# musicians sharing mics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 9, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054 "2004-08-09T17:27:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/1 "2004-08-09T17:27:57Z")

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ok, I have a degree in music, I’ve been in a number of bands and have been on stage many times, but one practice which seems to be done pretty often in live rock concerts that still continues to boggle the mind is when two members of a band will get within kissing distance of each other in order to sing into the same microphone … often when they each have their OWN mics to sing into. I saw a photo of Bruce Springsteen and one of his guitar players doing just that in this morning’s newspaper.  
…WHY?

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**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/2 "2004-08-09T17:38:22Z")

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It’s a lot easier to sing harmony on-pitch and follow their delivery dead-on if you’re standing right next to someone, rather than across the stage, and it also makes for cool theatrics.

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**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/3 "2004-08-09T20:47:30Z")

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Visually, it also harks back to the days when musicians and singers huddled around one microphone. Some old-timey folks like Del McCoury still perform around one microphone for this reason. In many cases I would say it is done purely for theatrics.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/4 "2004-08-09T20:58:08Z")

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I’d say theatrics, especially since the band I associate this stunt with is Aerosmith.

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**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/5 "2004-08-09T21:08:55Z")

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Ever seen '63/'64 footage of Paul and George together on Paul’s mic, shaking their heads and singing “woooooooo!”? It drove the place nuts.

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**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-sharing-mics/259054/6 "2004-08-09T21:22:16Z")

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I think the most famous example really would be Paul and George going “Whooooo!” into the same mic as they pointed their instuments in opposite directions, Paul being left handed.