 So why have I done this?
Several reasons. For non-musicians, these “rules” give a glimpse into what goes into a musician’s preparation and thinking on a gig. As far as musicians go, I’ve collected these “rules” primarily for today’s younger players who are starting out with their own “gigging life” and want to be more “street-smart” about the process of gigging. When my generation was first going out to gig, many of us were in our early teens. There were more opportunities for “cross-pollination” among musicians of different ages and calibers than there is today. Each of my first gigs seemed like a “how-to’”, a “what-not-to-do”, or a “master class” experience in gigging. Musicians like Hal Schiff, Lloyd Johnston, Tim Laushey, John Spragg, Al Smith, Vinnie Marinelli, Jim Daley, Frank Germin, Jack Malloy, Warren Keizer, Joe Laird, Russ Williams, Al Santoro, and Paul Richardson gave me a shot when I was just starting out, some of them hiring me when I was still in high school, and I owe them more than I can say. Then there were guys a just few years older than me like Pete BarenBregge and Larry Spenser who were great mentors and role models. These “rules” aren’t meant to be edicts to restrict having fun doing what you do. In fact, many musicians already exhibit these behaviors not because they are “rules” but because they have become deeply rooted habits and lead to successful gigs. One musician’s oppressive rule is another musician’s ingrained good habit. These suggestions are offered to free you from having to think about the efficacy of what you are about to do in any given gigging situation. You want to do as little thinking as possible on a gig and relying on instinct and good gigging habits. Moreover, all these recommendations help you effectively communicate and engage your listeners. While they can lead to financial dividends, ultimately these guidelines will remind you that the gratitude you want from your audience is dependent on the choices you make in real time on a gig. You will be appreciated more than you can imagine as a musician once you start being appreciative of all that others have done for you. The “Rules” Gig Rule #1: The client is always right – in real time. Gig Rule #2: Gently smile – not grin - at all times. Gig Rule #3: You were hired to play music – not to be funny, tell stories, teach, or be therapeutic. Gig Rule #4: Have a set list with more songs prepared than you will need. Gig Rule #5: Get the venue’s wifi password and log on before you start to play so you can look up a requested song’s lyrics on the fly. Gig Rule #6: If you have never played the venue before, bring extra extension cords as well as a few ground lifts in case of sixty-cycle hum issues. Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________. Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end. Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible. Gig Rule #10: The only person you are allowed to make a joke about when the mic is live is yourself. Anything else is an unnecessary risk. Gig Rule #11: Don’t swear. Imagine that everyone in front of you has the morals of a born-again Christian. Gig Rule #12: Find out what songs people what to hear and then play them. Gig Rule #13: Make eye contact with the audience at least every ten seconds. Gig Rule #14: Understand and perform to the lowest common denominator in the room and only deviate when fulfilling requests. Gig Rule #15: Solicit requests on a face-to-face basis and then play them. Gig Rule #16: If you have to announce any kind of information, write everything out - including phonetic spellings of tricky names. Gig Rule #17: People hear what they see so give them both: something to hear as well as see. Don’t be a statue. Occasionally attract the customers’ attention by moving. Gig Rule #18: Take the fewest amount of breaks as possible. Gig Rule #19: It is better to be not loud enough than to be too loud. Gig Rule #20: Don’t let customers sit in, sing, or play. Gig Rule #21: Don’t perform at a static volume. Always be looking for ways to give variety to your playing and singing and change it up at least every four bars. Gig Rule #22: Even if food is promised, don’t expect to eat. Gig Rule #23: When the set or gig is over, don’t linger: get off the stand quickly. Gig Rule #24: Leave business cards everywhere. Gig Rule #25: Thank someone. And by the way, thanks for reading this.  These are guidelines that I developed over the decades. Will every rule apply to you? Probably not, especially if you are opening for Elton at the Beacon. But for most basic gigs, these precepts tend to make the night go smoother than bumpier.
