The stage was soooo small...(how small was it?)

Stinsok · #1 10-18-2008, 09:15 AM

It was so shallow that I stood about a foot from my cabinet. I could barely tell what I was playing. Turning up didn't really help. Also, I had a crash cymbal in my left ear. Rough gig!

Plookie · #2 10-18-2008, 09:19 AM

Been there, done that! And will probably come across more stages where they want to put 6/7 people on a 10 feet by 10 feet stage.

bongomania · #3 10-18-2008, 09:39 AM

Yep. I've played several gigs where half the band had to stand on the floor in front of the stage.

ashtray · #4 10-18-2008, 10:08 AM

10'x10'? That's HUGE! Played a few clubs where we played in a straight line - no space in front of the drum kit, stage was 3' deep.

Played other places where everything was crammed in there - had my cabinet by my knees (literally). I used a second cab placed on top of my amp head - but unfortunately it was right next to my ear (other ear was next to cymbals - ugh).... I hate those gigs!

Stinsok · #5 10-18-2008, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashtray

10'x10'? That's HUGE! Played a few clubs where we played in a straight line - no space in front of the drum kit, stage was 3' deep.

Played other places where everything was crammed in there - had my cabinet by my knees (literally). I used a second cab placed on top of my amp head - but unfortunately it was right next to my ear (other ear was next to cymbals - ugh).... I hate those gigs!

That's about what we had. We are 3 pieces and had to play in a straight line. The stage is was rectangular from the guitarist side to the end of the drum kit, then it was angled down to about 2 feet deep. I had to put the monitors on plastic totes. I guess it was a good gig after all-we got paid and nobody died.

azureblue · #6 10-18-2008, 10:17 AM

I put my cabinet on the ground, face up, to hear.... Also played one where I had to sit on my cabinet, because there was no room for me to stand.

Lonnybass · #7 10-18-2008, 10:19 AM

The worst is when you get there and ask "is that the stage...or the drum riser?"

Lonnybass

Croox · #8 10-18-2008, 10:32 AM

been there played a place ( 5 piece) i was part of at the time, stage looked like two folding tables pushed together. the only time that drummer ever played quietly (because he couldnt move as much!)

IanStephenson · #9 10-18-2008, 10:43 AM

It was soooo small...

the guitarist had to set up inside the bass drum.

It was soo small...

we used the singers iPod headphones as PA.

nsmar4211 · #10 10-18-2008, 01:50 PM

My closet quarters so far have been me up against a bass amp with the guitar player *directly* in front of me....when I say directly if he twitched backwards I was squashed.. but that was at a jam..

Actually I'm so used to small areas that when we play bigger ones I feel all lost and lonely over by myself...... no guitar headstock in my face....... no cymbals brushing against me....

btw...... earplugs earplugs earplugs.....otherwise the drummer would have rubber cymbals one day lol!

Matt Till · #11 10-18-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

It was soooo small...

the guitarist had to set up inside the bass drum.

It was soo small...

we used the singers iPod headphones as PA.

I'm tellin' ya it was small.

GeneralElectric · #12 10-18-2008, 02:01 PM

Enter the land of the 5 piece drum kit...

High hat, cymbal, bass drum, tom, and snare.

This is when it pays to own a small combo and not some rig of doom.

basslinejam · #13 10-18-2008, 08:06 PM

The stage was so small ... there was only room for the drummer and his 5 piece kit (see above

) and he was kicking his bass drum off the front of it all night long. (true story)

hartke20g · #14 10-18-2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

I'm tellin' ya it was small.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

i also find it a bit awkward when on a larger stage. almost every gig i play involves my amp being at my knees on a shallow "stage" (floor). it's almost part of the experience.

Crazy Ivan · #15 10-19-2008, 08:40 AM

One foot in front of me, the guitarist. One foot to the left of me, the drummer with just his snare. One foot to the right, the backline and keyboardist.

It was a great show though.

Bluesy Soul · #16 10-19-2008, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

It was soooo small...

the guitarist had to set up inside the bass drum.

It was soo small...

we used the singers iPod headphones as PA.

It was SO SMALL, the singer had bruises from tuning pegs on both sides of his head !

Bluesy Soul

Stumbo · #17 10-19-2008, 09:52 PM

For an audition, we got nine members (4 horns/4 rhythm/1 vocal) on a 1/2 circle stage that was about 10ft wide and 6ft at that apex of the curve. There was a cat walk that extended out about 30 feet from the stage. Not only were we scrunched on the stage, we had a topless dancerr prancing about right in front of us. Let's just say that we had a bit of trouble concentrating on the music especially since we were all 18 or under(mostly under). Our manager told us that only the owner would be there. Oh, well, our gain.

We didnt' really care about the size of the..........stage after all.

Lazylion · #18 10-19-2008, 10:33 PM

I played a gig in Munich Germany, where I had my heels against the rim of the bass drum, and the singer was so close directly in front of me that the back of my right hand was bumping against his butt as I played. He was a big dude, several inches taller than me, with a big cowboy hat on. I didn't see much of the crowd that night, and they didn't see much of me.

Slax · #19 10-19-2008, 10:39 PM

A lot of bars I played at with my ska band, the guitars, drums, and me on bass were on a cramped little stage, while our horn players were in the fire of crazy dancers on the floor...

Good times.

There was even a show were our vocalist said, "Please don't kick our horn players in the mouth, they need them!"

We got by... I found smaller stages more comfortable though... like said before, I was so used to it, I didn't know what do with all the extra space.

burnunit · #20 10-19-2008, 11:07 PM

Played a wedding reception with a 3-pc: drums, piano and me on upright on a landing in a stairwell, yes that's right, a stairwell. No room for me and my bass on the landing, so I played standing on the stairs above the landing for a three-hour gig. In a tux. No problem, I love to play pretty much anywhere anytime. So that was a little tight. Also in a converted railroad car for a private party with the band set up sideways facing the short wall - and the teeny stage at the Oasis in Birmingham AL, anyone from the Ham knows what I am talking about!