Poll: There is NO STAGE

[mellowinman]

Moving tables... I'm ok with that. I once had to move 2 pool tables. That... well, it sucked.

The picture below... I would have preferred no stage. My amp.... well it's on the roof below the stage. It wouldn't fit.View attachment 3271304

That is not a stage! That is a DEATHTRAP!!!! Yikes!

 

[Artman]

I've played plenty of gigs where the "stage" appears after tables are moved. It's not preferable, but often inevitable. Hey, at least that beats the gig where we showed up and the manager of the place said "who are you and why are you here?"

Correct answer: “We’re The Good ‘Ole blues brothers Boys from chicago”.

 

[40Hz]

As long as it’s not a safety issue (e.g. out in the open with the rain coming down) just play the gig.

Wait until your days of greatness before you go all ‘rockstar’ about staging.

 

[TheReceder]

That is not a stage! That is a DEATHTRAP!!!! Yikes!

ready for the scary part. That stage was out in the elements for 3 years before we played on it (in Minnesota) 3 years later... it's still up there. We had six people on that postage stamp, and it was a 3 story drop in front of the stage.

 

[Wfrance3]

Didn’t vote but like in this order:
Proper stage
Something stage-like in nature
No stage, but proper patron barrier
The remaining downgrades are in “dislike” rating territory, so will discontinue the hierarchy at this juncture...

Having said all that, I can be paid to like practically anything....

 

[neddyrow]

restaurant / bar owners don't care if you are happy or not unless you have already proven to make them more money than not having a band that night.

most nights a band plays in a bar or restaurant, it's a gamble. until you can prove you draw a crowd and make the establishment money, they are just anxious until the night is over. since this is your first time there, you have no hand.

also, it's more work for the staff. setup and the unknown of your crowd is stressful....especially if no one shows up and they make less money.

so sorry if people are not bowing down to you when you walk in.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I bet half of my gigs are at places like that, and have been through the years. It is what it is.

What does suck is when you find yourself as the band in a situation where there should really not be a band. This happens in restaurants mostly, where the play is to keep the diners there late for drinks rather than leaving to get the drinks somewhere else.

IME, that play does not work. Instead, the band starts and chases off the people who were there for conversation, even if they try to play quietly. And you end up playing for the bar staff all night because it's a restaurant and nobody comes to eat after 10PM.

It's better to play in a situation where the patrons expect there to be live music, stage or not.

Yep. we have one of those. I have no idea why they have bands. Starts at 9:00 ends at 1:00. Halfway through the second set, the place ends up with maybe 10 or 12 customers. The last set we play to the staff. Been playing there about 6 time a year for the last 3 years. It never changes and the owner never complains. We have been told by staff that it is that way regardless of who the band is.

 

[mellowinman]

As long as it’s not a safety issue (e.g. out in the open with the rain coming down) just play the gig.

Wait until your days of greatness before you go all ‘rockstar’ about staging.

Lack of stage is not even my biggest problem with live shows. Let me give you a loose scenario:

Local "big name" band plays a venue all the time. Said venue is hard to book into. Keyboard player advises they booked the big venue! Yay! Come to find out:

1. Local "big name" band is playing an outdoor festival that night that is the big deal in town
2. Said venue has donated most of their stage lighting to local "big name" band
3. Said venue has done nothing, not even mentioned online, to promote your show
4. You get there, and the place is huge and you can really see how huge because it's completely empty. You are playing to the bartender, three waitresses, and a hostile, mean-spirited owner, who is watching you from the back of the huge empty room, in a Mussolini-like arms crossed pose, with an angry look on his face
5. Your drummer says, "cover me, I have to change my kick drum pedal"
6. You're thinking, what am I going to do, tell this angry room JOKES????
7. Your suspicions of this being a very hostile environment are confirmed only a couple of weeks later, when one of the bouncers SHOOTS and KILLS an unarmed customer IN THE PARKING LOT, who has already left the bar, and the cops are unconcerned

I have a lot of stories like this.

 

[mellowinman]

restaurant / bar owners don't care if you are happy or not unless you have already proven to make them more money than not having a band that night.

most nights a band plays in a bar or restaurant, it's a gamble. until you can prove you draw a crowd and make the establishment money, they are just anxious until the night is over. since this is your first time there, you have no hand.

also, it's more work for the staff. setup and the unknown of your crowd is stressful....especially if no one shows up and they make less money.

so sorry if people are not bowing down to you when you walk in.

Sorry if I let people who expect and take abuse for very small amounts of money play there while I stay home.

 

[acleex38]

I prefer NOT having an elevated stage. I like the intimate feel and I've done enough situations where "leading a sing-along" is as much the goal as anything.

