Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I was thinking about how standing up at the front of the stage is a sign of respect to the band. Last gig I played, we had a few people standing up front. There were about 100+ people and the venue's walls were lined with tables with about 5 bands playing. All night long, people lined the walls for all the bands. I stood up front at the stage for every band, and gave a thumbs up when ever I got eye-contact. I know I appreciate it when the audience gives feedback, and I so I give that respect whenever I can. Some people have the mentality that they don't want to be up front because it might block the view of those sitting in the back, or perhaps they just want to sit down and enjoy the show from their seats. Certainly no shame in that - but if you want to see a band come alive, walk up front to the stage and let them perform in your face. They'll appreciate it, feed off of it, and the energy will increase for everyone. I found myself walking up to the edge the stage and making eye contact with the people up front and they appreciated getting acknowledged by the band. So if you're a musician, and you like to see your audience up close, then you should return the sentiment by getting up front and encouraging the band whenever you can. To me, it's a gesture of respect.

Just something I've been thinking about lately.

LOL I once stepped up front to signal to the bass player that he should tweak his volume down a hair . He showed me his appreciation by flipping me the bird... Ha ha!

PaperDog wrote:LOL I once stepped up front to signal to the bass player that he should tweak his volume down a hair . He showed me his appreciation by flipping me the bird... Ha ha!

Well I guess some feedback is better than none? lol.

It's great to have people up front, as long as the stage set up allows for it.
We do feed of the energy of our fellows, that is a fact.
Yet I recall a show my wife and I went to.
The venue was a dead level concrete box with a short temporary stage installed. We sat and enjoyed THE GUESS WHO and my wife being VERY pregnant at the time, we were relatively comfortable despite the bastards charging us an outrageous beer price for a cup of tap water for my VERY pregnant wife. When STEPPINWOLF came on stage all the aged bikers moved up front . . . not a soul on the floor could see the band ( and their sound sucked ).
We promptly left.

Yeah, as long as the stage setup is right, do it. But if people pay money for reserved seats, only to have no view of the band because of the people standing in front, it sucks. If it's general admission, then its always first-come first-served, or if everyone in the place is standing, then ... Saw Rush on Friday night, 29th row on the floor, I expected to stand the whole night, and did. Otherwise I would have been staring at the backsides of the people in the row in front of me.

i remember seeing Melanie in concert in Central Park when i was around 15yrs old. i was seriously in love with her and i'm pretty certain she made eye contact w probably everyone there. there were several times she made eye contact w me (we were sitting pretty close) and wow....did THAT ever make an impression!

Planetguy wrote:i remember seeing Melanie in concert in Central Park when i was around 15yrs old. i was seriously in love with her and i'm pretty certain she made eye contact w probably everyone there. there were several times she made eye contact w me (we were sitting pretty close) and wow....did THAT ever make an impression!

I would have liked to have checked out her new roller skates...

PaperDog wrote:

Planetguy wrote:i remember seeing Melanie in concert in Central Park when i was around 15yrs old. i was seriously in love with her and i'm pretty certain she made eye contact w probably everyone there. there were several times she made eye contact w me (we were sitting pretty close) and wow....did THAT ever make an impression!

I would have liked to have checked out her new roller skates...

.....with your "brand new key".

OH curses . . . I HATE that song.
Why, why, why, did you stick that in my head

AHHHHHRRRRRUUUUGGGHHHHH

I never stand up front, although I'd like to.
Waaay too loud!
If everyone is lining the walls, maybe they're trying to get away from the painfully loud sounds that make their ears ring for a week after.
. . . just saying.
If you want people right up front, then don't punish them for it.

RhythmMan-2 wrote:I never stand up front, although I'd like to.
Waaay too loud!
If everyone is lining the walls, maybe they're trying to get away from the painfully loud sounds that make their ears ring for a week after.
. . . just saying.
If you want people right up front, then don't punish them for it.

