First ever gig, soon!

[SoCal80s]

Unless I've seen the club's PA myself, I always bring my full rig. If it turns out I don't need my amp I leave it in the car. Someone saying "we have a PA" can mean lots of different things. For me to rely on someone else's PA I have to know that they have working subs for FOH and enough monitors (or that a backline amp is provided).

Also make sure you know how you're going to connect to the PA. I always bring a preamp or DI and an XLR cable. Most pro sound persons bring DI boxes, but you should bring your own in case the sound person is not a pro.

 

[Dave Leighton]

Someone saying "we have a PA" can mean lots of different things.

Just like pallets and a screw gun does not equal a stage...

 

[slackaddict]

always listen to others
stay behind next to your drummer
you and him/her are one
your bass and the bass drum are the heart
that create and make energy circulate
like a power ring
enjoy every second
like there's no tomorrow
drink a little before
and a lot after!
ps: don't forget a spare cable

 

[JRA]

Anything I should know, anticipate, or keep in mind?

Stay relaxed and have fun.

Relax & have fun.

HAVE FUN and report back

relax and have fun

Relax, don't overthink it........have fun!

Relax, have fun

relax and have fun

Have fun!

First and foremost enjoy.

gee, @marsquake, don't you wish you could just relax and have some fun!?

it's great advice! break a leg! keep us informed!

 

[Bassic_desires]

Best wishes. Enjoy every moment. Be warned - performing live is addictive!

 

[dave64o]

Congrats!

I played my first gig just two weeks shy of my 55th birthday about three years ago, so I know how daunting it can feel starting out when you're already an adult. But, if you're practiced enough and your band is well rehearsed, you'll do fine. Just stay focused but stay relaxed. Being a little nervous is a good thing in my opinion, it helps keep you sharp, so don't sweat some minor nerves - harness them!

I know some have said there's likely to be a small PA, but I don't see that around here in the typical bar. I almost always have to bring my rig (not always the full rig, depends on the size of the venue). I'd suggest bringing it just in case, or ask the band leader to talk to the venue ahead of time if you don't want to bring it unnecessarily.

Some may also suggest a drink or two. Do that if you're comfortable, but I don't drink when I'm playing. I bring several bottles of water and save the beers or vodka for once we're packed up and are winding down.

Good luck!

 

[Egg250]

- Be professional, set up your gear quickly, trying to keep your mess to a minimum, hopefully your bandmates do the same.
- Gig day is not the time to try something new. Set up as you always have before, don't introduce new gear that you haven't already tried out in rehearsal.
- Pay attention during sound check. If you're not satisfied with the mix you can hear on stage, make sure you can hear everything you need to. Trust the sound engineer to get the house mix correct.

I recently played with a new group and the new guitarist violated all of my advice. He didn't opcheck his gear, didn't know how to set it up (because he was trying a new set up), had his stuff everywhere and I was simply standing waiting for him to get his crap out of the way. He also brought way too much equipment and didn't use half of it.

Have fun, but don't get lost in the groove.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Don’t screw it up!



(Good luck!)

 

[sedan_dad]

Don't screw up. Everyone will be watching.

 

[ELG60]

Lots of good recommendations here already. I wouldn't drink any alcohol before the set. Hydration is important as noted. Empty your bladder before you go on stage (I'd use a bathroom).

 

[Smooth_bass88]

ooh man, I remember my first. It was awesome! And it was over WAY too quick.

Take many photos and videos!

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Not sure where to post this, but I have my first ever live performance with a band in 2 days. Anything I should know, anticipate, or keep in mind? All the gear stuff for playing live is bewildering and I've been trying to read a lot here.

I know the venue (small bar) has it so we can plug directly into a sound board and has PA. I use a Spector Euro and a Microtubes X7 which has Direct output (XLR?) and a parallel output. We play 90's covers (rock/grunge/metal). I don't think I'll need to lug my Amp there. It's only a 30 minute 5-song set.

Thanks!

Bring your amp. In my experience most small venues will have a 112 combo for you to use and won't want you to play your bass through their small PA system for fear you may hurt their speakers.

