[Cortez The Killer]

Yup just had my gig tonight, it was me my acoustic and a few harmonicas up there. I was nervous as hell cuz normally id be playing in a duet with another kid, but he sucked at life and he had girlfriend problems and ###### that ruined him as a person so we went are seperate ways....anyway...so the gig went ver well. The only song i didnt so great in was "Bell Bottom Blues" by Eric Clapton. I mean i did the song fine but i couldnt hit the high notes in the chorus very well. A whole load of people were there. I got a lot of good responses, people loved the harmonica stuff. I did 3 originals and 4 covers. My friends also liked, the only downside was a lot of people were talking during it.

This post has been edited by Cortez The Killer: 15 April 2004 - 09:27 PM

[ee40oztofreedom]

thats tite that you did a solo show, i dont know if id have the nerve to do it.

[Cortez The Killer]

thats tite that you did a solo show, i dont know if id have the nerve to do it.

Yea its hard. Im a loud kid though, so i scream to get peoples attention.

[pimp_vince]

ya i got a gig saturday night... i'll let you all know how it went... it's only a one man thing but there will be like 1000+ people there... it's a very formal thing so mistakes are frowned upon... alot. no room for improv either, it's straight song.

i'd rather go to the flames playoff game (which they'll win i'm sure) but i already committed to this gig....

[evileye]

Good luck vince, glad to hear your gig went okay cortez.

[dadfad]

I'm glad it went well for you. The solo gig is the most demanding, intimidating and rewarding gig there is. I do mostly solo things now myself and the burden of "just you" never goes away. A tip that sometimes works for a talkative crowd (in fact usually works, unless they're very dedicated assholes) is to actually turn down. Go soft, so that people must really listen to hear the words and music. Not always down, but from normal volume to lowered-volume parts within a tune...you know what I mean. It will make most people listen more closely, or tell the asshole next to them to shut up so they can hear. Doesn't always work, but very often it does. Anyway, congratulations.

[wannalearn01]

Awesome awesome.

So how do you guys/gals find these gigs? Mainly friends of friends or do you go out and ask places?

I'm not even close to being gig worthy, but I might play at a local sports bar(know the owner through my senior project, once I am ready.

I have seen one, one man show. He played mainly classical, some covers, nothing really original, but i did notice that the louder he got, the louder the crowd got....it's a relative thing.

Congrats on the show, it must have felt awesome.

Hell, the otehr day when I was playing outside, I was jamming out pretty well, not paying attention but then noticed a little kid, prolly 5-6 y/o, who was watching me. Once I saw him I was like, "Wow, this kid is watching.....me"! That was the first "live" feeling I got, and even with just that kid I felt awesome playing. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to play for 1000's or even 100's of people...incrediable.

T^roy

[dadfad]

Best place to start is like what you said, a friend with a bar or something. Open-mic's are a good place to brush up on "crowd-skills" and getting used to playing in front of people. Usually you just do one or two tunes, so you don't need a whole set. You lose (sort of lose!) the fear of playing in front of people. Another decent starter-type gig is opening for someone else, maybe a band you know. Just a couple of tunes (for free or a couple of beers) before they go on or between their sets. When you kind of "have it together" (and I don't mean some polished-pro, just that you have a whole set of half-hour to forty-five minutes) then you can start shopping yourself around a little. Places with a fast crowd "turn-over" are the easiest to start because you can repeat sets usually. So are split-gigs, where you alternate sets with another guy or band. A few tips, sometimes you'll be asked to provide music between your breaks. A cheap tape or CD player into your amp or PA will work fine. Put the tunes together yourself from several artists. Use music in your genre, but DON'T use tunes you're gonna be doing! How do you think you'll sound doing "You've Got A Friend" or "Kind Hearted Woman" after the crowd just gets done hearing James Taylor or Robert Johnson do it! (although there will come a day when you don't worry about that, you might even WANT the crowd to say "...man, that guy does it BETTER than the original..." (which to me is one of the greatest compliments a soloist, or band, can get). Anyway, just get a tune or two together and look for an open-mic at a coffee-shop or bar and get going!

(And like Wannalearn mentioned, I sometimes play on my porch or balconey. Once about five or six years ago three kids came up and listened awhile. And then they all said "cool, can you teach me...yeah, me too...", etc, etc. I have a TON of guitars, a lot of nice ones, but I also pick up "beaters" at yard-sales, etc for whatever, lesson-loaners, parts, etc. Anyway, I gave each kid a cheap-crap (but playable) guitar. One of them actually came back a couple of times and asked me to show him a couple of chords, and then I never saw him again. Last spring I'm in the front yard cutting my grass and a young-guy drives up and stops and gets out of the car with a guitar case. "Hi, remember me....? (which I did) I'm that guy you gave that old Harmony to four summers ago. I just wanted to show you this and say thanks again." And he had a pretty nice Ibanez acoustic on which he played a pretty nice version of "Dear Prudence" for me and said he just got it and was taking it back to college with him and he just wanted to say thanks again because guitar is a big part of his life and all that. And it made me feel pretty good. )

[Cortez The Killer]

Wow DADFAD thanks thats a lot of good advice. The thing im most afraid of on stage is...well when theres always one group of assholes that talk. Like the never stop. And when u tell them to stop but they dont listen and then u feel like an ass. So what ill do is yea ill do a soft song and ask everyone if they can be quiet.

