General Music Chat

Hey everyone,

I recently started working with a drummer in an effort to put together a cover band and play some gigs in our local area. We're both guys in our mid-30's who enjoy playing music and want to have some fun; we're not looking to change our lives and get "discovered" if you know what I mean. We both have good/above average equipment and our own PA (recently purchased by the drummer).

Anyway, we like where things are headed now and we think the gigging will happen, maybe as soon as this summer, and in an effort to "be prepared" I thought I'd query the wisdom of the BandMix boards for any advice. And I mean any advice - I'm looking to take advantage of hindsight being 20/20.

Those of you who have gigged have a wealth of knowledge to draw upon. I'm looking for advice, hints, tips, tricks in any area related to live performances: the show, equipment, setup, rehearsals, compensation, travel, etc. Do's and Don'ts. Things you wish you had done differently the first time you gigged. Lessons learned. I'm hoping to aggregate this information into this thread so it benefits not only myself, but others as well.

The advice/information can fall into any area; don't be shy. Anything helps those of us who are new

Thanks.

I'll start, If all you want to do is have fun and make a little extra cash, really think about the songs you play. Play songs that are guarenteed to get the crowd going, not just your favorites. I'll use the band Lynyrd Skynyrd as an example, I personally like tha old song Workin For MCA, or T for Texas, but the crowd wants to hear Sweet Home Alabama. I would play Sweet Home Alabama.

If you are going to play a 4 set gig you will need 40-50 songs, make sure at least half of them are crowd favorites.

Someone said to me once, only amateurs do not polish their instruments before playing. I asked why was that. They said because under the lights, you can see every fingerprint and smudge that ever was, will be or is. lol

C.F.,
J.W. offered good advice. I wouldn't restrict myself to too many songs that I didn't really like just because they're "crowd pleasers". If you really like a song , and you play it with enthusiasm, it shows. Always remember, you're there to entertain the venue owner's clientele. If you agree to play for money, you must respect the contract, weather it is written or verbal. Make sure you compose a good song list well in advance of when you "go on". Wear a watch, and try to stay within the prearranged set times. I'm sure you'll get more suggestion's, so I'll sit out for a while. Good luck finding good people. Oh yeah. Make sure everyone in the group has the same level of commitment as you do. Best of luck and "KEEP ON ROCKIN"!....later
John

C.F.,
Oh yeah. Make sure everyone in the group has the same level of commitment as you do. Best of luck and "KEEP ON ROCKIN"!....later
John

Thanks John!

Yeah, coolest part of meeting the drummer I'm working with now: right off the bat we could tell we were cut from the same cloth. We've got the same level of commitment and enthusiasm, same drive, same desire to entertain and have fun. If we can round out the band with two more like-minded individuals I think we'll be fine.

I'm going to try and come up with some specific questions because there's a lot floating around my head right now...

If I were starting another band I would probably try to get everyone to write on a piece of paper what they expected to get out of the band and how much time and money they can commit to the project. Thats right I said money for all the little things. If someone puts a little money on the line then they are committed.

Every band Ive ever been in there seems to always be someone who owns the equipment, then there are people who are just along for the ride as long as there isnt much effort. The problem is even for a little fun band it takes huge amounts of time and effort to get a show together thats presentable to the public. You really only get one chance to make an impression on club owners or potential promoters, dont blow it being half cocked.

You might want to find a band or two that is playing music similiar to what you guys want to do and get to know and talk to them. Chances are they may know musicians and can give you advice on your area. Stay in touch and they might even let your group come in and do a 2-3 song set on their gear to get you in the door somewhere. When I gigged a lot we used to do this all the time with other bands, just remember to let some other new band play at your gigs when you get going. If you get to know them reall good they might even let you come in and do a full set to open one of their gigs.

Once you get a group together its good to have a demo cd with a promo package. On the demo cd i would just put a verse/chorus per song so the listener gets an idea of what you sound like. Most club folks will only listen to a couple of minutes of it anyway, dont put FreeBird or Stairway on there, unless its just a little bit of the song. Sort of a teaser cd if that makes sense.

Chris, I just looked at your profile pictures. How do you like your guitar rig? I cant tell what preamp you are using. Ive thought about putting together a system similiar to yours.

