New to playing live (open mics)

  • Thread starter Thread starter demensia
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demensia

demensia

www.lukemacneil.com
Hey.. As long as I've played guitar I never really played in front of people, for the last few years I've been doing strictly recordings..
Now I'm starting to get into the open mic scene and I've been having some difficulty..

I seem to get a good reaction from the crowd, and I am only minimally nervous, but here are the main problems... My acoustic doesnt have a pickup... should I use my Dean Markley cromag or should I just let the morons with the mics mic the guitar...

As soon as I hear feedback I get really, really nervous.. Nervous enough to stop playing... How can I minimalize feedback when I'm not one of the retards behind the mixer?

At the open mic I was at tonight a friend of mine was in the crowd, and my mic teqnique is virtually non-existant.. I was belting out "creep" by radiohead (mostly because its easy and the high notes impress people) and the only way I can hit those high notes in the bridge are to belt them out as loud as I can... Even backing up as far as my head could go and tilting away from the mic I still managed to DESTROY the meters on the mixer and I guess the distortion was pretty terrible.

... I guess what I'm asking in general is how to minimalize problems and not punch sound men when playing live.
 
what the hell is this? None of you pros ever played at open mic before??
 
Have a little sympathy for the retards behind the knobs. Have they ever heard you sing Creep before? Did you give them a test level, and if so was it as loud as you were going to sing the bridge section of Creep? Open mic situations rarely give the sound guys the time to prepare that they would like either. The last thing a sound engineer wants to do is to make a massive change in recording levels in the middle of a track. Maybe your best solution is to find a vocal coach who can help you extend your range without strain. If your voice is raspy by the end of a set because you blew it out on the first set then you are not going to do as well. All live performers need to be able to pace themselves.
 
You are absoultly correct and I was wrong in my earlier statement. When things dont go my way I tend to blame anyone I can point my finger at.

That was fucked up of me.
-Demensia
 
demensia said:
... I guess what I'm asking in general is how to minimalize problems and not punch sound men when playing live.
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Bring your own PA and hire your own engineer.

Open Mic nights are at the bottom of the food chain and you can't expect much. Usually simple gigs like that are more 'set and forget'. He was probably cussing you out for screaming in the mic. If you are going to be singing really loud on certain songs then warn the engineer.

The worst possible thing a performer can do is let technical problems affect or even worse interupt a performance. There could be nothing but feedback and bass rumble and you should still play like it sounds great. I saw some footage of Tommy Lee playing guitar and his wireless started crackling. In the middle of the song he held it up and started shaking it so it made a bunch of racket. Then he got pissed and stormed off the stage. What a wanker.
 
Yah..

AV-Boy said:
Tex had it right - he's a wanker.
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Yeah, but his new band is pretty slick. And regadless of whether or not he's got a wanker badge, he still makes incredible home videos. :-D
 
Originally posted by demensia
As soon as I hear feedback I get really, really nervous.. Nervous enough to stop playing...
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Ignore it. This is something that you need to learn to work through. As already said, an open mic is an open mic, it isn't a gig with a primo sound guy. Every three songs there is someone new with their own idiosynchracies, how could even a god of a soundman manage to make every song sound great?


my mic teqnique is virtually non-existant..
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this speaks for itself. Work on it.

This may sound harsh, but the sound person can't make a diamond out of crap. If you are giving him crap through the mic, you are going to get crap back. I understand you have some talent, you have said that people like what they hear, but innate talent and performance skill and professionalism are different worlds. You have to take it to the next step yourself. It's an open mic, not your show.
 
demensia said:
I thought tommy lee was a drummer.
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In his new band he is the lead singer and plays guitar. I saw them locally and they sucked. The only reason I went was because this killer band called Kidney Thieves was opening for them. The highlight of Lee's set was when he pulled out a video camera so all the girls would flash him. Luckily he did that after about three songs so I could go home on a high note.
 
As for having to belt out a note....
Try holding your head straight but drop your jaw...this leaves your chords less stressed so you'll have more control. It will take a bit a practice but becomes natural after awhile. try a few higher notes while looking into a mirroe..watch your head and jaw. it will help you practice.
I did open mikes for years and the crowds are always hit or miss. just use them as what they are a practice tool and a great way to meet other players
 
whatever happened to compressors for singing high and low volumes like creep? why not just hook up a compressor to that pa and that should do it?

how do u think thom yorke does it ?
 
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