I sent a message to a mod about getting this stickied hopefully he does
I agree. Please Mr. Moderator......
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
If only I knew then what I know now...
- Thread starter bigcatJC
- Start date
I agree. Please Mr. Moderator......
Business cards.........always with you. In truck, in gig bag, in pockets, in hand, in tip jar, on stage. It was mentioned and it's getting mentioned again.
I keep a clip of em in my pocket even at work....they come in handy to write stuff on the back to hand to people and heyyyyy look my band is on front!
Also though, (and we just did this.....), put more than one contact number on the card. Cell phones have a way of crapping out or taking a swim
or just dying 
, and its better for someone to be able to get ahold of a person. Pick whoever is the easiest to get ahold of to be answering person 
. Make sure the writing is nice and readable.....first set I settled on for us looked great until I handed one out at a bar and watched the person squint to read the orange lettering on a black background..... very awesome in any normal light, impossible in bar light even with white outlining
. Now the words are white .
Thanks mods for the sticky-great choice to sticky!
I keep a clip of em in my pocket even at work....they come in handy to write stuff on the back to hand to people and heyyyyy look my band is on front!
Also though, (and we just did this.....), put more than one contact number on the card. Cell phones have a way of crapping out or taking a swim
or just dying , and its better for someone to be able to get ahold of a person. Pick whoever is the easiest to get ahold of to be answering person . Make sure the writing is nice and readable.....first set I settled on for us looked great until I handed one out at a bar and watched the person squint to read the orange lettering on a black background..... very awesome in any normal light, impossible in bar light even with white outlining. Now the words are white . Thanks mods for the sticky-great choice to sticky!
Other contact info would be helpful as well: email and mailing address or a land line with a message machine attached.
I don't agree at all with point 1. I think in rehearsal, I as a bandleader want to be able to see everyone. I don't want to be facing the wall like I am playing to an audience at all. It's the least productive thing to do. The problems with volume are very simple to solve. Do a sound check before you start and make sure you can all hear each other. That applies to point 2 and 3 as well.
As far as point 4 goes I generally play with people that are professional and act professionally so people that are "selfish or combative" don't really stay in the picture long if they even manage to come into it in the first place. I guess if you act professionally you will associate with professional people and have minimal grief in this respect.
As for point 5, I really only play what I write or am being paid to play unless we are jamming and in that case we improvise so I don't really have much to say on agreeing on songs.
- Aug 30, 2003
- 1,479
- 457
- Disclosures
- Engineer & Owner, Sonic Nuance Electronics
ive always said that. the band USED to agree with that. now at every rehearsal out of 5 members at least 2 on an anverage night will have a few drinks during rehearsals. i find its just disrespectfull to the group as a whole, you wouldent drink a beer at work..and a rehearsal is some form of work, although it may be more fun than your office job..
QUOTE]
that in mind, is gigging not a the "main job?" can we please have beer while onstage?
and if no beer during rehearsals, man, how many bands would have broken up? probably all of them that i heard on the radio...there is a time and place for everything, but there's also gotta be leniency
another..."i'm a virgin" doesn't really mean "i'm a virgin", esp. if you can tell she's a groupie and you've seen her take 10 shots since your band's been playing
don't play "boomer sooner" while gigging in stillwater or austin, texas
no matter how funny you and your band (all of whom attend OU/live in norman) might think it'll be, i guarantee the crowd won't
but if you do, bring a sheep to distract them while you make a getaway
no matter how funny you and your band (all of whom attend OU/live in norman) might think it'll be, i guarantee the crowd won't
but if you do, bring a sheep to distract them while you make a getaway
- Jun 19, 2004
- 4,782
- 83
- 42
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist, Schroeder Cabinets
- Jun 19, 2004
- 4,782
- 83
- 42
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist, Schroeder Cabinets
As far as drinks/drugs go - I don't necessarily think that a blanket rule of can or can't for rehearsals/performances can be decided on an individual basis. That's something that the band needs to have a consensus on. One of my bands? Hey, it's our bowling night. People drink when they're bowling all the time!
It probably ought to be decided very early in the life of the band though. What are the ground rules?
KO
It probably ought to be decided very early in the life of the band though. What are the ground rules?
KO
When you first approach the mic at a gig, always test the ground by holding your strings with your left hand and quickly touching the mic with your finger. (reverse for lefties).
Too many people have been shocked and injured by starting their vocals and while singing, touch the mic with their lips and receive a terrible pain.
Too many people have been shocked and injured by starting their vocals and while singing, touch the mic with their lips and receive a terrible pain.
C
CarolatSheLives
Guest
Some excellent tips in this thread from many collective years of experience. Thank you, all. I'm still learning. (Earplugs. Got it.)
Here are the few I can toss in from my own school of hard knocks:
--Visit with the audience between sets and after the gig...
--But keep one eye on the clock. You still need a bathroom break and time to tune up between sets, and you still need to help break down/load after the gig.
