We usually try to follow Frank's advice:

Tuck

killbabykill34
And, back on the subject of the Film Noir schtic, there is no doubt in my mind that having a streetlight on stage for the lead guitarist to play under would be completely essential...perhaps a fog machine running very lightly......

Fedoras at a minimum. Trench coats would have to be light and removable or you'll be grounding out in pools of sweat. "Wifebeaters" or dress shirts and high waist slacks with cuffs underneath? You could do the Bogart cigarette lighting thing during a song.* And you have to do some of the right songs, too. Maybe find a good evocative theme piece to do a quick versions of to start sets with. Check out Four Piece Suit? Mancini for sure. Maybe some of the Rumblers' material? A quick substitute for a streetlight might be a yellow spot, though a spot can be damned hot to play under. Try the voiceovers at the end of the song, or in the middle, for variety. Make up your own. - And then she said, 'I need you to find that out for me. Can you do it?' - Have some alternatives and fallback positions in mind in case the crowd isn't into it or the situation doesn't permit. If you can figure a way to work the crowd and the bartenders into the act, so much the better. Maybe prearrange buying someone suitable a suitable drink.

For some reason this comes back to me from a magazine caption (LIfe? Look?) years ago, "On members of the Family were arrested for consorting with known criminals. Themselves." Something like that.

• Blasters line (in a non-smoking public places state), "Whaaat! It's partada show."

Man or Astro_man? always said that they do three times the work for half of the credit. I can relate to this. Having a good stage gimick is a great way for a surf band to make themselves attractive to an otherwise uninterested crowd. However, in order for us to do this the right way, we have to show up hours early in order to set up projectors and such. I suppose you would just have to be really passionate about what you are trying to do. I know we are. Two hours of setup for a 30-45 minute set seems excessive but people remember us and they tend to buy a good deal of merch. when we play. Also, we have been able to play venues that I do not believe would have been interested had we not had our gimick.

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
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Tuck
KBK34, do you have a lightweight version of your "show" without projectors, etc.? I'm actually interested to know how the projectors enter into it, too. For video projected behind you?

No, we don't have a lightweight version of the show. The projector factors in to project images behind us. We have a video edit that features a huge, old black and white television with old horror images, among other things, playing on it. Our opening sample is also edited into the video, as it plays over an image of Boris Karloff's head floating over a spinning spiral with blinking red eyes...lol...We also feature tons of Jack o Lanterns on stage and fog at the moment. Honestly, the stage setup is still not where we want it but is effective.

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal

"Intense" is probably overshooting it. You are correct though. Multimedia is a great thing. The fact remains that honest surf music fans are a rare thing. Beyond them, the only people who might have an appreciation for instrumental music are the other musicians in the crowd. The multimedia setup really provides something else to draw people in to something they might otherwise not give a chance. So far, this has worked out wonderfully for us.

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal

matt
I called it the "bantermatic 2000 (tm)." Worked great!

Sweet idea! I wish I could see it! A lot of the shtick you hear if you go to see the same band twice might as well be prerecorded. What a great parody of that! With some bands it gets to the point where I can more or less quote them from memory. When it's OK, it's OK. When it's not so OK it gets to where I want to fall out of my chair and have convulsions.

So, Matt - - when people start to get used to this you can get the banter wrong with each song. If you get things in the right order, though wrong, it might be hilarious. Or inappropriate messages apparently rincluded by accident might be good. Maybe on occasion you can put snatches of the song on the recorder - a note here, a cadenza there. I think you might need a few additional special effects on it, too, like the Wipeout laugh and some tank kicking. Chickens, apes, whatever. "We'd like to thank the dancer(s)." Especially if there weren't any. (Sorry for kibbitzing!)

we don't speak at all onstage and it is SUCH a welcome change compared to past bands i've been in. trying to come up with banter - or listening to your bandmates try to do it - can be the most painful thing in the world sometimes. i'd much rather just go quickly from song to song.

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One "bit" that we get a lot of mileage from is our "Folsom Prison Blues"/"Pinball Wizard" medley.
Before we start it, I tell the audience that my hero, Dick Dale told me that Johnny Cash was a huge influence (true). Midway through, I tell 'em Pete Townshend of The Who was also influenced by Johnny and sing a verse of "Pinball Wizard" over the "Folsom" changes (try it!) and in place of the "Folsom" turnaround, play the riff that follows "Sure plays a mean pinball". It draws lots o' smiles (and tip $).