[evileye]

Damn ye' and ye'r gig's... I still need to find a singer unless I develop some kaki king talents over night...

[6strings5fingers]

i love playing out solo. biggest rush i could ever experience

[Cortez The Killer]

i love playing out solo. biggest rush i could ever experience

Yea it really is.

[wannalearn01]

Best place to start is like what you said, a friend with a bar or something. Open-mic's are a good place to brush up on "crowd-skills" and getting used to playing in front of people. Usually you just do one or two tunes, so you don't need a whole set. You lose (sort of lose!) the fear of playing in front of people. Another decent starter-type gig is opening for someone else, maybe a band you know. Just a couple of tunes (for free or a couple of beers) before they go on or between their sets. When you kind of "have it together" (and I don't mean some polished-pro, just that you have a whole set of half-hour to forty-five minutes) then you can start shopping yourself around a little. Places with a fast crowd "turn-over" are the easiest to start because you can repeat sets usually. So are split-gigs, where you alternate sets with another guy or band. A few tips, sometimes you'll be asked to provide music between your breaks. A cheap tape or CD player into your amp or PA will work fine. Put the tunes together yourself from several artists. Use music in your genre, but DON'T use tunes you're gonna be doing! How do you think you'll sound doing "You've Got A Friend" or "Kind Hearted Woman" after the crowd just gets done hearing James Taylor or Robert Johnson do it! (although there will come a day when you don't worry about that, you might even WANT the crowd to say "...man, that guy does it BETTER than the original..." (which to me is one of the greatest compliments a soloist, or band, can get). Anyway, just get a tune or two together and look for an open-mic at a coffee-shop or bar and get going!

(And like Wannalearn mentioned, I sometimes play on my porch or balconey. Once about five or six years ago three kids came up and listened awhile. And then they all said "cool, can you teach me...yeah, me too...", etc, etc. I have a TON of guitars, a lot of nice ones, but I also pick up "beaters" at yard-sales, etc for whatever, lesson-loaners, parts, etc. Anyway, I gave each kid a cheap-crap (but playable) guitar. One of them actually came back a couple of times and asked me to show him a couple of chords, and then I never saw him again. Last spring I'm in the front yard cutting my grass and a young-guy drives up and stops and gets out of the car with a guitar case. "Hi, remember me....? (which I did) I'm that guy you gave that old Harmony to four summers ago. I just wanted to show you this and say thanks again." And he had a pretty nice Ibanez acoustic on which he played a pretty nice version of "Dear Prudence" for me and said he just got it and was taking it back to college with him and he just wanted to say thanks again because guitar is a big part of his life and all that. And it made me feel pretty good. )

Thanks Dadfad, I never thought about doing split sets or anything..that would take a lot of pressure off, not needing to plan for a entire set the first time. What kind of polishing would be needed to be sucessful, in front of a crowd. No mistakes, small mistakes, etc etc

I can play some of the songs I have made(good sounding strumming), but I still mess up once in a while, or I ad-lib(sp?) more sometimes than others. Do I "need" to have set songs, chord for chord/note for note, or is improving a little ok?

Thanks again people, I can't wait till my first live show....well with more than little kids watching.

T^roy

[halfmoonbay]

1. Open-mic's are a good place to brush up on "crowd-skills" and getting used to playing in front of people. Usually you just do one or two tunes, so you don't need a whole set.

2. You lose (sort of lose!) the fear of playing in front of people.

3. Another decent starter-type gig is opening for someoneelse, maybe a band you know. Just a couple of tunes (for free or a couple of beers) before they go on or between their sets.

1. Yup, and they have the added advantage of you being able to bail after one song if your nerves get the better of you. Plus their informality means you can get away with being not-quite-gigworthy, it's a good chance to perfect material, or just kick back and jam with some like-minded folk.
2. True. I remember me and my mate couldn't eat our tea before our first gig (in someone's garage I think it was ). After a few gigs, it got easier, and after eight-nine years it's no big deal, even the really big ones.
3. Aye, not only do you get experience, but you get instant exposure to a ready-made fan base. That can come in handy when you start gigging-proper later on, chances are, a lot of people will go to see 'that bloke who played with XXXX' that otherwise wouldn't have bothered.

