These are guidelines that I developed over the decades. Will every rule apply to you? Probably not, especially if you are opening for Cher in Vegas. But for most basic gigs, these precepts tend to make the night go smoother than bumpier.
The first five 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.
Onward to #6!
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.
New venues are always fun. The biggest problems that I have ever run into are power outlets that are far away and 60 cycle hum in the electrical system.
Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________.
I bring the above . . . plus another Shure SM58, many extra cables, a flashlight, a “guit-tool”, cough drops, extra business cards, promotional material, black drapes to cover cases if there is no closet space, and often a second guitar.
Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end.
I always play a little extra unless the venue is anxious to close and clean-up. Tip: I always start and end on two of my strongest songs.
Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible.
You have to be able to simultaneously hold at least three thoughts with the two most important being the song you are preforming and the next song you will perform.
Nothing says “unprepared amateur” like excessive fumbling around, looking for the next song.
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.
Nine out of ten attempts at humor that performing musicians make are feeble at best and a total buzz kill at worst. You’ve trained to be a musician, not a comedian.
Remember, every successful comedian has spent thousands of hours getting their material to the place where they can present it on a gig. Unless you’ve done the same, be very careful when you try to be funny – primarily because the effect that will come across is that you ARE trying and not convincingly funny.
Next time: rules #11 through 15.
The first five 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.
Onward to #6!
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.
New venues are always fun. The biggest problems that I have ever run into are power outlets that are far away and 60 cycle hum in the electrical system.
Gig Rule #7: Pack an emergency bag with extra strings, extra bridge pins, an extra XLR cord, nine volt batteries, and _______________.
I bring the above . . . plus another Shure SM58, many extra cables, a flashlight, a “guit-tool”, cough drops, extra business cards, promotional material, black drapes to cover cases if there is no closet space, and often a second guitar.
Gig Rule #8: Start on time and play an extra song at the end.
I always play a little extra unless the venue is anxious to close and clean-up. Tip: I always start and end on two of my strongest songs.
Gig Rule #9: Before you finish a song, know what the next song will be and start it as quickly as possible.
You have to be able to simultaneously hold at least three thoughts with the two most important being the song you are preforming and the next song you will perform.
Nothing says “unprepared amateur” like excessive fumbling around, looking for the next song.
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.
Nine out of ten attempts at humor that performing musicians make are feeble at best and a total buzz kill at worst. You’ve trained to be a musician, not a comedian.
Remember, every successful comedian has spent thousands of hours getting their material to the place where they can present it on a gig. Unless you’ve done the same, be very careful when you try to be funny – primarily because the effect that will come across is that you ARE trying and not convincingly funny.
Next time: rules #11 through 15.
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