the very definition of showmanship: The Crazy Mic/Mic Stand!

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who had the best? my personal favorites are "and I am funky" era Prince's gun/mic, and Freddie Mercury's weird stand-that-isn't-a-stand,-just-a-stick-for-him-to-run-around-with(spare us the easy gags there, please). I'm about sick of Steven Tyler humping that thing covered in rags, though. the guy from KoRn appears to have some weird complex-looking gear all over the thing he grunts into these days, looks way too cool for him, though. what are some others?

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Julian Cope 0WNZ this thread.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Greatest thread ever. I've always liked (or hated) Madonna's receptionist-headset wireless setup.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

This fits nowhere else, but amusing to see:

Bill Carter, Screaming Blue Messiahs - was playing guitar - using the mic stand as a slide... then he took the guitar off and started to twist the guitar around the mic stand so the cords were all wrapped together.. And then he put the guitar back on around his neck, with the mic stand sticking out sideways - fucking hilarious.

..And I have always hated the headgear microphone - Madonna, Garth Brooks, etc...

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Morrissey: mic-cord as whip to discipline imaginary naugty boys (non-sexually of course). (Amongst other trix.)

― wl (wl), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

"the guy from KoRn appears to have some weird complex-looking gear all over the thing he grunts into these days, looks way too cool for him, though."

ha ha ha...for real though! That thing is designed by HR Geiger, and it is absurdly intricate and spectacular for something that transmits such base vocal stylings..."grunts" is right on the money.

― nickalicious, Monday, 4 November 2002 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Al Jourgensen was hanging animal bones all over his during latter-day Ministry shows. I have a dim memory of Jon doing crazy things with the mic stand at an JSBX show in '94. David Byrne dances with his in a bewitching give-and-take fashion.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 4 November 2002 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Nothing special about the stand, but Joe Tex's mic-stand trick was the best: knock the thing over, then *just* catching the edge of the base with his tippy-toe to stand it back up again.

― briania, Monday, 4 November 2002 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i like to stick the mic between my legs and simulate fellatio

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 4 November 2002 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

i like to stick the mic between my legs and simulate fellatio

Don't know if it's part of his shtick in every show, but when I saw them play, Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington stuffed the mic down the crotch of his wrestling trunks and offered it for guys in the audience to sing into.

― wl (wl), Monday, 4 November 2002 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.imotorhead.com/gallery/120.jpg
the classic rock 'n roll mike stand

― Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 4 November 2002 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

ministry!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 4 November 2002 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Howard Devoto used to have a special stand that he could sort of slither up (long time ago but I'm pretty sure).

― dan (dan), Monday, 4 November 2002 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

and simulate fellatio

Lux Interior to thread!

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 4 November 2002 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

James Brown must be the father of the crazy mic stand moves, I love the toss it away from you/flip it back with your foot on the base one.

Didn't Axel Rose incorporate the mic stand into his snake dance bit?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 07:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Axl would hold the mic stand horizontally with both hands (like a tap-dancer's cane) while he swayed back and forth.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 07:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Always enjoyed watching Iggy trying to nearly decapitate the first row of the audience with it. Just how far are you going to take devotion - are you willing to risk getting brained to be close to Iggy's leather trousers? And if you don't get brained then you might get 'bogied'.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Axl would hold the mic stand horizontally with both hands (like a tap-dancer's cane) while he swayed back and forth

Yes, he was quite a cheese, wasn't he.

Did someone mention Joey Ramone?

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy from Groop Dogdrill had a Hannibal Lecter style mask that doubled as a mic, leaving him to jump around with his axe.

― kinski (kinski), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

There's Trent Reznor in the "March of the Pigs" video where he knocks it over and throws it around the white room.

― Famous Athlete, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Nikka Costa will get my modern vote here.

Rog Daltrey will get my classic vote. Here.

― jm, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 05:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Definitely Roger Daltrey - Julian Cope even had a little piece welded onto his mic stand so he could stand up on it.

Johnny Rotten and even Rockin Rod Stewart must get mention too.

― gazza, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 06:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Korn's Jonathan Davis's H.R. Giger mic stand.

― Munky, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 06:55 (twenty-two years ago)

At a stop on the first Lollapalooza tour, I very much enjoyed the moment in "Head Like a Hole" when NIN's guitarist, who was clearly FEELIN' IT, knocked over his mic stand with his guitar, collapsing upon both, AND NEITHER VOCAL NOR GUITAR STOPPED. Now, that's the kind of showmanship that only the finest in pre-recorded digital audio can bring you!

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

bret michaels from poison doing that wristy twisty microphone thing in the "talk dirty to me" video.

― tony bleach, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

im wondering if GG Allin did anything with his mic stand.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

http://home.wanadoo.nl/adnan.derks/images/livedead.jpg
The infamous pig head mic stand...

― Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

http://media.avclub.com/images/articles/article/54130/sammyhagar_SL_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85.jpg

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 18:16 (fourteen years ago)

fugly

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 18:35 (fourteen years ago)

also, this is FUCKING HILARIOUS

http://www.hrgiger.com/music/korn.htm

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 18:37 (fourteen years ago)

Bowing a guitar with a mic stand? Sure, why not?
http://www.thewholive.de/bilder/1968-07-20-Who-04.jpg

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 19:08 (fourteen years ago)

Since the music has always been the most important thing for me and I must, absolutely, like it before I can work with a band, or even agree to
let them use one of my old paintings, first I listened to all the Korn CDs they sent to me.

Another one off the pedestal...

― Siegbran, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 19:54 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.hrgiger.com/music/korn.htm
― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 04:37 (2 hours ago)

http://www.hrgiger.com/music/korn.htm
― Munky, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 17:55 (8 years ago)

― despite not doin a tweet for five weeks (sic), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 21:30 (fourteen years ago)

yes i know, that's where i got it - was reposting!

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 21:33 (fourteen years ago)

the giger korn mic stand is fucking awesome, i have no idea what type of indie rock thumb-sucker would think that's stupid

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:08 (fourteen years ago)

Thread needs more pictures

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/ecnirp2004/Prince/1992.jpg
prince

http://bohemianeden.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/richard-aaron-freddie-mercury.jpg
freddie mercury

http://www.affordablescarves.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tyler.jpg
steven tyler

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/07.17.03/gifs/aural-0329-korn1.jpg
korn

http://media.blurt-online.com/heDRuDT6HjjI_m.jpg
ministry

http://media.avclub.com/images/articles/article/54130/sammyhagar_SL_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85.jpg
sammy

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lc4y0ucYe31qd9ctyo1_250.jpg
die antwoord

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:30 (fourteen years ago)

My Morning Jacket--I think this was 2004.

http://www.mymorningjacket.com/gogo/wp-content/gallery/031402/yarddog2-04.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:34 (fourteen years ago)

^^^ that MMJ pic is so stupid, even a guy singing into his penis can't match it.

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:39 (fourteen years ago)

Matt Bellamy and his anglepoise lamp mic stand:
http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/artist-news/muse/matthew-bellamy-on-stage-200-80.jpg
(sorry for small image size, but every other pic I could find was of MB looking unbelieveably smug)

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:42 (fourteen years ago)

Which would have made it more appropriate.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:47 (fourteen years ago)

The more recent incarnation of Cope's perch (couldn't find a picture of the Teardrop era one):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3941538271_5ee65c0a1e.jpg

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:50 (fourteen years ago)

we need to poll these poles

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 22:51 (fourteen years ago)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dq6YISN_sUA/SIoQkbYnFTI/AAAAAAAAAEc/S9ZcJ3wW31I/s400/LL.jpg

― banjee trillness (The Reverend), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 04:43 (fourteen years ago)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2091375971_1a518623d4.jpg?v=1196979204

― Grotjahn in the Moma (Pillbox), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 05:21 (fourteen years ago)

http://hardrockhideout.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/zakkwylde.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 05:39 (fourteen years ago)

xp Marilyn Manson during his 'fascist electrician' period

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 07:48 (fourteen years ago)

http://cdn-www.robbiewilliams.com//sites/default/files/imagecache/large/photos/official-photos/sn_2006_01253.jpg

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 07:51 (fourteen years ago)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq147/Patrick-Crowther/lemmy-1.jpg?t=1269719539

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 07:53 (fourteen years ago)

i'll stan for a good chunk of Cope's solo work, but this is just fucking ridiculous

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3941538271_5ee65c0a1e.jpg

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 13:41 (fourteen years ago)

even with the mic stand, i couldn't tell that aging hipster was LL Cool J :/

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 13:57 (fourteen years ago)

Here's what made me think of Copey nine years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bIckY5em_Y

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:19 (fourteen years ago)

lemmy appears to just have a normal mic stand that is extended over his head

― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:21 (fourteen years ago)

yeah, but that's how he always has it. you know, for showmanship.

― Ida Buttrock (sic), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:29 (fourteen years ago)

what's the metal band (i think from poland?) who hangs freshly slaughtered sheep skulls off the mic stand?

― m0stlyClean, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 16:53 (fourteen years ago)

Gorgoroth of Norway got in trouble in Poland, partially for the sheep skull thing.

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 16:56 (fourteen years ago)

To wit (via Wiki P):

On February 1, 2004, during a concert being recorded for a DVD in Kraków, Poland, the band displayed sheep heads on stakes, a bloodbath of 80 litres of sheep's blood, Satanic symbols, and four naked crucified models on stage. A police investigation took place with allegations of religious offence (which is prosecutable under Polish law) and cruelty to animals.

I don't know if there was a mic stand thing, though. Anyone more kult wanna pitch (black) in?

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 16:58 (fourteen years ago)

probly who i'm thinking of. pretty sure there was a sheepshead off the mic stand as well.....

― m0stlyClean, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:08 (fourteen years ago)

Hee hee, King Diamond.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5tY-XfbgJe0/SRZHbQnbWYI/AAAAAAAABVU/sSubRzjgAVk/s320/king_diamond_130507.jpg

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:22 (fourteen years ago)

Like, he's got a mic stand made out of human bones and he still manages to not look particularly brutal.