I havent giged that much but I think I can help with logistics. Practice and time your tear down and set up of you stuff before hand. Each menmber should have a part and know everyone elses part of the set up.
Check out the physical properties of the venue beforehand if you can. helps to plan ahead. every venue will have its own acoustic property. sound check is essential to get the finished product you want. I utilise a wireless for my guitar so I can play from the audence perspective during sound check. because we practice thru monitors, we must balance the mains to the venue. sound check is especially true when you are useing the house sound system. Get there early and hang around to socialise afterward. Good luck hope this helps.

When you're first starting out you definitely want to have most of the songs be recognizable and for the most part well liked by the audience. As musicians however you probably like some more obscure tunes. If YOU really like a song YOU will perform it better than a popular song YOU don't like. It's really important for all the band members to enjoy MOST of the material you play. When band members are really into their material they always put on a more energetic show. The subject of originals may come up. There's a chance you'll get a songwriter in your band. I maintain you can get away with throwing an original or two in your mix IF you play some more obscure tunes and IF the band members are really into the original as well. I have always played originals along with our covers. Sometimes I play a few originals, sometimes 50% original. Don't ignore your creative urges. I can't believe there are experienced musicians who have never had an original idea. ALso let your creative ideas change some of the covers slightly. You don't have to do all covers note-for-note. I've got three covers on my Bandmix profile page, none of them are note-for-note, but they all WORK in front of an audience. One of the great things about playing in front of an audience is that they are essentially guinea pigs in that you will find out real quick which songs WORK and which do not. If you're not getting any positive response from a particular songs either rearrange it or DUMP IT. If one of your goals is to get everybody dancing and they're not dancing to a particular song, DUMP IT. Be open minded and NOT STUBBORN. Your entire band may think a particular song is awesome, but your audience may tell you it SUCKS. DUMP IT. Being in a good band performing in front of a happy audience is one of the most rewarding things you can do. If all your band members are on the same page AND they don't have any baggage (drunks, deadbeats,etc.) then you will most likely succeed. Good luck and ENJOY. I wouldn't do it if I didn't ENJOY it. Later...your friendly neighborhood bluesman fisherman bob

The biggest limiting factor for a band is the singer. If your singer truely cant sing a song well or its in the wrong key for him dump it. I remember playin in the days of Rush,Yes and then Journey. It used to kill singers to try and sing some of that stuff.

Chris, I just looked at your profile pictures. How do you like your guitar rig? I cant tell what preamp you are using. Ive thought about putting together a system similiar to yours.

I love my rig. I always tell people who ask: if i had all the money in the world, I'd still have the same amp.

It's a Mesa Boogie Triaxis with a 2:90 Simuclass power amp and a TC Electronics G-Major for effects. The biggest advantage, to me, is that I can pre-program 100 channels worth of tones and effects, so I have just the right sound for every song I do, and it's all controllable at the touch of a foot pedal through a Rocktron Midi Mate.

Colors,

It looks like a compact setup with those 1x12 cabs.

Ive never played with a Triaxes Mesa preamp, recently Ive been looking at getting a POD XT, mainly cause it has effects and everything built into one unit. Plus for recording its just a lot easier to pluag in and play. Ive got an old buddy that has a Triaxes, I might have to look him up and see if he still has it.

Good Luck with the band, I see you like Dream Theatre. I love Petruccis tones on guitar.

ColorsFade,
In reply to your original post for someone just starting out . . .
.
> Do not eat a big meal before playing. You can have a full mind, or a full stomach, but not both.
> Never apologize for being there. The audience takes their cues from you . . .
> It's not "Here's a song I hope you will like." It's "Here's a song I think you will like."
> Tune up before you turn up the volume.
> As a newbie, do not try a new way of playing a song while on stage. Until you're used to playing in front of people, just play the song in a way that you know works.
> If you make a mistake - your heart may stop, but be sure the song does not.
> Rehearse with your band mates the beginning and the ends of every song.
> Always aknowledge the audience's applause. If you act like you don't care if they applaud - then they may not care to applaud . . . no one likes to be ignored . . .
> Talk to the audience as if you were talking to one person.

RhythmMan, I am going to memorize what you said there, write an essay on it, and brand it to my arm... Lol. (You think I want to remember it?)

Good advice there, I will keep that in mind myself for the first time I go on stage.

Peace, GuitarAnatomy.