I was thinking of buying police crime scene tape and stringing it around the set.

It's actually a serious question.

I used to frequent a bar owned by James Burton. You set one foot on that stage and the bouncer was on your back in five seconds. Amazing.

James is a wonderful person, a friend, and one of the premier guitarists of all time, but didn't know anything about running a club. Maybe that's why it's out of business now.
He asked me to come by a couple of times, but it was so loud I couldn't stay. If you will recall his son was leading the band, not James. James would sit in whenever he was in town.
There are many ways to keep people off the stage, but bouncers are not a good option in most situations.
I fight the "bad singer" situation all the time, particularly now that I'm playing at the "piano" bar. However, in my case, I'm asking for it, since that is what piano bars are all about.
Most of the time, you can simply tell them that management won't allow you to have sit-ins. Of course Management must back you up. I've also used the old "are you in the Union" trick, although I'm not in the Union myself anymore.
It wasn't like this at all until Karaoke became so popular. They see a one-man operation and assume it's Karaoke. It's not really their fault, they are just doing what they are used to doing. Having a laptop on stage does make it worse.
Even at the piano bar, I don't let them read lyrics off lt. They know I have them, but I tell each one privately, as if I'm taking them into my confidence, that I don't want the others to come around and try to see the screen.
I also tell them quietly that if I let them sing, then I have to let the others who aren't as talented sing too. "I hope you understand". Unfortunately, drunk people often don't understand.
I've also been in situations where it's possible to complete block off audience access to the bandstand with a rail or rope. That's the best way.
Bottom line is you HAVE to keep control. I always have the mixer sliders where I can simply turn off the mic if it comes to that.
I'm sure others will have some good solutions too, and I'm anxious to hear them.
DonM

Yowza, Don.

I didn't find his son's band played too loud. Then again, I enjoy music pretty loud. Another act that played there... now he was VERY loud. He could get too loud.

Plus, this question also pertains to just keeping regular Joes off your turf. People come up and lean into your equipment or stumble on a cord or whatever and break something really important. I dunno, you want to be friendly with people... but...

One of the problems with the volume at James' club was that the walls, floors and ceiling were all concrete. The highs bounced around mercilessly, especially when the place wasn't full. The times that I was there were necessarily off-peak times, and the band couldn't or wouldn't adjust to the fact that peoples' ears were bleeding.
I'm very carefull about setting up where there isn't some protection from the dancers. I once left a job in the middle of the night because my equipment was in danger.
DonM

To best insure that people 'keep off' your performance (stage) area then you'll need to be actually set up 'on' a stage. If the venue doesn't include a stage, then a portable 'platform riser:
http://www.wbsshelving.com/furniture/stagesportable1.htm
http://www.i-weiss.com/products/stage/portablestaging/


might be in order, and can be purchased or rented (by the day) from local equipment rental stores. For my solo one man arranger vocal/keyboard act, I find a 4'X6' riser (with skirt) minimally sufficient if positioned against a wall (to prevent me from falling off the back.

Scott

Did I play you the song I wrote about falling into the conga drums of The Sales Department band last Mardi Gras? It's a hoot. But hey, the conga drums were right up next to the dance floor. I don't know what happened but "my 2-step made a 3-step run" (a line in my song) and I wiped out their congas. Man, talk about EMBARRASSING. God, I crawled to the bar. The girl later said she tripped me. I think she did. I was pretty tipsy (uh, drunk) but not that far gone. I do get a bit happy every three or four years on Mardi Gras. Anyway, got a good song out of it. It's funny. You'd love it. I wrote it on the psr740 and it's got a kickin' beat.

I play with the trio at the Bolero hotel in Wildwood , NJ..
They have the best set up.. we have a roomy[lots of space], raised stage with wood railing to the sides..the front of the stage is opened around ten feet..I set up to the left of the lead vocalist, and the other keboard sets up to the other side...No one can get on stage with out us letting them thru...They can approach any one of us from the front..we can talk to them if we desire or pass them on to the next band member...Of course when we get the cute dancers that like to dance around us on stage..I let them come thru..

There's an oldies RnR band out of Columbus, Ohio that does exactly that. The name of the band is "The Danger Brothers" and the tape reads "Danger Zone". It works.

Topic: So, how do you keep people off your "stage?"

Invite UD to play with your Band after he's had a couple bean & cheese burritos. LOL!

Sorry UD. I hope you're in a good mood bud!! Just funnin' with ya.

Everybody off the Stage!!!! WAIT!!!! Somebody go back and get the drummer! I think he passed out!!

Whoa!!! Not on your life dude!! Get him yourself!! HA HA!

Best regards,
Mike

With the solo thing I find that the term "stage" has been changed to mean a lot of things. Only one place I now play has a real stage - the others don't. With a real stage it's fairly easy to ask people not to walk onto the stage... if you have to explain why then tell them because of all the cords and the potential liability for injury.

However there is one hard rule I stand by - no drinks near my gear!!! I had to enforce this just last week when an older gentleman came towards me with a drink in his hand and was obviously going to lean over the front of my keyboard to make a request while I was playing. I stopped the song I was playing immediately and stepped around the keyboard to lead him back a few steps and told him politely not to get near my equipment with a drink in his hand. The fact that I stopped a song in the middle alerted the management also and they came to see what was up. The man was startled but understood he'd made a mistake.