Making your stage look good

EasilyAmused · March 16th, 2007, 04:48 PM

I see this time and again... bands set up their equipment with wires running all over the place and everything just looks like one big mess of cabling. As a musician, I understand that hooking up a band and a PA takes a lot of cabling, but for the non-musician, I think this can often look quite unsightly.

In a lot of pro bands, this doesn't seem to be an issue, so I'm sure there are ways to improve one's presentation.

Any tips for making a neater looking stage set up?

CSS · March 16th, 2007, 05:34 PM

Snakes really clean up a stage front and are really cheap these days. With so many wireless systems out there now, gtr/vox/monitors, you see very little cable clutter on the pro stages. You would be surprised at the damage done to cables after night after night of being stepped and stomped on. Trying to chase down that snap crackle pop in the mains? Try the center stage cables first.

GoldieLocks · March 16th, 2007, 07:06 PM

Alittle bit of Duct tape goes a long way. It only takes a few seconds thought to clean up all your cables. I also use a piece of carpet to go over some stray cables. Makes the stage feel like home.

austintele · March 17th, 2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldieLocks

Alittle bit of Duct tape goes a long way. It only takes a few seconds thought to clean up all your cables. I also use a piece of carpet to go over some stray cables. Makes the stage feel like home.

+1

Chris S. · March 17th, 2007, 11:53 AM

Yup, +1 on the duct tape. Fixes almost anything.

But another way to "make your stage look good?" SMILE a lot.

Even when you don't want to. In my experience, people are watching you, not the mess on the floor of the stage. And there's almost nothing less entertaining than watching a bunch of moozicians who look as though they'd rather be doing something else.

(And if you really don't feel like smiling while you're playing... why are you doing the gig?

Not that you need to grin like an idiot all the time, that's not what I mean at all. But there's a reason it's called "playing."

) Even just exchanging a few winks with your fellow band members or a passing waiter or customer can go a loonggg way toward making you an act people look forward to seeing. Just FWIW, and IMO only. (Sorry for the "off topic" detour – but I hope it helps.) :-) CS

P.S. I also agree w/CSS. Depending on the size of your group and the p.a., etc., there are lots of commercial cable snakes available that can put all your various wires into one nice, neat bundle. Best of luck. :-)

woodman · March 17th, 2007, 12:02 PM

CSS has it right -- keeping the stage shipshape also increases the longevity of your gear. i always try to tape all cables out of the traffic pattern to keep 'em from getting stomped. especially mike cords -- it's worth spending extra for longer ones to be able to route them in front of the monitors or behind the drums.

joemac · March 17th, 2007, 12:04 PM

A nice selection of beautiful guitars and amps is the best way I know of.
And I agree with the smiling. I want to see performers who look like they're enjoying themselves.
If I wanted to see bored musicians, I would have stayed home...

March 16th, 2007, 04:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
EasilyAmused Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: London Age: 26 Posts: 315	Making your stage look good I see this time and again... bands set up their equipment with wires running all over the place and everything just looks like one big mess of cabling. As a musician, I understand that hooking up a band and a PA takes a lot of cabling, but for the non-musician, I think this can often look quite unsightly. In a lot of pro bands, this doesn't seem to be an issue, so I'm sure there are ways to improve one's presentation. Any tips for making a neater looking stage set up? __________________ Check out my bands' sites: Soul/Blues and Brit Pop and Rock

March 16th, 2007, 07:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
GoldieLocks Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abbotsford B.C. Posts: 879	Cables? Alittle bit of Duct tape goes a long way. It only takes a few seconds thought to clean up all your cables. I also use a piece of carpet to go over some stray cables. Makes the stage feel like home. __________________ "How little I know inspires me tremendously! I'm a huge fan of other people's playing." Bonnie Raitt

March 17th, 2007, 11:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
Chris S. Moderator Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Near TELE-Town (Wash. DC) Posts: 3,788 7 Photos	Yup, +1 on the duct tape. Fixes almost anything. But another way to "make your stage look good?" SMILE a lot. Even when you don't want to. In my experience, people are watching you, not the mess on the floor of the stage. And there's almost nothing less entertaining than watching a bunch of moozicians who look as though they'd rather be doing something else. (And if you really don't feel like smiling while you're playing... why are you doing the gig? Not that you need to grin like an idiot all the time, that's not what I mean at all. But there's a reason it's called "playing." ) Even just exchanging a few winks with your fellow band members or a passing waiter or customer can go a loonggg way toward making you an act people look forward to seeing. Just FWIW, and IMO only. (Sorry for the "off topic" detour – but I hope it helps.) :-) CS P.S. I also agree w/CSS. Depending on the size of your group and the p.a., etc., there are lots of commercial cable snakes available that can put all your various wires into one nice, neat bundle. Best of luck. :-) __________________ "I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad. It's depressing." – Tara, from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" "It was born at the junction of form and function." – Bill Kirchen, from "Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods"

March 17th, 2007, 12:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 64 Posts: 9,149	CSS has it right -- keeping the stage shipshape also increases the longevity of your gear. i always try to tape all cables out of the traffic pattern to keep 'em from getting stomped. especially mike cords -- it's worth spending extra for longer ones to be able to route them in front of the monitors or behind the drums. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Woody & the Stragglers - Western Swing/Roots-rock)

March 16th, 2007, 05:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
CSS Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: W48th St. NYC Posts: 879 25 Photos	Snakes really clean up a stage front and are really cheap these days. With so many wireless systems out there now, gtr/vox/monitors, you see very little cable clutter on the pro stages. You would be surprised at the damage done to cables after night after night of being stepped and stomped on. Trying to chase down that snap crackle pop in the mains? Try the center stage cables first.

March 17th, 2007, 12:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
joemac Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: elverson, pa usa Age: 57 Posts: 216	A nice selection of beautiful guitars and amps is the best way I know of. And I agree with the smiling. I want to see performers who look like they're enjoying themselves. If I wanted to see bored musicians, I would have stayed home...

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