The first twenty were: Gig Rule #1: The client is always right – in real time. Gig Rule #2: Gently smile – not grin - at all times. Gig Rule #3: You were hired to play music – not to be funny, tell stories, teach, or be therapeutic. Gig Rule #4: Have a set list with more songs prepared than you will need. Gig Rule #5: Get the venue’s wifi password and log on before you start to play so you can look up a requested song’s lyrics on the fly. Gig Rule #6: If you have never played the venue before, bring extra extension cords as well as a few ground lifts in case of sixty-cycle hum issues. Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________. Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end. Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible. Gig Rule #10: The only person you are allowed to make a joke about when the mic is live is yourself. Anything else is an unnecessary risk. Gig Rule #11: Don’t swear. Imagine that everyone in front of you has the morals of a born-again Christian. Gig Rule #12: Find out what songs people what to hear and then play them. Gig Rule #13: Make eye contact with the audience at least every ten seconds. Gig Rule #14: Understand and perform to the lowest common denominator in the room and only deviate when fulfilling requests. Gig Rule #15: Solicit requests on a face-to-face basis and then play them. Gig Rule #16: If you have to announce any kind of information, write everything out - including phonetic spellings of tricky names. Gig Rule#17: People hear what they see so give them both: something to hear as well as see. Don’t be a statue. Occasionally attract the customers’ attention by moving. Gig Rule #18: Take the fewest amount of breaks as possible. Gig Rule #19: It is better to be not loud enough than to be too loud. Gig Rule #20: Don’t let customers sit in, sing, or play. The final five starting with #21: Gig Rule #21: Don’t perform at a static volume. Always be looking for ways to give variety to your playing and singing and change it up at least every four bars. It’s easy to become stagnant over a three or more hour gig. Constantly be mixing up tempos and volumes and everything else in your quiver of skills that showcase your sense of variety. Gig Rule #22: Even if food is promised, don’t expect to eat. Just be happy if you do eat. There is an old story about Miles with his quartet after a gig. All the guys in the band were gorging themselves around a sandwich and appetizer table while Miles was standing away from them. When asked why he wasn’t eating, Miles croaked, “I didn’t come here to eat”. As far as drinking alcohol, with the exception of soda or coffee, expect to pay for every drink you order. If you’re working at a private party or a country club, odds are you shouldn’t drink. Even if you are friends with the client who hires you to play at a country club, the clubs general manager or beverage manger will be rankled if they watch you, ostensibly an employee, drink on the job while they can’t. They really don’t like watching you smile as you cut into their profits because you are drinking for free. If you are playing in a bar, their whole financial model is based on alcohol so management is much more lenient and accepting of musicians drinking while they play. If possible, wait until after the gig to drink. If someone appreciatively buys you a drink during the gig, by all means, bottoms up. If you have a travel mug and feel like putting a beer in it so it gives the impression that you are drinking coffee, go ahead. But if you drink during a gig, know your limits and always stop drinking sooner than later. Don’t advertise that you’re drinking. You’re not Dean Martin. Drinking shouldn’t be a part of your “act”. Tip: if you drink while you perform, it is crucial that you record yourself on the gig so the day after you can analyze if the alcohol had any negative impact on your performance. If it did, cut out the drinking until after the gig. Gig Rule #23: When the set or gig is over, don’t linger: get off the stand quickly. In every venue, you are creating the illusion of a stage, proscenium, and audience space. You won’t have a curtain to open or close so the best way to visually communicate that the music its over is to swiftly get off the stand. Gig Rule #24: Leave business cards everywhere. You’re in business, aren’t you? Gig Rule #25: Thank someone. The server who got you a soda, the couple that requested the first dance song from their wedding, the lady at the bar who turned her head and clapped after a lot of your songs, the guy who was a fan of “Earth, Wind, and Fire” songs, the person who hired you, the table of locals or former co-workers who follow you on line and made a point of coming out to hear you a second or third time – thank all of them. And if there are little kids in the house, I always make a point of going to their table, smiling, taking a knee, looking at them eye-to-eye, thanking them for listening to me, and giving them a personalized guitar pick to remember the occasion. Next up; a summery of the "rules".  These are guidelines that I developed over the decades. Will every rule apply to you? Probably not, especially if you are opening for Elton at the Beacon. But for most basic gigs, these recommendations tend to make the night go smoother than bumpier. The first fifteen were: Gig Rule #1: The client is always right – in real time. Gig Rule #2: Gently smile – not grin - at all times. Gig Rule #3: You were hired to play music – not to be funny, tell stories, teach, or be therapeutic. Gig Rule #4: Have a set list with more songs prepared than you will need. Gig Rule #5: Get the venue’s wifi password and log on before you start to play so you can look up a requested song’s lyrics on the fly. Gig Rule #6: If you have never played the venue before, bring extra extension cords as well as a few ground lifts in case of sixty-cycle hum issues. Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________. Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end. Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible. Gig Rule #10: The only person you are allowed to make a joke about when the mic is live is yourself. Anything else is an unnecessary risk. Gig Rule #11: Don’t swear. Imagine that everyone in front of you has the morals of a born-again Christian. Gig Rule #12: Find out what songs people what to hear and then play them. Gig Rule #13: Make eye contact with the audience at least every ten seconds. Gig Rule #14: Understand and perform to the lowest common denominator in the room and only deviate when fulfilling requests. Gig Rule #15: Solicit requests on a face-to-face basis and then play them. Here we go: Gig Rule #16: If you know before the gig that you have to announce any kind of information, write everything out - including phonetic spellings of tricky names. You trained to be a musician, not a public speaker – but sometimes the gig requires us to be an orator. Preparation is key. Whether on paper or a tablet, use the largest font possible. Go over pronunciations until they roll off your tongue. And speak slowly. Gig Rule #17: People hear what they see so give them both: something to hear as well as see. Don’t be a statue. Occasionally attract the customers’ attention by moving. This is taking eye contact taken to the next level. Most venues don’t give performers a lot of space so your options for movement are mercifully limited. Your moves should not be as severe as the “Hokey Pokey” but a bit more animated than a something you’d see in a wax museum. If some of your listeners have issues with mobility, don’t hesitate to go to them and engage them directly in conversation or even do a song at their table. Make sure if they are in a wheelchair that you are eye-level with them so it is easier for them to look you in the eye and appreciate what you are doing. If you are playing and notice that some of the people in the room have profound hearing loss, hopefully you will know your American Sign Language alphabet and sign a few cordial words to them. I always carry a few balloons in one of my milk crates. Why? If you offer people with severe hearing loss a blown-up balloon, they will be able to hold it gently by their finger tips on either side and feel of the vibrations of music coming out of your amp. It’s just another way for you to have your music connect with the people in the venue. Gig Rule #18: Take the fewest amount of breaks as possible. There are two lines of thought on this. Some say take as few breaks as possible, verging on “continuous”. Others say do “40/20s” or “45/15s”. The theory is that taking a break gives the audience a break from hearing you continuously perform. The problem with the second premise is that once you go on break, what does the manager usually do? Turn on house music. If you keep mixing things up, the audience won’t get bored – so I say play as long as you can. It’s one of the big reasons I always try and play both piano and guitar on my gigs, namely, the sonic variety that it provides. It’s a good time to break when a new batch of diners or listeners come in. Take a moment, visit them at their tables or at the bar, and ask them what they would like to hear. Ostensibly, a break isn’t a chance to chill; it’s an opportunity to work the room. Gig Rule #19: It is better to be not loud enough than to be too loud. Before you start the gig, ask a floor manager, server, or bar tender to let you know if you are too loud or too soft. Aim for softer. Make sure people can hold a conversation over your playing and singing – and that you can understand some of what they are saying. That said, resist the temptation to just be “sonic wallpaper”: so soft, meek, and inconsequential that the management could easily replace you with piped-in house music. You’re a musician and you are there to be heard as well as set an atmosphere. Just be aware that if you overpower the acoustics of the room, especially the ability for people to easily converse, your music will be more of a bug than a feature. Gig Rule #20: Don’t let customers sit in, sing, or play. This rarely works out to you OR the audience’s advantage. My home owner’s insurance rider stipulates that I am the only person authorized to use my musical equipment. That means if I allow someone’s Great Aunt Lucy to sing or play my equipment on stage and she trips, falls, and breaks my mixer or guitar, it won’t be covered. Feel free to say the same thing if people are persistent about sharing the stage with you. Don’t surrender control of your gig or rig to the audience. You are there to perform; they are there to enjoy it. Keep it that way. I always carry two Shure SM58 mics. While the second one is for the possibility of the first one failing on the gig, I will often rely on it if someone in charge at the venue needs to make an announcement. I don’t share my vocal mic with anyone. If someone uses one of my mics on a gig in a situation like that, I always clean the mic grill with alcohol afterwards when no one is around. Last stop: the final five “Rules” starting with #21.  