AND if you prefer the sound of your Microtubes X7 to the sound of whatever backline they want to put your through, try running a 1/4" instrument cord from its unbalanced out into the effects-return of whatever the backline amp is. That way you're just using the power section and speaker(s) of their backline and you can dial in the normal sound you get with your Microtubes. I've done that with my WTDI (Eden DI stompbox with WTpreamp) to all kinds of backlines over the years. I can make anything sound like it's Eden gear.

 

[Lo-E]

1. Practice standing up.

It doesn’t seem to matter how much I practice; I fall right over.

 

[Mastermold]

View attachment 4755384










gee, @marsquake, don't you wish you could just relax and have some fun!?

it's great advice! break a leg! keep us informed!

YES!!! lol
I'm just subbing for the gig photos -- there'd better be gig photos!!

 

[MLC_BassPlayer]

This..

Then, relax and have fun. Don't worry about mistakes, everybody makes them and no one in the audience notices.

It will go by really really really really fast. Remind yourself to relax, slow down and enjoy the moment.

Welcome to where the fun is...

 

[Lo-E]

Yes, as a bunch of others said: relax and have fun! That’s really the most important piece of advice there is.

Also as a bunch of others said: bring your amp. Playing through the PA - even a good PA - is a crapshoot. You may not need to turn up loud. You may not need it at all. …but there’s a very good chance you will need it and you’ll be glad you brought it.

Keep your setup as simple as possible so you can set up quickly. Plop down your amp, plug it in (you did bring an extension cord, right?), plug your bass up (which you tuned before you got onstage), get a decent sound as fast as you can and don’t be the guy everyone is waiting for.

Bring a roll of gaffer’s tape. You’ll need it for something. If you don’t the drummer will. Bring spare cables and batteries. Print a big set list you can put on the floor at your feet. Big black text on white paper.

Be friendly to the house sound person. They have a difficult, thankless job.

Placing yourself where you can make good eye contact with the drummer is extremely helpful.

Don’t drink too much (I like one beer about an hour before I play - when I’m done playing all bets are off).

Be friendly to the other bands; never know when you’ll run into them again. Heck, you might even be in one of those bands one day…

You don’t need to be a showboat but it’s good to make eye contact with the audience once in a while. Extra credit for actually interacting with them. Double extra credit if they’re complete strangers.

Did I mention have fun?

 

[bigdaddybass12]

You may want to use your amp as a monitor. Be calm, don’t over play

 

[micguy]

1. Hydrate beginning 24-48h before

...but not too much close to the gig time. Always do a "make sure" trip to the bathroom before you go on stage.

 

[MisterFabulous]

Congratulations on getting a gig! If you are there at the request of the main act or of the venue operator, here's your chance to make a good impression. 5 songs will go by before you know it. Try to prepare yourself, even though this is the first one.

1. Band should do a dress rehearsal. Exact same set. Try to eliminate chitchat and delays between songs. Go right from one song to another. Make a video, or at least sound recording of the rehearsal.

2. Bring what you use at the rehearsal, if you can. It's really important, as some others have said, to hear your bass playing in real time. Hard to do if you are behind the speaker, or next to, or far from the speaker, that the bass sound is coming from.

3. If at all possible, go to the bar early to do a sound check of one of your songs. In addition to hearing your bass, you will also have to be able to hear/see the drummer and hear the other band members' instruments and vocals in real time.

4. Someone from the band should introduce the band before the last song. Make sure you say the band's name. Thank the audience and the bar staff. Introduce the song and enjoy the experience!

 

[BigJohnAZ]

I'm going to take a different tack here.

You'll be scared to death, and when the lights come on and you hear 1 2 3 4....you'll think you'll faint. You'll hit that first note, afraid to look up. Ok, you're playing and everything seems too fast. You breathe, and you start to feel ok. You get in the pocket with the drummer, and you both smile. And then WHAM! You're grooving and you feel ultimate joy flooding your body, you don't want it to stop. The magic is there, you know you got this. Your set will be over in a flash, and all you think is "I wanna do this again!"