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Performance and Stage Presence by Carl Dawkins
Performing on stage is something we all have to think about and evaluate at one point or another when we start to play live. Everyone has their own views and ideas on what they should and should not do, and most importantly, what their performance will bring to the live show.
This is just the opinion of one musician. When I attend gigs, I don’t want to be standing there having nothing to look at, nothing that’s catching my eye. Frontmen/women who are energetic have always made an impression on me, and I always remember them.
Now, this applies to all of the musicians in a band. When you hear a track on your IPod, you may be occupied with another task, a bit like talking on the phone to someone – they’re not going to be able to see you, so you don’t have to worry about how you look. Think of a live gig as having a conversation with someone in person—you are using your music to talk, however the audience can see you while you are talking to them. This is just one of the ways you can view your performance on stage.
I do realize that with every genre comes a certain level of demand on different instruments, but no matter what style of music you are playing there is always room for “performing”, be it subtle or exaggerated. I will be trying to focus on genres as a whole, as well as general performing tips that we should all take into consideration when playing.
I am currently at the international guitar festival in Cheltenham UK. I’m the house bass player along with the house drummer Henry Appleby. Henry is a pleasure to work with, and shares my views on performing. Every person involved with the performance needs to share the same respect for a good show, and be willing to perform out of there comfort zone if required.
Being the house Rhythm section, we have had to play a diverse range of styles over the last the 10 days. This gave both of us the opportunity to practice changing our performance style to suit the music, and the other musicians we happen to play with.
What I have realized over the last 5 years is that many musicians play with their back to the crowd. At certain times, that’s acceptable, as you need to cue someone who is behind you, or to rock out with the drummer for a few bars. However, if you have your back to the audience, it defeats the objective of the crowd coming to see you play. You wouldn’t turn your back on someone while talking to them, and the same should hold true for your performance on stage.
Here are some great examples of this:
Both of these performances are from Glastonbury. Pendulum’s stage presence is incredible…take note on how the band is playing to the crowd, and also how they are standing. Your stance can make a lot of difference to how you are perceived on stage. This is one thing a lot of people seem to underestimate. You could unintentionally look awkward on stage. It happens to all of us at one point or another, so try to be aware of it.
The second video is the very talented Beyonce and here remarkable backing band…now there is a serious amount of choreography. Each member has an assigned space on stage, yet each musician is holding there own, performing and fitting in place with the theme of the set.
We all rehearse and do production rehearsals before a tour to make sure everything fits before taking it to the stage. This preparation is always a must. You want to rehearse as if you’re playing live. This is something I have always done in bands, on all levels, just to make sure the show is going to come across in the right way, so you know the show was good after you’ve finished.
A good tip; practice something while being recorded, or in front of a mirror, or get a good friends feedback. I have always been in favor of adding some kind of character to my performance, and not just in my playing. Some may disagree, but from a live aspect, they work hand in hand.
The most important part of performing is making sure everything fits in with what is happening during the songs, “that” is what truly makes a great performer.
Carl Dawkins
www.caldawkins.co.uk
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Photo: Self-portrait by Melissa Auf Der Maur
Melissa Auf Der Maur is a Canadian bassist who played with Tinker, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. She released her own work and is a photographer with photos published in Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. She released her ‘90s Rock Memoir “Even The Good Girls Will Cry” on 17 March 2026.
KB: Did you always want to be a singer-musician growing up?
I’ve played music my whole life. In school, I played trumpet and sang in a children’s choir, so music was always within me. My mother was the first female disc jockey on the Montreal airwaves; her record collection played a huge role in my inspiration and love of music.
KB: When did you start playing bass, and why this instrument?
When I was 19, the early 90s music explosion began to percolate in tiny clubs around the world. I was lucky to be a ticket girl at Montreal’s underground music club. In one year, I saw Hole, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, and The Breeders – all had female bass players. That’s when the seed was planted. By the age of 22, I was the bass player of Hole.
KB: Which brands of basses have you used in your career, and which one are you using now?
The first bass that I learned on was a vintage Squier Precision. Hole was sponsored by Fender guitars, so I upgraded to Fender Custom Shop Precisions. That is all I play, but I have a cool vintage 8-string Greco that I use on recordings to thicken up guitar parts.
KB: What equipment do you use or have you used with your basses?
Ampeg SVT amps and cabinets, a couple of Sans-Amp pedals, and that is it.
KB: How did you become a member of Hole, and what is your fondest memory of that time?
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins was helping scout a replacement for (RIP) Kristen Pfaff, Hole’s bass player. My band, Tinker, opened for them on the Siamese Dream tour, so Billy had seen me play and could vouch for me. Courtney trusted her talented friend, and that was it. I initially said “no thank you” due to my commitment to my photographic studies and the drama and chaos surrounding the band during the “Live Through This” album release. Courtney took it as a good sign that I said no, so convinced me to reconsider, and soon after, I accepted their invitation, in the name of helping put females in the male-dominated landscape of rock music. My fondest memory is every show we played as a mostly female band, symbolizing what a woman could do in a rock band. Every show had a purpose: get more women to play music.
KB: You are a photographer as well. What makes a great picture? Do you shoot in color or b/w?
I started shooting photographs at age 15. Initially only shot black & white and worked in the art school darkroom. In university, I took a color photography course, and shifted mostly and forever to that, because it was easier to process film on the road when I joined a rock band. I experimented with many cameras, point and shoots, manual, polaroids, medium format, and vintage finds. The trick to a good photograph is to shoot many and all the time – the magic is in the edit and selection process.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
??I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians in my career. I would still love to collaborate with a new generation heavy electronic artist on an analog bass, heavy electronic drums, and synths collaboration project. Take me out of my usual zone, merging the past and future: my love of 80s dark new wave and new artists exploring that genre. It was very futuristic back then, and we are now, after all, living in the future. I am in the mood to play bass to heavy beats I want to dance to.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in music across all genres? And why these 7?
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction (love a rambling, rolling bass line – feels like the ocean waves)
“Black Top – Helmet” (was the first bass line I taught myself)
“Gold Dust Woman” – Hole from “The Crow 2” Soundtrack (it was my first bass line contribution to the band)
“Get Ready” – The Temptations (Motown just feels so good, because of the bass)
“Lucretia My Reflection” – Sisters of Mercy (makes me want to hit the dance floor and play bass simultaneously)
“Be My Druidess” – Type O Negative (full chord bass playing at its best by iconic, demonic, Peter Steele, RIP)
“Romantic Rights” – Death from Above (1979 – unique distorted overdriven tone, combined dance rhythm and melodic intelligence, all in one shot – also! Shout out to a bass & drum only band, which is awesome, and we should have more of, but the bass player needs to be a killer to fill that role.
KB: What are you currently up to?
Releasing my ‘90s Rock Memoir “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY”. Visceral healing process, it was to get it out of me and write it, but I suspect the real magic will begin by putting it into the world and reflecting with others on what the magic of the ‘90s was all about. Powerful music decade that carried us into what is now a brave new world of digital corporate weirdness – may the past shed a light on our future. That’s my hope for this book release and tour.
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