Dancing with the audience while playing

DRafalske · #1 05-17-2010, 12:01 PM

Played my first gig with a new band this past Saturday. We're a classic and modern rock cover band. We played at a little country bar about 20 miles south of the city. I was a little worried we wouldn't go over, but by the end of the first song I could tell those worries were completely unfounded. They loved us!
A few songs in to the first set, we started joining the ladies on the dance floor while playing our instruments since most of their guys were just sitting there. The chicks loved it, and I was surprised most their dates/boyfriends/husbands actually seemed amused or indifferent. I guess they knew it was just part of being entertaining.
Anyone else ever do this? I've never seen another band around here do it. Lots of fun!
D

MNAirHead · #2 05-17-2010, 12:14 PM

depends on the crowd vibe..

MrRumble · #3 05-17-2010, 12:21 PM

I do it!

mikeyswood · #4 05-17-2010, 12:22 PM

Allow me to speak for myself here, I LOVE to hit the dance floor with a good bass groove.

I don't know how anyone can play a groove like Flashlight or Groove Is In The Heart from the stage; you have to get out and lead the boogie!

Spraeg · #5 05-17-2010, 12:48 PM

I love bailing off the stage and playing on the floor. I went wireless for this exact reason. Dancing, headbanging, or just running to the bar for a beer during a drop-out part, playing off stage is sometimes more fun than playing on stage.

xTHEREMINx · #6 05-17-2010, 12:52 PM

when i was in a straightedge mathcore band
we played at a catholic all girls school because we had friends who went there and they got us to play for their faith day, which, at the time we found hilarious
and still do

anyway,
since we knew a handful of girls there, i borrowed a girl i know's spare dress, and ended up wearing that, whilst all the girls were wearing casual clothes for their 'faith day'
then jokingly some girls were pretending to mosh, so myself and the guitarist joined them being absolute tools

it was mad fun

John Swartz · #7 05-17-2010, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spraeg

I love bailing off the stage and playing on the floor. I went wireless for this exact reason. Dancing, headbanging, or just running to the bar for a beer during a drop-out part, playing off stage is sometimes more fun than playing on stage.

I just bought a wireless last week so that I can have this experience at our next gig.

timber22 · #8 05-17-2010, 05:07 PM

I've done it. Definitely fun.

jtc_hunter · #9 05-17-2010, 09:52 PM

I do it several times at every gig. The crowd loves it. I had a young chick dirty dancing and rubbing her cooch up and down my leg. I just about lost my place in the song! It was almost better than getting paid though.

FunkMetalBass · #10 05-18-2010, 09:31 AM

I believe wireless systems were invented so that bassists had the ability to run into the crowd and snag all the ladies before the guitarists.

At least that's what I do.

When crowds aren't moving and moshing around at my shows, I run off stage and just pull people up and start moshing around. I make sure that every person in that audience is standing by the end of our set.

bassmanrocke · #11 05-18-2010, 12:00 PM

I once was dancing in front of the stage trying to get the crowd moving. The lead singer's girlfriend decided that was cool and ran out to join me. Unfortunately I had my back to her when she ran out. I spun and nailed her right between the eyes with my '76 P's headstock. She went down but it stayed in tune. In the end, she turned out to be a psycho, so my singer ended up thanking me later.

Marley's Ghost · #12 05-18-2010, 12:53 PM

I do it every show. With my X2 wireless, I go forth and boogie. The bump and grind works well, especially in set 3.

HugheJapackage · #13 05-18-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRafalske

Played my first gig with a new band this past Saturday. We're a classic and modern rock cover band. We played at a little country bar about 20 miles south of the city. I was a little worried we wouldn't go over, but by the end of the first song I could tell those worries were completely unfounded. They loved us!
A few songs in to the first set, we started joining the ladies on the dance floor while playing our instruments since most of their guys were just sitting there. The chicks loved it, and I was surprised most their dates/boyfriends/husbands actually seemed amused or indifferent. I guess they knew it was just part of being entertaining.
Anyone else ever do this? I've never seen another band around here do it. Lots of fun!
D

Dude dancing with the crowd is the best. We played Tik Tok by Ke$ha at a gig a while back and EVERYONE got into it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVIRUgyfaw
Me and the guitarist ran into the crowd on the last chorus

gumtownbassman · #14 05-18-2010, 04:01 PM

when i had a wireless, i got into a "situation' at one gig where i wandered through a side door in the bar and it closed and locked behind me.

hall1k · #15 05-18-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gumtownbassman

when i had a wireless, i got into a "situation' at one gig where i wandered through a side door in the bar and it closed and locked behind me.

LOL

rzpooch · #16 05-19-2010, 02:05 AM

Everyone in my band is wireless...We always go out and shake it (or sneak outside for a smoke!) Our drummer tryed coming out with a cowbell, but his meter was even worse than normal, so we banished him to his throne!

RNV · #17 05-19-2010, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rzpooch

Everyone in my band is wireless...We always go out and shake it (or sneak outside for a smoke!) Our drummer tryed coming out with a cowbell, but his meter was even worse than normal, so we banished him to his throne!

Ahhhh, the gift of phasing. My guitar player jumped off stage and just started walking, (huge club) and he started getting a bit behind the count, and a bit more, and more.

He couldn't figure out what happened.

FuzzBoxVoodoo · #18 05-19-2010, 06:52 AM

I dont think that I could do a show without being wireless and dancing around on the floor.
+1 to the Phasing/Timing issue when you get away from the stage,I now move it up a little when I know that Im to far away.

mpm32 · #19 05-19-2010, 07:49 AM

I go out in the crowd, get up on the bar, out front outside etc. My Audio Technica wireless sucks a bit of tone but no one notices and it's worth the freedom.

The only thing that sucks is that I am the singer so I need to get back to the stage keeping my ventures out short.

Spraeg · #20 05-19-2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpm32

I go out in the crowd, get up on the bar, out front outside etc. My Audio Technica wireless sucks a bit of tone but no one notices and it's worth the freedom.

The only thing that sucks is that I am the singer so I need to get back to the stage keeping my ventures out short.

You could go the wireless headset mic route, but a lot of sound guys hate those, so you might draw some flak from it.