How you stand when gigging on stage

[Adam Bomb]

When it gets good to me I stand with one foot slightly in front of the other and rock forwards and backwards while bouncing a little bit to keep time. It looks a little bit like I'm wanting to kick somebody's azz and my buddies are holding me back.

It rocks. I had been a little concerned/curious what I would look like when I played (I'm still a beginner). I was kind of hoping I would sway in a big Figure 8 like I was on ecstacy or something, like Lenny Kravitz's bass player, and I was afraid that I might look like Joe Cocker. But I knew better than to force it. Anyway, not effing up immediately became the priority when playing, and it still is. But I am very happy with the "hold me back" thing. It is what came to me naturally and it suits what I'm doing.

Subscribed.

--Bomb

 

[nbw]

I've adopted the stance of standing still with a petrified look on my face, comparable to a rabbit in the middle of the road yards away from a moving car with the headlights on.

It's f'ing brutal. \m/

 

[dj150888]

I've been know to use the Steve Harris "Power pose on monitor and machine gun the crowd" or the "pick one person in the crowd out, look furiously into their eyes, maintain eye contact until they break it, repeat" and old faithful, "Whats that ball of hair doing playing bass?"

 

[PasdaBeer]

depends on the song, mostly power stance.

I tend to do some cliche rock-out-with-the-cock out poses with my guitar player.

People love it though, specialy since we coordinated our fretting positions to go with it.

 

[JazzBass Love]

Normally, I like to be energetic and jump around (or whatever seems to fit the groove). However, I occassionally find that for health reasons I need to stand still or sit on a stool. So I put down other.

 

[nofxpunk138]

what about les claypool's foot stomp thing?

 

[Etbass]

Guys have you seen Pino Palladino in the new John Mayer DVD... I'm sort of afraid that's what I look like.

 

[WickedPissah]

I like to do this variation of a squat that Johnny Ramone used to do when guitarring.

 

[bigblondeafro87]

I do the head bob, the torso bounce, and the slow-walk-that dictates-MY-territory. Subconsciously, I spin in circles slowly, so every song or two I have to untangle my cable haha. I always spin clockwise, never counterclockwise or else the balance of the universe could be upset

 

[JohnnyPustular]

Straight up Pips choreography with a Morris Day & the Time magic slide. Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[BassGirl1122]

I haven't played with a band but played in public (although I was asked last night to do a song with my friend's band, but chickened out because I was lit)...but for now, my knees knock and I look so serious when I play and try to move around some..soon as those nerves go away, I'll get back at cha on this one!

 

[mgash]

I like to wander over and mess with the gitard's pedal board

 

[coralfankevin]

I've been known to do the occasional moonwalk...

One way or another, I always seem to spend a lot of my time at gigs unintentionally moonwalking Me and the singer always compete for most energy onstage, which has led to the odd broken toe

 

[knarleybass]

There is only one answer?

 

[MoEllis]

i've done everything, from light head bobbing to literally rolling on the floor! lol

 

[bassplayertom77]

Buffalo stance

 

[spunj13]

i think part of it depends on what STYLE of music you are playing.
some calls for sitting down, some for staring at your feet... some for swaying, some for rocking... or... for the band that i'm in right now?
it calls for... flailing about wildly and if you end up on your face... well.. .that's part of the show. (and by end up on your face.... i do... i play my 105Q with my face one a show...)
also... many of the places that my band plays have a "no feet on the monitors" rule... so there goes the Power Stance... on the other hand... we built ourselves 'jump boxes' so if we really want to... we can still do it... or jump off of them.
it is not uncommon for one of the four of us to leave stage bleeding ... and we play two to three shows a week when we're not on tour...

and no... we're actually NOT a punk band...

but... anyways..
if i was in a differently styled band?
i wouldn't play like that... i would adjust my stage presence accordingly.

[spunj13]

 

[flakeh]

i think part of it depends on what STYLE of music you are playing.
some calls for sitting down, some for staring at your feet... some for swaying, some for rocking... or... for the band that i'm in right now?
it calls for... flailing about wildly and if you end up on your face... well.. .that's part of the show. (and by end up on your face.... i do... i play my 105Q with my face one a show...)
also... many of the places that my band plays have a "no feet on the monitors" rule... so there goes the Power Stance... on the other hand... we built ourselves 'jump boxes' so if we really want to... we can still do it... or jump off of them.
it is not uncommon for one of the four of us to leave stage bleeding ... and we play two to three shows a week when we're not on tour...

and no... we're actually NOT a punk band...

but... anyways..
if i was in a differently styled band?
i wouldn't play like that... i would adjust my stage presence accordingly.

[spunj13]

You guys sound like my band. Me and the geetarist always compete for the most attention. Me being the shameless bastard I am, I tend to do all out wrong things. I've been known to wear my bass high solely for the purpose of thrusting at the drummer near his highhat.

I tend to hardcore dance while playing. If you don't know what its all about, We describe it as fighting a swarm of bees that simply does not exist, I've hot my headstock of off alot of things.

Oh, and the foot on the monitor....awww yeeaaah

 

[thetawaves]

damn near broke my lead singer because i was running around like a goon with a cable ...so I'll pent it all up til I've mustered the moneys for a wireless