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Position on stage

jaywa

jaywa

May 5, 2008
7,702
283
Iowa City, IA
#1
Feel free to move this thread if another forum is more suitable.

Just wanting stories/perspectives on a couple things relative to live performance:

1) Where is your ideal position to set up?

2) How adamant are you about "staking out" that territory on the stage?

3) Have you ever "yielded" your preferred stage position, and why, and how did it affect your playing?

Whenever I have the option I set up to the immediate left of the drummer (assuming s/he is right handed). I am right handed so this allows me to see the kick foot (important if you're not getting any through the monitor), also to hear plenty of high-hat and not get the headstock in his/her way (I am right handed as well). If I have to, I will go to the other side (the drummer's right) but it's not as comfortable and I really don't care to have a ride cymbal clanging in my ear all night. Right-of-drummer worked fine for John Paul Jones and John Entwistle but for some reason has always felt "backwards" to me.

I am pretty assertive about this and will even come in early for set-up to ensure I get "my spot" if I'm working with people I haven't worked with before. IMO the worst place to be is on the front line at one of the ends, i.e. as physcially as far away from the drummer as possible. I have really never had anyone challenge me about where I set up and in fact several drummers have said they appreciate having my amp close enough so they can hear me (since bass gets run through the monitors even less than drums do, at least around here).

By way of disclosure I should say I am not the front man in any of my bands so it's easier for me to just hang out on the backline. I do sing some backups but even then I only come upstage a few feet to the mic, and then I'm back to the amp.

If auxiliary percussion is involved, I like to stand between the drummer and the aux player (if the aux player is good), or as far away from the aux player as possible (if s/he is bad).

Others?
 
#2
I like the the right side of a right handed drummer for some reason. I have no ego problems with being seen and so I am fairly flexible with room and position with but one exception:

I absolutely hate with a passion being directly behind a front person of any kind in a small venue situation. I find it distracting and I feel stupid. I have always felt this way.

Exceptions would include standing behind a sitting keyboardplayer (I rather enjoy that) or behind the drummer which is rare. Am I abnormal? :)

JKT
 
#3
I play Entwistle/JPJ-side. So, stage right (or to the right of the drummer).

I used to play Geddy-side in high school and college. But for some reason I changed. Now I only feel comfortable stage right.

That said, I will try to accomodate setting up wherever necessary, as limited by stage size, # of players, etc. I only get mildly demanding about my amp being audible to the drummer and about being able to make good eye contact with the drummer.

I find that most guitarists don't really think at all about where their amp should go anyway. So if I get blocked by a guitarist, I simply drop some science about needing the bass to be right up on the drums. Usually no arguments there, and they'll give me my spot. With keyboards, it's usually more of a challenge b/c their junk takes up more space. But in many cases, the same argument will get me my preferred place.

In most of my bands, I do lead or backup vocals too. So that also kinda stakes out where exactly I need to be onstage.
 
#4
I stand to the left of the singer and slightly behind her. My microphone is about a foot behind her stand. If she moves back then I move back with her so that she is always in front. The only exception is when I am playing a song that is drums/bass intensive, in which case I stand just off the hi-hat.
 
#5
Another advantage of being on the same upstage/downstage plane as the drummer, is that you tend not to get caught up in the guitarist(s)' amp wash. If they are running a traditional backline, then it's all blowing by you and if they are crossfiring over you can usually stay out of it since they tend to set up their amps more upstage, i.e. in front of the drum riser. I HATE having guitar amps torching my ears so if I can get out of all that, just hear a little from their amp and a little out of the monitor that makes me happy - and keeps me from being tempted to turn my own amp up too high.

One gig recently with a band I sub with, I got there too late and they had me set up in front and to the right of the drummer. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem except he runs his cymbals high and tilts them back and so I completely couldn't see him at all. That made it a little dicey on some of the songs I had never practiced with them...
 
#7
I liked that 101 Bass Tips a lot. I was surprised (pleasantly) to find out I was already doing quite a few of them!

Not sure what I'd do if I was playing with a drummer set up lefty... Probably would shift sides to stay with the high-hat though it would still feel a little odd.

