Playing my first gig this week...

James The Shrimper

I'm playing my first solo gig this Friday, then my second one next Saturday at a bigger venue. Quite nervous as have only ever played gigs with a full band before.

Anybody got any tips for me?

James

BinFrog

Warm up before the show. Practice for 15-20 mins and get the jitters out of your fingers. At least that way it's all up to your mental state. See if you can play some easier songs to start the show(s), and save the more complex songs for 10-15 mins into the show when you are looser. After that you will hit cruise control.

Jam10

I had my first gig 2 weeks ago with a band and I was very nervous. The first 5 - 10 mins. are the most nerve wrecking and after that your just pumped and everything seems to flow just perfectly. Definitely warm up. go over your songs at home and make sure you have them down perfect especially if it's a single gig and make notes and charts.

James The Shrimper

Cool. Thanks for the tips. Hopefully all will go well.

ianvomsaal

Solo gig - how long is the gig???
If they’re short gigs (under two-hrs), don't worry about it - just make yourself a set list with notes.
Make sure you memorize your tunes - no one wants to see you flipping through a book on stage. If
it's just a bar/pub/restaurant/club type venue, really don't worry about it - try to remember that most
of the people will be drinking and not really paying attention to what you’re playing. At these types of
venues most of the people there could care less that you're playing, so don’t take it personally if they
don't applaud after each song - just keep the music going - that’s what you’re there for - the owners
want music, and could be playing the radio or jukebox, so just be happy that you're playing at all .
Lastly, Have fun - solo gigs are easy because most people aren’t really listening. Just make sure you
have your tunes down - Cheers . . .

- Ian

All Those Yesterdays

Yep as soon as you make your first mistake (and no matter what it's going to happen), you'll look around and notice, nobody noticed and the nerves will drop a touch.

Don't get me wrong I get nerves each time, but anymore it's more that "everything will go right" equipment etc....

You'll do great.

FinsburyParkCarrots

If you're singing/playing your own material, don't worry if you fluff lyrics or chord changes. You'll still find yourself doing that twenty years from now! And no-one knows your stuff now, so they won't know it's done "wrong".

If you're doing covers, as long as you get the choruses right, no worries. Besides which, if you're playing to drunks, they'll be covering up your mistakes by singing over you, anyway.

If you get a heckler or just someone who likes the sound of his own voice, tease him in a way that gets everyone laughing at him but doesn't cause any offence to anyone. If you get people talking, don't worry, practice playing a good strong set that stays smooth in spite of the distractions around you.

The golden rule is, even if you're nervous, and conditions look potentially a bit hairy, MAKE YOURSELF ENJOY YOURSELF!!!! If your gear, which never goes wrong, malfunctions on stage, laugh it off, and make some kind of a noise, anyway.

Another tip. Don't be worried that audiences might get impatient if you need to tune up, between songs. They probably wouldn't notice if you were out of tune anyway (never overestimate the tone-deafness of the non-musician), but if you don't want to play a song that's teeth-grindingly out, take a couple of minutes to retune. Find some stage banter, give out your myspace address/website, tell them you've got CDs, all that sort of thing, to fill up the silence while you're getting in tune.

Lastly, before a gig, do what BinFrog says: find time to warm up. I avoid small talk and boozing before my sets, and leave that to the other bands. I'm there to play. Find a corner somewhere, and go over scales and chord progressions. Shred a bit, and try some finger stretches. Quietly warm up your voice, too, if you're a singer.

Er, and afterwards, then you can get drunk!!!


Edit: I see you're based in Essex. Where are you playing?

James The Shrimper

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

If you're singing/playing your own material, don't worry if you fluff lyrics or chord changes. You'll still find yourself doing that twenty years from now! And no-one knows your stuff now, so they won't know it's done "wrong".

If you're doing covers, as long as you get the choruses right, no worries. Besides which, if you're playing to drunks, they'll be covering up your mistakes by singing over you, anyway.

If you get a heckler or just someone who likes the sound of his own voice, tease him in a way that gets everyone laughing at him but doesn't cause any offence to anyone. If you get people talking, don't worry, practice playing a good strong set that stays smooth in spite of the distractions around you.

The golden rule is, even if you're nervous, and conditions look potentially a bit hairy, MAKE YOURSELF ENJOY YOURSELF!!!! If your gear, which never goes wrong, malfunctions on stage, laugh it off, and make some kind of a noise, anyway.

Another tip. Don't be worried that audiences might get impatient if you need to tune up, between songs. They probably wouldn't notice if you were out of tune anyway (never overestimate the tone-deafness of the non-musician), but if you don't want to play a song that's teeth-grindingly out, take a couple of minutes to retune. Find some stage banter, give out your myspace address/website, tell them you've got CDs, all that sort of thing, to fill up the silence while you're getting in tune.

Lastly, before a gig, do what BinFrog says: find time to warm up. I avoid small talk and boozing before my sets, and leave that to the other bands. I'm there to play. Find a corner somewhere, and go over scales and chord progressions. Shred a bit, and try some finger stretches. Quietly warm up your voice, too, if you're a singer.

Er, and afterwards, then you can get drunk!!!


Edit: I see you're based in Essex. Where are you playing?

Again, thanks all for the tips. I appreciate the comments.

It's a small pub gig. I've played there with my band before and it tends to be a good crowd in there but this will be the first time performing my own songs. I'm playing a mix of my own songs and a few covers (including Immortality and Rise from ITW).

Yes, Essex based. Rochford to be precise, just outside Southend-on-Sea. Gig date is Saturday 14th June at a pub-turn-music venue.