jumpin' about on stage

[bass element]

does anyone really do any kind of moving about or dancing or anything on stage while playing? i was wondering how someone can really do all that jumping and running around and still play correctly (for example) like ryan martinie from mudvayne.

[Thee]

Practice. When you've been playing something over and over and over, it becomes second nature. Then you're free to jump or swim or dance.

[Planet Boulder]

I move around a bit, but it's basically a casual walk/stroll. What always cracks me up is seeing bassists do the "chicken-neck" thing. I told our drummer to feel free to stab me with both sticks if he ever saw me doing that.

[Kelly Lee]

Originally Posted by Thee

Practice. When you've been playing something over and over and over, it becomes second nature. Then you're free to jump or swim or dance.

Yep, practice. At first you will screw up. You get used to it after awhile.

[Folmeister]

In my band we do a kind of Peking Circus act where we form human pyramids and all end up delicately balanced on a bicycle that is crossing a flaming rope over a tank of giant squid. Sorry, but I just had too! I learned a long time ago that vertical movement + low light fixture = maximum pain. Sometimes I want to do one of those Cossack dances.

[driver800]

i move around a lot . I'm a big guy (6ft 250lbs) and it always surprises people. My band is a bunch 40+'ers and none of them move much at all. when people come up and talk to me they always say something about it. like "man you look like you're having fun". I usually tend to move with the music (or what I'm playing) so that makes it easier. I've always done it so it doesn't affect my playing that much.

[Boplicity]

Practice moving while you play at home, preferably in front of a mirror. Make an exercise session out of it if you must. At first moving while playing a heavy bass feels awkward. You need to build up stamina, strength and balance.

Practice the songs your band will play and even work out a routine for each song if you have to, so you are not up on stage trying to improvise jumps, leaps, twirls and whatever else at the same time you are sweating to remember your song.

Speaking of sweating, a lot of action will work up a big sweat, so you might have sweat burning and blinding your eyes and dripping on your bass from your hands and dripping off your chin and nose. I've had all that happen with hardly any stage antics. Those stage lights can be furnaces.

I wouldn't do all that during more difficult or high speed passages of your songs. Cirque de Soleil movements may entertain your audience, but keeping a good, strong groove is even more important.

[driver800]

Originally Posted by Boplicity

...
I wouldn't do all that during more difficult or high speed passages of your songs. Cirque de Soleil movements may entertain your audience, but keeping a good, strong groove is even more important.

+1

never lose the groove.

[charles21o7]

Im also the singer in my band so i gotta be up to the mic, but when i solo i just cant sit still, I like to face the front of my bass to the audience and do jeff beck kinda stuff with it.

[dirtgroove]

Absolutely- It's supposed to be a show for heaven's sake. I drives me insane to see see people just standing there- I find it absurd for people to think that I'm just going to be blown away by the awesome power of their music, and for them to just shoegaze. It's sloppy,boring, lazy and pretentious.
If you can't be bothered to shake that booty around then why should any of the audience. One of the things that always impresses me the most is to see a band looking like their having the times of their lives as their playing.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by bass element

does anyone really do any kind of moving about or dancing or anything on stage while playing? i was wondering how someone can really do all that jumping and running around and still play correctly (for example) like ryan martinie from mudvayne.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other about every third song.

[Kelly Lee]

Originally Posted by dirtgroove

One of the things that always impresses me the most is to see a band looking like their having the times of their lives as their playing.

I'm the same way. I want to see the band getting into their music. If they don't get into it, why should I? When I play, I let the audience know that I enjoy what I'm playing.

[floydbass]

Originally Posted by Planet Boulder

I move around a bit, but it's basically a casual walk/stroll. What always cracks me up is seeing bassists do the "chicken-neck" thing. I told our drummer to feel free to stab me with both sticks if he ever saw me doing that.

Chicken Neck Thing?

[Aaron Saunders]

There was a battle of the bands at my school in November 03. What was clearly the best band who made the best music was four guys, and the only one who moved around was the bassist! Well, the drummer kinda had to stay put, but the two guitarists just stood there in front of their affects boards. They're an instrumental funk group named Razmataz and the Bassfunk Jazz, and they did this one song called At the Helm, where it starts off slow and bluesy, and then goes crazy-rock-out. The most dramatic difference was the bassist. He was kinda strolling around a little bit, and then the band does this huge vamp and he start headbanging. He was wearing this beanie thing, and it FLEW off his head -- off like a SHOT -- and he started whipping around, and his now-visible dreadlocks were going crazy. It settled back down and so did he, and then it went back up again and he went right with it. The entire time, though, the guitarists were very...stationary. They were pretty boring to watch, but the bassist was awesome, totally-crazy performer. They were all easily the best band there (the drummer wasn't as good as a couple others) and had a madly talented lead guitarist (and the bassist was no slouch), and they didn't even PLACE. A band (Caffeine) who, however, puts on a much better "show", but the music isn't nearly as interesting, catchy, or technically impressive won. A band that sounded a lot like Tool (wicked, wicked bassist, annoying guitarist, great drummer and good vocalist) called Hemiola got second, and I can't remember who got third. Razmataz got nothing, because they just didn't have the entertainment value.

I thought they should get something that night, so I bought one of their CD's. They charged 5 bucks for a 14 track, all-original CD. After seeing them perform, four of my friends also ended up getting CDs too .

[Stanley Design]

I've got it all down, doing bass flips, walking everywhere, moshing while playing, literally dancing while playing, etc, even my friend (drummer) will stand up and play haha.

[bass element]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I shift my weight from one foot to the other about every third song.

ROCK ON!!

[The Golden Boy]

I used to be much more animated when I played. People always told me I had the "Jimmy Page stagger." (I thought they meant 'swagger'... ) (BTW Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols said he thought it was pathetic how much he subconsiously stole Johnny Thunders' moves) I figured people were paying to see a show- to get excited about the music and the band. (Funny how a lot of that also coincided with excessive alcohol consumption... )

Now I'm all old and my body's beat up, I mostly just "pose" now.

I can't stand seeing shoegazer bands- God help me if I ever turn into that.

[Petebass]

Seems like everyones either thrashing about like lunatics, or imitating cradboard cutouts. Go for the middle ground initially then read the gig for what it is (ie:- go hard it's in context and if doing so doesn't make you look like a wanker ) . And try to look relaxed and natural when you do it. You want to look like you're having fun so the crown will join in. You don't want to look like your a try-hard who is forcing himself to move.

[...]

usually when im doin a gig, i love to run on stage slide on my knees, then lay on my back and kind of arch it, i dk its hard to explain

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by ...

usually when im doin a gig, i love to run on stage slide on my knees, then lay on my back and kind of arch it, i dk its hard to explain

don't worry, i know what you are saying, its kinda like something i saw eddie van halen do.

as for me, i side more with munji. i don't move. well, i do sometimes. sometimes i'll bob my head. but i got my inspiration for stage shows from phish. trey doesn't, but the emotion is in the music. you know what i mean? kinda? they (and i am sure other bands as well, i just haven't seen many) put the feelings into what they play, and not in doing somersaults, and cartwheels and backflips.

i still don't mind a band that jumps around because the audience still loves it!