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Stage presence + metal + shy guy = :-( ???

#21
thanks for all your input so far.
the thing is, that i want my band to deliver for the fans.
currently we're only a three-piece so i'm the only one not at least semi-stationary like the singer.
so i'm trying to figure out what the audience wants?
being a musician, i care a lot more for the music then the performance but estimating maybe 20% of the regular audience are musicians, what does the rest want?

go crazy? well, the can do that if they want to but do they need the band to fire them up?
how's the interaction between audience and band like?
 
#22
When playing metal especially for local bands, A good show is considered one where the band goes off. My last band got well known and got gigs because of me and a guitard doing simultaneous windmilling(circle headbanging).

The crowd will enjoy the band more, if it looks to them like you are enjoying yourself. If you dont want to headbang/move around the stage interact with the crowd, Jump down off the stage and play in the pit (if you have wireless), Or you could just make small movements to the beat of the song, swaying thumping your leg...
 
#24
Here is my .02.

A promoter here in Winnipeg sent up a show for us to perform in front of the owner of a record label who he knew, and was in town with another band that he was friends with. One of our guitar players roots himself to the stage and just plays. He is a really good guitar player but does not move at all. I headbang, move around, never jumped up or anything like that, since I am 6 foot 6 and would hit my head on the lights, and so does our other guitar player. We played an amazing set, no noticable screw ups.

The guy came up to us after and said I want to talk to you guys (we didn't even know he was there). So we went in to the club resturant to talk. He began by telling us that he really liked our style. our original sound, and thought we had some amazing songs.

BUT our guitar player needed to start to put on a show (headbang, move around, get the crowed into it), he also told us that our drummer needed to use triggers (he plays really light and he is hard to here even mic'ed). He also stated that he not only needs to be able to sell the music, he also has to sell the live show. We talked alittle more, he asked us to send him a promo pack, and that was it. In the next couple of weeks we put together a promo pack and sent it over to him.

That was 4 years ago, never heard from him again.

A good stage show goes along way. People come out to see a show. If you are worried about making mistakes, don't be, you can hid them, just don't stop playing. If people wanted to here you play perfect they would stay home a just listen to the CD.

I've seen some great bands play and not move around, and have left half way through there set, because I was bored.

Let the music move you don't force it.
 
#26
I've found that for most gigs it's far more important to have stage presence over nailing every single note. Let's face it - the sound guy is going to turn you into a jumbled overamped mess anyway. And if he doesn't do that, the crowd will be too drunk to care that you aced that riff. What they will care about is you putting on a show and showing that you're having a good time - enough of a good time that they can relax and start to get into the music.

I'm not saying that completely flubbing the key is a okay, but you gotta MOVE. Try the persona method if you're feeling shy - people will love it.
 
#28
There is more than one way to have stage presence and one of the best ways is to be the silent power on stage. If everyone is going nut there is verry little for the audience to focus on. Dress in a style you like add some shades and stand with authority.
Be there for a interaction person for the other members of the band.
When you interact with them let then be the high energy member and you be the laid back cool bass player than holds down the bottom with class and quiet power.
Tell the guys to use you as a focus point where they can get the audience focused on the two of you and then they can take off with the high energy actions and the audience will go with them.
Work on it and I bet you and the band will see this as a big pluss.
 
#29
I believe for your (assumed to be competent) band to reach people you have to make an extra effort communicate with the audience. If you are focused only on executing the material, you are probably ignoring the people whose hearts and wallets you hope to win.

Imagine seeing 2 bands of equal musicianship and song quality, one of which simply shoe gazes (while executing the parts with precision) and the other actively cheeses things up a bit, plays with the audience, but maybe misses a note here and there. Which do you think will get the best audience response?

Don't fake it of course, but at least try to communicate to the audience that you are into what you are doing. Which as mentioned requires a surprising degree of exaggeration. People who stand still usually look bored onstage -and communicate boredom to the audience.

That said, we are mere bassists. If your Front man isn't putting on a show...
 
#31
This is easy: You are backline - stay back. Hang even with the drummer, focus on him. Unless you sing or are doing acrobatic stuff, your job is to provide foundation anyway, not to hog the stage - that's why we have guitarists and singers, right?

Stay in the shadows but play *really well*. And even in metal, don't be afraid to groove it a bit - chicks dig that...
 
#32
Metal was never about running and jumping on stage, that's the way emo fgts and other new-wave crap goes around.

Look at bands like Death. Your music is judged by how good it sounds, not by how ******** you look on stage.

-EDIT: Damn, Death were epic. Damn. I think DiGiorgio used a fretless Jazz Bass on the official record, iirc.
 
