blue

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1499886984' post='3334362'] Hmmm, did theyngetbthere by worrying about every single tiny mistake and perfecting it, or did they get there by having a passion for what they did and living the moment flat out and loving it which came across to the audience who were more interested in the eneergy than a perfect display of musicianship. If I want perfect music I will watch an orchestra, I want a gig to be full of energy and hit me hard, if that means they make a mistake or two who cares? I won't notice as I am enjoying myself too much. [/quote] Believe me, you couldn't ask for more energy in either show. Energy plus flawless performances. I think they both got there on the same train. The "hard work" express. Blue

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1499886900' post='3334360'] Agreed I'm not sure the punters would be able to tell you what makes the difference, but they'll certainly notice the difference between a decent band and a great band even if they can't put their finger on why. Les [/quote] Exactly Blue

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1499774549' post='3333485'] I thought that wouldn't go down well with you [/quote] It did not.😁 Blue

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1499871288' post='3334213'] Saw Tom Jones a couple of weeks ago at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Wasn't looking forward to the sound at such a venue to be honest, but couldn't have been more wrong. The whole gig was one of the best sounds I've ever heard. Loud and ballsy but never painful, and the drum and bass sounds were absolutely spot on. No cabaret thing for Tom, it was a full on rock style gig. Great band and flawless vocals too, all balanced and sounding great. Wish I had found the sound guys to let them know,as I usually do when it's that good. [/quote] Tom Jones is a living legend and one of the only true soul men working today. Blue

We will often see comments here on bass chat pushing the idea that punters don't notice the flaws in our shows. I recently saw 2 pro level shows, Ann Wilson from Heart & Peter Frampton. Both shows were outstanding. Production and the caliber of musicianship was outstanding. Do you think they got to that level of performance with a "punters can't tell the difference" attitude? My point, none of us should use this "punters can't tell the difference" as an excuse for "shoddy" performances. Blue

[quote name='attackbass' timestamp='1499461023' post='3331770'] He's doing his own thing that also appeals to non bass players and non musicians. [/quote] Agreed, because it's certainly not traditional bass guitar in any sense. Blue

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1499762636' post='3333360'] Sound quality at these big events is always crap. Plus, I suspect the soundguys don't put all that much effort into mixing the bands, as the average punter at at event of over 100,000 people doesn't really care about the sound quality. [/quote] I never get to hear the house sound system when my band plays big gigs I can tell you Peter Frampton's sound was fantastic. Blue

I was just looking at a local rock & roll bands web site. These guys are out playing high end gigs 4 times a week we'll into 2018. Blue

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1499656336' post='3332744'] 70s music isn't Rock n Roll ? man have I been doin it all wrong all these years [/quote] Depends on how you define rock & roll. There certainly were bands recording what I would call rock & roll in the 70s. However most of what I would call rock & roll was recorded in the 50s and 60s. Blue

I started gigging and playing rock bass guitar in 1965 I was 12 years old. At times it can be a challenge for me playing with guys that didn't start playing until they were adults. When you start out that young your references and spirit are really different. Blue

I don't think I've ever listened to an Oasis song. I remember something where they were comparing themselves to The Beatles or something like that. So, they were off my radar from jump. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1499594913' post='3332367'] So for you to see what you should be doing, you need to make a reference video for yourself.[/quote] I'm good, I reviewed the videos from the Frampton show and I saw a lot of improvement with my stage presence. I never really saw or took issues with the stage presence of the other band members. I was the odd man out. Blue

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1499537878' post='3332102'] Blue, if your band is getting regular gigs and good feedback from audiences and promoters then things are ok. We talk over here about rule 1 of engineering. "If it ain't broke, don't try and fix it ". [/quote] Agreed, I have work every week. It's why I keep my mouth shut. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1499473386' post='3331823'] You need to fit in with what the rest of the band. Don't be 'in the wrong band'. The only real way of doing that is to video the gigs from the back of the venue capturing the whole stage. You don't need up close shots, it's the overall band impression that needs to be coherent. [/quote] Depends on the type of band your in Tim. In my band I only have control and opinions on my performance and stage presence. Unfortunately we're not the type of band that reviews and has open discussions on this topic. Blue

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1499416817' post='3331393'] I've got one here. Bear with me... [/quote] I hope no authorities from any animal rights groups find out about this. Blue

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1499416160' post='3331386'] Have to say Blue if that's you in the original post pic with the Gibson T then no way you look your age of 64 mate. I would have pegged you in mid to late 40's based on those pics. You're doing something right Dave [/quote] Thanks Dave, The pics are from last Sunday at Summerfest. Blue

