Are you the creepy wireless guy?

[Nephilymbass]

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

I saw an Ibanez RG guitar actually get destroyed in the pit that way many years ago. Someone got pushed back first into the guitar and it actually broke the neck. So since I’ve been wireless I’ve never even considered that. I did of course walk out to hear the PA during soundcheck a few times back in like 2001 lol. I have played with some vocalists who have done some crazy stuff though with wireless microphones. The singer for my first band liked to walk on anything he could. Tables, the bar lol. He was actually a great frontman. My singer now for the last 17 years or so has had his share of crazy also. Particularly in rooms with high ceilings and stuff to climb on or hang from. He’s even climbed up on top of the pa speakers at local clubs we play often a few times. But he hasn’t done anything like that in a few years.

I was actually at a papa roach show at the Greensboro coleseum a few years back. Singer disappeared off the stage and all of a sudden the spotlight was on me out in the crowd and I was on the opposite side of the pit at least 100 feet from the stage. I look and he was singing right next to me.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I almost quit a band one night out of sheer embarrassment after the guitard player got up on the bar to play a solo to a half empty room of quietly drinking patrons... I don't have a wireless and if I did I like the audience not being able to touch me or my stuff.

 

[juancaminos]

I did it once and took an arrow to the knee. Never again.

Well one has to become a good judge of when the natives are restless vs receptive.

 

[bass71]

Our sax player is the master at this.

Every time he goes into the crowd he gets a conga going...think it must the duck style walk he does leaning forward butt out...very funny, the crowd seem to love it and it does the band a ton of good.

We actually got a birthday request for the band with the guy who "does the walk". Ha..crazy.

 

[mellowinman]

When I was a kid, blues legend Luther Allison used to play at a ski lodge in Cable WI called Telemark. It had this cheesy little nightclub, which wasn't much more than a multimedia room with a (temporary) dance floor. WI was "serious" about liquor laws, so us kids "couldn't" be in the nightclub when Luther was playing, but they would leave the double doors open, and we would sometimes stand out there in the hallway, trying to catch a glimpse of Luther playing in his almost Hendrix-esque style of flashy blues guitar.

Every now and then he would bolt the stage, and come OUT OF THE NIGHTCLUB and play for us kids, and do every trick he knew; behind his head, with his teeth, between his legs, WHATEVER, and boy we would about come unglued! This is the early/mid 70s, mind you, and I don't know that Luther had built up the "blues legend" cred he has today, posthumously, but those are some of my favorite memories, along with the time me and Mark stared at two pretty girls only to have an older girl come up and ask us "see those two girls?" and in our minds the next thing she would say was, "if you don't stop staring at them I'm going to kill you," but instead said, "they want to dance with you..."

Man, I loved that place.

 

[bdplaid]

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

I agree with you, but it seems many folks like it.

 

[honeyiscool]

I did it once and took an arrow to the knee. Never again.

I think someone stole your sweet roll.

 

[Bassbeater]

Distance from amp + receptiveness of crowd = Player mojo

When I really get my swerve on I'm going to start dialing it in with skype from my living room. Forget about wireless, I'm going to start using wifi.

 

[Fat Freddy]

You're wrong. I have had great results playing in the audience. I'm not a great player; no one's astounded, but I have had a ton of enthusiasm from audience members. Interacting with the audience is a great idea, and if it's not working, you're doing it wrong.

You're funny....

 

[Kragnorak]

I have to leave it that way now because I picked on the other guy.

I'll take Grammer Nazis for $200, Alex!



(Referring of course to people that militantly advocate for a 'Frasier' revival)

 

[southpaw723]

I think it's quite weird to roam into the crowd but that's just me

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Distance from amp + receptiveness of crowd = Player mojo

When I really get my swerve on I'm going to start dialing it in with skype from my living room. Forget about wireless, I'm going to start using wifi.

Gigging by Skype, it’s the future of rock Just phone it in to that big screen...

 

[rtav]

I'll take Grammer Nazis for $200, Alex!



(Referring of course to people that militantly advocate for a 'Frasier' revival)

... and Grammar Nazis for the Daily Double!

Couldn’t resist... yeah I used to watch “Frasier”

 

[Kragnorak]

I bet this crowd loved it:

Most brilliant part about that video is how she tenderly breaks only the headlights and windshield which can be cheaply replaced before replacing with the destroyed car. But I can imagine it looked totally real to the audiences at home especially because the explosion WAS real and not CGI nonsense.

Also, if you can use your wireless to roll around in the crowd and teleport back onstage, do it!

 

[Kragnorak]

Gigging by Skype, it’s the future of rock Just phone it in to that big screen...

I've seen people try it to reach their crowds in other countries that they can't afford to travel to. I have no idea what their results were because it's not.... real? .... to me

 

[Rompin Roddy]

When I was a kid, blues legend Luther Allison used to play at a ski lodge in Cable WI called Telemark. It had this cheesy little nightclub, which wasn't much more than a multimedia room with a (temporary) dance floor. WI was "serious" about liquor laws, so us kids "couldn't" be in the nightclub when Luther was playing, but they would leave the double doors open, and we would sometimes stand out there in the hallway, trying to catch a glimpse of Luther playing in his almost Hendrix-esque style of flashy blues guitar.

Every now and then he would bolt the stage, and come OUT OF THE NIGHTCLUB and play for us kids, and do every trick he knew; behind his head, with his teeth, between his legs, WHATEVER, and boy we would about come unglued! This is the early/mid 70s, mind you, and I don't know that Luther had built up the "blues legend" cred he has today, posthumously, but those are some of my favorite memories, along with the time me and Mark stared at two pretty girls only to have an older girl come up and ask us "see those two girls?" and in our minds the next thing she would say was, "if you don't stop staring at them I'm going to kill you," but instead said, "they want to dance with you..."

Man, I loved that place.

Great story.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I almost quit a band one night out of sheer embarrassment after the gui**** player got up on the bar to play a solo to a half empty room of quietly drinking patrons... I don't have a wireless and if I did I like the audience not being able to touch me or my stuff.

I think it's really funny that it starred out half of guitar as if it was a dirty word lol.

 

[Babydave]

...Only there to play music, very much not a performer. And quite happy for the front line to consist entirely of attention-seeking egotists who can be as wirelessed-up as they like as long as their antics keep attention away from me

Does this remind anyone else of Bill Wyman? He seemed pretty content to let Mick and Keef get the attention. I'm like that myself (only not talented, rich and famous).

 

[alaskaleftybass]

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

I wonder if she'll wander into the audience? For sure I would then wander off the stage!

For some it might work. For me, I always felt my place was on stage. It's part of the show, and a lot of people look up to the stage as something special. I can walk around and visit during breaks. Some musicians can pull it off, I choose not to.

 

[dr doofie]

First off, one WANDERS off the stage. One WONDERS where you learned spelling and vocabulary.

Second, "then" and "than" are not interchangeable. Still WONDERING....

Other THAN that, I agree with you for the most part. Sexy man beasts with Rickenbacker basses and long flowing locks like @mellowinman can probably get away with it. Overweight guys in gardening jeans, white New Balance sneakers, and XXL Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys should probably just stay on stage.

I'm a fellow weekend WORRIER