[Takashi]

Here's the question from the drummer of my band.
"On live stage, why do guitarists alway stand on the right side of the stage and bassists on the left (looked from audience)?"

Yes, Jimmy Page is on the right, John Paul Jones is on the left in various Zep live video. Joe perry is on the right while Tom Hamilton on the left at all of the Aerosmith concert I have been. Keith Richards (R) and Bill Wyman (L), Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, Brian May and John Deacon, I can go on and on and on.

Why is this the standard set up of a rock band concert? Who started? Is there any technical reason?
To me as an amateur (lame) bassist, I would have no problem standing at guitarist position. In fact lots of players move around and switch places during the show. But still, all the rock band I know starts out their concert with "guitar on the right and bass on the left". For 30 years Gene Simmons is always on the left when KISS begins the show.

Can anybody tell me why???

 

[Jahn]

Because the Beatles did it and it looked cool?

 

[VicAjax]

my bands were always the opposite...
maybe that's why we didn't make it big.

 

[Jasper994]

From an advertising promoter perspective: Since we read left to right here in western civilization, your eyes will initially focus in on the person center stage, will pause and then scan to the right. Rock audiences generally focus on the singing and guitar playing so the lead singer and lead guitarist are generally the frontmen of the band. The promoter wants you to bond to the band so you buy all of their albums and memorabilia, therefore he/she will place the frontmen in the most visible spots. The bassist is actually in a visual dead zone since the general audience does not pay much attention to the bassist.

 

[Jahn]

Which is why, over time, it has developed that the Japanese Love Bass.

Sony kills the bass in its cans so the Japanese don't blow out their eardrums from listening to their Bass rock idols!

 

[Takashi]

Thanks guys for the replies.

Jasper's theory is very interesting and convincing.
But Jahn's "Beatles did it and looked cool" could be so true considering they set so many standards.
Probably the Beatles started it because Paul was lefty, and promoters adopted it with different perspective.

Fascinating.

 

[kramer5150]

I never thought about that.... Just depends on the band I guess. Alex Lifeson (Rush) is on the left, John Petrucci (Dreamtheater) is on the right... the shows Ive seen. Eddie vanhalen is on the right.

I always left it up to my bass player... whatever side he'd prefer, I take the opposite. Never made a difference to me.

Garrett

 

[D-EJ915]

I don't know about why it is like that, but I know why I'd stand on the left of the stage (stage left, audience right) is because I always like somebody on the right side of me and couldn't really deal being on the right side...that's just me though.

 

[pne]

i stand on the right (from audience view) so that when I go crazy I don't have to worry about my guitars headstock knockin into the singer. However if it was up to me i'd be standing dead center, with no singer and the bassist and drummer in the back