Bad gig, or: Things NOT to do at a show

[marineman227]

Not to try to go against these gentlemen at all but just the other end of the spectrum. I'm not sure what types of shows everybodys playing but here's some things from myself and about things you've said from the "punk" end of the spectrum which is the gigs i play
1.) don't dress up lol... common sense here, don't look like crap but a tuxedo isn't really any better

2.) Your amp is a great place to put your beer while playing, it's probably the biggest flat surface on the stage, you should have a water bottle right in front of the beer of course and don't actually drink the beer while on stage, pretending to drink is ok but alot of bigger venues won't let you actually drink

3.) If you're feeling it go ahead and shower your audience with a beer by shaking it up and letting 'er go, after an hour long set where they've been moshing it won't smell any worse and they'll welcome anything cold that touches them. Note this probably won't work in a smaller club

4.) Don't worry about your flaws or sound problems. This past weekend one of the bands opening for Lucky Boys Confusion played 2 songs then the bass player says sorry i've been out of tune for the last 2 songs while trying to tune then another band brought out a different bass for him and they spent the rest of the set trying to get his actual bass back in tune. I've played bass for 9 years and i couldn't tell he was out of tune at all.

Pretty much is the same but just understand there's the basics of doing a good gig then there's the parts that change where some of these people are talking about jazz gigs or something, punk rock or metal or something like that will be different. Mostly if you use common sense and follow the venues rules you'll be fine.

 

[ModulusFan]

Not to try to go against these gentlemen at all but just the other end of the spectrum. I'm not sure what types of shows everybodys playing but here's some things from myself and about things you've said from the "punk" end of the spectrum which is the gigs i play
1.) don't dress up lol... common sense here, don't look like crap but a tuxedo isn't really any better

Depends on the gig.

2.) Your amp is a great place to put your beer while playing, it's probably the biggest flat surface on the stage, you should have a water bottle right in front of the beer of course and don't actually drink the beer while on stage, pretending to drink is ok but alot of bigger venues won't let you actually drink

Vibrations, beer......no-no. Why in the world would you like to "fake" drinking beer???

3.) If you're feeling it go ahead and shower your audience with a beer by shaking it up and letting 'er go, after an hour long set where they've been moshing it won't smell any worse and they'll welcome anything cold that touches them. Note this probably won't work in a smaller club

I don't reccomend this, unless you are RHCP or something

4.) Don't worry about your flaws or sound problems. This past weekend one of the bands opening for Lucky Boys Confusion played 2 songs then the bass player says sorry i've been out of tune for the last 2 songs while trying to tune then another band brought out a different bass for him and they spent the rest of the set trying to get his actual bass back in tune. I've played bass for 9 years and i couldn't tell he was out of tune at all.

Rest of a set trying to tune a bass? Agreed, mistakes are like passing gas no one wants to claim. Best to keep it that way.

Pretty much is the same but just understand there's the basics of doing a good gig then there's the parts that change where some of these people are talking about jazz gigs or something, punk rock or metal or something like that will be different. Mostly if you use common sense and follow the venues rules you'll be fine.

 

[Passinwind]

LOL, I break tons of the rules you guys have posted. A 7 minute setup was my favorite one, it takes at least 45 minutes for me to set up my rig. And people pay good money to hear me tell long stories, how I wrote the songs, and really bad jokes. Lots of different filters evident on Talkbass, I like it!

 

[Baofu]

Just for the record, I didn't get sprayed with beer at RHCP.

And even with those drunks in the mosh, they kept hold onto their drinks.

Don't spray beer on me.

 

[CoolHat]

Actually, before I joined the band, my singer/guitar player, I am told, played the entire last set in his underwear once, nut hanging out and all.

Aww, that´s nothing... I´ve played several gigs completely naked. But then again, we Finns are like that, with our sauna culture and all (I laughed out loud reading the "Super Bowl scandal" thread)

I must say that although this thread is full of excellent advice, there are exceptions. For example, talking between songs isn´t for everyone, but some guys can pull it off really well. And doing an hour and a half set without a word in between can be quite exhausting for the audience.

 

[VellaBass]

Hmmmm...one of our more avant garde band members wanted to remove his jacket and loosen his tie once; it was very quickly made clear to him that this sort of behaviour is totally inappropriate in British musical circles.

 

[Passinwind]

And doing an hour and a half set without a word in between can be quite exhausting for the audience.

Not to mention the performers. We used to play whole sets without stopping at all, just all seques. It's better to let things breathe a bit, IME.

