iPad's etc. are nothing more than an electronic music stand and security blanket. And don't sell your crowd short. They all know what it is and each of them probably has one at home.
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Music Stands on Stage??
- Thread starter DoggBisket
- Start date
iPad's etc. are nothing more than an electronic music stand and security blanket. And don't sell your crowd short. They all know what it is and each of them probably has one at home.
- Apr 1, 2000
- 17,402
- 9,835
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
Not one person even mentioned it. (and there were 4,000 or so of them) They stayed for 3.5 hours, and had a great time.
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Yeah IMO, if one needs music the best way to go is with an Ipad/tablet mounted on a mic stand - it’s smaller and lighter making it easier to transport and setup and it holds more music than a music stand too - plus, it lights up, it's almost invisible to the audience and it doesn’t blow away with wind, and etc.
Here is the complete post by Baird. Personally I don't have a problem with music stands or iPad's or electronic devices. I even mentioned that our band uses music stands between our floor monitors and our lead singer is looking to go iPad himself. I simply think that a person who hates on music stands on stage are using a double standard by thinking "electronic music stands" are O.K. to use. And nobody in our audience ever mentions our music stands either.
FWIW: years ago, I had a friend that I (use to) play with who was just flat out to lazy to practice so he always relied on using a music stand and he never got any better (it was always like he was learning the song again for the first time). The last time before we played on the phone he told me he practiced and knew the 12 songs, but he showed up again with a stupid music stand - and that was the very last time we ever played together. I have nothing against music stands/tablets on stage except for when people use them just because they’re to LAZY to practice or learn the songs!!!
I agree with you but disagree that anyone in the crowd really cares.
What's worse, a little iPad hanging crotch level on a mic stand or a big 4' music stand with a LED light on it?
I don't use any cheat sheets, charts, etc. and nor does our guitarist or drummer, but I AM tolerant of the iPad as we are a cover band that rotates 60+ songs for an average of $100-150 per man per gig.
If we were doing $2500+ wedding gigs, it would be a complete different story.
I agree with you but disagree that anyone in the crowd really cares.
What's worse, a little iPad hanging crotch level on a mic stand or a big 4' music stand with a LED light on it?
I don't use any cheat sheets, charts, etc. and nor does our guitarist or drummer, but I AM tolerant of the iPad as we are a cover band that rotates 60+ songs for an average of $100-150 per man per gig.
If we were doing $2500+ wedding gigs, it would be a complete different story.
- Apr 1, 2000
- 17,402
- 9,835
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
You'll find it's FAR more common to use music stands in wedding bands. In fact, I don't remember playing a wedding (and I've played a lot of them) without the vast majority of band members reading. Maybe that's why they make so much money. (See previous comment about reading and nailing the tune.)
In forty plus years of gigging I've yet to hear an audience member comment on a music stand being onstage. Considering most gigging musicians can't read why would the appearance of being able to do that be a negative... other than to some musicians? For that matter I've only heard gripes about it online, never in real life.
The idea that the reason why a stand is onstage matters baffles me. If it's onstage... it's onstage, whether you're too lazy to memorize a song or too busy. What am I missing?
It is entirely possible to engage an audience while having a stand onstage. People act like you have to stare at it nonstop for the entire set. Besides, many without a stand stare other places, like at their fingerboard or even better, their shoes.
The musicians I perform with want to avoid trainwrecks. If reading something minimizes the chance of that...
The idea that the reason why a stand is onstage matters baffles me. If it's onstage... it's onstage, whether you're too lazy to memorize a song or too busy. What am I missing?
It is entirely possible to engage an audience while having a stand onstage. People act like you have to stare at it nonstop for the entire set. Besides, many without a stand stare other places, like at their fingerboard or even better, their shoes.
The musicians I perform with want to avoid trainwrecks. If reading something minimizes the chance of that...
in my experience that's backwards, higher paying gigs are more likely to dictate songs the band hasn't done 100s of times. i like the small profile of a tablet over a big stand though.
In forty plus years of gigging I've yet to hear an audience member comment on a music stand being onstage......
The musicians I perform with want to avoid trainwrecks. If reading something minimizes the chance of that...
Exactly. Too many anti-stand Fascists on this thread. I'd much rather watch a band using some memory props that sounds great than watch a situation where a band disintegrates onstage due to a memory malfunction of some kind.
In forty plus years of gigging I've yet to hear an audience member comment on a music stand being onstage. Considering most gigging musicians can't read why would the appearance of being able to do that be a negative... other than to some musicians? For that matter I've only heard gripes about it online, never in real life.
The idea that the reason why a stand is onstage matters baffles me. If it's onstage... it's onstage, whether you're too lazy to memorize a song or too busy. What am I missing?
