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New band. First real gig... ever...

JoeDaddio

JoeDaddio

Jul 14, 2004
631
598
Orange County California
#1
Hey folks. I'm 30 years old and joined a band a month and a half ago or so.

I just found out that we have a gig next month on the 8th. I've played live before, but it was while in college and just for parties. I've got no idea what to expect here for this.

Also, I'm *pretty* close on their songs, but I'm certainly not 100% But I guess being thrown in the deep end is the way to learn.

Any advice for a first gig? I'm kind of nervous already. Let's just hope I don't screw up too bad!


joe
 
#5
Congrats Joe. What kind of band? Covers or originals?

The best way to be prepared is to over-prepare. Know the material cold. If it's cover music, play along with the songs at home.....over and over again. Even when you can't play, listen to the music over and over again to memorize the structure. The more comfortable you are with the material, the more comfortable you will be at a gig. When you get together to rehearse, practice the set lists as you intend to play them.

Actually, the same holds true for originals....so long as you have recordings.
 
#6
Take a pre-gig dump. Seriously. You'll thank me later.

Also, try to eat something light that will give you enough energy to get through a long set. Supposedly, Anthony Keidis (of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) eats bananas before a show as they are easy to digest and chock full of nutrients.

Don't drink too much. If you plan on drinking at shows, you should practice drinking at rehearsal so you know exactly how much you can handle before your playing gets sloppy.
 
#7
It's an original band, though we might cover Stranglehold, as that tends to be our warm up song every practice (also should give you an idea of the type of music we play), but I don't know. I just found out about the gig and tonight is practice, so I'm going to ask for a speciffic set list so I can get the stuff down.

I've got a CD of some recordings, but it only has 5 songs on it, there are 6 or so others not on there, which makes it kind of tough.

As far as drinking goes: I'm not a big drinker to begin with. I'm a quality over quantity guy, so two, *maybe* three is my max when I'm out. I am uncomfortable with being drunk anywhere I can't sleep comfortably, which isn't many places ;)


joe
 
#8
Listen to & play the material over & over if you can, Eat a light meal, don't drink much if any at all, stretch, be at ease, don't clintch your muscles, it's a waste of energy, get a good nights sleep if possible and last but not least, just have fun!!!!!!
 
#9
Another thing most bands forget about before the first gig is "Who is responsible for what?"

Have you talked this out with your band? Not sure what kind of gig you have (multi-band line-up, house sound man, your PA) but you need to have a game plan together about each of your responsibilities during pre-gig. Not good to show up and have no idea what you are supposed to do, when your mates are nervously trying to get everything done.

We are a full service cover band, so each of us has a nice list of things we have to do for the band (PA, wires, lights, mics, etc) before we even consider setting up own gear.

Also, eat something with tuna in it. I started that a few years ago and I think it helps. The old omega 3 placebo thing I guess. Also, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And not with beer or alcohol. Standing on your feet for 4 hours (when you haven't done it in a while) along with playing hard for that long will dehydrate you quickly. You'll eliminate or diminish any cramping or hydration related problems.

Oh, and have fun!
 
#12
Don't panic At least one thing is going to go wrong. Possibly numerous things. We all go through them. If this were not the case, this forum would get about one new post per month. When that thing happens just think "Oh, this is the thing that goes wrong. Other players on TB have lived through it. I will too.". Then move on.

Keep it in perspective. There is no mistake you can make that will cause your family and friends to stop loving you, make ice cream taste bad for the rest of your life, or make your car insurance go up.

Give as much time as you can over the next couple of weeks to mindfully preparing and then just enjoy the show for what it is. Come the gig, the only thing you'll be in control of is what you play, so don't worry about anything else.
 
#13
JoeDaddio said:
Hey folks. I'm 30 years old and joined a band a month and a half ago or so.

I just found out that we have a gig next month on the 8th. I've played live before, but it was while in college and just for parties. I've got no idea what to expect here for this.

Also, I'm *pretty* close on their songs, but I'm certainly not 100% But I guess being thrown in the deep end is the way to learn.

Any advice for a first gig? I'm kind of nervous already. Let's just hope I don't screw up too bad!

joe
Click to expand...

Depends on the venue and the type of band your in.

Knowing all your parts always makes things go a lot smoother.

If you get a sound check make sure you can hear yourself.
 
#14
A fellow TB'er gave me some great advice before my first gig. When you make a mistake, just keep going and don't look back. Chances are you are the only one that will know. That simple advice freed me from panic and served me very well.

Good luck. Relax and enjoy the moment...
 
#15
My first gig as a drummer, I was so nervous that I took a drink. Worst idea ever. I was either too relaxed or otherwise screwed up that I played .5 clicks too fast on everything, and COMPLETELY lost the beat (12341234123123333...really bad) that the main act drummer showed up on the side to help me visually get back. Never had a drink before a gig after that.

Luckily by the time I switched to bass, I was "gigxperienced" enough to not be too stupid.

+1... relax and enjoy the moment. Think of the live gig as a rehearsal. Use your nervous energy positively.

Otherwise think of the audience as being tone deaf.
 
#16
If you have not done a full 4 hours of playing, i recommend building some stamina in your wrists.
If i haven't practiced as much as I should have, i tend to get cramps in my left wrist at a gig, especially if someone doing the set list has placed a few hard going songs one after another.
Practice the whole nights setlist in one go.
Oh yeah, and make a setlist so you know what is coming next, and plan the whole event form setup to pack down, those vocalists tend to skive off when there is work to do..
 
#17
thanks for the support and advice, guys. I appreciate it.

Just seems a little odd me coming at this so late in life. Remember to breathe, and keep moving forward. I think I can pull those things off!

Hopefully tonight we'll start playing the set list. I know I'm going to push for it, and push for the more simple songs. I have no idea how long the set is going to be, but I would assume it's going to be with multiple bands because we don't have enough material to play a full night.


joe
 
#18
no need to be nervous. if you are nervous you will laugh at the fact that you were nervous after the show. just remember, everyone in the crowd wishes they were on stage. i think i was nervous for my first show when i was 14, after that, its what i live for.
 
#19
Kentucky Ryan said:
no need to be nervous. if you are nervous you will laugh at the fact that you were nervous after the show. just remember, everyone in the crowd wishes they were on stage. i think i was nervous for my first show when i was 14, after that, its what i live for.
Click to expand...

If he's not nervous something is wrong. Being nervous is a good thing.

For the 45 years I've been doing this, I'm still nervous before a show.
 
#20
[QUOTE="Kentucky Ryan" just remember, everyone in the crowd wishes they were on stage.[/QUOTE]

Another recent thread shows that many TBers support the notion that there are many even musicians that have no interest at all in playing out or being on stage.
 

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