " on that groove....here in the south, a lot of jam bands get to take center attention...take the North Mississippi All-stars-check em out-I dont care how old you are(I am 39...), you can't help but moooove...think Dead show...I figured out , some 16-17 yrs ago, in one rough ass biker bar playing rough ass biker music to 13  or so, that it wasnt about the show/stage presence/etc..it was sooo much bigger than that....I had to "connect"..and then..it didnt matter...you can really let yourself go...we live close to the birthplace of the blues(help me out,LULSG), and even though I am a 2nd generation blues man, I have dug into that rustic,mysterious past..the hill country blues usually digs on a 1-2 chord hypnotic VAMP that takes you places-if I can find that playin(and it does help if I am singing...)hell, I do not care what I look like or do...its about what I FEEL like---damn, it feels transcendent!!!!hard to do in cover bands/easier to do in improv situations/originals-nothing gets my blood boiling like randy rhoads..which I have played live a lot in my day...but that doesnt touch that feeling I am talking about-seems like I have to think too much ,as opposed to reacting to the other musicians(improv/jazz influence)
PLUS, alcohol ,etc helps as well!!
go listen to.....RICHARD JOHNSTON right now..hill country troubadour-RIDE THE DAMN WAVE,MY BROTHAS!!!!!

[blue]

some guitarists jump around, some don't.  the passion's mostly in the right hand, so i wouldn't worry.  stagecraft and stage personality come about naturally, so just be what feels comfortable and that will be all the cool you'll ever need... (baby) yeah... (long exhale.... another drrraaaaagggggg)

[Afghan Dave]

the passion's mostly in the right hand

Ooh err... much more of that and you'll go blind :?

[38thBeatle]

I kinda move with the groove and I do a lot of vocals and that kind of forces you into some sort of "thing".I  agree that eye contact with the audience is a good thing-even if you just look at no-one in particular.

[Ratrod]

Most stages I play on are quite small to move around on but we always have some tricks.

Two guitarists in dueling pose.

Standing on the upright bass.

Jumping off stage playing in the crowd.

If you need some inspiration on stage presence, look for the Tielman Brothers on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvC2_nsVJv0

[lulusg]

"Got my Mojo working". You are all right about connecting to the audience, the hypnotic groove we get caught up during a "PERFORMANCE", dissapearing for a brief moment only to be brought back clinging on a single note. I saw "The North Mississippi All Star" few years ago in NOLA, what a great concert man. I bet y'all have great stories to share

[Crazy_Joe]

Watch some Johnny Demarco videos on youtube, he knows how to partay on stage! :lol:

[willo]

Hi Im Johnny Demarco, wth the new AUTHENTIC BOSS super hyper drive 150XL!

Check out my head mic!

[Crazy_Joe]

Hahaha, classic Demarco!

[badgermark]

Get your stance right, that doesn't mean making your guitar a wang extention though (unless you really want to compensate for something). Just don't look nervous and stare at your hands all night. Look up, smile, make the easy bits (not your fancy changes and effects bits) look like a piece of piss.

Oh and if you're bricking it, just fake some confidence. Worked for me in many situations. Last year talking to a group of 3 people made me a stuttering wreck, thanks to some top notch faking I can control an unruly science class with ease. Booya.

[maliciousteve]

When I played live with my last band I'd try and make up for the lack of presence they had  :lol:  They wouldn't really get into it too much and never really thought 'if I was me watching us what would I think'.

I'd rather headbang hard and mess up a few times than just stand there playing every note perfect.

I would headbang, walk about on stage, look at the crowd, joke with my bass player and just have fun. I do miss that