These are guiding principles that I developed over the decades. Will every rule apply to you? Probably not, especially if you are opening for Carrot Top in the Boom-Boom Room. But for most basic gigs, these guidelines tend to make the night go smoother than bumpier. The first ten were: Gig Rule #1: The client is always right – in real time. Gig Rule #2: Gently smile – not grin - at all times. Gig Rule #3: You were hired to play music – not to be funny, tell stories, teach, or be therapeutic. Gig Rule #4: Have a set list with more songs prepared than you will need. Gig Rule #5: Get the venue’s wifi password and log on before you start to play so you can look up a requested song’s lyrics on the fly. Gig Rule #6: If you have never played the venue before, bring extra extension cords as well as a few ground lifts in case of sixty-cycle hum issues. Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________. Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end. Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible. Gig Rule #10: The only person you are allowed to make a joke about when the mic is live is yourself. Anything else is an unnecessary risk. Onward to #11! Gig Rule #11: Don’t swear. Imagine that everyone in front of you has the morals of a born-again Christian. Don’t think that swearing will offend anyone? Throw a few F bombs in your patter and you’ll find out just who is a member of the moral majority. Chances are, they won’t complain to you. They’ll be much more passive-aggressive and go right to the management. Gig Rule #12: Find out what songs people what to hear and then play them. There is a reason why the wait staff ask diners what they want to eat. They know customers have an idea of what they want to order and as servers, they want to please the customers by providing food that reflect the customers’ tastes. It’s not all driven by altruism. Servers want to get a good tip at the end of the meal. They cater to the choices of their customers. Extra napkins? No problem! Too many musicians come into a gig with a mindset that they know certain songs and that is what they are going to play. Period. The taste of the customers doesn’t enter their work equation. It’s almost as if the audience is there to serve them! They have one set list and one batch of songs they like and that’s it. Take it or leave it. People like to have choices. They are already used to requesting what they like to eat. You have to provide that same level of choice and control with music. As far as tips go: you are being tipped not because you have a three octave range or because you can play sixty-fourth notes at 120bpm. Music and performing is not just about technique. Music starts with connecting with the audience. If someone smiling walks up to you, it is because you have created an inviting space where people feel confident and secure enough to approach you and pay you a compliment. You are being complimented and tipped because your music emotionally touched someone to the degree that they wanted to thank you with a kind word or a monetary gift signifying their emotional connection. People like what they like, whether it’s food or music. Find out what they like and serve it up on a silver platter. Tip: Look at the venue’s menu to get a clue what you should be playing. Is the menu filled with typical offerings, like appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, drinks, and desserts? Or do you see things like fried squid, sautéed scorpions, or morpane worms in swakopmund? If it’s the former, no matter how much you love the catalogues of the Dead Kennedys and the Pixies, your musical offering should be mainstream as the menu. If the menu and environs are edgier, that’s a sign that you might be able to expand on your traditional song offerings. No matter what, ask then customers what they want to hear and then play it. Gig Rule #13: Make eye contact with the audience at least every ten seconds. It's easy to get in a hypnotic rut looking at your music or your hands while gigging. If you are going to be in your own little world, don’t be disappointed if your audience decides to do the same. Music is about connections and communication. Nothing establishes both of those like eye contact. If you are playing for people who are visually impaired, you MUST add descriptive bits in between your songs that paint a picture of the room, the occasion, the reactions of others, and most importantly, how happy you are to be playing music for all of those in the room. Gig Rule #14: Understand and perform to the lowest common denominator in the room and only deviate when fulfilling requests. If you’ve taken the temperature of the audience before you play, you’ll have a good sense which genres and tunes will work on any given night. Do what will work – not what shows of your chop. Gig Rule #15: Solicit requests on a face-to-face basis and then play them. Saying something into a mic like, “What do you want to hear?” is risky. While you might get a few decent requests, you leave yourself open for lots of insulting responses, including the classic “Freebird!” And what if you ask for requests on mic and all you get is crickets? What does that say about you and your music’s ability to engage listeners? Talk to people before you play as well as in between sets on a conversational basis, take their requests, compliment them on their impeccable taste in music, and then play what they told you that they want to hear. Next stop: Rules #16 through 20. |
AuthorBoyd Holmes, the Writer Archives
February 2025
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