Tips for first time performers

Thanks Mitch
Haha! We won't be doing no Freebird.

It's about 5 originals, 3 of which I have shared with you guys here. 2 others that I haven't even gotten recorded yet.

@LRT and I still jam and write when the other guys aren't over. We've got a pretty good stash of new riffs to forge into songs. Just haven't been recording lately as we're focused on practicing the set for this gig.

Also, a different project with a different group of people I've been jamming with seems to be coming back from the dead. Recruited a new kickass drummer, shuffled some personnel, and over the course of a few weekly jams we have begun creating some new music there too, although there's no plans to perform anything....yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens there.
 
If it's the kind of place you can hang out a few days before the gig and have a beer while other bands are setting up before playing, go just to see how everything operates. Do they have a PA that will be for all instruments, or just vocals and kick drum? If there's no real sound man and the bands are on their own, bring a friend you can trust to let you know if one member is louder than another or any other fixes to get good balance. If you have to be there early to sit around and wait, have only one beer before you play. Take one up on stage when you're ready to play, but don't drink a lot before. You don't want to be intoxicated or bloated. Getting drunk at practice is always fun, but not at gigs.

Most important, have FUN!
 
mcblink said:
To be clear, I don't have any. I've never performed before.
I'm gonna be getting my cherry popped in about a month. Our band booked a gig and we've put together a set and have been practicing at least once a week, more if everybody can make it. Gonna have to be an instrumental set. We had a vocalist once but he quit due to health issues.

But I'm still terrified and it's causing me to stress out about it. I'm not enjoying it. This is supposed to be fun, right? Well right now, it's not fun at all lol

It's at a biker bar. You can ride your Harley inside, right through the place. Pull up and park right at the bar. Seems like a cool place, if I liked going to any bars, but I really don't. I do like beer, but I don't like going to the bar to drink it lol

So now I'm supposed to go to a place I hate and do something that scares the poop out of me and this is supposed to be fun?!

I think I'm maybe overthinking myself into a minor mental crisis? Lol


Okay so help me guys. Everyone has heard stuff like "oh, just pretend the audience is all in their underwear" and stuff like that, but I wanna hear about stuff that real people with real experiences use to deal with jitters, butterflies, whatever the hell this is...
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Remember the audience is on your side. They want to go have fun amd enjoy it, they aren't there to critique. Majority of them likely aren't playing in a band so you get respect just by being there.
Relax, enjoy and don't take it too seriously. I have seen some very large bands chuckle when someone starts the wrong song and crack a joke aboit it. Keep it light hearted.
mcblink said:
So maybe restring a day or two before and put a couple hours on em?

Also, bringing a spare amp is probably wise, yes?
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Yes. Extra everything.
Extra picks. Hook em to mic stand. I see a comment about dropping picks, I have done it many times and throw them out to the crowd. Just grab another carry on.
Unless you guys are serious ass doom meral, smile and show you are having fun.
Looking forward to the videos!
 
I'm with John house PA system ? do they have a sound man ? if so be real nice to him or her
With our 3 piece band we use 15 channels lucky used the same sound man since 1984
When I was in collage one of my side jobs was running the large PA systems for the big name shows
one more point if you hit a sour note your only a 1/2 step off smile like you meant to do it.
And I give the audience a BS speech how great it is to see them to open them up it works
 
SG John said:
If it's the kind of place you can hang out a few days before the gig and have a beer while other bands are setting up before playing, go just to see how everything operates. Do they have a PA that will be for all instruments, or just vocals and kick drum? If there's no real sound man and the bands are on their own, bring a friend you can trust to let you know if one member is louder than another or any other fixes to get good balance. If you have to be there early to sit around and wait, have only one beer before you play. Take one up on stage when you're ready to play, but don't drink a lot before. You don't want to be intoxicated or bloated. Getting drunk at practice is always fun, but not at gigs.

Most important, have FUN!
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This is of course very informative.
Especially the over drinking part.

Cheers
 
67plexi said:
I'm with John house PA system ? do they have a sound man ? if so be real nice to him or her
With our 3 piece band we use 15 channels lucky used the same sound man since 1984
When I was in collage one of my side jobs was running the large PA systems for the big name shows
one more point if you hit a sour note your only a 1/2 step off smile like you meant to do it.
And I give the audience a BS speech how great it is to see them to open them up it works
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Well said, and I fully agree on the speech part.. it relaxes the performer and the crowd.. and lets them become a part of the show.

Thanks
 
SG John said:
If it's the kind of place you can hang out a few days before the gig and have a beer while other bands are setting up before playing, go just to see how everything operates. Do they have a PA that will be for all instruments, or just vocals and kick drum? If there's no real sound man and the bands are on their own, bring a friend you can trust to let you know if one member is louder than another or any other fixes to get good balance. If you have to be there early to sit around and wait, have only one beer before you play. Take one up on stage when you're ready to play, but don't drink a lot before. You don't want to be intoxicated or bloated. Getting drunk at practice is always fun, but not at gigs.

Most important, have FUN!
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Good questions. I'm not sure.
Not a bad idea about bringing someone to help us out with volumes and stuff.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
Have they not mentioned anything about the venue in terms of PA gear?
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I haven't been the guy dealing with any of that, so I don't really know.

Poking around the website of the place, it looks like there's probably a PA


It's a couple hours away from home, but that might be a good thing in case we bomb real bad haha!
 
Jethro Rocker said:
Remember the audience is on your side. They want to go have fun amd enjoy it, they aren't there to critique. Majority of them likely aren't playing in a band so you get respect just by being there.
Relax, enjoy and don't take it too seriously. I have seen some very large bands chuckle when someone starts the wrong song and crack a joke aboit it. Keep it light hearted.

Yes. Extra everything.
Extra picks. Hook em to mic stand. I see a comment about dropping picks, I have done it many times and throw them out to the crowd. Just grab another carry on.
Unless you guys are serious ass doom meral, smile and show you are having fun.
Looking forward to the videos!
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Thats the same advice you gave me 2 years ago, and it's so true.

100% spot on about the audience ... except for that guy who stands there in the corner with his arms crossed watching every movement of your hands, he's a tool!
 
mcblink said:
I haven't been the guy dealing with any of that, so I don't really know.

Poking around the website of the place, it looks like there's probably a PA


It's a couple hours away from home, but that might be a good thing in case we bomb real bad haha!
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Kinda want to make sure. Ask the band dude that is in charge of it.
 
So much of this is just having a positive attitude.

Being in tune is important too.

I tend to watch my bandmates closely and I'm alert to what's going on, so if my bandleader gives us the "cut throat" motion, to stop the song in order to engage the crowd, i see it coming.

Its good to rock out too, but be aware of what's going on around you.

Good stage etiquette suggests you never turn your back to a crowd.

But, mostly, just do YOUR part to the best of your abity and its gonna be AWESOME
 
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