Stagecraft 101: A question about stage order

[Ross]

This question is mostly for Mr. C, but I would love to hear from anyone else who has been in a band.

Tonight I busted out my VHS copy of Live at the Town and Country 1988. 25 years... hard to believe.

Here's my question. I am curious how a band decides who goes where on the stage. For example, on the 1988 tape, the order is more or less, from left to right, Jem, Terry, James, Shane, Darryl, Spider, Phil.

Flash forward 20 something years and the order has changed to something akin to Terry, James, Phil, Shane, Spider, Darryl, Jem.

Is this something that a lot of thought is given to in rehearsal, or something that just evolves naturally? Is there any rhyme or reason to where everyone plays?

[philipchevron]

This question is mostly for Mr. C, but I would love to hear from anyone else who has been in a band.

Tonight I busted out my VHS copy of Live at the Town and Country 1988. 25 years... hard to believe.

Here's my question. I am curious how a band decides who goes where on the stage. For example, on the 1988 tape, the order is more or less, from left to right, Jem, Terry, James, Shane, Darryl, Spider, Phil.

Flash forward 20 something years and the order has changed to something akin to Terry, James, Phil, Shane, Spider, Darryl, Jem.

Is this something that a lot of thought is given to in rehearsal, or something that just evolves naturally? Is there any rhyme or reason to where everyone plays?

In the early years, the formation evolved as the line up grew and changed. Musicians tend to have different needs, visually and aurally, onstage, and the line-up reflects that. Paul Scully, our sound designer, had input too, in trying to separate instruments out so that, for example, not everything was heard just honking through the super-sensitive accordion mics as environmental ambient noise. Once everyone is more or less comfortable, it stays that way, with occasional tweaks worked out in co-operation with the on stage support personnel. I think I'm right in saying the current configuration has been set in stone for many years. I wish I could pretend there was some less mundane rationale for this "stagecraft", but there really isn't.

[Nick M]

I've always really liked that 'formation' on stage, it's almost become part of the band's identity. Like many others, I always try to get as close to the middle as possible but always seem to end up somewhere in front of Spider/Jem or Terry/James by the end of the evening...! Not that I'm complaining mind.
Phil, I remember chatting to you before a gig in Liverpool on the 'Hell's Ditch' tour in 1990, and I asked why you and James were the only ones that seemed to move round much on stage. You explained that the Maestro and yourself were on radio mikes, and the others weren't. I reckon you two cover about a mile each on stage for each gig.

[philipchevron]

I've always really liked that 'formation' on stage, it's almost become part of the band's identity. Like many others, I always try to get as close to the middle as possible but always seem to end up somewhere in front of Spider/Jem or Terry/James by the end of the evening...! Not that I'm complaining mind.
Phil, I remember chatting to you before a gig in Liverpool on the 'Hell's Ditch' tour in 1990, and I asked why you and James were the only ones that seemed to move round much on stage. You explained that the Maestro and yourself were on radio mikes, and the others weren't. I reckon you two cover about a mile each on stage for each gig.

In fact, I reverted to a looooooong guitar cord soon after that. I like to feel connected to the source . But James sure covers some ground still.