Are you the creepy wireless guy?

[svtb15]

My personal taste is ...On Arena gigs ... sure why not use a wireless. Especially OK for a vocalist.
Bar gigs , NOPE unless you are a vocalist and want to cut down on wire tangles.Just my .02

On my bar gigs I ALWAYS use a wire.
I see some guys in bar gigs using a wireless and they don't move more than 2 feet from their amp and they are on wireless.
If you dig it and dont care about using up batteries. Go for it.
I've done arena gigs on wireless when i was required to go to certain areas on que for whatever the artist wanted. But I have also done 10s of dozens of arena gigs on a hard wire too.
Myself, I prefer hardwired . I'm just old school i guess, and whatever makes your boat float. Just try not to make it too cheesy. Just my .02

 

[juancaminos]

I use mine to find out what I really sound like out on the dance floor AND so I don't get tangled up with wires when moving around on stage. If I have room on stage, I move around a lot and cords will find their way around your legs in a surprisingly short amount of time. Wireless keeps my ankles free and gives me freedom on stage.

Me Too! The dance floor stuff is a second to all of that.

 

[madbass6]

Ok, so let me say right up front that this might be an uncomfortable topic... or humorous depending on how secure you are with yourself.

So, it seems every guitarist or bassist who discovers wireless has to use this new found freedom to wonder off the stage and into the audience. This is, of course, because the audience members are going to be amazed that the the guitarist or bass player is standing right there next them playing, right? They get to see the amazement of your weekend worrier talent and instrument right up close, right? WRONG!!! Look, if you’re some hot notorious talent that fans are clamoring to get a piece of then go ahead and take that glory walk through the crowd. However, if you’re just a bar band guy who gets no attention after the set than keep your butt on the stage and enjoy the fact that you and your fellow guitarists are free to move about without getting awkwardly twisted up. Take this opportunity to up your arena moves and stage presence. If the chicks are not flirting with you between sets than don’t invade their space with wireless abandon. And guys don’t like other guys unusually close either. The only exception to this might be a deliberate gander out front during sound check. Unfortunately, these instructions don’t come with wireless units and someone had to tell you

lol.. Hey if the guy or gal wants to and feels like getting his money's worth out if his / hers wireless investment even if he's/she's making a fool of him/herself that's there buissnes! and no I've never and never will go wireless its just not my thing! but if its yours" I won't care !

 

[jamro217]

Just my luck I'd end up merging two recent TB threads into one big show. This one and "Well, it finally happened...".

 

[bobba66]

With a giant sweet potato in the front of your pants wireless is the only proper way to represent.

 

[Rompin Roddy]

Warriors not worriers.

Oh snap I didn't even catch that.

 

[andruca]

With the band I sing lead with (what I'd call "MY band") I rehearse with IEM, just don't use the UE earbuds I'd use live but some real comfortable hi-fi closed headphone. Depending on rehearsal space, if I'm close to the IEM transmitter I'd even go wired directly into the transmitter's headphone out and not use the receiver. I carry a cheapo LD Systems wireless unit in my rack for bass and only use it when carrying such a rig (probably 1 out of 10 gigs).

But mostly I'd gig a combo and eventually (rarely) an old Samson VHF unit I have as a backup/antique (when you're my age you attach to the most stupid things). Punk as can be, I know, but it's well maintained (frankensteined antennas from a radio, bypassed power supply input), it's reliable and works fine in the rare occasions I need to use it. Also, at specific places where UHF units struggle to find a clean frequency due to interference (or when local regulations don't allow your particular band to be used) this VHF is a nice thing to have around, saved me at least twice, some 10 years ago while working for an act that intensely toured Europe.

Last time I used it was a couple years ago, so I insist, a wireless is only a need when I'm playing a big stage, a practice in decline for me (on my way to dad-band land).

 

[mcnach]

On beer garden type gigs, I have been known to wander into the audience and sit down at a table of attractive patrons while playing. Its a good excuse to rest my feet.

I wonder if the OP was talking about this...

 

[hrodbert696]

I'm reading this thread and it reinforces my thoughts on using a traditional cable. I can't think of a single instance where a young lady would want to have some anonymous wireless enabled old codger charging up into her face and gesticulating while he fingers his guitar or bass. Some might pull it off better than others but I can't stop laughing at the most egregious and delusional egos at work doing this. Utterly comical thread.

Didn't read the whole thread since my prior post, but this did catch my eye -

However people banter, I wouldn't make assumptions. For one, I wouldn't assume everyone who DOES use a wireless to go into the crowd is an "old codger"; there are young musicians in the world too. I also wouldn't assume that the old codgers who do, only do it to hit on young ladies. The times I have run out to dance with someone, they weren't particularly younger than me and it wasn't to hit on them, and other times I've run out just to mug to a camera or shake things up generally.

I could just imagine if the internet was around from the 50's through the 90's...

"Hey Chuck, what's the stupid looking walk you're doing? You look like a constipated duck."

"Can't you just stand there and sing like a normal person, Elvis?"