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:24 (fourteen years ago)

how do you know they are human?

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:30 (fourteen years ago)

Because I'm talking shit out my ass about a musician I know nothing about!

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:33 (fourteen years ago)

alright, rubber stamped seal of ilxor approval

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:34 (fourteen years ago)

I'm talking shit out my ass about a musician I know nothing about!

also- new board description plz

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:34 (fourteen years ago)

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/04/03/gal_hair_quiet_riot_1.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:35 (fourteen years ago)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dq6YISN_sUA/SIoQkbYnFTI/AAAAAAAAAEc/S9ZcJ3wW31I/s400/LL.jpg

― banjee trillness (The Reverend), Wednesday, April 6, 2011 12:43 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark

even with the mic stand, i couldn't tell that aging hipster was LL Cool J :/

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, April 6, 2011 9:57 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

you officially have hipster vision if you're just looking at rappers wearing generic sunglasses and backwards baseball caps and instantly going "UGH HIPSTER"

― ℯℳℴ　❤＼(◕～◕✿ (some dude), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:57 (fourteen years ago)

it was the shirt, dogg

― billy childish gambino (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 17:59 (fourteen years ago)

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2010/galleries/mariah-carey/mariah-carey-microphone.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:04 (fourteen years ago)

unless you read "I (heart) hip hop" as "I (heart) hipsters" that makes even less sense

― ℯℳℴ　❤＼(◕～◕✿ (some dude), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:05 (fourteen years ago)

can't find any concert pics but the singer from Kix comes out at the beginning of shows w/ a lit fuse on the end of a stick-of-dynamite-looking mic a la this album cover:

http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/k/kix/album-midnite-dynamite.jpg

― ℯℳℴ　❤＼(◕～◕✿ (some dude), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:08 (fourteen years ago)

http://bossip.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snoop-dogg.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:11 (fourteen years ago)

haaaaaaa

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:13 (fourteen years ago)

what the

― fat fat fat fat Usher (DJP), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:15 (fourteen years ago)

dude from WASP apparently uses this thing

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/346/domliveqa9.gif

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:17 (fourteen years ago)

Guessing that doesn't fit into the overhead bin

― fat fat fat fat Usher (DJP), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 18:18 (fourteen years ago)

snoop looks like he has prosthetic legs in that pic

― banjee trillness (The Reverend), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 20:16 (fourteen years ago)

http://theluxbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/rihanna-mic1.jpg

― SB Nation (Eazy), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 20:28 (fourteen years ago)

mic otm

― banjee trillness (The Reverend), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 20:29 (fourteen years ago)

BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL BADGAL

http://deepestspace.com/meme/images/thumbs_badger_deepestspace.com.jpg

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 20:57 (fourteen years ago)

holy shit that's the asshole who stole my skull scepter

― markers, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 20:59 (fourteen years ago)

the little hands can actually be used for gripping -- i used to use it to pull dead branches off the tree in my backyard

― markers, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 21:01 (fourteen years ago)

you fools forgot Dave Gahan using mic stand as helicoptor rotor!! (how he does that and makes it look cool i'll never understand, but it just is)

― Kim, Thursday, 7 April 2011 12:54 (fourteen years ago)

er.. make that helicoptEr

― Kim, Thursday, 7 April 2011 12:55 (fourteen years ago)

four months pass...

http://vvoice.vo.llnwd.net/e14//rock-the-bells-2011.7134921.87.jpg

― The Reverend, Thursday, 25 August 2011 20:27 (fourteen years ago)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4387742801_830f391c4d.jpg

― zvookster, Thursday, 25 August 2011 20:57 (fourteen years ago)

???

― The Reverend, Thursday, 25 August 2011 23:13 (fourteen years ago)

that's just an old-timey microphone that happens to be red, right? not very crazy imo, but i guess good enough for the thread.

― some dude, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:01 (fourteen years ago)

No, not crazy, but pretty unique.

― The Reverend, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:03 (fourteen years ago)

I still have no idea what zv's post means.

― The Reverend, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:03 (fourteen years ago)

yeah no clue

― some dude, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:27 (fourteen years ago)

it struck me as a scaletrix controller. http://www.soulstrut.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/GetOnMyComp_gm.jpg

but the next time u don't understand me i'll be being deep, trust me

― zvookster, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:51 (fourteen years ago)

I have no idea what scaletrix is other than just googling it now.

― The Reverend, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:53 (fourteen years ago)

lol must be a euro thing

― zvookster, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:56 (fourteen years ago)

1. scaletrix 5 up, 5 down

Refers to the sexual act of tying a woman to the ground and inserting a scaletrix track up her anus until it comes out of her mouth. This is then joined back on to the other end to create a circut. Much fun is then enjoyed using her as a tunnel.

I scaletrixed your mum.

― The Reverend, Friday, 26 August 2011 00:57 (fourteen years ago)

i dread to think of the def. for crazy mic stand

― zvookster, Friday, 26 August 2011 01:00 (fourteen years ago)

or "slot car racing"

― kkvgz, Friday, 26 August 2011 12:37 (fourteen years ago)

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