I've noticed on some of the really big touring acts (Brad Paisley for one) the bassist is in a different spot from tour to tour (sometimes even from venue to venue on the same tour). Not sure what's up with that but maybe for the pro's that have state-of-the-art monitoring it really doesn't matter where they stand.
 
#8
I like to setup on the hi-hat side. It is most comfortable for me. I play thru a wireless, so I end up all over, but I always have my space to go back to. Luckily I'm playing in a 4 peice so I get one side to myself.

I hate being in the middle and blasted by everyone! I've had guitar players usurp my spot and I ended up in the middle. They're gone eh and I'm still around. LOL
 
#9
I'm always on the hi-hat side, close to the riser. I've played one show where I was on the hi-hat side, but the guitarist/singer and his rig were between the drummer and I. It was the worst I've ever played. I couldn't lock in at all. So, now I just groove by the hats and blend in with the kit. I don't think I'd yield that spot again unless I was doubling as frontman, and even then I'd just be further forward.

I tried being on the ride side in rehearsal once or twice, but it never felt right. I'd have to look over my headstock to see the drummer, and I could never see his kick foot. Plus, the ride bell and china crash in my ear all night wasn't exactly pleasant.
 
#10
you know, i've thought about this a bit, and i think i prefer on the drummers left - hihats side, like most have said. having said that, it really doesn't bother me that much. i think they both have their pros and cons - i feel like i have better communication with the drummer i work with a lot when i set up on the opposite side. not really sure why, might have something to so with the angle drummers seem to sit on.

the thing i've been thinking about more than this lately is whether i prefer the side with keys or the side with guitar. pro's and cons here too - i prefer my bass sound with the keys, i don't seem to get as much clarity setting up next to a guitar stack. however, if the keys player drops into the bass register it can really screw with me. also i seem to enjoy the gig more when i set up next to my guitarist, he's an incredible player and i feel i get a lot of musical satisfaction closer to him!

with all these factors.. i never seem to make up my mind and just settle wherever i end up!
 
#13
I don't care too much. I often end up right in front of the drummer as I also handle the lead singing most of the time. In one band I play with occasionally, I don't sing but some backing vocals, and then I prefer standing next to the drummer. Usually on his right side, but it depends a lot on the shape of the stage.
 
#14
I couldn't care less where I am onstage as long as I get paid. Some people really care about things like that so they can see the drummer's foot or whatever. But I can always hear the drummer just fine without having to be within line of sight of his bass drum pedal, and locking in with the bass drum is very low on my list of priorities (and I don't want to hear any crap about it from you "locking in" Nazis...you want to lock in? Go ahead. I don't). Plus I'm more of an entertainer than most bassists, and I sing as well, and I feel ridiculous singing lead from the back of the stage.
 
#15
JimmyM said:
I couldn't care less where I am onstage as long as I get paid. Some people really care about things like that so they can see the drummer's foot or whatever. But I can always hear the drummer just fine without having to be within line of sight of his bass drum pedal, and locking in with the bass drum is very low on my list of priorities (and I don't want to hear any crap about it from you "locking in" Nazis...you want to lock in? Go ahead. I don't). Plus I'm more of an entertainer than most bassists, and I sing as well, and I feel ridiculous singing lead from the back of the stage.
Click to expand...

+1

I'm all over the place, I dont feel like just standing in that "bassist corner" right to the drum kit.

I know... I should've been a lead guitarist, right?
 
#20
The main reason I run wireless is to allow me the freedom to move around until find a sweet spot on stage where I can hear everyone fairly well without worrying about an instrument cable (it can also be helpful to move throughout the venue during sound check to hear what the audience will hear).

I try to pick my position on stage based on where I can hear myself and everyone else in the band clearly (something monitors don't always provide); hopefully a position that also provides reasonable eye contact, and allows me to hear what's being said off-mic in between songs. I usually like to be at least six feet away from my cabinets, but if it's a small stage I stand wherever there's room and do the best I can. Sometimes, I'll position my cabinets on the opposite side of the stage in an effort to provide a bass sound that works reasonably well for everyone on stage.
 

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