Metal Sludge Gossip Board

List bands that have the members stand in weird spots.

Sabbath - Putting Tony in the center and Ozzy on stage left was very strange. Rectified in later years.


Twisted Sister - The two guitarists on 1 side and Mark Mendoza on the other

Early Kiss - For being a "4 personalities" band it was weird that Gene and Paul's mics were spaced equally in front of the drums and Ace was sorta shoved off to the side, and often kinda in the dark.


Any others?

Ian Hill barely being on the stage. Took me half the concert to realise he was there

Nate S Axel wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 8:02 pm LA Guns putting Tracy Ulrich in the bathroom.

End thread

Robert Sweet of Stryper and his sideways drum kit set up.

I’ve also seen several cover bands through the years where the keyboard players front and center for some reason.

That WAS weird how Twisted Sister had both guitarists on one side like Mendoza's bitches. That shows you how little charisma and chops they had combined.

Night Ranger

$tEvil

Feel like Zep was 2 in the front 2 in the back a lot. JPJ always to Bonham's right.

Foreigner Urgent video

https://youtu.be/Lcb-Fsx_phM?si=ObyBWegqRfZJGTv_

BernieTaupson wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 8:48 pm Jonathan Valen behind the stage playing second drums on the Priest Turbo tour.

That dorky looking keyboard player Sabbath briefly had in the 70s, after the roadies tied a cable to his keyboard and slowly moved it further and further off the stage during the show as a prank.

During the show here in the netherlands he was actually UNDER the stage

I guess this counts. Tool around 2001. Maynard sang from behind a curtain the entire show. The rest of the band was in the darkest blue lights most of the time. They looked like silhouettes.

El Vampiro Blanco wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 12:48 am

BernieTaupson wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 8:48 pm Jonathan Valen behind the stage playing second drums on the Priest Turbo tour.

That dorky looking keyboard player Sabbath briefly had in the 70s, after the roadies tied a cable to his keyboard and slowly moved it further and further off the stage during the show as a prank.

During the show here in the netherlands he was actually UNDER the stage

Valen wasn't even on the Euro leg of the Turbo tour. Over, under or on the stage.

I'd love a recording of that LA show where Kerrang! Wrote about Valen. I have one from the same venue and date but they didn't play Hot Rockin' and Wild Nights Hot and Crazy Days. In fact they never did on that tour except in the mind of a clueless and coked up journo....

Does Coverdale up on a podium behind the drummer in the Still of the Night video count?

YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN

Homeboy gets 90% of the stage, the peasants and pondscum get to fight over the remaining 10% area over there on the left.

pieceofme wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 9:59 pm Foreigner Urgent video

https://youtu.be/Lcb-Fsx_phM?si=ObyBWegqRfZJGTv_

Three layers of musicians. That guy in the third row must be the least liked. Barely noticed him. The sax player gets better billing. They should have kept this arrangement on tour.

Really don't know much about them, but I thought I recall Gorillaz all behind a screen or something with their cartoon versions on the screen. Maybe I'm making that up.

If I remember right Ozzy's placement had yo do with him hearing himself.

Brian Wheat eating his food on stage between songs

Jellyfish lined up in a row at the front of the stage with the lead singer playing the drums standing up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBQhS2O ... Nq&index=5

Back when they had the six member line up of King Crimson in the 90s, bandleader Robert Fripp was in the back in between the two drummers. Sometimes with very little lighting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZClj8jn ... NIUCgsMw3l

Asia had their keyboard player behind and above the drummer and the way the keys were set up, he had his back to the crowd for most of the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5ASgfr1YU

mrspeedgene wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 5:05 am If I remember right Ozzy's placement had yo do with him hearing himself.

I cant imagine in what world standing in front of Tony's amps could possibly have helped with that.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 3:28 am I guess this counts. Tool around 2001. Maynard sang from behind a curtain the entire show. The rest of the band was in the darkest blue lights most of the time. They looked like silhouettes.

This show was so boring, I had forgotten I had seen this tour...

I remember the Audioslave drummer on a pretty high drum riser with his back to the crowd.

MetalSludgeCEO wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 9:05 pm Night Ranger

$tEvil

first name that popped in my head...d.m.

Didn’t I see an early Def Leppard with either Tony Kenning or Rick Allen, I don’t remember which one it was, playing drums at the front of the stage?

Tom Petty had some odd stage set up when I saw him years ago where it looked like they had told the road crew to set it up exactly like they had it in some cramped rehearsal space, it was a completely random maze of equipment. I looked for pics but couldn't find anything exactly like it. My wife and I still laugh about it!

the_man_incognito wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 7:37 am

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 3:28 am I guess this counts. Tool around 2001. Maynard sang from behind a curtain the entire show. The rest of the band was in the darkest blue lights most of the time. They looked like silhouettes.

This show was so boring, I had forgotten I had seen this tour...

Yup. I didn't want to go. Not a fan, but my gf (who became my wife in 2002) bought the tix so it was that situation.

I wasn't at this exact show but John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
ALL the guys were on the right in the corner except one guitar player who had the entire left side of the stage to himself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja-kWcsR-Mg

Can't find the clips right now but 2 others come to mind:

Yngwie Malmsteen: Didn't he do a tour where he took pretty much the entire stage and his band and singer were in the little corner by themselves?

Or the infamous hologram Ronnie James Dio!

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 9:02 am

the_man_incognito wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 7:37 am

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 3:28 am I guess this counts. Tool around 2001. Maynard sang from behind a curtain the entire show. The rest of the band was in the darkest blue lights most of the time. They looked like silhouettes.

This show was so boring, I had forgotten I had seen this tour...

Yup. I didn't want to go. Not a fan, but my gf (who became my wife in 2002) bought the tix so it was that situation.

Saw them in 07 at Boardwalk Hall in AC. You could see the other members but Maynard was a silhouette the entire time. Easily top 3 most boring show I've ever seen. Lasers were cool though.

HueyRamone wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 6:40 am

mrspeedgene wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 5:05 am If I remember right Ozzy's placement had yo do with him hearing himself.

I cant imagine in what world standing in front of Tony's amps could possibly have helped with that.

Easy, his problem was with hearing himself.
In front of Tony's amps he couldn't hear himself anymore.
Problem solved....

Just wait for the illustrious KISS Avatar Worldwide Tour. No stage required. No musicians required.

pieceofme wrote: ↑Wed Apr 30, 2025 9:59 pm Foreigner Urgent video

https://youtu.be/Lcb-Fsx_phM?si=ObyBWegqRfZJGTv_

What the hell did i just watch!?