You got your foot in the door and you landed a gig. You've practiced your songs until you dream about them. Hard work over, right? Sorry buddy, you've just begun. You've still got to get through the show.
Too many bands just get on stage and look sad or angry the whole time, look only at their instruments and then play for 30 minutes too long. When they get off stage they are extremely disappointed that they are not mobbed with kissy faced adulation. Trust me, you don't want to be those guys.
How, you ask? Well I'm glad you stopped by, I was just about to give away my Super Secret Stage Secrets Volume 1, a complete course in ass-kickery for the budding musician. All for a special price.
Off we go then..
Like any good craftsman, you need the right tools for the job. In your case, that is musical gear. I'm not saying you have to spend a million dollars or anything. The right gear for you might be amps built out of pizza boxes and old Walkmans; on the other hand it might be vintage guitars and harps or something. Make it acceptable to your genre and get the best sounding (not most expensive) shit you can afford. A good PA, mics and amps are pretty important if you have vocals.
Look, I know that you consider yourself an "artist" and that your songs tell a story that is as personal as it is well thought out. I'm the same way, but when it comes right down to it, you are a monkey, i.e. one who performs on stage for money and you must play the role. No one wants to see a monkey act all solemn and serious, we want to see that motherfucker DANCE! No one would like a stripper, ahem, I'm sorry, exotic dancer, who just stood there and looked at the pole while efficiently getting nude. No, we want to see a horny vixen slowly disrobe, all the while her eyes are nailed to ours saying, "This is for you..." Be that horny vixen. Only with your music.
Audience participation is your friend. Engage those potential fans. I don't care how you do it, just make them feel like a special part of your life. Chanting, telling jokes and asking the audience questions are classics, but a creative musician such as yourself should be able to come up with something a little bit better.
Like a magician, a musician must always leave the audience wanting more. Unless you are getting a triple digit guarantee, or the promoter specifically asks, you should never play for more than 25 or 30 minutes. I know, I know. That means you won't be able to include your epic solo bass song. Thank goodness. Think how cool that will be to bust out when you've been paid 500 to play and the audience is screaming for an encore.
Once you get off stage you should keep that feeling of audience participation going and talk to whoever approaches you if possible. You'll network, meet like minded musicians, get the line on another gig and leave with friends you never knew you had.
That'll be three payments of 19.99 please.
Too many bands just get on stage and look sad or angry the whole time, look only at their instruments and then play for 30 minutes too long. When they get off stage they are extremely disappointed that they are not mobbed with kissy faced adulation. Trust me, you don't want to be those guys.
How, you ask? Well I'm glad you stopped by, I was just about to give away my Super Secret Stage Secrets Volume 1, a complete course in ass-kickery for the budding musician. All for a special price.
Off we go then..
Like any good craftsman, you need the right tools for the job. In your case, that is musical gear. I'm not saying you have to spend a million dollars or anything. The right gear for you might be amps built out of pizza boxes and old Walkmans; on the other hand it might be vintage guitars and harps or something. Make it acceptable to your genre and get the best sounding (not most expensive) shit you can afford. A good PA, mics and amps are pretty important if you have vocals.
Look, I know that you consider yourself an "artist" and that your songs tell a story that is as personal as it is well thought out. I'm the same way, but when it comes right down to it, you are a monkey, i.e. one who performs on stage for money and you must play the role. No one wants to see a monkey act all solemn and serious, we want to see that motherfucker DANCE! No one would like a stripper, ahem, I'm sorry, exotic dancer, who just stood there and looked at the pole while efficiently getting nude. No, we want to see a horny vixen slowly disrobe, all the while her eyes are nailed to ours saying, "This is for you..." Be that horny vixen. Only with your music.
Audience participation is your friend. Engage those potential fans. I don't care how you do it, just make them feel like a special part of your life. Chanting, telling jokes and asking the audience questions are classics, but a creative musician such as yourself should be able to come up with something a little bit better.
Like a magician, a musician must always leave the audience wanting more. Unless you are getting a triple digit guarantee, or the promoter specifically asks, you should never play for more than 25 or 30 minutes. I know, I know. That means you won't be able to include your epic solo bass song. Thank goodness. Think how cool that will be to bust out when you've been paid 500 to play and the audience is screaming for an encore.
Once you get off stage you should keep that feeling of audience participation going and talk to whoever approaches you if possible. You'll network, meet like minded musicians, get the line on another gig and leave with friends you never knew you had.
That'll be three payments of 19.99 please.
Timm Tayshun is a master of get rich quick schemes. He remains broke.
