Bandstands?

Matt Steindl · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

I hear a lot of you folks say, "when I am up on the bandstand". Are you speaking literally, do you really play gigs w/ a traditional tiered bandstand? I cant say that I know any venues down here that have anything like that. Is it a Country music coloquialism, or are you guys really sitting up there looking like you are playing w/ Benny Goodman?

IM SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Well Matt don't take it too serious, I mean the actual definition that is. The Bandstand could and may range from anything from a Gymnasium floor to the Benny Goodman style Bandstand you refer too and anything in between also to include 6 pieces of plywood on a lawn. This past weekend for me Fri night was the plain ole' floor, Sat. night was an elevated stage complete with a little rail in front and you had to get up to the stage by steps from either side.

Now the term "on the bandstand" when used most likely refers to just plain gigging and in the most common situation probably has nothing to do with the actual "space" that you place your amp and axe.

I use the term often and for me it just refers to the actual gig of live music, even though at times the live music sounds like it's being played by dead musicians.

tp

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

BANDSTAND: Any place the band stands.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Yeah, most places have a "bandstand" or stage. It's a raised area that puts the entertainment above the crowd. It can be anywhere from 1-4' high, and anywhere from 8'-60' wide, and from 6'-16' deep. On some, there's yet another riser for the drums only that puts him up another foot or so. A nice stage is a sign that the "establishment" has class...or had it, at one time, anyway.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Donny.........don't forget the "classy" clubs that have a band stand, complete with last years Xmas tinsel or Halloween crepe paper, flashing lights, etc. These often times fall into the 8' x 10' category.

One of our local steelmen has his own RISER that puts him up near eye-level to the other members in the band;own lights, etc.

THen there are those that have room for not more than 3 skinny standup pickers and the steel man has to sit on the postage stamp sized dance floor, on the customer side of the iron railing.

THen of course, those with chicken wire from the floor up to the ceiling and around both ends of the bandstand........those are the Delux facilities.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

We played a place one time; the owner said,"Y'all ought to get a good sound up there, I just put egg cartons up behind that tinfoil."

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

Jay Dee use to have a "riser" for just his guitar at the Palamino. He had a tall bar stool with a back that put him at eye level with the rest of the band.
I got to use it when my old band "Easy Money" played there. I kind of felt like I was a little kid sneaking into the royal palace and sitting in the king's throne.
JE:-)>

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

We Still have lots of true bandstands in the Texas Dancehalls. I had one place I played "The Bluebonnet Palace" where I was on a platform so high I thought I was going to get a nose bleed. The Fiddle player was on the other side of the stage on a platform. Good thing we weren't allowed to drink on the job. It was a neat setting. We had six different singers and they were all over the stage.

Bob Hayes · From: Church Hill,Tenn,USA

Long Long ago, far far away, in a land called Salt Lake City, Utah...I played at The Westenner ...a Huge C&W Dance Club with a "Movable Band Stand" durring the slow nights..Tues-Thurs the management (and band) would use only about a 3rd of the dance floor and the bandstand was moved up. On Fri & Sat nights we were ussually packed and the band stand was rolled back to the end of the building. One The curtain ladened
bandstand were # risers or litle stages. one for the Drumer..one for the base player..and one..for the (me) the steel player...The whole bandstand was very well Plush) carpeted. The Bandstand worked very well for a 5 or 6 piece band. I've played on other "Good Band Stands" or stages...and not so good..some very crowded..some times I was on the floor..while the "Stars had the "Spotlight" up high..Some time a cramped corner..other time a stage large enough for an Orchastra.. The "Benny Goodman" type work good..but sometimes it's a Back Porch!!!!
Grouchyvet..

Tony ..Hope to see you at Kanapolis!!

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I recall one in Longview, WA., that was floating in the water on Lake Sacajawia (sp?) and I kept feeling this tingling in my fingers throughout the event.
And how about those that shake and wiggle every time the drummer hits the big one....and discover later you've all been sitting on sheets of 4 x 8 plywood that's been laid across a couple dozen saw horses? Whew!

