Topic: Mic location and config suggestions for a local bar

[dhora]

I was taping my friend's band in a bar the other day. The stage was about 20-25' wide and 5' or so deep.  I was at the front table next to a pillar about 10' from stage.  (Yellow dot on the drawing below.) The tables are brown and the pillars are black squares.

I ran cards XY at ~7' high with the right mic pointing at the vocals stack and the left mic pointing at the guitar amp.  I wasn't sure how I should setup, but I gave it a quick listen and sounds pretty good. What really threw me off was the vocal stack that is 5+ feet in front of the band and off to the right. It sounded pretty odd to see the guy singing on the left and hear him on the right.

Any other suggestions for mic configs if I tape there again?
Also any suggestions if that front table is occupied? 

When the first band played, I was taping at the wall on the left (the pink dot on the drawing) with cards clipped to my sweatshirt at the shoulders because there was a group of people at the front table.  As soon as the group left halfway through the set, I moved to take the table and set up my rig (while still recording  ). The recording from the pink spot sucked, but I couldn't think of a better place to setup where I could snag the table in front when the group left, not be in the way of the bar or the path to the restroom, and still get the vocal stack.

Mics available: AT831 (cards) or AT853 omni caps