How to do well in a gig?

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guitarguy101

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I've posted about recording here for several months, but now, my band is preparing to release our first album (recorded in my home studio) in late January.
We have a MASSIVE (well, by our standards lol) gig in early January. There will be 4 other bands (all half hour sets) and a little over 300 people.
What are your tips on playing in front of a group? I'm lead singer and guitarist, so I want to get the crowd PSYCHED.
Crowd surfing and moshing are allowed, so how do I encouraged that (and more) without seeming like I'm trying too hard. Also, what would be some good songs to cover? We're deciding between London Calling by the Clash, I Fought the Law, War Pigs by Black Sabbath, Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine, and Touch Me I'm Sick by Mudhoney.
We're a grunge-punk band btw.
 
whatever you do, make sure you know it inside and out so you don't have to think about that at all ....

then you can put a lot more of your energy into the interaction with the crowd. Plus ...... since you know it you won't make bad mistakes so you'll stay relaxed.
 
You have to "read" the audience - giving them what they want, so have some alternate songs available. If you're on first, it makes it harder to know what the audience wants, but if you go on any time after, you have that luxury. Also be prepared to get your equipment set up fast and start fast - no 10 minutes of screwing around tuning, talking, etc. You guys recorded an album,, but have never played out together before? Play songs the crowd will know (if they are not expecting all originals) and the best 2 original songs you've got.
 
Punch them straight in the jaw right away with one of your best rockin' songs. That always helps :) A lot of bands save their best stuff for the end and put the boring crap at the beginning. Hit them with a great one straight off the bat :D
 
mjbphotos said:
You have to "read" the audience - giving them what they want, so have some alternate songs available
Click to expand...

This is very important, I've adapted set lists to cope with the crowd quite a few times.

Are you guys a cover band? or are you just playing covers with some originals?

I play in a Rage Tribute, and Killing in the Name is of course a HUGE crowd pleaser, our vocalist will jump down off the stage or crowd surf during the "FU" build up and then be screaming crowd surfing, lots of fun and everyone goes nuts. We generally start with that to get that energy up. Don't know if you guys have another guitarist to cover that part while you could grab the mic and jump around.

Biggest thing is to have that energy yourself, it will transfer to the crowd. Watch what bands like RATM and the Clash do on the stage, imitate it. Big movements are key for a good live show. Big jumps in transitions, stomp out intense sections, drummers making over glorified hand movements. Practice your stage presence!!! Don't just wing it.

Just make sure the songs are down tight and go out there and have fun. If your playing at night or in a dark room with lights in your face you can't see but maybe 30 people anyway, just have fun with it.
 
Just picture the audience in their underwear ...... No wait! You are to be in your underwear. Yeah that's what all the acts are doing now.
You don't want to stand out as being weird or something.
 
you should already know what your audience is going to be because of 1. where the show is held and 2. what other bands are playing. identify the problem at hand and then solve it. what is your message?

if all else fails get really drunk and shout controversial and rude things to the audience in between and during songs. grab your crotch and use your middle finger a lot. point at pretty girls like paul stanley.
 
You may have to go all out and pull a G.G. Allin! Look and read HERE.
 
See if you can do a shake down gig before this one, maybe at a friends party, just to get used to being in front of a crowd.

Even famous bands often do shake down gigs under a different name at a local pub before going on tour.

Alan.
 
Be really friendly and helpful to the sound man!

(says the sound man)
 
Lt. Bob said:
whatever you do, make sure you know it inside and out so you don't have to think about that at all ....

then you can put a lot more of your energy into the interaction with the crowd. Plus ...... since you know it you won't make bad mistakes so you'll stay relaxed.
Click to expand...

Best advice right there. If you flub the music, the rest wont make any difference. Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......Practice......then play with conviction and confidence. You wont just stay relaxed, you will stay employed.
 
It's all been said.

You can never be too well rehearsed.
Relax if possible.

I didn't do much live gigging, but enough to learn a few things.

Looking back, I think it's important to swallow your pride regarding your own instrument or sound.
Everyone's concerned about how great their amp sounds, or how loud they are.......
Forget it. Think about the sound of the overall band, or if this isn't in your hands, be nice to and listen to the sound guy.

Don't be that guy who's turning up his amp because he knows better.
That guy never knows better.



My gigs were similar to yours.
Rock band - Lead vox and guitar- 2-300 people.
Sing to the back of the hall. I always seemed to focus on the front row and in hindsight, I looked like a knobhead! lol.

If you're gona get drunk, do it during or after. Not before! lol.


Enjoy it :) That's the main thing.
 
Capt Hair said:
This is very important, I've adapted set lists to cope with the crowd quite a few times.

Are you guys a cover band? or are you just playing covers with some originals?

