SHOWING OFF BY FITTING IN
A confetti cannon to the face
can sure ruin a good night of local music. Live shows are a chance for a band
to give their fans an experience. It should be more than a chance to hear the
band’s CD played live. But developing and pulling off a great stage show takes
time, practice, and thought.
A stage show can be as simple
as being consciously spaced out to fill any sized stage or include
choreographed waives goodbye and t-shirt cannons filled with jell-o. Emerging
acts often face the tough task of playing on the floor of a neighborhood bar
one night and trying not to get swallowed up on a 50’x30’ stage at the House of
Blues the next. A band could, and should, put as much thought into their stage
show as they do mixing their songs. Nothing kills months of laboring over the
music faster than a poorly executed performance. Ever see a band who thinks they’re in Las
Vegas putting on the rock equivalent of Zoomanity but they’re really just four
overweight shirtless dudes? Avert your eyes! Face the bar and order some rum!
GIVE
THEM A REASON
Central Florida calypso, punk,
reggae group, Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso (JC) knows
how to balance the idea of a stage show with the reality of performance
constraints. They have 10 band members but that can vary by show. Their goal is to bring the party to any sized
venue. But it takes some thought to pull it off. Ostrich (vocals and steel pan)
said, “We can play with members [off-stage] on the floor. But it’s more
important to make sure the P.A. system can handle that many [members].”
A Johnny Cakes show can get
quite elaborate under the right conditions. They’ve been known to have jelly
fish dancers, cartoon pre shows, and other elements. They want people to think
their show is worth leaving a warm and comfy couch for. No one wants to hear a
CD they already have, played by drunk musicians. And very few will come out just to
support. Tough times. We would all like
someone to support us. It’s not a reason to spend money on a local music show.
Give the people a reason.
IT’S
TIME
Before a band breaks out the
welders and starts to create their own A-Team style grand finale or rents out
the Haus of Gaga, there are a few details to consider. How long is the set
time? When is load in? Is there a backline? How much time between bands? “If
there are a lot of bands, we scale it back. We don’t want to interfere with
another band’s time slot.” If a band has
extra materials onstage Ostrich suggests they ask friends to help them with the
load in/unload process, and practice ahead of time so everyone knows what
they’re supposed to be doing. “Our goal is to give people something interesting
without causing problems for others.”
A band that’s been together for
a while will naturally incorporate more and more elements into their show,
whether that’s dance moves, projectors, audience participation segments, a
blood volcano, or a chain saw (keep reading).
What works on one stage is not guaranteed to look good on another. Just
simple even spacing may look professional at a coffee shop stage but it can
look bare bones and downright sad at the Hard Rock. What killed with an
audience of 800 can look a hot jumbled mess at the 250 occupancy local dive
bar. “We can be too big for some venues but it can also be exciting to watch us
try to pull it off.” Bands should consider the performance space ahead of time,
if need be, practice in a similar sized space, and visit the venue before hand
to be sure of the parking, door sizes, and to confirm any technical needs.
BIG
STAGE - BIG PROBLEMS?
A big stage can make it harder
for 4-5 band members to make exciting. “A good light system can make a real big
difference, especially for instrumental bands.” But lighting systems can be
expensive and a band must always check to see if it’s compatible with the
venue’s system.
At the local/touring level, a
stage show can and should change with each new venue. While that may seem
daunting, it’s a good thing. Really! It’s a reason for people to come out and
pay to see you again and again. Fans might have seen a show 2 weeks ago but
they will pay again if they know all 10 members will be playing on the drum
riser…
GET IN
THE GAME
“People can expect a wild, high
energy show. There is not a typical Night for Johnny Cakes and the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypso.” Being conscious of having a stage show can start
with what each member of the band intends to wear. Do you have a color scheme?
Is it ok for a member to wear whatever they wore to their day job? When it comes to dress, the style of dress
must fit the style of music and the personality of the band. T-shirts mat look
out of place in a jazz trio and a suit may look odd on a metal front-man.
Johnny Cakes do not dictate what each member wears but they do often have
themed shows. At a benefit to raise
money to help a local animal shelter, the band dressed in animal costumes.
“Once, the entire band dressed as batman, except for the bass player. He was
Robin.”
Benefits, charity shows, and
holiday shows are great excuses to try out new elements of a stage show. If it
works, great! Then incorporate it into other shows. If it fails, never speak of
it again…unless interviewed by Quinton J Sheer, Esq.
IT
WON’T WORK ALL THE TIME
Not every ‘Best Idea Ever’ will
seem so once the rum has worn off. “We have a song [Super Black Death Cloud]
about zombies. Our sax player took an actual chain saw and fired it up. The
chain was removed but no one, not even the band, knew he was going to do it. I
could see fear in some people’s eyes. A few ran out the back door.”
Clear any out of the box ideas
with the rest of the band and especially the venue. Having to retool the show to accommodate the
venue’s rules is better than being blacklisted from that venue and others.
Elaborate stage shows can be very entertaining but are not always necessary.
Just be conscious of putting on a good show for the people who come and the
venues who allow it all to happen. Be exciting and easy to work with and there
will be more shows and more chances to try something new. That way, the grand finale
doesn’t end with giving the 50 people in the audience paper cuts in their eyes
from an overzealous confetti cannon.
** Johnny Cakes and the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypso can be found at www.GutterCalypso.com. Join the adventure and
be their friend at http://www.facebook.com/guttercalypso.
