These are guidelines that I developed over the decades. Will every rule apply to you? Probably not, especially if you are opening for Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall. But for most basic gigs, these precepts tend to make the night go smoother than bumpier.
Gig Rule #1: The client is always right – in real time.
Do everything possible to not get into a contentious situation with the person paying you. If you do, there is no winning, especially if you get your way. If the person paying you feels like they “lost”, they will hold it against you in a myriad of ways for a long time to come. Deal with issues AFTER the gig and think "win-win".
Gig Rule #2: Gently smile – not grin - at all times.
When I am asked what to wear to a concert or a gig, my first response is usually “A smile and a good attitude”.
A musician’s attitude is infinitely more important than their aptitude.
Once you walk under the transom, the gig has started. It doesn’t matter if you’re setting up, playing your first or last set, or waving good-bye as you walk out the door after you’ve done your "idiot check", the gig is on-going.
Your smile says you are there to be positive and make things better, not worse.
If there are any variables about the job that stop you from smiling before the gig starts or while you are still booking it, you’ll probably be conflicted during the gig.
If that is the case, don’t take the gig.
That in includes if you think the compensation is too low, the travel is too far, or the hours are too long. If the juice isn’t worth the squeeze, walk away and leave that gig for someone else.
Take comfort that while you are walking away without a gig, you are walking away with a smile still on your face.
Gig Rule #3: You were hired to play music – not to be funny, tell stories, teach, or be therapeutic.
Once you start playing, don’t preface every tune with a story, nervous breakdown, skit, or wax poetic how you felt the first time you heard it. Play the material. You’re a musician.
Gig Rule #4: Have a set list with more songs prepared than you will need.
Don’t think you are so good and have done it for so long that you don’t need a set list. We all benefit from a set list. You always want more options than fewer when it comes to tunes you’re ready to perform.
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.
I’ve loaded about 1,700 pdfs of lyrics into my lyric app. The music to the songs are not that much of a problem but things like the second verse of “The Tennessee Waltz” are not residing in my hippocampus. Even so, there are times when someone requests a tune that I don’t have the words for.That’s when I open a browser tab for “Lyrics AZ” and find the words for the song. It can be a real “tune saver”. Tip: make sure you adjust your screen time-out setting to something larger than five minutes.
Gig Rules #6 through #10 are next up.
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