guitar_mad_ali

My band have been gigging regularly the past year and now we're doing our first small tour so stage prescence and our attitude is more important than ever.

For some stupid reason I studied a Popular Music BTEC (english qualification, 18-19yrs) and they showed us things like planning moves on stage and ques for the other band members to say "Im going to come across to this side of the stage" and blanacing the stage.

I've never discussed this with the band, I think they'd be open to try it I'm just not sure if it'd stick. Does anyone here have these kinds of routines, real planned out stage choreography? Do you know anywhere I could find resources that would help plan these out?
Thanks UG!

shreddymcshred

If you don't practice like you will perform, you are cheating yourselves out of the comfort of knowing what to do. There's something to be said about spontaneity, but this could end in disaster.

If you have your old books or notes from that course, you should start there. I don't have any other sources for you, but I do believe you have a good idea.

TNA

Unless you are the Backstreet Boys I don't think you'll be choreographing your performance. People run around and do stuff on stage because they are up on a stage and they are pumped up. Of course there's certain songs where you will usually do the same move or whatever. There are several well known bands that have bad stage presence. As long as the singer is moving that's good enough, everyone else is icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

scguitarking927

+1

I hate detailed choreography, especially when everyone does exact the same thing or copies other bands. *cough* metal bands

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guitar_mad_ali

I agree in that an entirely choreographed set would look terrible, much akin to the backstreet boys! And that spontanious-ness is desirebale. I think that having a thing or two planned out though would help get the other guys in the band moving when normally they dont.

guitar_mad_ali

this is good advice

Aussie_skater

I agree with you but im not sure about the copies other bands part, especially for metal bands... there's only so much you can with metal and head-banging. Of course that whole crab style head banging has been copied and done to death.

Still you should try to get more movement in the band when praticing and it will come naturally when performing. Don't forget that some of the simplest things can look good, for example if you have two guitarists solo-ing with their backs leaning against each others centre-stage.

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krypticguitar87

tbh I don't think TS is talking about coreographing their set but more talking about certian things ahead of time, if a guitarist chooses to swing his guitar over his shoulder, everyone should know, because people not knowing is how they get smashed in the face.

the band should have little signs (things that the audience won't really notice) to give eachother for things like "I want to move over there", or "I'm gonna do [insert move here] so you should give me some space" things like that make your show run smoother and it's less likely that someone gets hurt.

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cheapr2keepr

My best prep comes from being ABSOLUTELY expert in your music such that you don't have to think at all about playing the music correctly. You will then be less likely to get distracted by doing stage moves to F up your music.

Depending on your music style, stage moves might be expected. There is nothing wrong with planning or ripping off established moves, as long as it "looks" like it was completely natural and organically derived.

Don't forget the important logistics, like eqipment limitations or stage boundaries. You'd hate to have your guitar unplug in the middle of a solo or dislocate/break something because you fell off the stage. Because of this, planning is a must.

Pandawithapick

Like most things, the answer to this, is going to be somewhere in the middle. While choreographing dance moves is pretty lame, its good to plan some things ahead of time. I see nothing wrong with planning ahead of time when someone does a jump, or certain parts of a song where one member crosses the stage. Not that you need to plan any of this, but I don't see a thing wrong with it.

sonny bb

IT all depends on how you feel in the music. Someone said something about the crabcore thing. When you get to the point of choreographing a reaction to your music, it loses something.








that said, don't try to windmill the guitar out of nowhere.

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jpatan

Seriously? Every time I see a band do this, I cringe. In terms of cheesy cliche rock and roll moves, it falls right in between 2 guys singing into the same mic, and when the whole band lines up doing "the stab" move with their guitars in unison.

I don't go to a show for all the crazy theatrics on stage. If the singer has energy, and the guitarists don't just stand there staring at the fretboard I'm good.

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Cowless

There are two rules when it comes to stage presence; 1. Be a good dancer. 2. Look at your audience.

You should practice doing both.

KORRUSK

For stage presence, just be entertaining and have fun. Don't overthink it, just try to let loose and open up to your audience.

You Ruined It

The important thing in my opinion is to groove to the music, no matter what genre. If you're feeling it and you're moving it then that's good. Also it doesn't hurt to know the song backwards and forwards you can concentrate on listening to the others than yourself.

My bandmates are actually really good with stage presence with the exception of the co-guitarist who gets really stiff unless I make him look at me jump around or something. And most of us (myself included) have to work on facial expressions and smile more.

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mrbabo91

Be a good dancer ?

Really

seljer

This is slightly unrelated to this thread but I was watching this yesterday and I think it managed to cover every single one of those clichés you listed and probably a couple more (i.e. the longest choreographed outro ever) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZM...25&feature=plcp <- however there is a moment there when they go for the two singers on one mic thing and one of them can't get to the microphone because the other is standing in front, I think thats more like the thing the TS was asking about

timfleur1987

My god Seljer, that was... something. The outro, the stabs, and the solo.. 'classic'.

But TS honostly, just be yourself on stage. Move to the music, try to be at ease, and enjoy yourself. When you can show your audiance you are having a good time at playing music and you're not standing there stiff as a board, it will catch on. Choreography just gives you one more thing to worry about on stage.

And I'dd like to add, in addition to what I've said before, its important that your band acts and looks like a whole. My band has a keyboard player who barely moves during live gigs, but since we automaticly invlove him in the show, he doesn't 'stick out'.

yoman297

I think about cool things I'm going to do when I go up on stage and keep those in mind. Every time I play a song in my cover band it's the last time I play that song, so I try to make it good.

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