During a recent band rehearsal, Robert Farrell took out an elevating guitar stand that a student had made for him. The drummer (also a Mark) and I thought this stand was out of this world and went into a full court press trying to convince Robert that the stand should be part of the stage. I went so far as to suggest he wire up some flashing lights, like landing lights, to accent the “going up-and-down” of the guitar.
While driving home from the rehearsal, I started to wonder why I was so keen on this guitar stand being a part of the band’s live show. Which got me thinking about the concerts I remember. While I remember the performances and the musicianship of the bands I’ve seen, those memories get a bit foggier over time and they certainly don’t translate well in conversation.
“You wouldn’t believe the riff he played!”
“The bass player was in the groove.”
“That was the best version of their hit I’ve ever heard.”
These really sound like you-had-to-be-there moments.
I find that my most-clear concert memories usually centre around what I can easily explain and a listener can easily visualize — things like ZZ Top’s working junkyard stage during their Recycler tour, Dire Straits opening their On Every Street tour with a high tension screen that recoiled upwards in an instant on the opening hit of their first song, and Sting threatening to stop his Nothing Like the Sun concert in Ottawa because the general admission folks were forcing the people at the front into the protective fence.
We often talk about the stage layout, the pyrotechnics, the jumbo screens and the light show because we can describe it. It’s hard for us to hum back a great musical performance.
It’s worth noting that bands like ZZ Top aren’t just great live bands; they’re great live performers. They’ve incorporated incredible laser light shows with disco balls that make it look like it’s raining drops of light on the arena. During their Recycler tour, Billy and Dusty were compacted into prop-compressed cars (midway through the show) which they burst out of wearing shiny gold jackets and new instruments. They also walk, and seemingly slide around, on moving conveyor belts which always gets a roar from the crowd. Maybe that’s why I’ve seen the band five times — it’s more than just the music which I know they can play very well.
On the Monday two days after our performance as part of a benefit concert at the Elmdale Tavern a few weeks ago, Woody and Doc took a few moments to talk about the event on the Doc and Woody morning show on CHEZ 106. Woody wrapped up the 45-second conversation by saying Robert Farrell was “on fire” (the only band or musician mentioned by name). That sounds like a lot of post-concert reviews to the average listener. I can’t help but wonder if an elevating guitar stand would have spiced up the conversation and had listeners curious enough to come to the next show.
I’m sure Drum-Mark and I (Bass-Mark) will continue to bug Robert about his guitar stand. Come see us when we perform in November. Perhaps you’ll get to see this famed elevating guitar stand. Our next public concerts are November 6 and 7 (POSTPONED TO DECEMBER, DATES TBD) at Buster’s Bar and Grill (2525 Carling Avenue, Ottawa).
There’s always a balance between musicianship and showmanship. It is certainly a pity when musicians forget to be entertainers.
I have a good experiment that shows the difference in a straightforward way. My band has two incarnations: The Neurotics are a crazy retro-sixties band with glittery jackets, wigs, and fake British accents. HourGlass is the more staid version, wearing nice suits — we tend to get hired in that guise for weddings and other events where organizers would prefer the band not distract from the bride and groom, for instance.
It’s the same people, playing the same songs, often with the same kinds of jokes. But when we stride out onstage in our Neurotics garb, pretending we’re a famous classic act in the rock star vein, people love us before we’ve played a note. As HourGlass, we have to prove ourselves with the music. The difference was also obvious more than 15 years ago when we were busking on downtown streets: the more of a spectacle we put on, the more money we made.
The stage show counts, especially when you’re a party band. Sure, discerning fans will love a noodly involved jazz-fusion performance where the players spend most of the time looking at their hands. But there’s also a reason I remember the explosive shows of Midnight Oil or Dread Zeppelin over any number of introspective shoegazers.
Comment by Derek K. Miller — October 14, 2009 @ 2:05 pm