[quote name='Tony p' timestamp='1499323334' post='3330683'] For what it's worth I think the most important thing is to be yourself, nothing looks worse than someone trying to do something that looks like they're trying too hard. If you naturally bounce around the stage, that's great, if you don't then it'll looks awfull if you try. Ultimately the crowd do the dancing, the band provide the music. As long as the singer/frontman has got confidence then that's the main thing in my opinion. [/quote] Tony, I agree to a point. I naturally bounce around on stage, however when I saw myself on video I thought I looked ridiculous. I am losing my bounce and it can't happen fast enough. My bounce might have looked cool at 24, 34 and maybe even 44. But at 64 it looked embarrassingly awful. Blue

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1499260472' post='3330347'] I came to the conclusion in my last band that if I'd been a bit more anonymous I might have lasted a bit longer Ultimatey it's all down to connecting with the audience and some folk are a bit sh*t at it no matter how many acting lessons you send them to. It's what separates the really good teachers/lecturers from the also rans too. [/quote] I'm pretty sure, right now, I'm the weak link in terms of stage presence in our band. I plan on changing that and I'm already seeing improvement at every gig. Blue

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1499274225' post='3330474'] Standing dead still doing the "too cool for school" thing might seem like a good idea. But in really it just makes you look like you think you're a bit special. [/quote] Agreed, it's different for all of us. Like I mentioned earlier even the traditional head Bob and moving to the groove doesn't work for everyone. We have to figure out what works for us as individuals. One size does not fit all. Again video tells the real story. Blue

[quote name='goingdownslow' timestamp='1499275344' post='3330485'] I have never been a dancer. Although I like some music it does not really make me want to move other than tap my foot or nod my head in time. I have always been more of a listener. I never got the rudiments of dancing book, I never knew when to start pointing at things in the air, turn your head from side to side as if looking over your shoulder while mouthing an 'ooh'. When I am on stage playing I look at people dancing and wonder what it is that makes them do funny movements with their hands as if casting a spell, or moving their feet as if there is some worked out choreography going on. I know it is just me. [/quote] I'm not a dancer either, never have been. I think the main thing is to be able to transfer how you envision yourself on stage, what your comfortable with to your real life performance. I've been practicing my stage stuff at home,down to details like when to use certain hand jestures to when and where I alter my position on stage. Blue

[quote name='MrDaveTheBass' timestamp='1499252965' post='3330258'] Hi Blue, Great thread! - It's made me think about my stage moves and stance. Just one question: Where can I get an invisible bear? [/quote] One will show up when you least expect it. Blue

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1499246232' post='3330203'] I've seen a lot of bands over the years (pro/semi pro/hobby in everything from large outdoor fests to dog & duck) and I've come to a similar conclusion. [/quote] And I've seen bands go from very amatuerish presentations to very pro level produced shows. Blue

The pics above are from the gig we did with Peter Frampton Sunday night Frampton show was top notch with insane production value. He had a semi truck just for his guitar production. He had a new band, all of them were tops. They looked great and their set kicked ass. Blue

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1499244683' post='3330186'] In my early bass playing years i suffered from the John Entwhistle look ie standing still and for some odd reason moving my knees rather than my feet to the beat. Was regularly commented on about my bass technique and competence in a good way but i think some times the knee thing became a bit of a laugh with mates and fellow bass players at the time. Nowadays i'm happy to interact with bandmates and provided stage is big enough i'll move around a bit. I'm usually enjoying myself at a gig so smiling is easy bit. I still suffer a bit from the foot watching or neck watching but i know i do it and as soon as i realise i will look up and out at the audience. Looking at the audience and smiling seems to be the one constant in the thread and i really need to focus a bit on that. I think for some a lack of confidence in either yourself or your playing can cause a bit of stage fright and even embarrassment to move about on stage a lot. Good thread Blue and quite interesting. Opened my eyes a bit on myself. Dave [/quote] I think confidence plays a huge role here. Here's another thing or suggestion. If the band is having an off night or blatant mistakes are being made, don't focus on the negativee and let it show or get you down. That's only going to nake things worse. Blue

[quote name='Chaos Daveo' timestamp='1499243232' post='3330163'] I wouldnt be so harsh on yourself there blue, I always video every practice we do, with being an originals band there might be that what's that your playing moment. I used to hunch over a lot and I worked on trying to remove that, I think everyone is there own harshest critic. It's natural [/quote] Thanks We don't rehearse. We should but we don't and not my call. However,like you said looking at gig video is a really good idea for some of us. It has really opened my eyes lately Blue