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Gig preparation


markdavid

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3 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

I’m exhausted just reading that.

I do whatever I usually do through the day, then put my stuff in the car and go to the gig.

Got to consider the meta of your life if you want the grind to be sustainable, 😉 but I totally hold my hands up to being an anal retentive. 🤣 Xx

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On 20/09/2019 at 12:15, Akio Dāku said:

Sleep right the night before, eat right throughout the day but leave it a good 40mins without food before you're set, exercise in the day time before hand, something like 40 mins cardio/20 mins free weights and if you've got to sing no smoking beforehand and run your full set at home prior on the day of the gig. That's my typical routine, oh and a I have 500ml energy drinks one for the drive there and one to get me home. Oh and bring a book if its an early sound check, or a pillow if you're the kinda person happy to catch a few winks while your waiting. Xx 

This is the most un-rock and roll thing I’ve ever read. I’m sure it’s a great gig though!

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Just now, rOB said:

All my nerves relate to logistics and transport. Double checking gear, route,  parking, load in, times etc.

This has led to a very small, simple rig. Less to carry when there's no parking closer by and less to break at the worst possible moment. 

Same here.

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Aside from making sure I have all the gear I need and allowing enough time to get there the main thing for me is making sure I drink enough water. On gigs where I’ve failed to do that I’ve found myself really struggling. Oh, and having a pre-match pee, being in my 50s have to make sure u don’t want to go mid-gig!

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On 20/09/2019 at 12:18, BigRedX said:

Turn up. Set up your gear. Play.

That is all.

That's pretty much it for me as well. If my gear worked at the last gig then there's no reason to assume that it's stopped working while it's been sitting in my house. On the other hand if something didn't feel right then it gets adjusted.

I like going hillwalking the morning of a gig but that's my hobby rather than a pre gig ritual but it does definitely get me going for the day. I don't eat anything after 2pm as I hate going to a gig on a full stomach. If we've rehearsed a song for the weekend then I will not listen to it after the rehearsal until I actually have to play it.

I just generally do stuff that gets me nice and relaxed and feeling at my best for the gig - everyone is different so just try different things until you find the best balance for you.

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13 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Aside from making sure I have all the gear I need and allowing enough time to get there the main thing for me is making sure I drink enough water. On gigs where I’ve failed to do that I’ve found myself really struggling. Oh, and having a pre-match pee, being in my 50s have to make sure u don’t want to go mid-gig!

It's a careful balancing act between the pre-gig drink of water and the length of the set - I've struggled with 2 1/2 hour sets this year! And I'm no longer in my 50s - it doesn't get any easier you get older!

 

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16 hours ago, Twigman said:

SO how'd it go?

 

Did you work yourself into such a state that the intro to the first song evacuated your head and you totally forgot how to play?

It was a really odd gig, we setup and went into the first half of the gig and there was all of about 3 people in the pub, the 3 that were there were clearly not there for music and looked very unimpressed despite us playing really well and after each song there was dead silence, no applause at all , the atmosphere was terrible and after the first half we had a 10 minute break and we all agreed that so far it was probably the worst gig we ever did, I was not looking forward to the prospect of the 2nd half and having to play for another hour and a half.

Anyway, we go back and there are now another half a dozen people there, this time the audience are fantastic, people are dancing and singing and requesting we play certain songs twice, even the few originals we threw in go down a treat, there was a lovely couple who brought all of the band a round and afterwards people are coming up to us and telling us that they really enjoyed the set.  Was a complete contrast to the first half and when the gig finished I was glad that we did the gig.

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1 hour ago, markdavid said:

It was a really odd gig, we setup and went into the first half of the gig and there was all of about 3 people in the pub, the 3 that were there were clearly not there for music and looked very unimpressed despite us playing really well and after each song there was dead silence, no applause at all , the atmosphere was terrible and after the first half we had a 10 minute break and we all agreed that so far it was probably the worst gig we ever did, I was not looking forward to the prospect of the 2nd half and having to play for another hour and a half.

Anyway, we go back and there are now another half a dozen people there, this time the audience are fantastic, people are dancing and singing and requesting we play certain songs twice, even the few originals we threw in go down a treat, there was a lovely couple who brought all of the band a round and afterwards people are coming up to us and telling us that they really enjoyed the set.  Was a complete contrast to the first half and when the gig finished I was glad that we did the gig.

It can be quite weird that way. I've definitely done gigs that have been a game of two halves. Where I could easily have said sod it and packed up at half time, only for the second half to be superb. An even stranger one we had recently (actually it's happened a couple of times) was a gig where no one appeared to be really bothered, or even particularly listening. Then a couple of days later the band's Facebook page was full of praise saying we were a great band, played a great set, and how much everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe we were just playing to the introverts annual conference. 

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There was a time (about 20 years ago) when I would practice the set at least once every day I wasn't actually rehearsing or gigging.

At that time the band I was in was also using a lot of high-tech equipment, so the pre-gig routine would normally be to break down everything we needed from the studio where we practiced and pack it all into flight cases. This would normally take a couple of hours on the night before the gig. Then on the day of the gig these flight cases would be loaded into the band van, driven to the venue, unloaded, set up on stage, plugged in, and ready for the sound check. With a bit of luck  everything would still be working, and we wouldn't have forgotten anything important (like the floppy disc with all the MIDI files for the sequencer backing). Then after the gig we would have to break everything down and take it back to the studio, where it would be re-assembled for rehearsal the following evening (another 2 hours or so). With everything else going on making sure that I played all the right parts on my instrument was normally the least of my worries.

Unsurprisingly I don't miss this in the slightest.

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We went into Saturday’s gig massively under prepared (due to reasons beyond our control) and actually played very well, even songs from our full set that we’ve not played much in recent weeks, due to playing shorter festival sets.

We’ve played them enough to be able to cope with not rehearsing, but it was a relief nonetheless to get through it with no issues.

Edited by BrunoBass
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Just to add a bit to this scenario

I have to be 300 gigs in (at least) and have had the usual mishaps.Amps ,strings etc 

 

This  has never happened though

Did a first half set on Saturday ,Zep and ac/dc covers ,blew the room away.

 

Started the second set and the singer (new guy,couple of months in) got up and was absolutely off his face (drink drugs ??) 

we lasted 2 songs and ground to a halt

 

 

you never know what's coming next 

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On 20/09/2019 at 13:05, markdavid said:

Hi all

Playing a gig tomorrow, have done the necessary rehearsing and have practiced at home etc but wondering if there are any pre gig tips anyone has that they put into place the day before/ morning of the gig to make sure all goes smoothly , after any tips at all that could be helpful, there will be some bum notes in a 2 hr gig with a band that gigs probably once a month at the moment (lots more booked next month :) ) but would be good to give the best performance i can , thanks

Congratulations Mark and my 2 cents here would be to always have in mind that NO ONE can tell if you've made a mistake on stage playing bass. That should easy off the pressure, when you learn that what ever you do - audience will still vibe with the band and overall show and it's not made of music critics. Just have fun on the gig, play as you normally do and enjoy yourself because gigs are all about that... and getting high on adrenaline rush you get from a crazy crowd :)

When it comes to technical stuff, make sure you have your bass with you, spare strings, cable and an extension power cord (always comes in handy on gigs). If you feel shaky about some of the songs in the setlist, maybe do a short jam session at home before leaving to play through those songs and to get warmed up - it does help. 

If you tend to forget things, just make a list of things to bring like gear and such so that you don't forget anything when nerves start going crazy while packing.

Wish you a fun gig and let us know how it went okay? 

 

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