It is entirely possible to engage an audience while having a stand onstage. People act like you have to stare at it nonstop for the entire set. Besides, many without a stand stare other places, like at their fingerboard or even better, their shoes.
The musicians I perform with want to avoid trainwrecks. If reading something minimizes the chance of that...
In the beginning my guitarist/singer relied on a music stand for the lyrics. Plenty of people commented to me on it. Including my own mother. lol
Yes, I took the stand and music book away from him. Now he is allowed a cheat sheet in rehearsal only and only on brand new songs. That may make me a bastard but at least I am a bastard who doesn't have a guitar player looking like an idiot on stage. Well, other than all the other idiot crap he does. lol
If you are a band playing all originals or a cover band with a small limited list you may be able to have all of the songs down fine. However, if you are a Beatles cover you may have a little trouble. In the case of Jazz performances I have read here about leaders scowling at a stand. It may be because most Jazz is improvised and you don't need a stand for that. That being said, I would not begrudge a stand to a Jazz player if it helps him to remember where in the progression he is at the time. Hard enough to improvise over a Bb7b9 but if someone is not on the same voicing it really gets hard.
Still playing the best music is better than messing it up.
Still playing the best music is better than messing it up.
Tablets wash out in sunlight too easily. Paper for me when I need a reference. The audience doesn't get a vote.
And music stands, ABSOLUTELY! You won't ever catch me taking a chance with an instrument I care about.
And music stands, ABSOLUTELY! You won't ever catch me taking a chance with an instrument I care about.
Excuses, excuses, excuses... 
My position is this, I'm 50+ y.o., I've played for literally millions over the course of my playing career. I now just enjoy playing out for insane amounts of money at large festival gigs and some occasional club dates. The guys I work with don't put the time in anymore because we have other things going on, but we all still enjoy the heck out of still being able to get big cash for playing. I realize a page majority of guys here on TB would kill for he kinds of shows we are playing. But we never rehearse, so consequently I keep all my cheats on an iPad and use a Bluetooth pedal to bump pages. And the only people who will ever bitch about the prompter screen on stage are other musicians. Never once will a talent buyer, festival committee chairman, or talent agent or patron ever tell me or us we suck because we use stands or that we can't use cheats or they won't book us back to gigs we walk out the door making $200-500 a night per man n a five piece and paying our FOH guy an equal share. They don't dare, people had a great time, all parties made bling, and move on down the road.
If I was doing an all original act it would not be different now days. I've just had to play too many different songs in the past 40 years and I either cannot remember them all or really don't give a crap whether I remember all the changes in yet another hit song, I have no illusions of grandeur, I had my shot, got close, didn't make. But I can still bring big dollars even though I use cheats on stage, and I have no issue doing that. I apparently still deliver the goods or I wouldn't be able to enjoy what I get to do.
There is no shame in not being able to or wanting to remember all the intros, or when the solo is, or even lyrics for the 5,000th new friggin song I've had to learn since 1972. The only shame is that you would not take advantage of modern technology to assist you in your quest for big gigging and you keep choking the chicken with brain farts . If you can remember everything, more power to you. If you can't, find a tool that helps you do so. But don't kick those that do. Because we're laughing at the guys who don't use cheats, screw up parts and lyrics when they could have just used the right tool for the job.
If I was doing an all original act it would not be different now days. I've just had to play too many different songs in the past 40 years and I either cannot remember them all or really don't give a crap whether I remember all the changes in yet another hit song, I have no illusions of grandeur, I had my shot, got close, didn't make. But I can still bring big dollars even though I use cheats on stage, and I have no issue doing that. I apparently still deliver the goods or I wouldn't be able to enjoy what I get to do.
There is no shame in not being able to or wanting to remember all the intros, or when the solo is, or even lyrics for the 5,000th new friggin song I've had to learn since 1972. The only shame is that you would not take advantage of modern technology to assist you in your quest for big gigging and you keep choking the chicken with brain farts . If you can remember everything, more power to you. If you can't, find a tool that helps you do so. But don't kick those that do. Because we're laughing at the guys who don't use cheats, screw up parts and lyrics when they could have just used the right tool for the job.
I used to be really against music stands. I would never use one. But my view now is that no one really notices. If your band is rockin' the place no one really gives a XXXX.
If you have that "amateurish sound" and sit there staring at your music stand all night, then its bad. Really bad.
If you have that "amateurish sound" and sit there staring at your music stand all night, then its bad. Really bad.
I am with ya brother! My point exactly.
Again, my point. If you have the time, the extra storage space, do it. If not, the people writing your check ( and not just your friends and family that have overhead your complaints) will never not book you back.