Hmmmm...one of our more avant garde band members wanted to remove his jacket and loosen his tie once; it was very quickly made clear to him that this sort of behaviour is totally inappropriate in British musical circles.

At the Blue Moon in Seattle, one of the owners would threaten to cut off the tie of anyone with the temerity to wear one in her establishment. I doubt she would have reacted favorably to non-drinking band members either.

 

[jazzbo]

And doing an hour and a half set without a word in between can be quite exhausting for the audience.

Not to mention the performers. We used to play whole sets without stopping at all, just all seques. It's better to let things breathe a bit, IME.

It takes a long time to work things like that out. I prefer to open strong with a couple of songs that bleed into each other, little or no time. Have things come down quick with a slow song, then you get a chance to pause, let the audience absorb what happened, introduce yourself now that they've been impressed with the tunes, and everyone can get ready for what's coming next.

It is a performance, and I believe strongly in entertaining. Now, I've never played the punk or hard rock stuff, so I'm not talking about the crazy stage antics performance aspect. I've always played pop covers, soul, R&B and the like, but the same rules apply. You get on stage quick, fast. You're ready in a second. No long milling about. BAM! You open with a strong, hard tune, and you go right into another. Don't give them a second to breathe. Then, you bring them down with something slow. Then, the next group on your first set is just a big, fat group of hard hitting songs, none of that slow crap til the end of this group. Then, play that slow song, give them a second to breathe again, then go hard for a couple tunes out of the set. Thank them, get quickly off stage, after letting them know exactly how long you'll be gone. Come back ON TIME, and do it again, and again.

Regarding this "an hour and a half straight is too fatiguing for me the bassist crap", give me a break!!! I've played an hour and a half straight of complex Jamerson, Nathan Watts, etc. tunes. Tunes driven, melodically and definitely rhythmically, by the bass. I've played 3 hours straight, no pause, of jazz tunes, which require constant neck movement, constant thinking, constant pushing of the beat, and don't fatigue. You wimps need to get in shape!

 

[jive1]

2.) Your amp is a great place to put your beer while playing, it's probably the biggest flat surface on the stage, you should have a water bottle right in front of the beer of course and don't actually drink the beer while on stage, pretending to drink is ok but alot of bigger venues won't let you actually drink

Liquid and amps don't mix well. A drink can spill due to vibration from your amp, vibration from the stage, a clumsy band member, a stray cord, etc. If liquid spills into a vent on your amp or over your control panel, you're miles closer to a fried amp. If it spills onto your speaker, there's less chance of frying the amp, but you could affect the speaker's performance. If a drink spills onto the stage floor, it's the venue's problem. If it spills onto your amp, it's your problem.

 

[jive1]

3.) If you're feeling it go ahead and shower your audience with a beer by shaking it up and letting 'er go, after an hour long set where they've been moshing it won't smell any worse and they'll welcome anything cold that touches them. Note this probably won't work in a smaller club

I guess it depends on the gig, and the rapport you have with the audience. But, from a liability perspective, I wouldn't want to be responsible for a cleaning bill (probably not likely from a Punk rock show), ruining someone's hair-do or make up, messing up someone's favorite item of clothing, or making someone smell like stale beer for an evening. Also, you can have fanatical straight-edge punks at a show who might not appreciate this.

I've seen plenty of bar fights erupt from someone ACCIDENTALLY spilling a beer on someone, let alone having it done on purpose.

But if you can get away with it.........

 

[Passinwind]

I prefer to open strong with a couple of songs that bleed into each other, little or no time. Have things come down quick with a slow song, then you get a chance to pause, let the audience absorb what happened, introduce yourself now that they've been impressed with the tunes, and everyone can get ready for what's coming next.

Yeah, that's a workable model, pretty much what I'm talking about.

Regarding this "an hour and a half straight is too fatiguing for me the bassist crap", give me a break!!! I've played an hour and a half straight of complex Jamerson, Nathan Watts, etc. tunes. Tunes driven, melodically and definitely rhythmically, by the bass. I've played 3 hours straight, no pause, of jazz tunes, which require constant neck movement, constant thinking, constant pushing of the beat, and don't fatigue. You wimps need to get in shape!

No worries, my thirty years of performing experience have left me with some different lessons. I've played plenty of very long sets in jam bands, played plenty of jazz, had plenty of friends drop by the wayside with carpal tunnel and various other ailments. If you can sing, improvise continuously, switching between three instruments, and be the only melodic instrument on stage the whole time, for a few hours with no breaks, more power to you. I can do it, but a different paradigm works better for me, thanks. I can live with being called a wimp (not taking that seriously at all, BTW), or far worse for that matter. Arbitrary numbers like a "7 minute setup" are laughable to me, but they probably make total sense in the context of your gigs. Usually, I'm either doing one or maybe two sets, and the club wants nice long breaks, and likes us to socialize on the bandstand between sets. I'm in adequate shape for what I need to do, methinks. I'm always up for learning how to improve though.