I play in a Rage Tribute, and Killing in the Name is of course a HUGE crowd pleaser, our vocalist will jump down off the stage or crowd surf during the "FU" build up and then be screaming crowd surfing, lots of fun and everyone goes nuts. We generally start with that to get that energy up. Don't know if you guys have another guitarist to cover that part while you could grab the mic and jump around.

Biggest thing is to have that energy yourself, it will transfer to the crowd. Watch what bands like RATM and the Clash do on the stage, imitate it. Big movements are key for a good live show. Big jumps in transitions, stomp out intense sections, drummers making over glorified hand movements. Practice your stage presence!!! Don't just wing it.

Just make sure the songs are down tight and go out there and have fun. If your playing at night or in a dark room with lights in your face you can't see but maybe 30 people anyway, just have fun with it.
Click to expand...

After all that, then comes the wisdom.....

Capt Hair said:
Just make sure the songs are down tight....
Click to expand...

If the music is not perfect and tight, all the jumping and shouting and surfing wont get you called back. Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...

Sorry to harp on that point, but I'm old school......you know, the school where people went to concerts to actually listen to the musicians play the music.
 
soundchaser59 said:
After all that, then comes the wisdom.....



If the music is not perfect and tight, all the jumping and shouting and surfing wont get you called back. Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...Rehearse...

Sorry to harp on that point, but I'm old school......you know, the school where people went to concerts to actually listen to the musicians play the music.
Click to expand...

I just see it as for what it is, entertainment, no weak links in anything, it's all important. If a band gets up there and is horrible musically and is jumping around, they suck. If a band is up there and are good musically, yet they can't captivate an audience...they suck.

Your an entertainer when you get up on a stage, that's why they're called shows, you have to have to the whole piece to have success. It goes back to Elvis and maybe even farther back (I know I'm young :p but he's a great example) I bet you he would not have even half the success he did if he didn't have his show up to par with the music. Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who, Rage Against the Machine, Sublime, Pink Floyd; pick a band, anyone who makes it big understands the importance of it. Show Business!;)

I can listen to music at home, if I'm paying more than $20 for a show, I expect there to be more than just the music that I can get for $10 at a store or free if your a internet pirate lol. To me it goes with out saying that if you can't play your songs with out mucking up you shouldn't be playing live, which is why I didn't hammer that hard :D
 
On the other hand...this band (2 piece in this vid) turned up to a small venue for a gig that had sold out within 4 hours after tickets went on sale on the day of the gig and they didn't say a single word for the crowd So how do they do it? :O
 
Will25 said:
On the other hand...this band (2 piece in this vid) turned up to a small venue for a gig that had sold out within 4 hours after tickets went on sale on the day of the gig and they didn't say a single word for the crowd So how do they do it? :O
Click to expand...


Lee Mavers is already famous? lol, that's how.
 
When you are singing, always remember who your audience is, and who *thinks* they are your audience. Your audience *is* a 1" piece of gold-spluttered mylar. The people *think* they are your audience. Regarding that mylar, know how far away you need to be from it, don't change the distance unless you mean to, and don't be too far off axis. If you are flirting with the proximity field, know where its edges are. As you move close to the mic, the bass goes up. Unless you are a beat boxer, don't swallow the mic, unless that's what you have to do to avoid feedback. Don't ignore the mic. It's an instrument that you play, not a point and shoot camera.

Regarding the human audience, *never* let them know that the mic is your audience. Let them think that *they* are. Look them in the eye, smile, and don't stay on one person too long. You can look a little longer at hot babes, and if you are moving, you can come up to them face to face a little. If the audience is into it, touch some hands. You can only give the audience what they give you. If they are dead fish, there isn't enough alcohol and weed in the house, or you suck today. Shit happens.

Bottom line- don't get so into your own performance that you forget what you are doing. Don't get so far into the audience that you forget the mic, and don't get so far into the mic that the audience knows you're singing to the mic, and not *them*.

Notice that everybody has one piece of good advice- Know the material cold, and don't try to play anything that you can't do in your sleep. If you have any doubts about whether you should do a song you're still working on, do something that you really know.

Here are my other little tidbits- Don't play any song you don't like, just because you think *they* will like it. If you don't like what you're playing, the audience may not know it, but they'll feel it. Next, don't use any piece of gear that you haven't fully tested, even if it's better than what you have. That really cool mic is often something you have to learn to use, and in the middle of a performance is the wrong time and place to do that. Lastly, as much as you can, have a backup for any piece of gear you use. It never hurts to have a couple of extra cables, fuses, an extra amp, whatever. Murphy's law says the piece of gear you don't have a backup for is the one that will break. I never show up for a gig without at least 2 acoustics and 2 electrics, all with barely broken-in strings. If I break a string, I can't be bothered dealing with it in the middle of a gig. I'll have the second guitar plugged in in less than 5 seconds. Best of luck.-Richie
 
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