Comments on: why do bands turn around a lot during a live performance?

By: pooryorrick

pooryorrick — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:43:59 +0000

There’s various reasons we do that. One being just to interact with each other musically. I will turn towards our drummer quite a bit during solo passages that our guitar player does..(im the bass player/keyboardist)… its a way that I can interact dynamically with the drummer. After all.. its the drummer and bass player thats the meat and potatoes of the band! Cueing each other is another reason, as sometimes we will extend a certain part of a song if were having fun with it. Another reason… stage presence. Hey.. this isnt a church choir where everyone stands on risers and looks at the audience. Its a rock and roll show! Gotta move around a bit.. have some fun. Plus, standing in one place to long you start to cramp up.. maybe a certain stage light will start to bother you. Keeps from getting so claustrophibic too.
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Source is myself: Musician of 45+ years, playing 4,5,6,7 and 9 string basses, Upright bass, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Synthisizers, and Recording Studio Owner.

By: Saul

Saul — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:26:59 +0000

I’ve done it to keep eye contact, to share the excitement of the moment, to physically watch a player if I can’t hear them that well, to see who’s effing it all up, and just to do something different. Facing the audience the whole time can be kinda boring, especially if you’re on a small stage. Gotta move around.

When we’ve done cues its been more like “okay we’re doing this at the same time, right?” You know, eye/facial communication. It’s too loud to talk easily, usually.

Saul
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By: sbdfhs

sbdfhs — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:03:59 +0000

Usually they are telling other band members off for hitting wrong notes or doing something wrong!
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By: Maximus

Maximus — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:19:59 +0000

Is it usually during a solo? People sometimes need all eyes off them during a hard part in the song.
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By: chrysostomon

chrysostomon — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:44:59 +0000

Disorientation caused by damage to the interior ear following exposure to long periods of loud noise. They forget which direction the audience are.
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