Guess it depends on where the PA speakers are. The venues I play at are generally quieter at stage-front/around the outskirts of the stage because the speakers are above head level and positioned at or just in front of the stage. In any-case, ear protection is a good thing, even at the back of a venue where the front is too loud, cause in all likelihood, if it's too loud 10 feet away, 100 feet away is probably just as self-punishing to the ears.

RhythmMan-2 wrote:I never stand up front, although I'd like to.
Waaay too loud!
If everyone is lining the walls, maybe they're trying to get away from the painfully loud sounds that make their ears ring for a week after.
. . . just saying.
If you want people right up front, then don't punish them for it.

It is all about balance in music and balance in life!

1) Guitar player wants to crank his amp because (my tubes have to be pushed hard to get MY sound)
2) Sound man says (you have to turn down) I have your amp mic. turned all the way down and YOU ARE STILL drowning out EVERYONE! (whispers under his breath "@sshole")
3) You are playing the local biker bar. The Owners brother, friend, @sshole (has an agenda) and that is (never mind he doesn't own a HARLEY) he has CONTROL! "You guy's are too loud you have to turn down"? @sshole is happy but this causes the legitimate bikers to say "we are outta here" (Sorry EXPERIENCE!) You still have the last set with a HUGE crowd! They can't tell you to turn down right"? your drummer smiling with GLEE! stores his brushes away (hopefully FOREVER) exchanging them for those miniature baseball bats he got as a kid in the 60's (insert MAJOR league BALL FIELD here)! Now your gonna ROCK OR DIE TRYING! Meanwhile the Crowd leaves sayin "thats the best band I have EVER seen LOL!
4) Moral to this story? Have a REAL soundman (not your inexperienced friend trying to impress the chicks) or learn how to run sound from the stage. Having said that you can also say phuk it and hunt or fish! My point is getting old & especially playing music ain't for the faint of heart!

Can I get a "HELL YEAH"!

Hell yeah!

You can stand front and center with us any day.

I cannot speak for any wisdom of being in front of our main towers though.

It would be pointless any way as they are designed to "throw" the sound out into the audience. It's just noisy if your too close to them.

We run our stage environment with three to four monitor fields.
So the stage and stage front sounds pretty good without the mains even turned on.

sanshouheil wrote:Hell yeah!

You can stand front and center with us any day.

I cannot speak for any wisdom of being in front of our main towers though.

It would be pointless any way as they are designed to "throw" the sound out into the audience. It's just noisy if your too close to them.

We run our stage environment with three to four monitor fields.
So the stage and stage front sounds pretty good without the mains even turned on.

That's a good way to run it George! I can't tell you how many times (back in the day) our fault (not considering) We are in a metal building Duh! Or venue owner (I love my kitchen=net profit 15%) OLD GROUCHY regular couple dictates "if you can't tell them to turn that sh*t down we're leaving" meanwhile figity kitchen lovin dumb@ss runs out to the band "you gotta turn that sh*t down" (band says WTF and turns down)! Meanwhile back at the ranch) the 200 legitimate booze DRANKERS net profit 60% are saying PHUK this buzzkill we are OUTTA here!
Oh the Manager is so HAPPY! the CODGERS stayed had the time of their life enjoyed their $15.00 London broil. As they are leaving the Owner gives them a sayin "ya'll come back now ya hear" Meanwhile the club owner up the road is thinking "where are all these patrons coming from? The poor waitress that waited on the codgers is going to work for the NEW club up the road. This all could have been prevented if the Band had been able to turn the p.a. mains completely OFF and just play thru the monitor system? Oh yeah "been their done that" it didn't work then and prolly won't work now? I guess "you just CAINT fix STUPID!

All kidding aside George it's bound to work for someone!

Sorry for the rant!

We did a gig in Frankston a few months ago at a small church.
We did not even take our towers ( no point ) but set two Peavey two ways on poles run as "support" and the main sound was three monitor fields.
The sound was great much attributed to the well designed chapel.
We also took our light array and fog machines . . . what a blast.
Despite the smaller "venue" our net & gross in gifts and shirt sales at that show set a record for the band.
Not to mention being treated like kings to a free meal at a local restaurant with members of the congregation.