#33
I play bass in a metal band as well, and have had the same problem to a lesser extent. Since my group is a quintet, I can *afford* to move around a little bit less as our two guitarists and singer really move quite a bit. And I'm not the shyest guy in the world on stage either. BUT...I've been going through the same thing in my head, "What, if anything, can I do to improve my overall live presence?"

Recently, I've observed something that turned into one of those "why didn't I think of this earlier?!" ideas. I study and practice riffs for hours in my personal time, then rehearse with my band 2-3 times a week. However, I spend almost no time on my stage moves.

Two words: Boy Bands (I like to look at extremes to make an example). The best of the best are singing somewhat technical lines requiring tons of breath support and focus to nail...and yet they are simultaneously dancing their butts off. Sure, these guys are supported by the major labels and hire choreographers to help them out, but the facts remain. From what I've gathered, they will spend hours not only rehearsing the singing, but the dance moves as well. Separately at first, and then together.

So how can this apply to your situation? What I've been doing lately is listening to my metal band's music slightly differently. I pretend I am a professional dancer, and it is my job to find a suitable dance for each section in each song. I'll listen to certain sections and realize things like "hey, for these 16 measures I should headbang in a power stance, and then when the transition comes along I'll shake my bass, and then I'll drop close the floor for the final climactic note."

Do that sort of homework and attempt to execute at rehearsals. Then when you hit the stage and the nerves calm down a little bit, what you've worked on will come out naturally with a little luck.

Good luck man! Hope I see you on tour when my band finally gets to Europe!

-Andrew
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EDIT: PS: Keep in mind that different audiences look for different things in a live performance. If you're playing bebop chord changes at breakneck tempos, your not likely playing to people who would get disappointed when you're not moon walking during your solo. As others have mentioned, the same can go for metal. But with that said, I've seen some bands pull off some crazy music while tearing up the stage.
 
#34
I play in 4 piece a alt-rock band & I my stage pressense changes from song to song. If were playing a ballad I'm a tree but if we play one of our faster harder songs It comes natural for me to "Power Walk" the stage lift a foot or whatever personaly feels great.

Now I never rehearse moves, I just let myself physically get in the music as much as the technical playing parts allow.

I do think that an Important part (though small), is how a band performs to entertain the crowd. If the crowd dont know your original songs and the band is standing around while playing intense music it doesn't grab the crowd as much as seeing a band really into thier music.

I'm not saying that you and your band should have trademark moves in unison LOL
Just give yourself time to be more comfortable with some songs to move around as you see fit.

There could be parts in each song were you'll be technically more comfortable to move about and rock comfy & confidently.
 
#35
Not all metal bands go nuts on stage. Great example: Clutch. The singer, Neil Fallon, has great stage presence where he works the crowd. The music sounds like the band should be jumping around. However, the bassist & guitarist stand practically still throughout the whole show, yet still deliver a killer sound. Don't worry about jumping up & down. Be yourself. If you force your mood on-stage it will negatively affect your playing which is most important.
 
#37
gonzilla said:
People don't go to see bands stand on stage to do a carbon copy of their CD; they go to see a show. That said, if your personality isn't that of a performer, make your personality work for you.
Click to expand...

+1. Do what you're gonna do and make it work :)

I think a good example is John Myung. Doesn't move around too much or headbang or anything like that, but you can see he is into the music, and his right hand moves more than most headbangers anyway :P

His stage"presence" is somewhat legendary among the Dream Theater fans these days :)

 
#38
BullHorn said:
Metal was never about running and jumping on stage, that's the way emo fgts and other new-wave crap goes around.

Look at bands like Death. Your music is judged by how good it sounds, not by how ******** you look on stage.

-EDIT: Damn, Death were epic. Damn. I think DiGiorgio used a fretless Jazz Bass on the official record, iirc.
Click to expand...

Death was a little different from most metal bands at the time though... I mean, even Obituary had a frontman that didn't play an instrument and he was always swaying around and headbanging. I wouldn't necessarily go to a Death show to mosh (not that I could anyway, sadly) but at Pantera show (:crying:) you'd be a little silly not to, especially with Anselmo being such a legendary frontman.
 
#39
i play in a post-/folk metal band and we don't really do much on stage. our music is pretty hard for us to play (heck, today we were busy on playing a riff simultaiously for 2 hours, we composed it ourselves, but it was the worst rhythm ever!) so we focus mostly on the music. some casual headbanging of course, and we do some **** where the guitards play eacht others guitars in intros, which is cool. but most of the time, we stand arounds and fretboardgaze :D


edit: sorry for all the spelling errors but its 2 am and im high
 

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