First Set Blues

Haysoochreesto · #1 08-10-2009, 01:53 PM

I'm in a cover band and I think we're pretty okay. We're not great, we haven't been together long enough to say that we're a really good act (to my mind anyway), but people seem to like us.

But, and it's a big BUT, our first set always sucks. We're just loose and sloppy. Set up and soundcheck goes well, but we just can't seem to pull it together for that first set. After the first set, I'm actually pretty proud of how we sound and the reactions we get from crowds. But again, this past Saturday, during the first set, while playing, I was inwardly cringing at how sloppy we were. I've played before where the first few songs weren't all that tight and it took 2 or 3 to come together but we're taking 8-10 songs to get off the ground.

We've been hired (unheard) by the manager of a regional chain of bar/restaurants in the SoCal area as well as a local place where we've been welcomed to play at our convenience. Those gigs don't begin until November so there's some time to get the kinks worked out...

I guess what I'm wondering is if anyone else here has had this same experience and what can be done to improve it?

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

geeza · #2 08-10-2009, 02:06 PM

Skip right to your second set.
Just kidding - make sure the first 2-3 songs in your set are songs you know really well and are really tight on.

5StringBlues · #3 08-10-2009, 02:23 PM

^Wow,when did you start giving good advice?

scottbass · #4 08-10-2009, 02:31 PM

What's different about your first set? Maybe you should follow geeza's advice: start with your second set. Seriously.

Gee, I hope it's not an alcohol thing, where one or more of you thinks you need a bunch of alcohol to play better. I have seen this with some musicians, but IMHO the alcohol is just a crutch for some unerlying problem that needs to be dealt with.

Haysoochreesto · #5 08-10-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottbass

What's different about your first set? Maybe you should follow geeza's advice: start with your second set. Seriously.

Hmm... Well, the first set is a warmup set. That's when the crowd tends to be filing in and the songs aren't really high energy. This idea stems from past experience and at the request of the people who have hired us for future gigs. They want a mellower set of songs for the dinner crowd that's still present at around 9 p.m.

The second set kicks off with higher energy, more danceable songs right away and for the most part, continues on through the rest of the sets. These are songs that everyone knows and likes to dance to.

Quote:

Gee, I hope it's not an alcohol thing, where one or more of you thinks you need a bunch of alcohol to play better. I have seen this with some musicians, but IMHO the alcohol is just a crutch for some unerlying problem that needs to be dealt with.

It has nothing to do with alcohol. If that were the case, then we'd get sloppier as the night progressed, not tighter.

Maybe it's nerves, maybe its just a case of needing more time to know each other as musicians better. I don't suffer from nervousness personally, but that's mostly because I know the songs backward and forward---if something's going to go south, it's not going to be because I didn't do my homework.

Our guitar player is a stress case. I know he gets really wound up and puts a lot of pressure on himself--so it probably takes him awhile to settle down and just play the way he knows how to.

On the opposite set of the spectrum is our most experienced player, our sax/keyboardist. He doesn't stress about anything and seems almost completely unconcerned about whether we sound good or bad. He was so unconcerned that he didn't bother to learn a couple of new songs we were doing... but to be fair, he'd just come back from a two month hiatus and I think he underestimated the time it would take him to get the new stuff down as well as just being kind of rusty altogether.

Still though, "clunky" is the way that first set sounded. Just off and kind of spastic.

At any rate, we've got at least two more parties scheduled before November hits. Hopefully (probably) we'll get it together better for the first set.

EddiePlaysBass · #6 08-14-2009, 05:29 AM

Maybe you need to change the order of your setlists ? Even if you want to stick to the same songs for the first set, perhaps they could be in a better-flowing order ?

What also helps (not sure if you do this) is go segue from one song into the next one. If you do this and it works and people like it, please come explain to my band how this is a good idea ...

happycat · #7 08-14-2009, 08:42 AM

It sounds like the mellow 1st set is not quite working for you. I understand that you are needing a mellower start.

Personally, I don't play that well in songs that I am not comfortable playing (slow, mellow or fast/pumped). Perhaps this is the issue. Maybe there are other songs that you could choose that everyone in the band likes that still keeps everyone eating their dinner happy.

jaywa · #8 08-14-2009, 08:52 AM

We're the opposite... first three sets a ball of fire, 4th set tends to be pretty loose.

