First "rock gig"

[chatterbox272]

I have my fist "rock gig" on Friday night, and wouldn't mind some tips before I go (many of which I will probably completely forget/ignore once I get there but it's worth a shot).
The band is a Punk Pop band called Masquerade: #19 and I'm not entirely sure how to go about giving the show a little energy and having some stage presence in this genre. The BL is a Singer/Guitarist who has decent stage presence IMO considering he's stuck to a mic most of the time, and the drummer is a call in because our drummer quit a month ago and we haven't been able to find a replacement. I have gigged an okay amount before but they were jazz, swing, and concert band gigs so stage presence was a non issue. I've been in some metal projects that never panned out, and all the bands I've seen live are metal bands but I'm not sure whether the headbanging and throwing your instrument around like a toy would fit with the style.
If this is the kind of stuff we're playing then does anyone have any tips for the kinds of things I should be doing on stage? (That is the BL performing a talent show at the same venue we're playing at)

[Yango]

Why don't you check out established bands playing your style of music on youtube? If you like them, and think they come off cool on stage, then just emulate that.

BUT, and here's the big but... chances are, if you try to force something that doesn't come naturally to you, you'll just look like a dork flailing about on stage.

It's always a good idea to just be yourself and have fun, the rest should naturally follow.

[JoeDaddio]

Just have fun with it. Also, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7vghzj6pk


joe

[TolerancEJ]

Are you also a stand-in or a full band member?

Just go with whatever you're feeling at the time. A cheering crowd can pump your energy up.

[TolerancEJ]

...But a booing crowd can throw bottles!

(OK, the this was more of a joke, but it has/can happen.)

[fkh006]

just be yourself perhaps??

OR!! take off all your cloths and tape a sock to your junk.

either way...

[TolerancEJ]

Make sure when the singer's introducing the band. Just don't say, "We love playing in city!", saying the wrong city name. lol

[charliefreak]

I was in a Pop punk band once. We had a blast doing the 360 deal thing with a label. We never saw a cent beyond or $80/wk tour stipends- which was the downside. But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. This gig will require alcohol. A lot of Alcohol. And don't be afraid to jazz up the bass lines. Those scene kids love that! I remember even slapping some punk songs. (a lot of the time the bass was buried in the mix lol)

[JohnMCA72]

Would you go onstage Friday, having only decided to learn your instrument (let alone any of your band's songs) the Wednesday before? Probably not, or you'd expect to look & sound like a dork.

Stage craft is just like the music itself: You have to rehearse it. It takes a lot of practice to make a show look spontaneous. You're going to be an actor on a stage, & actors rehearse. 2 days before is a little late to start thinking about something that's as important as your music & every bit as technical. At this late hour, your best bet is to not try anything extreme or that you haven't already done & know you can do without screwing up.

That said, you can get a lot of mileage out of just looking at people. Make eye contact, smile, etc. Don't play or sing to some distant point beyond the far wall, play & sing directly to somebody. Unless you're nailed to the floor behind a mic stand, walk around a little, too.

[cableguy]

Originally Posted by JoeDaddio

Just have fun with it. Also, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7vghzj6pk


joe

That was awesome!

[Gearhead17]

Originally Posted by Yango

Why don't you check out established bands playing your style of music on youtube? If you like them, and think they come off cool on stage, then just emulate that.

BUT, and here's the big but... chances are, if you try to force something that doesn't come naturally to you, you'll just look like a dork flailing about on stage.

It's always a good idea to just be yourself and have fun, the rest should naturally follow.

Good advice. Have fun up there and make sure the audience sees you having fun - it's contagious you know?

[hrodbert696]

I agree - have fun and let it flow. The thing about jumping around etc. is to take your cue from the rest of the band. If the rest of the band is all rooted in one place, don't be the only one, and don't upstage the frontman. But if the band is all going at it, don't be the dull guy. Just have fun.

[KodyAudette]

Relax, have fun, and move around a little bit. Don't concentrate so much on moving around that you aren't playing your parts well, just get into the music a little bit. A great tip I learned a while back is if you have a song with a quieter, mellower part that leads up to a bigger part, hang toward the back of the stage and move around less during the quiet part, then when the bigger part comes in, jump or move up to the front of the stage. It works great if you have everyone on the stage (that's not tied to a drum kit or a mic stand that is) do it together. But again, concentrate more on feeling the music and making eye contact than trying to be theatrical at this point because a lot of these things really do take some practice.

[Kentucky Ryan]

if you want to get all the ladies, act like this guy (j/k its me) but this is my first bass gig ever and i think i looked natural enough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD-8CEY5Vbg

[chatterbox272]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

Are you also a stand-in or a full band member?

I'm a full band member.

And I get what everyone's saying about just having fun and not trying too hard to focus on this stuff, I was more after ideas for things that might work in this style, because staying stationary sucks and I don't think lots of headbanging will work too well either. Also, as a 3 piece band I'm the only one not stuck in place so I can't take cues from the BL.

[TolerancEJ]

Are you familiar with the venue? Is there even room to move around. Sometimes you won't have that ability.

[Mykk]

Do not wear your bass just under your chin or even on your chest. Wear the body of the bass in front of your crotch. If it's tougher to play that way, practice.

[chatterbox272]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

Are you familiar with the venue? Is there even room to move around. Sometimes you won't have that ability.

I've never been there before, but I've checked out some videos from events hosted there and there's room to move for sure.

Originally Posted by Mykk

Do not wear your bass just under your chin or even on your chest. Wear the body of the bass in front of your crotch. If it's tougher to play that way, practice.

I'll keep my bass where it is (between stomach and crotch) because if I move it too much lower it becomes painful.

[agent77]

Pop Punk. Eh, don't worry about it. The audience will spend the entire time staring at their phones (joke) Just go have fun.

[pklima]

Originally Posted by Mykk

Do not wear your bass just under your chin or even on your chest. Wear the body of the bass in front of your crotch. If it's tougher to play that way, practice.

Excatly. Don't try to do new things on stage if you haven't practiced them first. I know a black metal band who bought big spiked armbands in the mid-90s, wore them for some photos, then wore them for a gig. They quickly got very tired and realized they need to practice playing with the extra weight attached to their arms before attempting to do it live.

There might not be time for a dress rehearsal before Friday, of course, so stick to things you know you can do.

Also, pop punk isn't what it used to be. These days it's very much serious, true, brown plaid shirts, 50s dad haircuts etc.