I'm in a three piece rock/pop cover band that just started from scratch about a year ago.
We took a long time to get prepared to play shows because we're all perfectionists and want to make the best impression possible and present ourselves as professionals. This year we've played a half dozen gigs in local bars and have been well received and we think we're ready to start playing 2 - 3 shows a month, preferably in more respectable (and better paying) venues than local dive bars.
A few months ago our guitarist proposed putting on a free outdoor show at his house for our family and friends and anybody else who wanted to show up. He described it as being like a glorified practice/rehearsal, which would give us the benefit of focusing our efforts toward performing, not just going through a setlist isolated in our practice place. We all agreed to do it.
Over the past two months, this small, informal show has exploded into an important showcase for our band, with at least five different venue owners expected to be in attendance for the purpose of evaluating us for playing gigs at their establishments.
The gig is tonight.
Apparently, our guitarist is well connected, not only in the area music community, but also in the local business and civic community. He's convinced that whatever impression we make on this crowd will make or break our band. He says that if these venue owners like us, we can expect to parlay that into regular gigs in more upscale establishments. But if we blow it, we'll pretty much be finished, as word will get around that we're a bunch of hacks.
So, I'm as ready as I can reasonably be and will be leaving for the show in about two hours, with curtains up scheduled for 7pm, and I'm starting to get nervous like I haven't been in decades of playing live gigs.
The weather is going to be almost perfect. Clear skies with temps around 70⁰F and low humidity - a perfect, early Autumn evening. A nearly full moon will rise about the time we're finishing up our first set.
I'll post back here after the show and let you know how it went. I'll be recording video of the show with a Zoom Q3, so if all goes well, I'll have something concrete to share.
So, please wish us good luck tonight.
Later!
We took a long time to get prepared to play shows because we're all perfectionists and want to make the best impression possible and present ourselves as professionals. This year we've played a half dozen gigs in local bars and have been well received and we think we're ready to start playing 2 - 3 shows a month, preferably in more respectable (and better paying) venues than local dive bars.
A few months ago our guitarist proposed putting on a free outdoor show at his house for our family and friends and anybody else who wanted to show up. He described it as being like a glorified practice/rehearsal, which would give us the benefit of focusing our efforts toward performing, not just going through a setlist isolated in our practice place. We all agreed to do it.
Over the past two months, this small, informal show has exploded into an important showcase for our band, with at least five different venue owners expected to be in attendance for the purpose of evaluating us for playing gigs at their establishments.
The gig is tonight.
Apparently, our guitarist is well connected, not only in the area music community, but also in the local business and civic community. He's convinced that whatever impression we make on this crowd will make or break our band. He says that if these venue owners like us, we can expect to parlay that into regular gigs in more upscale establishments. But if we blow it, we'll pretty much be finished, as word will get around that we're a bunch of hacks.
So, I'm as ready as I can reasonably be and will be leaving for the show in about two hours, with curtains up scheduled for 7pm, and I'm starting to get nervous like I haven't been in decades of playing live gigs.
The weather is going to be almost perfect. Clear skies with temps around 70⁰F and low humidity - a perfect, early Autumn evening. A nearly full moon will rise about the time we're finishing up our first set.
I'll post back here after the show and let you know how it went. I'll be recording video of the show with a Zoom Q3, so if all goes well, I'll have something concrete to share.
So, please wish us good luck tonight.
Later!