"Get a haircut, John, Paul, George and Ringo. You look like you're wearing a bowl on your head!"

"What's with that stupid schoolboy suit, Angus? You're 20...act like it."

"Makeup? And pyrotechnics? Who the hell would ever go see that? Who can even tell you're playing music?"

Yeah, I'll take advice from guys who wear flip flops and cargo shorts and stand there like statues. Sure I will.

I kinda thought people DID say all those things to, or about, those people... internet or no.

 

[tshapiro]

Perhaps you need more time.


Hey - what happened to the OP?

Day job... only get on at night or in the morning.

 

[Major_Rager_4MF]

I didn't read all 13 pages, but the best application I've seen of this practice is to sneak up on audience members who aren't paying close attention, say "hey man does this band suck or what" and see if you can get a response from them before they realize that you're playing live lol

 

[br1qbat]

But don't you see? I don't care if you care! You're not my audience! There is NOTHING I could do that would entertain you, so care, don't care; it doesn't matter. I'm here to entertain those who want to be entertained by me, and guess what? I have tons of photos and video of audience members having a great time; in fact I can almost guarantee that there is NOT A SINGLE THING YOU DO AS WELL AS ME when it comes to entertaining MY audience, and in turn, there is not a single thing I do as well as you when it comes to entertaining yours.

So what you think is cheesy is exactly what I like. What you think is lame is what I think is cool. And what you think is COOL? OMG, I laugh at stoner/doom/metal music, and wonder why anybody likes it. That's the world we live in, folks. SUBJECTIVE.

That kinda was my point. I think its cheesy, I wouldn't do it, and think it's silly when I see people do it. You don't think it is silly at all. It works for you, your audience likes it, it is part of the show, etc. Good for you. There isn't a 'right' answer here. Different strokes and all that.

 

[mohrds]

View attachment 2997097

Holy Cow! That was my first wireless unit, the SR-22! Man, that brings back some memories...

 

[IamGroot]

I wonder if the OP was talking about this...

I hope so. It beats staring at your shoes. The crowd thinks Im crazy and they love it.

Lawrence Welk dancing with the little old ladies is one of my inspirations.

 

[andruca]

Holy Cow! That was my first wireless unit, the SR-22! Man, that brings back some memories...

My first one too. The cheapo in my rack case is the second and last one I bought. I'm cheap (as long as stuff works, and this SR-22 always did great).

 

[pwhalen]

[Qe setUOTE="tshapiro, post: 21259965, member: 282995"]Ok, so let me say right up front that this might be an uncomfortable topic... or humorous depending on how secure you are with yourself.

So, it seems every guitarist or bassist who discovers wireless has to use this new found freedom to wonder off the stage and into the audience. This is, of course, because the audience members are going to be amazed that the the guitarist or bass player is standing right there next them playing, right? They get to see the amazement of your weekend worrier talent and instrument right up close, right? WRONG!!! Look, if you’re some hot notorious talent that fans are clamoring to get a piece of then go ahead and take that glory walk through the crowd. However, if you’re just a bar band guy who gets no attention after the set than keep your butt on the stage and enjoy the fact that you and your fellow guitarists are free to move about without getting awkwardly twisted up. Take this opportunity to up your arena moves and stage presence. If the chicks are not flirting with you between sets than don’t invade their space with wireless abandon. And guys don’t like other guys unusually close either. The only exception to this might be a deliberate gander out front during sound check. Unfortunately, these instructions don’t come with wireless units and someone had to tell you [/QUOTE]

I'm always wireless, but the only times I go out in front of the stage is early in the first set to make sure levels are ok (or occasionally to find a server for a refill). With doing the PA setup etc, not being tethered is a big bonus, It's also nice to be able to move around the stage area.

 

[Jamvan]

I, for one, want to thank my lucky stars for belonging to this online community because I've seen the egregiousness of my former behavior in abusing my wireless abilities and will commit to using a cord and standing in my allowed stage space from this point forward.

 

[s0c9]

I, for one, want to thank my lucky stars for belonging to this online community because I've seen the egregiousness of my former behavior in abusing my wireless abilities and will commit to using a cord and standing in my allowed stage space from this point forward.

And recognizing the sarcasm in the post, being true to TB form, I'll disagree with you 100%
I sure don't want to lug all that gear around. I have a pedalboard, and I'm wireless in and wireless out. Over the last 4.5 yrs I have averaged 80+ gigs a year (as a weekend warrior, but that ended last Nov) and figured out the battery management aspects (rechargeables!!) and it all works fine.
I seldom "walk the crowd" and seldom play stages where I can't move about.
The expense was worth it to me, and I love my IEM's and love the ability to plug in, power up and go, without being tethered and having cables all over the place.
My use of wireless has nothing to do with ego.. it's all convenience.
YMMV

 

[JimmyM]

I kinda thought people DID say all those things to, or about, those people... internet or no.

Yeah, OK...they did. And they didn't listen. They were smart.

 

[Bassbeater]

You all think I can't do freaky egotistical crap just because I'm wired?!
Muahahah