The 10 Commandments of Gigging

[Robroy]

I like the part about befriending the staff.
Indeed, they are your co-workers.
Bartenders, door guys, lighting techs, maintenance crew, everyone.
They all help to achieve the same goal of putting on a great show for the audience.
If you order from the bar, tip the bartenders.
Shake hands with everyone before you exit the venue at the end of the night.
They will remember that.

That is a huge one for me. When I moved to KY from Seattle, I hooked up with a guy who was great on stage, but got totally smashed at every gig. You could hear things going downhill by the third set. I always had polite conversations with the wait staff and owners. I avoided slamming him but tried to show that there was a sane member of the band. It kept us getting gigs, believe it or not.

Everything in live is about two things:
1. My relationship with God
2. My relationship with my fellow human beings.

 

[Robroy]

Well said and dbl up on # 10
Its not a party for you

Actually, for me it kinda is. It doesn’t pay enough for me to do it as a job. If I’m not having fun on stage, not only am I not being entertaining, but I won’t continue doing it. We get paid to set up and tear down. We do the actual sets because we are having fun. If the customers of the venue don’t like what we play, we’re in the wrong venue.
If it becomes work, I’m done.

 

[wallawallabob]

HAHA! That is exactly what our lead singer says after the first set! Frankly, that particular band is so comfortable on stage that he and I do a bit of a Tom and Dick Smothers thing throughout the show. It never gets long winded, for obvious reasons, but it speaks to one thing not on the list:

11. Look like you are having a BLAST on stage. It is infectious.

How many times have you seen a band who's members look like they would fall asleep if they didn't have another song to play? We make sure our audience understands that there is nowhere we would rather be than playing our hearts out for them, and that we would rather play all night!

 

[hrodbert696]

Actually, for me it kinda is. It doesn’t pay enough for me to do it as a job. If I’m not having fun on stage, not only am I not being entertaining, but I won’t continue doing it. We get paid to set up and tear down. We do the actual sets because we are having fun. If the customers of the venue don’t like what we play, we’re in the wrong venue.
If it becomes work, I’m done.

I agree with this. I would think about #10 this way; yes, you're working. The work you're doing is to put on a fun party for the crowd. "Work" and "fun" should not contradict in this situation. Being professional means being fun, and not doing stuff that will spoil the crowd's fun. So #10 is right; don't get drunk so you can't play, don't wander off, etc. Keep the party going. But it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the party; if you don't, you're in the wrong line of work.

I totally agree with you about what we're paid for. It's my response when people think the band should play for free because we love to play, right? Well, if I'm going to show up with just the gear that's convenient for me to carry, when it's convenient for me, and play whatever music I feel like for as long or as short a time as I feel like it, regardless of whether it's well-rehearsed or not -sure, I'll play for free. If I'm going to haul and set up all the gear to put on a professional show, at a time that's convenient for the venue, and play music the crowd wants to hear for as long as the bar can continue selling drinks, and have all that music tightly rehearsed - no, then I think some compensation is in order.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

#8: The Singer is the Focal Point
........preferably one who is charismatic and/or good looking......

I'd scrap the good looking part. Really.

 

[Ralph Notoro]

I'd scrap the good looking part. Really.

You may, but the audience won't. It's a fact of life. Not that every band has to be a bunch of pretty boys or they're doomed. But looking good is always better than not looking good. And that could be just having an attractive presence. Hendrix was no GQ model, but he was undeniably a "star." Hell, Lemmy is a ogre, but he's got a vibe. And it speaks to people. Good looks is just a short cut to reaching people and being accepted. That's the point.

 

[Robroy]

Sometimes it's not just about looking good, but looking "interesting".

 

[Ralph Notoro]

Sometimes it's not just about looking good, but looking "interesting".

Agreed. Kinda the same thing .

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Lyle Lovett and Tom Petty would be disappointed. I hoped this forum of musicians would be better than the "American Idol" concept.

 

[Ralph Notoro]

Lyle Lovett and Tom Petty would be disappointed. I hoped this forum of musicians would be better than the "American Idol" concept.

You're missing the point. First off, Lyle Lovett has a "look." Petty's songs speak to people so they accept him. There are always exceptions. That doesn't change the fact that people like to look at attractive people.

If you owned a club had a choice between hiring two equally good bands but one had a lead singer who looked like Rosie O'Donnell and the other had a lead singer who looked like Katy Perry. Who are you going to hire?

