Bass Player Stage Presence

[fraublugher]

Hey Hey we're the monkees
People say we monkee around


Wait a second is that a Vogon drummer?

 

[jeffgnr90]

For the longest time I was one of those players who sat in the background. With the band I'm in now, it's a completely different story. I realized that I just wasn't that into the music in my previous bands, and just as well, I wasn't challenging myself. Therefor, I wasn't having fun. With the band I'm in now, not only is it a challenge, but when I get the challenging parts I have to play down it's like a shot of adrenaline!

The last show I played was the first with my new band. We had to wait about 3 hours before we were up, so what did I do in the meantime? I drank half a bottle of JD's Tennessee Honey. I wasn't trashed, but I was nice and loosened up, so come show time, I went NUTS. And it was all natural because I liked the music. That was the first "real" show I ever played, and now all I can think about is the next show and just getting into the music, and the JD's

 

[DagoMaino]

I just realized, DagoMaino is another necromancer! Hey, fellow zombifying TB member!

Lazarus, come forth!... or am I Lazarus? Damn!

 

[fendersurfer]

This Thread is great fun to read. And lot's of good points on improving your show.
Here the status quo of my band:
1.) Drummer very tight, no moves at all. We hope he will give us some fills to keep track where we are in a song. Maybe a high five after a song, if I'm lucky.
2.) Bass - no comments ;-)
3.) Keys - blonde girl, gig is Open Air, and weather is great for short summer clothes. We will see some hip shaking.
4.) Guitar - young guy, bit shy but best skills of all. He also can pose, but not not badass. No big walker. I maybe "get down" with him, when Bonamassa Solo comes.
5.) Female singer (no male singers in next 200km) but she can pose her curves, really has som' to offer. And smiles a lot, too.

So fingers crossed. First gig since looooong time. Shake of concerns. 40 songs, there will be parts when we need to play mistakes away. Audience might be lame, but we will try to sweat a lot.
Cheers

 

[bluewine]

I try to entertain. It's everyone's job, and most people in the bar don't know the difference between a bass player and guitar player anyways. Talk to the crowd, get into your music, do whatever the rest of your band does. The excuse that the bass player stands back in the shadows is a cop-out. Put on a wireless and go out on the dance floor!

I love attention and I am not going to stand for the lead guitarist getting all of it. And I struggle with stage presence and fret gazing but I'm getting better at it and my back round vocals are improving.

I am not the 60 year old stand in the back by the drummer with a p bass and a fedora type of guy. I'm the 60 year old that still wants his piece of the rock & roll spot light.

I interact and engage myself with our guitarist. It's a work in progress. I'm not there yet but I'm getting close.

Blue

 

[bluewine]

The last show I played was the first with my new band. We had to wait about 3 hours before we were up, so what did I do in the meantime? I drank half a bottle of JD's Tennessee Honey. I wasn't trashed, but I was nice and loosened up, so come show time, I went NUTS. And it was all natural because I liked the music. That was the first "real" show I ever played, and now all I can think about is the next show and just getting into the music, and the JD's

Old geezer here, just a suggestion, try doing the show without the JD. Just a suggestion.You might find the "rush" is a little better.

Blue

 

[bluewine]

Why have I seen shows of some of the greatest musicians on the planet, and not a move anywhere---and it was freaking awesome? Huh? I don't think you have to be jumping all over just because you're onstage.

No you don't have to jump all over, however there are guys that move very little have fantastic stage presence and guys that move very little and look unengaged, uninvolved and not having a good time.

We all have to figure out what works for the type of band your in and where your abilities are.

Blue

 

[Dr Improbable]

I'm a big hairball a la' Dave Schools or Allen Woody. I lumber around as much as I can, but I'm fine with the guitar player getting the spotlight.

 

[Kmonk]

I am probably in the minority in this but I have always felt that stage presence is over-rated. John Entwistle barely moved at all and nobody cared. The Beatles basically stood in one place. In my opinon, the music is much more important than stage presence. I would rather hear a great band that doesn't move very much than one that jumps all over the place and can't play.

 

[bluewine]

I am probably in the minority in this but I have always felt that stage presence is over-rated. John Entwistle barely moved at all and nobody cared. The Beatles basically stood in one place. In my opinon, the music is much more important than stage presence. I would rather hear a great band that doesn't move very much than one that jumps all over the place and can't play.

I am not sure how old you are. I'm a 60 year old Beatles historian and #1 fan.

The Beatles did not stand still. They had more personalty and presence on stage and as a group and individually than any band since. They wrote the book on stage presence.

No offence, but when it comes to he Beatles, if you weren't there ( I was ) it's hard to understand what they did and how it happened. Sorry.

The Entwistle approach only works if you have a Roger Daultry and Pete Townsend out in front.

Same would be true of Bill Wyman, why would he have to do anything more tha lay down beautiful bass lines when you have Jagger out front?

Blue

 

[GlennW]

The Beatles differed in that there was no one full time front man.

