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Good stage performance?


jmstone
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Do any of you have some recommendations for videos of good stage performances (rather than playing) of (non-vocal/lead) bass players? I am looking for some low-key types of things - nothing involving spandex please! :)

I've been finding it pretty hard to find any videos which actually show more than 1 second of the bass player in the whole of a 5 minute song! But maybe I'm not looking hard enough..

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I think it depends what you're looking for.

The singer and I are researching this quite a lot at the moment. Generic things we've picked up (although this is with metal).

- Look confident, move with the music in general
- Look at the crowd / look around
- Adopt a wider stance than normal (was very odd to me too begin with but actually feel LESS of a pillock than before
- Interact with the environment, rest on monitors etc
- Interact with the rest of the band, move over to where the guitarist is playing, go rock out with the singer
- Know when to blend into the background so that you're not all competing for attention at once
- When walking across a stage (assuming your stage IS big enough to walk on) try to walk in time with the music

Would love for others to add to this list :D

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The most important thing you can do as a band is acknowledge that your audience is present and play to them. I've lost count of the number of bands I've seen that appear to playing to themselves only and who struggle to project their "performance" beyond the edge of the stage.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330941834' post='1564918']
The most important thing you can do as a band is acknowledge that your audience is present and play to them. I've lost count of the number of bands I've seen that appear to playing to themselves only and who struggle to project their "performance" beyond the edge of the stage.
[/quote]

Guilty!

Working on it!

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[quote name='jmstone' timestamp='1330903299' post='1564729']
Do any of you have some recommendations for videos of good stage performances (rather than playing) of (non-vocal/lead) bass players? I am looking for some low-key types of things - nothing involving spandex please! :)

I've been finding it pretty hard to find any videos which actually show more than 1 second of the bass player in the whole of a 5 minute song! But maybe I'm not looking hard enough..
[/quote]

What's the reason you want them for mate?

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1330954467' post='1565227']
What's the reason you want them for mate?
[/quote]

Hi, thanks for asking :)

Primarily to try to get some ideas about what different bassists do when they are on stage - to see if there are things I can steal.. ahem - "borrow".

J

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[quote name='charic' timestamp='1330938728' post='1564868']
I think it depends what you're looking for.

The singer and I are researching this quite a lot at the moment. Generic things we've picked up (although this is with metal).

- Look confident, move with the music in general
- Look at the crowd / look around
- Adopt a wider stance than normal (was very odd to me too begin with but actually feel LESS of a pillock than before
- Interact with the environment, rest on monitors etc
- Interact with the rest of the band, move over to where the guitarist is playing, go rock out with the singer
- Know when to blend into the background so that you're not all competing for attention at once
- When walking across a stage (assuming your stage IS big enough to walk on) try to walk in time with the music

Would love for others to add to this list :D
[/quote]

This is a good one.
I tend to have a stage persona. Eg - I'm fairly quiet offstage but when I get up there, I just go wild.

Also - we as musicians are the paid (normally) entertainment, got to actually entertain!

I hate seeing bands just standing on stage. No movement etc - doesnt even look like the guys on stage are happy to be there!

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[quote name='jmstone' timestamp='1330957323' post='1565305']
Hi, thanks for asking :)

Primarily to try to get some ideas about what different bassists do when they are on stage - to see if there are things I can steal.. ahem - "borrow".

J
[/quote]

Ah. Why only bassists?

Just a bit of friendly advice, if you're not feeling it, only faking it, it won't look right. I know we all want to look cool and superb in videos and pictures, but really, copping someone else's moves is going to look weird. You should move naturally if you can.

Just move how you feel like moving.

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Let your playing do the talking pal. Stage experience will come in time. Try not to force it. The crowd will know. Just be cool and confident and be yourself. Do not try to add any gimmicky nonsense unless it's original - and it won't be as it has all been done before.

Oh and don't look at your instrument and look as though you want to be there.

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Let your playing do the talking pal. Stage experience will come in time. Try not to force it. The crowd will know. Just be cool and confident and be yourself. Do not try to add any gimmicky nonsense unless it's original - and it won't be as it has all been done before.