 

[crucislancer]

Actually, for me it kinda is. It doesn’t pay enough for me to do it as a job. If I’m not having fun on stage, not only am I not being entertaining, but I won’t continue doing it. We get paid to set up and tear down. We do the actual sets because we are having fun. If the customers of the venue don’t like what we play, we’re in the wrong venue.
If it becomes work, I’m done.

I think what he meant was that it's not a party in the sense that you get hammered during your set. By all means have a good time, the crowd sees that and they get into it a bit more as well. But, let the crowd do the drinking

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Revised for the ultra sensitive. : )

Refer to rule #1.

 

[Robroy]

I think what he meant was that it's not a party in the sense that you get hammered during your set. By all means have a good time, the crowd sees that and they get into it a bit more as well. But, let the crowd do the drinking

Yeah, I've only been in one band where that was an issue. The band leader would drink over ten shots in a performance. Well over. I do a drink per set. It may be a beer, it may be a shot. It may be a Ski.

BTW, the first "bar band" I was ever in was a sort of living oxymoron. I was the only non-mormon member.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

You're missing the point. First off, Lyle Lovett has a "look." Petty's songs speak to people so they accept him. There are always exceptions. That doesn't change the fact that people like to look at attractive people.

If you owned a club had a choice between hiring two equally good bands but one had a lead singer who looked like Rosie O'Donnell and the other had a lead singer who looked like Katy Perry. Who are you going to hire?

I thought music transcended all that petty type of stuff. No longer the 80's with the Bangles and Bananarama.

Reminds me of the Pink Floyd song "Have a Cigar" with the cigar smoking shifty music agent guy slapping the band leader on the back saying:
"Well, I've always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one's Pink"

Today is much more of a 'come as you are' type of culture.

 

[crucislancer]

Yeah, I've only been in one band where that was an issue. The band leader would drink over ten shots in a performance. Well over. I do a drink per set. It may be a beer, it may be a shot. It may be a Ski.

BTW, the first "bar band" I was ever in was a sort of living oxymoron. I was the only non-mormon member.

Yeah, I'm usually the same way, I stick with a single drink, though occasionally someone will buy me a drink during a set, in which case I will sip it until the gig is done. Had a recent incident where a band member decided it was party time and was hammered before we even started. One of the longest gigs I have ever had to play.

 

[Robroy]

I thought music transcended all that petty type of stuff. No longer the 80's with the Bangles and Bananarama.

Reminds me of the Pink Floyd song "Have a Cigar" with the cigar smoking shifty music agent guy slapping the band leader on the back saying:
"Well, I've always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one's Pink"

Today is much more of a 'come as you are' type of culture.

I think it's because it is all they can get. Looks matter. Always have. Always will. But it is why I said "interesting" rather than attractive. Sometimes it is very expensive to get the "looks don't matter" look just right.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Sometimes it is very expensive to get the "looks don't matter" look just right.

I guess it matters what you are going for. A pop idol who does whatever the producer says may have to go the the gym, have dental work done, do plastic surgery, implants, etc.

A singer/songwriter will see less value in that, and so will the audience for that type of music.

But Lemmy does look like an orge.

 

[crucislancer]

I thought music transcended all that petty type of stuff. No longer the 80's with the Bangles and Bananarama.

Reminds me of the Pink Floyd song "Have a Cigar" with the cigar smoking shifty music agent guy slapping the band leader on the back saying:
"Well, I've always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one's Pink"

Today is much more of a 'come as you are' type of culture.

It's true, to some extent, that these days it is a bit more "come as you are", but on the other hand some musicians take that to the extreme and show up looking like they just rolled out of bed. Ralph has a valid point, a promoter with two bands that are on par with each other musically but one has more attractive musicians and/or better dressed, that promoter will more then likely pick the pretty ones.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

It's true, to some extent, that these days it is a bit more "come as you are", but on the other hand some musicians take that to the extreme and show up looking like they just rolled out of bed. Ralph has a valid point, a promoter with two bands that are on par with each other musically but one has more attractive musicians and/or better dressed, that promoter will more then likely pick the pretty ones.

Yeah, I get it. I just felt that as a society, we had moved past the appearance thing. Maybe we have a little, but still a long way to go. Still seems shallow to me.

 

[Robroy]

I guess it matters what you are going for. A pop idol who does whatever the producer says may have to go the the gym, have dental work done, do plastic surgery, implants, etc.

A singer/songwriter will see less value in that, and so will the audience for that type of music.

But Lemmy does look like an orge.

I'm not saying it is "everything". I'm saying all other things being equal, it does help. I live in an area where the bands and crowds are often a very , uh, colorful crowd (yes, I mean there are only slightly more teeth than people). Even there, looks matters.