 

[CoolHat]

Regarding this "an hour and a half straight is too fatiguing for me the bassist crap", give me a break!!! I've played an hour and a half straight of complex Jamerson, Nathan Watts, etc. tunes. Tunes driven, melodically and definitely rhythmically, by the bass. I've played 3 hours straight, no pause, of jazz tunes, which require constant neck movement, constant thinking, constant pushing of the beat, and don't fatigue. You wimps need to get in shape!

I´m not sure if you were referring to my post, but if you were, I wish you would read it again, especially the last three words.

 

[Hatman]

Don't noodle between songs and tune up silently.

 

[JMX]

Never hit on club manager's girlfriend.

 

[Mike N]

You get on stage quick, fast. You're ready in a second. No long milling about. BAM! You open with a strong, hard tune, and you go right into another. Don't give them a second to breathe. Then, you bring them down with something slow. Then, the next group on your first set is just a big, fat group of hard hitting songs, none of that slow crap til the end of this group. Then, play that slow song, give them a second to breathe again, then go hard for a couple tunes out of the set. Thank them, get quickly off stage, after letting them know exactly how long you'll be gone. Come back ON TIME, and do it again, and again.

+1

 

[cassanova]

Great thread guys and loads of good advice. Id just like to add a couple of more to the table.

1. If you have to retune while on stage, use a tuner and do it silently. Do not tune your instrument through your amp to where the audience can hear it. That is very unprofessional.

2. Dont curse while onstage.

 

[Passinwind]

From a sound man's perspective:

Please, don't play while another band member is sound checking, unless asked to. Not playing at all, period, without being asked will win you many friends. Sound check is about dialing in your stage tone too, not just the PA. Of course, it's nice if you're ready to go without a dweebfest too.

Don't ever suddenly fire up you rig while the stage setup is still being done. If my ears are ringing, I'm not going to do my best work for you, eh?

Line checks are usually the provenance of the sound deWd. Don't randomly check mikes on stage to see if they're live yet. Never tap or hit a mike--period!

Cupping is (sigh) OK if you just have to have that sound for rap, nu-metal, or whatever, but it's considered bad technique, and rude, otherwise.

Be very careful about repositioning mikes. Don't ever allow them to point towards monitors, OK? You do know that the mike also picks up to the side and back, or right to the back in the case of many tight patterned mikes, right? The sound guy spends quite a while ringing out feedback, you move the mike, and now you have a mess. Something as simple as changing the angle in the stand makes a huge difference in gain before feedback. Not every sound guy pays attention to this, so it helps if you learn how your mike works best on stage, and help get it set up that way.

When you decide to switch to another mike in the middle of a set, get the sound man's attention--make eye contact.

From my perspective, a really good soundcheck takes maybe a couple of minutes or less. The first tune of the night can sound tight and kicking if everyone's on the same page, given experienced players. If you're not there yet, ask for help. I can tell you all kinds of stuff from having mixed a few hundred shows in my local club. You want to set drums up in the corner; it's a small stage, right? OK, but now your snare and hat are cracking wickedly off the window you're set up next to, see?

For some bands, putting a lot of weight on the very first tune is not so great, IMO. That's one reason you see so many old timers start with an instrumental tune or two. Everybody gets a chance to feel out the room, and dial in the mixes. I love it when a band comes out socking, and it works. It doesn't happen that way all the time though, even in big, well produced shows.

 

[Mike N]

If youre a cover band, please dont announce the name/artist of every song right before you play it.

 

[KeithPas]

Don´t let any member of your band enter the stage without the setlist. That "What´s next, what´s next? What key?" routine after every song is incredibly annoying.

Don´t let any technical detail delay the show. It´s really frustrating to stand and wait while the guit*rist tries to get his stompbox working or the keyboardist searches for some mysterious patch. Just tell them to plug straight into the amp or play with whatever sound. No song should rely solely on a technical gimmick.

Amen to that. this happens in my band and it drives me nuts. The electronic drums get fiddled with until I want to scream. Either learn how to use the stuff or leave it home.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

Do not ask the audience for beer. "we are poor musicians we will take beer if you buy us one?"

The guitarist in the band I'm playing in now, use to play in a band where the bassist would ask for drugs over the mic. Needless to say, the guitar player quit that band.