Advice for Upcoming Gig

[Ekewaka]

Dehydration is your enemy. As for large crowds and stage fright, small or large, same thing, do your best and that's all.

[Dave Ferris]

Al-so you guys lost the bass player and added a male vocalist to go along with the female ?

 

Sounds like the old days when the contractors would say...yeah get another horn, maybe even a percussionist or another vocalist ; Ferris can cover the LHB. Gee thanks..just show me the money

 

I'm driving down to your neck of the woods, Orange, tomorrow morning-Chapman & Jamboree-to demo a mountain bike at 7:30 AM before it gets too hot. The manger guy from Adrenaline bikes is meeting me and I'm testing out this high end Moots YBB 29er on some of the trails nearby. I'd never leave at 6:30 AM, drive 50 miles one way to check out a keyboard..

 

Have fun on your gig. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[David Loving]

Dave, have a nice test ride. That Moots is about as good as it gets.

[Dave Weiser]

Ah you're going to be fine man.

 

I've played all manner of gigs great and small and have found that a small room filled with people I know is the toughest on nerves - at least for me. The anonymity of a large crowd can actually make the whole thing less scary.

The worst for me is a quiet night at a small club with 10 people in the audience who happen to all be musicians and friends of mine.

 

Lots of great advice in this thread.

 

I totally agree on befriending the sound guys (offer to buy them a drink if possible), the importance of water, trying to set up as tightly as possible and breaking down as quickly as possible afterwards.

 

Some other things:

 

1. Bring something that you can use to clean your hands and keys. Wet-naps, windex and paper towels, etc.

 

2. Bring a snack - I usually have some kind of power bar or granola bar with me on gigs (normally not my favorite food stuff but very practical)

 

3. Talk to your band mates ahead of time about which songs to remove from your set should you lose some of your allotted time.

This happens frequently at all kinds of gigs but more so at larger ones. On most gigs I play, the shortened list is actually the "main" list, with extra songs tacked onto the end just in case we actually get our full time slot.

 

4. Smile. Laugh. Make eye contact with your band mates and with the audience. Look like you're having a good time and the crowd will be more likely to also have a good time. Once you're up on stage, pick out 4 locations/people in the crowd to alternate between.

 

5. Definitely bring extra cables, including power cables, for yourself or in case one of the sound guys or another band needs one. It's good to be remembered as the guy who saved the day.

 

And of course....

[video:youtube]

[Adan]

As for large crowds and stage fright, small or large, same thing, do your best and that's all.

 

Ekkywakka, where do you get this stuff?

[MusicaL]

Al-so you guys lost the bass player and added a male vocalist to go along with the female ?

 

You got it. Although the bass player was with the band a very short period.

 

I'm driving down to your neck of the woods, Orange, tomorrow morning-Chapman & Jamboree-to demo a mountain bike at 7:30 AM before it gets too hot. The manger guy from Adrenaline bikes is meeting me and I'm testing out this high end Moots YBB 29er on some of the trails nearby. I'd never leave at 6:30 AM, drive 50 miles one way to check out a keyboard..

 

You and one of my favorite piano players have two things in common. You're both excellent players and avid cyclists!!! Hmmmm, I wonder if I dusted off my old Schwinn I'd get to play the piano as well as you all avid cyclers do!

 

Have fun on your gig. I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

Thanks, I'm looking forward to the challenge and plan on having a good time.

 

aL

[MusicaL]

Hey Dave Weiser,

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement and the nice tips. I just noticed that you're not at Kurzweil anymore! (I'm sure it's old new to most around here, I just hadn't caught on). All the best on your new gig.

 

aL

 

 

[Adan]

A The anonymity of a large crowd can actually make the whole thing less scary.

 

This is an excellent point, especially for outdoor festival crowds, especially when there are lots of kids. Kids just want to have fun, and as soon as you see some of them bopping around to your music, you'll relax. It helps you remember what life is supposed to be about.

[MusicaL]

A The anonymity of a large crowd can actually make the whole thing less scary.

 

This is an excellent point, especially for outdoor festival crowds, especially when there are lots of kids. Kids just want to have fun, and as soon as you see some of them bopping around to your music, you'll relax. It helps you remember what life is supposed to be about.

 

Ditto! I agree. I played some outdoor venues before -- (walkathons, etc. -- not nearly as large, and not having that many people focused on the band) and found the more intimate settings to be more nervy!!