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I've been playing Steel Guitar since 1960 and bass longer than that so I've seen a variety of bandstands. They've ranged from car dealer parking lots on the ground to horse drawn platforms pulled into the arena at show time, revolving stages, even one that had the back legs of a chair cut off so the steel player could sit on the tier. One place we play the ceiling is so low the fiddle player has to move acoustic tile so his bow wil have a place to fit through. This week-end we will be playing in a hanger at Kelly AFB on a flatbed trailer. But I've got to tell you no matter what, they've all been fun.

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Gotta love them flat bed trailers,specialy when they's straddle the pichers mound at your local little league park.(been there too)
Bill

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Bill Ford

Tony Davis · From: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Well I have played a few bandstands to...mostly raised....like on the back of a truck in the main street of a city that is a viscious slope....very strange feelin playing with your bar hand about eight inches above your pickin hand..and your seat sliding downhill fast !!!
The biggest stage was Mount Isa Civic hall......we looked lost in the middle of that one.....played for the silver anniversary rodeo....about five hundred drunken cowboys and their gals...that was on TV too...we looked pathetical small on such a big stage!
The smallest stage was in an old hotel in the city only room for the drums,the rythmn player and me on steel..the bass player vocalist had to stand on the dance floor...and at break time...the drummer had to open a window behind him..climb out and then walk round the front and come in the front door.
The weirdest was the Purple Pub in Normanton....way up in the North of Aus...Crocodile country......They flew me out to Mount Isa on commercial flight...about 3 hours...then the local band I was playing with took some seats out of a little Cesna light plane and loaded up....my steel case still has a chunk of covering missing where they shoved it in a wing storage. It was about 1 hour...maybe 1 and 1/2 flight in that one over some of the roughest country you ever wish to see.
The pub is a two story wooden place with verandahs...painted bright purple.....we played out in the back yard....it was the local race day..thats why we were there.....all the cowboys came in from miles around.....most of them Abbos...all with big hats....better cowboy shirts than we had....smarter trousers than us......and no boots and socks...just big ,black ,splayed feet!!!!
The only flat place I could find to set up my steel was on a concrete sewerage tank....so of course my mate whose band it was was trying to loosen the lid so that I would have fallen in!!....didnt work though!!

Bill Fall · From: Richmond, NH, USA

My worst "bandstand" was at Edward's Western Playhouse, a blood & guts honkytonk in Boston's infamous Combat Zone, back the '60s, where I once gigged on bass with the late Dick Miller and guitar prodigy from Bangor, George Moody. The stage, a creeky platform raised about 4' behind the bar, was accessed by a wobbly ol' stepladder. Once aboard, our four-piece group was shoe-horned onto a platform not quite 4' deep (at it's widest point) by 10'long (maybe less). And that length was petitioned off about 3/4 of the way down by a low crossbeam intersecting it. (We stuffed the drummer into that petitioned cube with only 5' of headroom.) With amps taking up the back 1-1/2 feet or so of space against the wall, we'd have to ascend the stage in correct seating sequence, so as not to have to virtually sit on someone's lap just to get by him. (We all sat, you see, 'cuz standing would make us too easy a target!) Dicky lucked out; he got the widest portion of the stage to accommodate his steel & amp. But at least the bar in front helped to serve as a buffer from flying bottles.

A point of interest: Dick Miller's brother wrote the song "Traveling" that was recorded by Chet.

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

I remembered another great one! I played on a cruse ship that went from Vancover to Juno via the "inside passage". The stage was fine, nice and big. But when that ship got to rocking and rolling through the swells coming off the north pacific, you'd have to start putting the brakes on your bar about the 6th fret if you wanted to stop on C at the 8th. I'd be playing and the whole guitar seemed like it was raising up towards my face, or falling away under my hands.
That was still better that what the singer had to put up with trying to catch up to his mike & stand as it moved around. At least my Emmons didn't ever wack me in the mouth.LOL
JE:-)>

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Amen Jim.....

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 November 2002 at 06:01 PM.]

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