Music Stands on Stage

[jmverdugo]

I say, as long as it doesn't interfere with feeling the song then it's not that bad. I don't use it for rock/original/bands because I don't need it, but in my cover band my drummer uses and IPad, my guitar player uses the big old music stand and our singers use a laptop. Of all of them only the guitardist stares at it like it is a BBQ sandwich taking to him, the rest play just fine.

Some musicians that is just how they do it, they don't "learn" the song, the read it while playing it and they do just fine, but as other have said, that is for complicated stuff like Jazz big bands or symphonies, etc...

 

[jive1]

But there is zero chance that I could ever remember all the songs that our BL will pick - in some instances, I've never heard the song before, but I'm expected to find the tempo and the feel, and read the chart without the audience knowing that I've never heard it.

If you can't read music, you will be limited to material that you have heard before. But, if you can, a whole world of music is open to you. Just as in regular life, literacy allows you to access more information.

 

[Zephrant]

My band played a priemere local bar last July. It was our first gig and we used music stands. We did a decent job, but there was room for improvement.

The booker/sound guy said he liked us, but would not book us again until we lost the stands.

A year later he still will not book us again. He has booked other acts that are well under what my band does, but we have not yet overcome his bias. Guess they didn't use stands.

My singers use iPhones on the mic stand, I use an iPad on my stand, but we are all working on losing them too.

In this area the top bar bands do not use stands. I want to be a top band, so need to act like it.

 

[Pacman]

Tell me something that doesn't annoy some group here.

I got nothing.

 

[zontar]

I got nothing.

Someone probably finds that offensive as well...

 

[vlado]

I'm a singer-songwriter. I play my original stuff most of the time. If I play a covers gig it includes at least 40 songs. How am I supposed to know all the lyrics by heart? I don't need to stare at the paper all the time, but it relaxes me to have an open lyrics page in front of my eyes, just in case I get stuck. In my opinion the only obligation of the musician on stage is to do his/her best to perform the best he/she can. When I go to see a gig, like, I'd probably like to see Tom Waits or Neil Young performing, what the heck would I care for what they're wearing or if they're using a music stand! They're 65+ anyway, I'm honored and happy to have a chance to enjoy their art and to experience it first hand on a live gig, nothing else is important... People are inventing these "rules" about what is "supposed to be cool" or "uncool" mainly because they're not really interested in music, they just see it as a vehicle for they're ego to burst. And stepping on someone's foot just because he/she is using a music stand on stage to help him/her to perform better is a perfect example of not really caring for the art of music at all.

 

[Stevorebob]

Saw Elvis Costello last night, and he and bassist Davey Faragher (and maybe others, too) employed music stands.

Elvis used a stand-mounted computer screen below waist height, and Faragher had a traditional stand tucked next to the drum riser. Both stands were as unobtrusive as stage monitors, and neither performer appeared to even glance at their cheater notes. I would not have noted the stands except for this thread.

Great show, by the way, and Faragher is an excellent player.

 

[lfmn16]

Tell me something that doesn't annoy some group here.

That's so annoying when someone posts something like this.

 

[Sav'nBass]

I think it all depends on the songs, the venue, and the situation. I see no problem with stands if you can keep it on the DL because you never know what a band's situation is.. I have seen well known bands on Palladium where some of the musicians had charts.. I see nothing at all wrong with charts... I think though that depending on the venue and the songs you should be able to do without them at some point.

 

[funkster62]

I use a tablet onstage so I have the setlist handy and I can refer to it if needed for chord changes, etc. I don't worry about it because I see bands televised on Palladia and VH1 using them all the time. If they can get away with it, why does it matter to anyone else? I DO try to be discreet and keep it off to the side where I can still see it if need be.

 

[Fishyfishfish]

I would have reservations if they were looking at it (stand the whole time) and not enguaging the audience, after that I don't care. I would ask the question: How many people sing lead /play and not use some type of device-over 30 years old? The field gets a little narrower of those who don't use something. Just a matter of opinion, if the audience is staring at a smart phone the whole time I am playing, why should it really matter?

