Should the bass player be on the left...looking at the band?

[peteb]

Prefer stage right with a right sided drummer, as favoured by Billy Sheehan and many other hard rock bass players – allows you to hear / feel the bass drum better.

Conventional wisdom these days seems to insist that you should set up on the hi-hat side...

[ratman]

I like to hear the hats clearly, so it's that side for me. And it's well away from those nasty china cymbals too.

[Bolo]

Front and Center!

[Westie9]

On the High Hat side. Also helps for the backing vocals as we can see each other's mouths moving (we really should sit down and learn them though)!!!

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1391634502' post='2359653']
This might help.



Somewhere between stage left and left centre and downstage for me.
[/quote]

Hence the term 'upstage', as in 'to upstage somebody' (so that the person downstage has to turn their back on the audience to address you directly).

Oh, and downstage right centre (ish) for me with guitar or bass, because I'm, um, Lefthanded.

Edited February 7, 2014 by leftybassman392

[BigRedX]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1391725672' post='2360756']
Great pic.
[/quote]

Thanks!

Having a good photographer take it makes a massive difference though.

[Bilbo]

I like to be in the same room as the rest of the band. If I can.

[discreet]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1391782173' post='2361221']
I like to be in the same room as the rest of the band. If I can.
[/quote]

Nah! They smell.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Freddy Le Cragg' timestamp='1391681405' post='2359998']
I am the singer and the bassist, so I go bang in the middle.
[/quote]

But what happens after you've gone bang?

[xgsjx]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1391783711' post='2361248']
But what happens after you've gone bang?
[/quote]
I'd imagine there's a mess to be cleaned up.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1391770203' post='2361042']
Thanks!

Having a good photographer take it makes a massive difference though.
[/quote]

Yes, I've noticed that someone's mate with a mobile phone doesn't really crack it.

[lojo]

I thought bass players should be heard and not seen

[spinynorman]

Shouldn't the bass player be looking at the audience?

[steve-bbb]

i always tend to prefer stage left especially on a smaller stage mainly to avoid twatting any other band members with the headstock or accidentally adding extra unwanted percussion

[LiamPodmore]

Either one for me, i'm not bothered. I just plug in and go. I don't usually end up staying in my 'spot' anyway, end up either on the other side with the guitarist, or somewhere in the crowd trying not to get anyone tangled in a cable.

Liam

[danbowskill]

always right ( looking at the stage)
playing right handed my bass head is clear not to smack into singers, guitarists and in small venues drums.

[Qlank]

Never really thought about it but looking at photos from years ago I was usually stage right. Could end up any side if the headliners bassist kindly offered me the use of his rig for the gig though.
One gig at the Marquee with The Grip the singer and guitar player insisted they have more room than me. I missed out on using Willies' SVT and 8x10 stack. Yeah, whatever guys.
One thing I realised is that most of the singers did stay well out of my way. I was using a set of bass pedals a lot of the time and lots of backing vocals so they knew I wouldn't be watching them if they got too close

[gsgbass]

For my bass playing, it all depended on the lead player I was backing. If the lead player was right handed, I would usually stand stage left, to his left, so he could look over to me easier while playing, if he needed to communicate something while playing. Left handed player, just the opposite.

[rogerstodge]

I hate gigs, i'd rather be living room left watching the telly.