All the advice above is good... however I would also advise don't get too stressed about not being able to start real strong. Only your hardcore following is going to be there for downbeat of your first set... most bar gigs I've played there really isn't a crowd to speak of till mid to late 1st set at the latest (i.e., after we're at least 30 mins into the show). Not that the 1st set doesn't matter, but the 2nd and 3rd sets (in a 4-set show) are the real "money time" for most bars and if you are on your game for those you're still in pretty good shape.

Now, if your first set is so ragged that people are coming in, watching a song or two and turning around and leaving, then you have a problem.

jaywa · #9 08-14-2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haysoochreesto

Hmm... Well, the first set is a warmup set. That's when the crowd tends to be filing in and the songs aren't really high energy. This idea stems from past experience and at the request of the people who have hired us for future gigs. They want a mellower set of songs for the dinner crowd that's still present at around 9 p.m.

Just had to respond to this as well... sounds to me like focus is an issue. I.e., the band assumes that a "warmup" set of "mellower" material equals "easier" material that does not require everyone's full attention to pull off. IME slower material actually requires more attention due to almost everyone's natural tendency to play too fast and too loud in a live environment. The band, collectively and as individuals, may want to evaluate their "pre gig" ritual. How are you prepping to go onstage? Keep in mind this may vary by individual (for example, I like to spend the last 15 minutes before we go on totally alone with a beer, whereas our singer is pretty much working the room right till he hits the stage). But each band member has to do what he/she needs to do to get into that right mental place for performing.

steveksux · #10 08-15-2009, 02:08 PM

The "easier mellower" stuff sounds like you guys aren't taking it seriously. Its just "fill" until the dinner crowd gets out, junk thrown in to pass the time until you get to the "good" stuff. And at least some of you guys are treating it like that. Not putting in the effort. Add to that some guys with nerves that need time to get into the groove, and there you go.

Some guys are really fussy about what they play, and may be "pouting" on those songs, pissed that they have to do them because of the dinner crowd.

Unless it's so far different from your normal stuff that its in another genre that you guys simply aren't comfortable playing well.

Also a lot of guys rely on speed/volume to give a song energy. Its very difficult to play slow/quiet with a nice groove. Maybe they're not used to playing quiet.

Not trying to bash you guys, just pointing out possibilities of what I think may be going on.

Randy

**cabrego** · #11 08-16-2009, 01:35 AM

Less filler, more killer. We have a gig where we play 10:30 to 11:15, 11:45 to 12:30, and 1:00 to 1:30. Most of our gigs are from 10 to 1:45 with 2 20 minute breaks when we find time. On the longer gigs it also took us more time to get going. I realized that at the shorter gig we were only doing our best stuff and the crowd was pumping through the whole gig. We decided to add better stuff to the first set and now all the gigs go good from beginning to end. Don't be afraid to start strong. Just read the crowd and slow it down if you need to, but I think the crowd appreciates when a band doesn't play crap for the first hour. I like the stuff we were starting with before, but it was a little mellower.

**Stumbo** · #12 08-16-2009, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haysoochreesto

Hmm... Well, the first set is a warm up set.

And your band is treating it as such. Not serious enough about it. Play it like there's a recording exec in the audience. Or some famous musician. It's all in your heads. It's a mental thing.

Change your attitude, change your set.

Auzzie-Phoenix · #13 08-16-2009, 03:09 AM

Sounds like you need to record one of your first sets and start analyzing it as a group to track down problems. First set stress and other distractions can be dealt with separately, but without going over the first set and finding problems in playing, you will have a harder time. It could just be that the songs in your first set have a few errors in technique that you're not hearing when you're doing your practices.

Also the change of venues will affect overall sound and tone, which might make those possible errors in playing stand out more and become more noticeable. I hope that it's just muddling through a little anxiety, but it never hurts to cover all the bases when you're trying to root out problems.

Good luck with your efforts, and I hope you find out the root of the problem.

kickstand22 · #14 08-17-2009, 04:48 PM

Back in the day.....we used to play a "dinner set" to warm up. Kinda what y'all have, nothing high energy. The band I play with now has no dinner set. All of our stuff is dancable. So we just start rollin from song one.