--There's no excuse for not playing in tune. None.
--A good press/promo kit doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and is worth its weight in gold. Get help if you need it.
--Ditto a good demo CD.
--Collect email addresses of fans. Use them to create a list to send out invitations to your gigs 1 - 2 weeks ahead of the gig.
--If you wait to send out gig notices the day of the gig, don't be surprised when your fans don't show.
--Make each fan feel special. This can even be done from the stage with smiles and eye contact during performances.
--Negative attitudes attract negative fans - as in less than zero.
--Always remember: No matter how good you are, there's always someone out there that plays better than you. Even the very best musicians acknowledge this.
--High energy and good stage presence will often win an audience over despite mediocre singing.
--The audience will enjoy your playing more if it looks like you're enjoying playing for them.
--A little space between songs for entertaining banter is great.
--Too much can be very awkward for your band mates and for the audience. So...
--If you must have a jillion pedals on your board, make sure you can switch your settings very quickly so you don't hold things up between songs.
--If you have an active instrument, replace batteries before each and every gig!
--If you quit the band, fire someone in it, or the band breaks up, do everything you can to end on good terms. Sometimes that means apologizing. You never know who you'll meet up with again down the road that will/will not be in a position to help you out.
--Reach out once in a while to give a hand up to a neophyte. You were there once, too.
--Practice. Even when you don't really feel like it.
--When you're done practicing, practice some more.
--Don't sleep with your band mates.
Here are the few I can toss in from my own school of hard knocks:
--Visit with the audience between sets and after the gig...
--But keep one eye on the clock. You still need a bathroom break and time to tune up between sets, and you still need to help break down/load after the gig.
--There's no excuse for not playing in tune. None.
--A good press/promo kit doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and is worth its weight in gold. Get help if you need it.
--Ditto a good demo CD.
--Collect email addresses of fans. Use them to create a list to send out invitations to your gigs 1 - 2 weeks ahead of the gig.
--If you wait to send out gig notices the day of the gig, don't be surprised when your fans don't show.
--Make each fan feel special. This can even be done from the stage with smiles and eye contact during performances.
--Negative attitudes attract negative fans - as in less than zero.
--Always remember: No matter how good you are, there's always someone out there that plays better than you. Even the very best musicians acknowledge this.
--High energy and good stage presence will often win an audience over despite mediocre singing.
--The audience will enjoy your playing more if it looks like you're enjoying playing for them.
--A little space between songs for entertaining banter is great.
--Too much can be very awkward for your band mates and for the audience. So...
--If you must have a jillion pedals on your board, make sure you can switch your settings very quickly so you don't hold things up between songs.
--If you have an active instrument, replace batteries before each and every gig!
--If you quit the band, fire someone in it, or the band breaks up, do everything you can to end on good terms. Sometimes that means apologizing. You never know who you'll meet up with again down the road that will/will not be in a position to help you out.
--Reach out once in a while to give a hand up to a neophyte. You were there once, too.
--Practice. Even when you don't really feel like it.
--When you're done practicing, practice some more.
--Don't sleep with your band mates.
Lots of fantastic informtion provided here! The only one that I can think to add (that hasn't been covered already)
- Know when it's time to pack it in as a band, or at least for yourself to quit. Just like in a relationship, if you're the only one putting in any effort, and the others don't really want to be there, then just end it. There will always be other bands for you, and there's no sense prolonging something until it's not fun for anybody anymore.
In one of my previous bands, the singer/guitarist just wasn't into it anymore, and would put little to no effort into the shows, which caused less people to come to the shows, which made him put in less effort....
I put up with it for too long because we were long time friends, when I should have called him on it on day one.
- Know when it's time to pack it in as a band, or at least for yourself to quit. Just like in a relationship, if you're the only one putting in any effort, and the others don't really want to be there, then just end it. There will always be other bands for you, and there's no sense prolonging something until it's not fun for anybody anymore.
In one of my previous bands, the singer/guitarist just wasn't into it anymore, and would put little to no effort into the shows, which caused less people to come to the shows, which made him put in less effort....
I put up with it for too long because we were long time friends, when I should have called him on it on day one.
I can relate to this. I formed a band with childhood friends and it took me a long time to accept that it was over. I wasted a lot of my bass-playing life that way.
S.P.
I agree with everything but #3. Drums have a completely different tone when they're being slammed than when they're being lightly hit. Some types of music call for slamming. Nothing you can do about it.
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
Agree 100%, My days of that were over 6 years ago.
Tune up right after the sets are done, instead before the next.(Common knowledge to tune up before the show of course).
Mistakes are made, don't look around or @ the mistaker (made up word
) when it happens.
It all depends on the person for me. I've worked with a guy who did a shot and two beers before he ever walked onstage and he was one of the best guitarists I've ever worked with. If I have even one beer, I'm out of my mind. I really don't care what people do in their personal life as long as they don't screw up. I choose not to drink, but I only begrudge it in others if it affects their performance.
