Cool Gimmicks

[Dan Kahanamoku]

I'm interested in hearing if any of you guys have a cool on-stage gimmick that you use now, or have in the past.

Doesn't have to be outragous... playing barefoot, wearing a mask, etc.

[tomvelsor]

i used to play in a band with 2 guitarists that were always competing for the spotlight. at ever gig, during their never ending guitar battles (upwards of 10 minutes sometimes) i would always have something to do..magazines, a gameboy, once i even made a sandwich and ate it onstage..it turned into a big joke eventually..sometimes me and the drummer would toss around a tennis ball..and me and the singer used to play poker.

[Dan Kahanamoku]

Sandwich hahaha... that's awesome.

[Phalex]

In my band it's mostly the drummer with the gimmicks. We duct tape his left arm to his side when we do Def Leppard. The guitar player has a habit of playing certain leads with his left hand while drinking a cocktail with his right. I do the old "Playing with your teeth" bit from time to time.

Yeah, I guess we all have our little things.

[nsmar4211]

Playing barefoot is a gimmick?
Half the players I know do that.......my guitar players been doing it as long as he's been playing....something about he can feel pedals and wires he might be stepping on better. Another guitar friend plays barefoot , same reasons.
Shoot, if I thought it wouldn't look bad I'd play barefoot too. Different for a guy to do it than a girl....

What's the "play with teeth" thing? How do you do *that*?!?!

It annoys the crap out of me when my guitar player reaches over and takes a drink of his drink in the middle of the song......cause I can't do that cause I'm *playing* the whole song . Now it's a running joke in the band.

Reading a magazine while the guitars battle.....hey I like that....

I saw a showband where the singer threw drumsticks back to the drummer (who played really flashy to start), that was pretty cool...

[sarcastro83]

everyone used to think that I played with my back to the crowd in my old band intentionally... it was actually due to the fact that I could never hear myself over the two obnoxious guitar players and had to watch the drummer so I could help keep things on track.

[iamlowsound]

I don't really have any, but a friend of mine is a singer and wears a Mexican wrestling mask on stage.

lowsound

[Stanley Design]

Pfft, the band White Cowbell Oklahoma played a crowded pub in my town once and the singer pulled out a running chainsaw and went to town on rolls of toilet paper that were sitting on a broom stick so the shreds went all over the audience.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

What's the "play with teeth" thing? How do you do *that*?!?!

You just raise the bass in front of your face so that it blocks the audiences view. All they see is the backside of the bass and hammer notes with your left hand while moving your head up and down like you're plucking the strings with your face. It's totally fake, but people seem to dig it.

[blizzard]

Making a sandwhich and playing poker cracked me up.

I don't really have any 'gimmicks'. Though I did once straddle the lap of an audience member while playing at a party.

[nsmar4211]

Ahhhhhhh....
Thanks!
Not sure that'd go over in a Top 40 rock cover group .
Then again, no one pays attention to the bass player anyhow so chances of them even noticing what I'm doing are.......nil

[ThunderLizard]

10 minute guitar wank-offs....I would have borrowed the chain saw and chased the guitar players around the stage.
We sometimes go acoustic with drums, horns and shaker cans and do a parade through the audience. They usually join in. Saw Brave Combo do the same thing once. Everyone seems to enjoy making some noise.