Oh and don't look at your instrument and look as though you want to be there.

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[quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1330961199' post='1565384']
Let your playing do the talking pal. Stage experience will come in time. Try not to force it. The crowd will know. Just be cool and confident and be yourself. Do not try to add any gimmicky nonsense unless it's original - and it won't be as it has all been done before.

Oh and don't look at your instrument and look as though you want to be there.
[/quote]

I agree with this completely.

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[quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1330961199' post='1565384']
Let your playing do the talking pal. Stage experience will come in time. Try not to force it. The crowd will know. Just be cool and confident and be yourself. Do not try to add any gimmicky nonsense unless it's original - and it won't be as it has all been done before.

Oh and don't look at your instrument and look as though you want to be there.
[/quote]

Nah, that's rubbish mate.

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What kind of music are you playing out of curisosity.
A lot will depend on style of music ie "spandex" Steve Harris type poses or typical jazz bassist who is engrossed in what he's doing but usually and i repeat usually stands to one side and just plays really well..

On the other hand Punk always fascinated me because you had the reason to go daft and do anything you really wanted.
Then there's Prog where you need to look competent at what you are playing and generally don't move much because you are concentrating too much.

Funk is another area where you can go with the music and allow yourself to drift off into the beat of the song.

Folk music - well just sitting on a stool really - :lol: sorry guys couldn't resist that one.
I went to see Deep Purple few months ago and they were a bunch of guys happy in what they were doing. Relaxed and as pointed out previously just seemed to go with the music and it all seemed just right considering their age group and stance in the rock world.

You gotta laugh sometime :D
Dave

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[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1330965838' post='1565487']
What kind of music are you playing out of curisosity.
A lot will depend on style of music ie "spandex" Steve Harris type poses or typical jazz bassist who is engrossed in what he's doing but usually and i repeat usually stands to one side and just plays really well..

On the other hand Punk always fascinated me because you had the reason to go daft and do anything you really wanted.
Then there's Prog where you need to look competent at what you are playing and generally don't move much because you are concentrating too much.

Funk is another area where you can go with the music and allow yourself to drift off into the beat of the song.

Folk music - well just sitting on a stool really - :lol: sorry guys couldn't resist that one.
I went to see Deep Purple few months ago and they were a bunch of guys happy in what they were doing. Relaxed and as pointed out previously just seemed to go with the music and it all seemed just right considering their age group and stance in the rock world.

You gotta laugh sometime :D
Dave
[/quote]

And on the third hand with 6 webbed fingers, you have Wilko Johnson :D

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Watch other bands see what works for them and see if it works for you, But the most important thing 'Smile' Look like your enjoying it.

My A-Z of Stage craft in 4:02 seconds-

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p3xi8WHVgs&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p3xi8WHVgs&feature=related[/url]

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Good band. It's like the eighties just blew into my ear.

You have the look of relaxation to the point that it looks like you're not enjoying it, or not deep into it at all. It could be a mask for nervousness. Do you enjoy playing in the band? Are you a confident player?

Look at this for a complete contrast ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcFvt1sLpis

And this for what you should probably look like ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-lm3Hi6Ko&feature=related

And this for what you currently look like ..



Just kidding ;)

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1330989890' post='1566088']
Good band. It's like the eighties just blew into my ear.

You have the look of relaxation to the point that it looks like you're not enjoying it, or not deep into it at all. It could be a mask for nervousness. Do you enjoy playing in the band? Are you a confident player?

Look at this for a complete contrast ..

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcFvt1sLpis[/media]

And this for what you should probably look like ..

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-lm3Hi6Ko&feature=related[/media]

And this for what you currently look like ..



Just kidding ;)
[/quote]

Haha! Yes - good point. Thanks for looking!

I do really like the band a lot. Not that confident a player I guess.. Even less confident about moving about :D

Practice definitely needed...

J

Edit - just checked out the videos - I can see what you're getting at there. Need to spend some more time on this I guess...

In answer to your earlier question - it's a preemtive decision on my part - which became clear to me after seeing the video of our gig!!

Edited by jmstone
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