 

aL

[Moonglow]

Some great advice in this thread. About the only thing I haven't seen is bug spray (sorry if I missed it), especially if you're playing during the evening and/or have that problem.

 

My band once played a large outdoor festival, where I was playing a piano intro (sans band) and a mosquito landed on my forearm while I was playing an intricate passage. Had no choice but to watch that little SOB bite me.

[J. Dan]

Some great advice in this thread. About the only thing I haven't seen is bug spray (sorry if I missed it), especially if you're playing during the evening and/or have that problem.

 

My band once played a large outdoor festival, where I was playing a piano intro (sans band) and a mosquito landed on my forearm while I was playing an intricate passage. Had no choice but to watch that little SOB bite me.

 

Sounds like a reality TV show!

 

This brings back memories of playing gigs at festivals in a field in the middle of wooded areas - the stage lights attract all kinds of bugs. I recall having my keyboard covered with them including smashed ones on the keys. They like the lighted display as well.

[MusicaL]

Post Gig Report:

 

The gig went very very well. The weather cooperated as we had what we call June gloom conditions (low clouds and generally low temps low 70s). The schlep was brutal though because parking was far away from the stage which in turn was several grassy levels below street level. Picture an amphitheater with the stage at the bottom. Had to schlep my gear through the crown twice (second time was a lot worse because we had more people to navigate through.) But, my bandmates came to the rescue. This made me re-consider my rig. But that's another topic.

 

The stage hands were very helpful, and sound check was tight. We finished our sound check with a half hour to spare. One thing that happened during sound check was a bit of an eye opener for me. We were playing a tune to get levels in our monitors and (I didn't know at the time) in the mains as well. I thought the sound all around me was fantastic. I could hear everyone really well (the stage was not very large), and we sounded plenty loud. That was before the mains came on and all of a sudden the sound level just went to another level altogether. VERY LOUD!

 

Aside from a couple of (minor) clams I felt good about my performance. Nerves were not much of a factor. Overall, the band played well, no train wrecks. We all were pumped but relaxed soon after downbeat. People were dancing and getting into the music, which was fun for me. We got to play an encore also, which we didn't anticipate and finished with a bang.

 

I'm told there were 2,500 to 3,000 people there, so, that figure way exceeded my original expectations.

 

Thank you for all the helpful comments. It was nice to know that what I was experiencing as my first large outdoor event was not out of the ordinary and that many of you have played these kinds of settings and had to deal with surprises on the spot. Overall, I say this was one of the funnest gigs I've ever played.

 

aL

 

[Moon Zero Two]

Glad you had a good gig - sometimes I think it helps to make a mistake early - get it out of the way and relax for the rest of the set.

 

Did a gig a couple of weeks ago outside and the leant the young bass player a couple of clothes pins, I felt like a wizened elder. I am in the process of setting up my iPad with fourscore so I guess I won't need the clothes pins for much longer.

[HammondDave]

I have played this particular gig for many years with my former band Raging Sun. Forget about a stage manager or a crew. You sill be lugging your own gear so pack light. Bring only one small amp for your personal monitoring. The real key is who they have running sound. It can be either a blessing, or it may totally ruin your gig.

 

We played all the summer park concerts in So Cal for about 15 years. The Dana Point one was one of the best. But who knows how much they had to cut back over the past couple of years. My advice is to show up earlier than expected to help cover any unforeseen issues. But don't be dicks if something goes wrong. There is inothing you can do about a bad sound system or sound mixer. Just plow through and smile.

 

Also send them a stage plot so they are not surprised. Find out in advance if you can drive right up to the stage. Or maybe they will supply a golf cart to carry your equipment From the parking lot to the stage. I really dont remember how this venue is set up. There were ao many. Thy are fun gigs when all goes well. I think my personal favorite was Peacock park in Laguna. A grassy mound under the trees. But always a wonderful audience. All advice above is good.

[Adan]

No one even thought to mention it here, but yeah, suss out the parking situation in advance if you can. At festivals, usually, it's a piece of cake, but sometimes it will pull your arms off.

[HammondDave]

Ok. My post was obviously late. But after reading your post gig report I do remember that schlep. OY

[opdigits]

Glad it went well aL!!!

[Bill Spencer]

Hope you're not in the sun- I feel it's unreasonable for anyone to expect you to perform in the direct sun. IT CAUSES CANCER. Seriously. Outdoor gigs require sun protection provided by the venue, or else bring your own umbrella. Does the symphony set up in the sun?