Improving live show

[Jordon]

I find that a lot of places I've played frown big time on bringing your own live engineer. Lighting they don't care about though. What we will be doing very shortly is integrating sequenced lights into our set. A band who's great friends of ours do this. They run Ableton Live (as we do) for backing/sample/click tracks, and they have a MIDI output going to a MIDI to DMX brain, then out to 8 or 9 multicolor lights/strobes that are synced to their set, all in perfect time. It's amazing how big a part of the show lighting is when you're in a heavy-yet technical band where you might not be able to run around all the time and play your parts cleanly. Here's the importance of elements in a live show if you ask me:

1. Overall sound - Tightness, accuracy, singer in key/pitch etc.
2. Looking the part - Everyone in the band must look like they are in the same band together. You don't have to dress 100% alike, but you should each be able to be individually recognized as being in "such and such band." Just look like you belong on the same stage together.
3. Lighting - Simple strobes placed in good spots, or even just a guy whose familiar with your songs and knows when to switch from blue to red or whatever at just the right moments.
4. Crowd interaction/physical stage performance - Run around, damnit!
5. Banners or side skirts (side banners that go in front of amps and whatnot)

There are more, of course, but that's what was mentioned.

 

[iekobrid]

You don't have to dress 100% alike, but you should each be able to be individually recognized as being in "such and such band."

+1 to having visual cohesion without looking like you raid each other's closets

I've seen embarassing band photos that look like they chipped in for a single three piece suit and parted out the jacket to the singer, the vest to the guitar player and the trousers to the bass player. T'is teh ghey. :Spam:

 

[Kadmium]

Laser rings.

 

[Sloan]

^ dude, they make whole LASER GLOVEZ too. i was gonna poast them, but i already posted LASERS + FOG CREW.

lasers (i like using lazers with a z), are so fucking awesome.

 

[iekobrid]

get Glen Sobel a set of these, STAT

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

get Glen Sobel a set of these, STAT

Holy motherfucking shit that's like a jedi drummer but with more awesomeness!

 

[Moonlight_Seeker]

haha jedi drummer. But I think those lazers are quite kitshy.

For a gig I personally think it is important that the musicians "becomes the music they are playing" and nothing else. And I think it is important that your "facial and whole body" expressions fit what you play and not what another member plays. Also, for guitarists and bassists, bending the knees gives a perception that the song is so amazing and they just have to get lower because of the rockiness. Also, doing a face like if you are trying to shit a mega load when the riff is just "too much". For guitarists and bassists, putting the neck of your instrument up when there are big hits or whatever rocks. And basically, people paid to see a gig and not a jam. I personally think that when you're on stage, you can screw 2 or 3 notes IF your move is amazing. Oh and putting a foot on a monitor is a sign you are as tough as your guitar, or bass, or keytar!

But I would LOVE to have one of them light machine thingies you plug in a computer and it follows the music.

 

[Razzee]

I personally think that when you're on stage, you can screw 2 or 3 notes IF your move is amazing.

my opinion too!

all shall perish are the total opposite of that. the play perfect but aint doing anything, sometimes the drummer even seems bored. dont get me wrong they are a great band, but it gets too tecnical in some way

 

[CatharsisStudios]

They are wwwwaaay to boring live though.

 

[Razzee]

They are wwwwaaay to boring live though.

yep, except when it's a really really small club, that one was great

 

[Kazrog]

OK, time for serious recommendations:

1. If your drummer keeps getting nervous and speeding up / slowing down songs at shows, practice and/or play to a click. Nailing down the ideal tempos within a 0.5 BPM degree of accuracy matters immensely to the feel of a song.
2. "Sing into the fucking mic!" I ended up marrying the girl (years later) who told me this, and we are very happy. Obvious, but it matters to remember to do this (if you sing and play an instrument simultaneously it's easy to be lazy about this in the interest of playing notes accurately on guitar/bass/keys/whatever.) Learn your songs better, do whatever it takes to play your music entirely by feel, whether or not you sing.
3. Talk slower, louder, and with more dramatic enunciation than you think you need to between songs. Remember, people are idiots, and they're probably also drunk! Don't use a big word where a diminutive one will suffice.
4. Make sure that you battle-test all stage clothes. Don't debut them the night of the show. That new polyester shirt will make your polyester guitar strap fly around wildly during your set - instant disaster. Those platform "New Rock" boots look really cool but get used to them so you don't fall off the fucking stage.
5. Make sure the floor wedge monitors are actually securely fastened to the stage before you put your foot up on one to go for your "John Petrucci ego solo" footrest. I've sent a monitor tumbling into the crowd once at an unfamiliar and dimly lit venue once doing this - and the fact that I couldn't stop laughing about it didn't impress anyone.

All of this advice comes from experience, sadly.

 

[xFkx]

Talk slower, louder, and with more dramatic enunciation than you think you need to between songs. Remember, people are idiots, and they're probably also drunk! Don't use a big word where a diminutive one will suffice.

Yeah, that's a good tip, i'll have to pass it to my vocalist couse he tends to rush it a bit sometimes.

Make sure that you battle-test all stage clothes. Don't debut them the night of the show. That new polyester shirt will make your polyester guitar strap fly around wildly during your set - instant disaster. Those platform "New Rock" boots look really cool but get used to them so you don't fall off the fucking stage.

I think i'd rather be buried alive then wear anything industrial/goth new rock stuff But as you say, it's based on true experience, so what gives with the falling of stage bit ? )

Make sure the floor wedge monitors are actually securely fastened to the stage before you put your foot up on one to go for your "John Petrucci ego solo" footrest. I've sent a monitor tumbling into the crowd once at an unfamiliar and dimly lit venue once doing this - and the fact that I couldn't stop laughing about it didn't impress anyone.

Uhm.. i know this one from the other side of the fence. During a evergreen terrace show, some dude wanted to stage dive and pulled a wedge with him down... on my foot... crushed a bone... meh.