Music Stands on Stage??

DoggBisket · #1 06-22-2009, 10:06 AM

What is your feeling about bands that have a music stand, or stands on stage? Personally I think it borders on douchebaggery. The only exception being a jazz trio or something along that line. But for any other genre, get the music stand off the stage!. A cheat sheet on the floor, or someplace inconspicuous OK, but music stand? No.

stflbn · #2 06-22-2009, 10:08 AM

If you're not playing classical music that requires note by note reading (which many classical musicians end up memorizing their music anyhow), I feel it's lazy, unprofessional, and tarnishes your appearance as a prepared musician.

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Kenny Allyn · #3 06-22-2009, 10:15 AM

Our band just "retired" our long time singer for just such a thing (among others) ...

Our new singer is using one to get up to speed but only because we gig so much and there was a lot of ground to cover!

... Still I see it all of the time ... and find it very distracting to a pro-level performance!

peterpalmieri · #4 06-22-2009, 10:17 AM

I play in a semi professional band with 4 horns, 4 singers along with the rhythm section. We play a lot of tunes that we do not need music for but we also play arrangements where we utilize music and stands. I see no shame or laziness in doing so.

Bruce Lindfield · #5 06-22-2009, 10:17 AM

Jazz/Classical - Yes! Anything else - it seems to be a no-no...

MNAirHead · #6 06-22-2009, 10:19 AM

I had a producer once instruct me.

"I'd rather hear you play mistakes than see you with notes... your primary job is to smile and make eyecontact - nobody really cares if you suck."

Stage sheets are lame - mistakes in the same key as the song can be blended.

Horn players get a pass - I'm unsure why they don't look as dorkwad .. probably because they can't play and sing at the same time.

T.

DoggBisket · #7 06-22-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenny Allyn

Our band just "retired" our long time singer for just such a thing (among others) ...

Our new singer is using one to get up to speed but only because we gig so much and there was a lot of ground to cover!

... Still I see it all of the time ... and find it very distracting to a pro-level performance!

I would have gotten rid of the guy too. A singer with a music stand looks just plain friggin retarded.

Kenny Allyn · #8 06-22-2009, 10:24 AM

Ahhh ... but it was a gurl!

Our new singer has about three times the range and voice so it was a WIN WIN for us.

... Our new singer has the ambition to be the queen of Beale st. so stands are OUT!

rarisgod · #9 06-22-2009, 10:35 AM

I only had to use one once or twice on stage.
One of those times was because I had many songs to learn and not so much time to do it, plus school things to worry about. So I learned all the songs, but for the life of me couldn't remember this one. The main focus was on the singer anyway at this particular performance.
I do agree though, it looks unprofessional.

stflbn · #10 06-22-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

I had a producer once instruct me.

"I'd rather hear you play mistakes than see you with notes... your primary job is to smile and make eyecontact - nobody really cares if you suck."

Exactly!

I'd rather have a singer make up a forgotten line live or mumble through it, before I'd like a music stand on stage with the singer, keyboardist or others reading off of it.

It's a crutch and actually trains the person NOT to learn their material, but instead to just read it over and over and over. They become more reliant on it rather than less.

RustyAxe · #11 06-22-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoggBisket

What is your feeling about bands that have a music stand, or stands on stage?

It beats the hell out of three guys singing three different verses in harmony. It's better than starting out a song in two different keys. It's better than letting the fill-in bassist wank away until he finds a groove. They have their place. Musicians understand this ...

peterpalmieri · #12 06-22-2009, 10:45 AM

I guess I'm alone on this one, doesn't seem like a big deal to me. We play some pretty big gigs and some pretty popular clubs. We have NEVER been accused of looking unprofessional. Actually quite the opposite. I'm not offended though to each his own.

I will say however that airheads comment about someone stating that wrong notes are ok and our main job is to smile is way off base. I also didn't realize that we qualified wrong notes to be in the key or not? Never heard that one before.

That all being said a 250 song play list makes it pretty darn hard to memorize every set of changes, at least for me! Also consider multiple subs on any given occassion.

Chickencha · #13 06-22-2009, 10:53 AM

I think it's somewhat lame, but as long as you're reasonably discreet I bet that the majority of the audience doesn't care.

If it's a choice between using a stand and having a disaster gig, I'll choose a stand every time. It shouldn't be something that happens every time, though. Subs and new band members get a pass. Anyone who needs to use a stand for very long probably has other issues too. Seriously, it's not that hard to memorize songs given enough time.

prokfrog · #14 06-22-2009, 10:54 AM

Weddings : maybe

Acoustic gigs: maybe

Bar scene / Clubs: NO WAY!!

PJSShearer · #15 06-22-2009, 10:59 AM

Well I suppose theat they never used music on "Top of the Pops", so why should anybody else :-(

BillySid · #16 06-22-2009, 11:00 AM

If your not playing jazz or classical...yes, get it off the stage.

BluesWalker · #17 06-22-2009, 11:05 AM

I don't see a problem with music stands on stage. For blues and rock I would not want to see the player sight reading while playing, but a stand with set lists, notes, etc is not a bad thing. If one can afford it, telepromters also work very well. A lot of major rock bands, especially the older ones, have started to use them

Sonicfrog · #18 06-22-2009, 11:08 AM

I was in a rock cover band once, and the guitarist did this. For some types of music, it's fine, when you're playing complex arrangements. But why oh why would you need sheet music to play "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" or "Honkey Tonk Woman"? It was inane!!! Thing that made it really bad, he was "the guy", the dude that ran the show. Had an ego through the roof, in a bad way. Here's the lowdown, written on a previous post.

peterpalmieri · #19 06-22-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesWalker

I don't see a problem with music stands on stage. For blues and rock I would not want to see the player sight reading while playing, but a stand with set lists, notes, etc is not a bad thing. If one can afford it, telepromters also work very well. A lot of major rock bands, especially the older ones, have started to use them

I watched that recent live Dave Matthews Band concert and Dave was using a telepromter for his lyrics and tons of big named acts use them as well. It's nothing more then a state of the art music stand.

Kenny Allyn · #20 06-22-2009, 11:11 AM

For a big show where the band is in the background and it's basically front person stage show ... you see the horns etc: using stands all the time ... I can live with that.

In a little blues or R&B club situation ... nah you loose the spontanious energy!

... It comes off like a sales clerk on her cell phone ...