Is it all right to do this?

[eotpr]

I would use the stand if I needed it. 2 of us are using them here. I make it as unobtrusive as possible.

http://www.firedguns.com/

[Thunderthumbs73]

If given the choice between a tentative and nervous performance without the stand, or a confident and comfortable performance with the stand, I'm guessing that that most people (both as a musician in that band, and also as an audience member) would prefer the latter. But I could be wrong.

I don't think that because you have a stand, means you're going to constantly stare at the thing and lose any/all eye contact with the audience or fail to connect with the song in a way that the audience can discern and appreciate. Though, that could happen too, I suppose, in worst-case scenario.

[GearHeadBassMan]

My singer showed up to our first gig with his lyrics on a piece of note paper and held them in front of his face our entire set. It was a metal show. he was a SCREAMER. and he needed a lyric sheet. I left that badn (sic) realll quick.

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by Thunderthumbs73

If given the choice between a tentative and nervous performance without the stand, or a confident and comfortable performance with the stand, I'm guessing that that most people (both as a musician in that band, and also as an audience member) would prefer the latter. But I could be wrong.

I don't think that because you have a stand, means you're going to constantly stare at the thing and lose any/all eye contact with the audience or fail to connect with the song in a way that the audience can discern and appreciate. Though, that could happen too, I suppose, in worst-case scenario.

Yeah, I agree. A former lead singer of ours always had a stand. Didn't stare at it, but had it there in case he needed it.

Yes, I would have preferred he didn't use it; but I'd much rather have it there than have him forget the lyrics. And since I don't sing lead, I can't criticize. I could see where it could be a problem if the lead singer is highly animated. This one was not.

[Stumbo]

A friend of mine uses a black stand, kept below waist level and a bit off to the side,nearly flat angle. Doesn't intrude on anything. Mostly for set lists and lyrics, if he needs them.

[nik1093]

completely fine. when i saw the the stones in whenever it was a couple years back they had the teleprompter thing with all the lyrics on it.

[MadMan118]

I tape cues on paper to my monitor if I need them.

[pbass6811]

Gotta go with the majority on this one...do whatever you have to do to learn the tunes. Yeah, you can "keep working" with a music stand onstage, in front for everyone to see, but it's definitely NOT cool. I like the idea of taping cues to a monitor. My singer has done that a couple of times.

If you don't feel the need to be taken seriously, then don't worry about it. If you do want to be taken seriously, learn the songs. Good luck!

[xgator4u]

If you are a "Paid Professional" then be one.
If it is a non paying gig, w.t.h. who cares, what are they gonna do fire you?

[JohnnyPustular]

Here's what it looks like!

Singer in my punk rock band. No matter how much abuse we give him about his 5th grade band music stand, he still brings it.

[nsmar4211]

My friend's rockabilly band does several hundred songs and doesn't practice much....the singer has a giant notebook with lyrics sheets to his right behind the speaker on a music stand. If he needs to, he'll flip to a page and glance at the lyrics-a glance is usually all he needs..
However, reading off the sheet the whole song just looks, errrrrrr ....... If you have to read the whole song, you don't know it well enough to play it out.

In my group we don't play it if the singer doesn't know it... and if there's a singer brain fart I get to play human teleprompter . I have a better memory for lyrics than I do bass lines and it'll come in handy sometimes. Oh, and if you get stuck and forget a verse you can repeat a different one and chances are only the band will notice...

My *very own* set list has markings to remind me of things I forget easily-like keys or whether a song is up/down from the original (cover band and we change the keys to fit the singer). No reason you couldn't do a set list and then put the first line under the song name-I bet if you saw the first line the rest would come to you.

That and playing the songs constantly around you.... shuffle them on your ipod...play them on the computer while you're net surfing....your brain hears them even if you're not actually listening and it'll help.