[dadfad]

Best place to start is like what you said, a friend with a bar or something. Open-mic's are a good place to brush up on "crowd-skills" and getting used to playing in front of people. Usually you just do one or two tunes, so you don't need a whole set. You lose (sort of lose!) the fear of playing in front of people. Another decent starter-type gig is opening for someone else, maybe a band you know. Just a couple of tunes (for free or a couple of beers) before they go on or between their sets. When you kind of "have it together" (and I don't mean some polished-pro, just that you have a whole set of half-hour to forty-five minutes) then you can start shopping yourself around a little. Places with a fast crowd "turn-over" are the easiest to start because you can repeat sets usually. So are split-gigs, where you alternate sets with another guy or band. A few tips, sometimes you'll be asked to provide music between your breaks. A cheap tape or CD player into your amp or PA will work fine. Put the tunes together yourself from several artists. Use music in your genre, but DON'T use tunes you're gonna be doing! How do you think you'll sound doing "You've Got A Friend" or "Kind Hearted Woman" after the crowd just gets done hearing James Taylor or Robert Johnson do it! (although there will come a day when you don't worry about that, you might even WANT the crowd to say "...man, that guy does it BETTER than the original..." (which to me is one of the greatest compliments a soloist, or band, can get). Anyway, just get a tune or two together and look for an open-mic at a coffee-shop or bar and get going!

(And like Wannalearn mentioned, I sometimes play on my porch or balconey. Once about five or six years ago three kids came up and listened awhile. And then they all said "cool, can you teach me...yeah, me too...", etc, etc. I have a TON of guitars, a lot of nice ones, but I also pick up "beaters" at yard-sales, etc for whatever, lesson-loaners, parts, etc. Anyway, I gave each kid a cheap-crap (but playable) guitar. One of them actually came back a couple of times and asked me to show him a couple of chords, and then I never saw him again. Last spring I'm in the front yard cutting my grass and a young-guy drives up and stops and gets out of the car with a guitar case. "Hi, remember me....? (which I did) I'm that guy you gave that old Harmony to four summers ago. I just wanted to show you this and say thanks again." And he had a pretty nice Ibanez acoustic on which he played a pretty nice version of "Dear Prudence" for me and said he just got it and was taking it back to college with him and he just wanted to say thanks again because guitar is a big part of his life and all that. And it made me feel pretty good. )

Thanks Dadfad, I never thought about doing split sets or anything..that would take a lot of pressure off, not needing to plan for a entire set the first time. What kind of polishing would be needed to be sucessful, in front of a crowd. No mistakes, small mistakes, etc etc

I can play some of the songs I have made(good sounding strumming), but I still mess up once in a while, or I ad-lib(sp?) more sometimes than others. Do I "need" to have set songs, chord for chord/note for note, or is improving a little ok?

Thanks again people, I can't wait till my first live show....well with more than little kids watching.

T^roy

You don't need to necessarily have a definite set list or to necessarily do them exactly the same way (even to your own arrangements). I totally improvise. I usually don't even know what tune I'm doing first when I walk out. I have an idea...a few slide tunes, one by so and so, a couple in this tuning or that, and original or two, etc....so I know what guitars I want on stage. But it's pretty much totally improvised, both the tunes and the set list. So you don't necessarily need a list, but you do need enough to cover whatever time-space you have in front of you. As far as screwing up....most of the time an audience won't know it or even notice. If you do some really obvious screw-up, just say "Ooops, this is why I play at Joe's Bar and Grill instead of Lincoln Center..." or "this is why I'm the opener instead of the main-act...." or something, making a joke of it. Get the audience on your side. Above all, don't let it throw you off and ruin the rest of your set (because it can if you let it). Take it light, and if you know the audience doesn't take it seriously, then neither will you. Practice your stuff so you can do it well, then just do the best you can. A pro I know (and respect a great deal) says about solo gigs "Try to play at 80%. Don't over-extend too far. Do a good job but don't reach so far that you leave yourself open to a lot of mistakes and do a bad gig because of it. On those nights when you're really "hot" and "can do no wrong" (and believe me, you'll have those nights, and you'll recognize them).... that's when you might want to "go for it" without holding back."

So don't worry about it too much. I'm not saying to not be ready and able to do it. Be prepared, but don't spend valuable time just sitting in your room waiting until you're an "expert" before you try to play in front of others. For the soloist, playing before a live audience, establishing a rapport with them, knowing how and what (and what NOT) to say to them is an important part of the performance too. A soloist who walks out, sits down and then does nothing more than a technically-perfect set then walks off has short-changed his audience as well as himself. John Jackson (my mentor, more-less) could make an audience of twenty-five thousand feel like they were sitting on his back-porch with him while he played. They left feeling like they knew him (and they did). That's what you're aiming for (i/m/h/o). You want the audience to know you, and your music. And like what they know. I hope that makes sense!

[cheabz]

You are a bunch of lucky people. There is no places what so ever you can play gigs where I live...well, not acoustic stuff anyway. It's really a shame, so I think I'll leave town when I finish school and travel a bit. Just me and the guitar. That would have been nice...