Cameras tend to focus on the guys at the mic, but Ringo still got plenty of face time on the screen. He had a gimmick, the rings, and he's the first famous person I can recall who went by one name. Just Ringo. Of course everyone knew his real name was Richard Starkey, he was Ringo, drummer in The Beatles.

Next to nobody knew who Charlie Watts and Keith Moon were, compared to Ringo.

Back to the mic...John, Paul, and George all sang often. There was no main front man like Jagger or Roger D, etc.

Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Herman and Gerry sang. Who can name some Hermits or Pacemakers?

The Beatles had tons of stage presence without jumping all around. 2 1/2 front men, and Ringo who had tons of charisma. (No slight to George intended, but Paul and John were the main lead singers).

What I'm trying to say, is if you play and and sing, that's enough. If you don't sing, you need some kind of schtick for stage presence, or just keep a low profile in the background.

 

[Jeb]

What I'm trying to say, is if you play and and sing, that's enough. If you don't sing, you need some kind of schtick for stage presence, or just keep a low profile in the background.

I agree with this. I'd add that if you sing, you should be singing well. Any kind of contrived "stage presence" is immediately noticeable. And not in a good way. You're not as cool as you think you are. Just sayin. I just support my band. No one notices me other than the fact that I'm the best looking. Even my mom says so. But if I'm not playing the right notes the right way? People will notice that even if they don't know why.

 

[bluewine]

The Beatles differed in that there was no one full time front man.

Cameras tend to focus on the guys at the mic, but Ringo still got plenty of face time on the screen. He had a gimmick, the rings, and he's the first famous person I can recall who went by one name. Just Ringo. Of course everyone knew his real name was Richard Starkey, he was Ringo, drummer in The Beatles.

Next to nobody knew who Charlie Watts and Keith Moon were, compared to Ringo.

Back to the mic...John, Paul, and George all sang often. There was no main front man like Jagger or Roger D, etc.

Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Herman and Gerry sang. Who can name some Hermits or Pacemakers?

The Beatles had tons of stage presence without jumping all around. 2 1/2 front men, and Ringo who had tons of charisma. (No slight to George intended, but Paul and John were the main lead singers).

What I'm trying to say, is if you play and and sing, that's enough. If you don't sing, you need some kind of schtick for stage presence, or just keep a low profile in the background.

Dead on analogy.

Blue

 

[stingray96191]

I'm also the lead singer.. It's my job to get the audience off. Any means nescesary.

 

[nojj]

for me, it's 2 things: the size of the stage, and the role I have to play.
Hard to do moves when the stage is tight.
When in a support role, I move around, catch the back vox in the nick of time, slide up to the singer,
or engage the gtr player or drummer a bit.
Keep it entertaining but not distracting if you KWIM.


When I'm singing lead in addition to playing bass like in my power trio, THEN the stops get pulled out.
A lot of hand & bass tricks, some good old 70's moves with the gtr player, call and answer with him instrumentally, move around a lot, and I get loud and obnoxious.
(Hell, that's what I get paid to do, rile up the audience)
My wife of over 30 years is still surprised at what I do on stage, as I'm not that way in RL.
It's like a persona you put on.

Get a lot of compliments about my basswork while singing and not looking at the fretboard.
(Yes I have incorporated some of the tricks I found here on TB.)

Man I would LOVE to spring for a wireless set.................

 

[NeverIsNow]

I will, periodically, play my set list in the dark. That way, I *can't* look at my frets. If I don't know the song really well, I still have to look, but as I learn each song more thoroughly, I turn off the lights and force myself to nail them down w/o looking.

+1
I do this too both on guitar and bass. Disconnect your eyes and you fingers and connect you eyes with the crowd

 

[TigerInATrance]

I tend to dance a bit while I'm laying back during the vocals and then get a bit more emphatic when we're jamming away. Sometimes I'll lock eyes with someone in the crowd and talk to her with my eyes and my phrases (this usually leads to having a hole stared into the back of my head by a guitar player or keyboard player or both who want to get back out of the jam)

I'll also step up to the mic between songs and say some funny things if I'm feeling the vibe...

 

[NeverIsNow]

Again, sorry ladies - I am just a dude. I cannot help myself.

Hahahahaha I can so relate!

 

[hsech]

The three of us in my blues trio are all over 60 with me being the oldest at 65. The guitarist/singer is the showman or front man. The drummer and I remain low key. In a serious blues trio there isn't any need to run around the stage or get really mobile. The guitarist and I move side to side in unison on some songs but that's about it.

 

[troy mcclure]

I can go both ways...I am in a cover band and try and interact with the audience... but there are nights when I have to remind myself that I need to be entertaining. (Our day gigs pay the bills) I do some fun stuff play over the top of the neck, and I tend to move in one place. I alos run sound and lights so I tend to focus on that. I am also very aware of what tunes we might change out of the set list or adjustments might needed for the venue. Being in a cover band, the focus is on the lead singer. I have a friend in a very successful cover band and none of the members move but their lead singer is the best frontman around.