 

[iriegnome]

We use very low profile stands and computers. With 300 songs to go through and never a set list, they are as integral to our show as our cords are. I use just a screen that is jumped off another computer. It usually sits in front of a monitor and cannot be seen very well by anyone other than me. I don't use it much, but it is like a security blanket, it is there when I do need it.

 

[Baird6869]

NEVER EVER EVER for cover band bar gigs. A stand/iPad is only a secutity blanket (bankie).

I am a dumb dumb and know at least 100 songs by heart. Classic rock stuff and generally pretty basic to learn, but I could gig them today. If you can't learn 30-40 songs by heart, you shouldn't be gigging IMO. Bass, vocals, guitar, drums or any other instrument.

A couple of cheat notes on a set list lying on the ground or taped to a floor monitor to remind you of key or a particularly hard change is ok IMO, but never a big music stand. If you are an acoustic soloist or duo that takes tons of requests and have to find words from potentially hundreds of songs? I can live with that maybe.

People having a good time and dancing to musicians reading from a music stand sounds stupid, but looks even stupider.

I have had to get rid of two singers that used stands for every song, so apologies if I am coming off as an ass. Funny thing? These two clowns screwed up more than ANY singer I have played with that put in the work and learned tha damned songs. These guys used their bankies so much, they would get lost and forget what verse/chorus to "read" next. Enter iPads.... Ever see a singer have to restart his iPad on stage to relaunch his cheat note app with a full dance floor of people standing around with their thumbs up their butts? I have. Embarrassing to say the least.

/rant. YMMV.

 

[Baird6869]

With 300 songs to go through and never a set list

That would be an exception for me.

 

[iriegnome]

Since our computers are very low slung to the ground, they are less distracting off stage than Ipod holders or even music stands. Also, we have been using this same system for 10 years now. It kind of is just our stage set up now.

 

[khutch]

I learned music in school bands playing clarinet. I've sung in school and church choirs and still do the latter. I attend orchestral concerts all the time. All of them use music, even world renowned musicians who could play circles around any of us will sometimes use music. So I don't care. I play in a church band and we use music although if I have played a song enough to memorize it I will play it from memory. But we are constantly doing new stuff. Some of it we will play for years, some of it we play once and done. I understand that many of you play in bands where part of the show is a lot of physical activity on stage and music stands would just get int he way of that so it makes sense to memorize. It really doesn't bother me either way although I kind of dread the day that orchestras switch to tablets and foot switches. It's fun to watch the cellists turning pages with the tips of their bows. They do it all the time yet some of them never seem to master the art....

 

[Lazylion]

A couple of cheat notes on a set list lying on the ground or taped to a floor monitor...

I saw Aerosmith in concert in 1993. They did a new song and Tyler had big posterboards w/lyrics lying on the floor. We could just about read the words from our seats in the nosebleeds. He didn't seem embarrassed about it...

P.S. I use a music stand. Part security blanket, partly I forget stuff sometimes...

 

[iriegnome]

Most of the bigger artists use some sort of teleprompter.. Even Sir Paul uses them.

 

[carl h.]

I'm curious about how many of the anti stand people can read actual written out music.

 

[Kragnorak]

Elvis used a stand-mounted computer screen below waist height, and Faragher had a traditional stand tucked next to the drum riser.

I saw Black Sabbath the last time they came around and Ozzy is not known for his fantastic memory. He's a great frontman, but it was amusing that when it came to play their newer songs all you could see on the giant monitors were his eyelids (because he was peering down at something).

Here's a weird one: I was watching a Dream Theater video with an old band and while the other DT members had their complex music memorized, Jordan Rudess was using a digital stand with scrolling music. One of my band members was disgusted that Rudess had not completely done his homework even though his playing was not flawed. I remember thinking "I'm just amazed that Petrucci's NOT reading!"