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I have back troubles and if I stay in one place too long, it really starts to hurt! So, I tend to move around a little while playing, but not enough to trip over the wires! Plus, playing with a mic limits the distance. When I wasn't the lead I could back away or turn somewhat, and when I had a break I could move right up to the mic. It really helped my back.
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Originally posted by mikejboulderSammy Shelor for sure is always creepin around on stage, getting in behind others taking solos.
Yes, he does, and other band members join him in spurring on the soloist. I also enjoy the way the Po' Ramblin' Boys do the same, and even their bass player carries that thing around!
Coming from a rock ‘n’ roll background, I’m prone to moving around — mostly unimpeded via a clip-on DPA 4099 mic and long cord. This is however mitigated by the tiny stage-less spots we wind up playing in more times than than not.
But I guess I never really thought about how that might be perceived in the more traditional sense… dagnabbit, another thing to be self conscious of!
I am not a big fan of wanderers. I have watched bands that all play wide open and come to the front one at a time, so we will know who is taking the break.
I like seeing people enjoy the music and not be stoic, but wandering can be distracting to watch. I very much dislike wanderers in a jam who try to get in front of you everytime you take a break.
I have a habit of that…..Some bandleaders don’t mind, others don’t like it.
I took my wife to see Hot Rize at the Boulder Theater. She is not a Bluegrass fan, but loved Red Knuckles. She laughed herself silly as Slade AKA, Charles Sawtell, wandered around the stage until he was reeled in by the chord attached to his bass. It was part of the act.
I think a single-mic setup can provide for enough movement on stage if done well. And it looks pretty cool and choreagraphed, too.
Nope. I had a guitar player in my Bluegrass band who stated that he liked to move around rather than stay in one place. It was just a “look at me” situation. Consequently he was NEVER ready to be at the mic for harmony etc when needed.
He constantly daydreamed, I guess, that he was on the BIG stage and made mistakes constantly.
BTW. He was a short lived band member.
Not a good look for Trad Bluegrass.
IMHO
When wireless mics and guitar rigs first became affordable, the lead singer/rhythm player in my country band started to go into the audience (attention hog that he was). And then started to miss all his ques for singing. And started to play out of sync with the rest of the band. Running around stage is a gimmick. Heck, Bruce used to dive off the speaker towers at one point. And I used to play in a BG band with this mando player who was a coach for the womens US Olympic gymnastics team. The guy would do back flips off winger wagon stages. All gimmicks. Just play the damn music. IF you're good, we'll listen!
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Originally posted by trackersSince you brought up moving around while playing , what about the the pickers at open jam sessions waltzing around the jam circle wanting to get closer to the person picking their break ? I have seen this several times at different bluegrass jams. Some people just can't sit or stand in one spot and pick. They just wander around from place to place. The only reason I can think of as to why they do this is, they think a better picker will make them sound good. LOL
We have a guitar player like that, he just can't stay seated. I think he just has a lot of pent up energy that he needs to get rid of. I think he also wants to get some excitement and enthusiasm going. I don't have a problem with him. He is a very good guitar player and singer. I take breaks from him as much as he will give them to me. Some times he and I go head to head and I catch some of that energy. He breaths a lot of life into what would otherwise be a circle jerk strum-a-long.
Edited by - BG Banjo on 11/28/2024 11:15:48
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