I also prefer not having fresh customers seated in the "we have to move tables to make the stage" area 5 minutes before we arrive to set up. But if they're paying customers, I'll suck it up.

I HATE loiterers. "We've finished our meals and our drinks, the check is sitting there waiting for us to pay, and we decide to chat for another hour. Oh, a band - when do you start playing? Oh, you're waiting for us? Ha ha! Awesome! Maybe we'll stick around to check you out."

But I suck it up there too.

 

[Richland123]

Out of the last 14 gigs we played, only 5 had a stage. All the others were set up on the floor and, in some cases, not much room at all

 

[40Hz]

Lack of stage is not even my biggest problem with live shows. Let me give you a loose scenario:

Local "big name" band plays a venue all the time. Said venue is hard to book into. Keyboard player advises they booked the big venue! Yay! Come to find out:

1. Local "big name" band is playing an outdoor festival that night that is the big deal in town
2. Said venue has donated most of their stage lighting to local "big name" band
3. Said venue has done nothing, not even mentioned online, to promote your show
4. You get there, and the place is huge and you can really see how huge because it's completely empty. You are playing to the bartender, three waitresses, and a hostile, mean-spirited owner, who is watching you from the back of the huge empty room, in a Mussolini-like arms crossed pose, with an angry look on his face
5. Your drummer says, "cover me, I have to change my kick drum pedal"
6. You're thinking, what am I going to do, tell this angry room JOKES????
7. Your suspicions of this being a very hostile environment are confirmed only a couple of weeks later, when one of the bouncers SHOOTS and KILLS an unarmed customer IN THE PARKING LOT, who has already left the bar, and the cops are unconcerned

I have a lot of stories like this.

Best I can suggest is to pick your venues a little bit better. It’s all well and good to say the show must go on. But there’s no dignity in dying on a barroom floor either.

That’s one reason why any band I’ve been in made it a point, whenever possible, to do a recon visit as civilians prior to playing a completely unknown venue and get a feel for the house vibe. Figure if you’re unwelcome as a patron, you’ll probably be equally unwelcome as the night’s band.

 

[And I]

I once played a gig with a nice big stage which was under a tent. The stage was tall, the tent was not. The support wires for the tent poles ran across the stage in several places at neck-level. So be careful what you ask for...

 

[Ric5]

stage ... oh hell ya gotta have chicken wire

 

[Richland123]

I bet half of my gigs are at places like that, and have been through the years. It is what it is.

What does suck is when you find yourself as the band in a situation where there should really not be a band. This happens in restaurants mostly, where the play is to keep the diners there late for drinks rather than leaving to get the drinks somewhere else.

IME, that play does not work. Instead, the band starts and chases off the people who were there for conversation, even if they try to play quietly. And you end up playing for the bar staff all night because it's a restaurant and nobody comes to eat after 10PM.

It's better to play in a situation where the patrons expect there to be live music, stage or not.

Most of the places we play that have an early dinner crowd have wised up the last few years and have the bands start playing at 8:00 and finishing at 11:00. It keeps some people there who eat at 6 or 7 and don't have to wait until 10:00 for a band to start

 

[klokker]

I've played in a few corners before. It was fine. Played where I got bumped by every girl that went to the bathroom. That was no problem either.

 

[socialleper]

A gig is a gig.

 

[two fingers]

Yeah I've done it. Most of them were swanky private affairs. But true occasional club doesn't have a stage. It's not my favorite. But I make it work.

Jist be kind to the bouncers while you set up. And just before showtime, ask one of them nicely to help sweep the riffraff away if they get "on stage".

No bouncers? Use your microphone. It's the most powerful tool in the room.

"Hey, does anybody belong to this guy? He needs a ride home and says he doesn't have enough money to pay his tab. Anyone? Anyone? Sorry, pal. I gotta go back to work. Thanks for coming. Now step back and let us play the next song for the rest of these nice folks."


.....all over the PA. Works every time.

Once my keyboard player in a former band held his hand out like he had a note in it. He squinted and said "You really want me to read this? OK, buddy. Honey, she didn't mean anything to me. I'm sorry."

There was no note. He just wanted the guy to go away.

 

[donkeygrl]

Our drummer played on top of a pool table once ...so he kinda had a stage...while we were on the floor lol... this was a few years ago but even when we have had stages they haven’t always been ideal ...I try and book better arrangements for us nowadays but it doesn’t always work out ..

 

[SBassman]

Couldn't care less if there is a stage or not. 90% of the venues in my region don't have stages. In my gig world, we are not there to give a concert. We are there to enhance someone's night of dinner and/or drinks. We are a secondary addition to an evening, not the main attraction. Stage is irrelevant to us and the patrons. What Does matter to us is - enough Space to play comfortably.