Following an excellent Nick Campbell seminar on How To Get And Keep A Gig, I thought I’d share some of my own thoughts on the do’s and don’ts of the gig world, as well as some potential red flags to look out for along the way. Hopefully some of you will find this useful, whether you’re looking at becoming a working professional freelancer, are already in a gigging band or are at that point where you’re just looking to get out and start playing live!
Let’s start with the Do’s
Over-prepare
In a musical sense, this is one of the things most likely to get you called back for a gig, either as a sideman or as a complete band.
If you’re working as a sideman and you think you’ve got it, then prepare a little more. Spend some extra time listening to the music you will be playing, double check that your setlist is in the correct order, make sure that everything is in the correct key if you are using charts, that you know what the arrangements are and what the starts and endings are going to be (those are the two things that often get neglected and they are the thing that your audience will actually notice, are the band starting and ending tunes together). If you’re not using charts, run the sets multiple times cold (no prior practice on that day) to make sure you really have everything down, and practice the sets at the time of day you’re actually going to be playing! You’re a morning person but you have to play a set at midnight? Your mental sharpness will be reduced, and you need to account for that.
For a whole band, make sure you are comprehensively rehearsed and know exactly what is happening in every song you are playing. The slicker your presentation and performance, the more likely you will be to get repeat gigs! If you are using tech (such as lights or tracks) make sure you have had multiple tech rehearsals with EVERYTHING you will be using and make sure you know how to troubleshoot things if they go wrong. Know all the gear you will be using inside and out, keep a full written list of what you need with you and make any extra notes necessary so that you have all your ducks in a row ahead of time. For example, if you’re using IEMs, make physical notes about who is using which monitor channel, what they need in their ears and at what levels. If you’re using tracks and a click, try and test it with different PA systems so you know what you need to be sending to the FOH engineer so that you have complete confidence that your tech will always work the way you want it to. Having notes can do a LOT to prevent confusion and uncertainty at the venue, especially if you’re on a multi-band gig and have limited time to get set up.
Scheduling
In short, do not be late. To quote Janek Gwizdala, “the latest you should be is on time”, be that for the lobby call, load in or soundcheck. As Nick mentioned in his seminar, being late is one sure-fire way to really annoy everybody else on the gig, and that includes the band leader, sound engineer, tour manager (if you’re touring) and everyone else that showed up when they were supposed to. It’s disrespectful, it disrupts the schedule for the day (especially if you have flights/buses/trains to catch) and for the bandleader/tour manager it adds a lot of extra unnecessary stress. If you’re driving to the gig, build in extra time to account for any stops/traffic you might hit, and if you have to take public transport do yourself a favour and take an earlier bus or train. In other words, play things safe and don’t leave them to the last minute; you will reduce your own stress levels and those of your bandmates! Make sure you have your load in and soundcheck times clear at least a couple of days before, and if necessary, set alarms on your phone to make sure you leave in plenty of time because your arrival is when you are going to make your first impression.
Courtesy
Courtesy and politeness go a very long way, and in today’s world they are something people really remember. You have a FOH/monitor engineer? Get their names as soon as you start soundcheck and remember them (write them down or save them on a note in your phone if need be). They are the key to your music being well presented so treat them with respect! You’re the bandleader on a wedding gig? Make sure you have the event organiser’s name and the names of the couple. These may sound like basic things, but they make communication a great deal easier, it shows them that you care, and it can prevent some really embarrassing gaffes (especially if you are on the mic ... announcing the wrong names for the couple for their first dance is extremely embarrassing).
This also goes for the rest of the band you’re working with. In an ideal situation you will all get along swimmingly but sometimes you will need to be in proximity with musicians that just grate on your nerves. This isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault per se, I’m sure there are people whose nerves I grate on, but if you can at least keep things civil and courteous whenever you need to be around each other, the happier everyone will be (no one likes being in a band with endless drama), doubly so if you are on tour and need to be on buses/trains/planes together for significant travel time.
Get Your Information Straight In Advance!
I cannot emphasise this point strongly enough. Make sure you have all the necessary information you need well in advance of the gig, and this goes for anyone freelancing or any of you that are playing in bands. Make sure you have the venue address, that you know what the parking situation is going to be when you get there, a full list of what gear you will need to bring (if in doubt double check with the venue/MD/Promoter), what the pay is (if applicable) and if yes whether or not it is a flat fee or if you are charging for expenses on top of that, what the dress code is going to be, whether or not you have a green room and what sort of food and drink rider you are going to have. For the sake of covering yourself (doubly so if it involves money), make sure you have this information IN WRITING, DO NOT RELY ON VOICE NOTES OR PHONE CONVERSATIONS. As Nick pointed out, there are individuals out there that will be more than happy to exploit you, so make sure you have done your homework and have your expectations straight before you get there. You turn up and there are no drum shells waiting? If you have it in writing that there are supposed to be shells there and the drummer was only supposed to bring breakables, that is then the venue/promoter’s issue to solve.
Now let’s look at some don’ts ...
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Winging It
The other side of being over prepared musically is not preparing enough. There is no quicker way to having a disastrous gig and, if you’re a freelancer, being blacklisted and never called again (stories like that also do the rounds in musical circles, so you can do your reputation a great deal of harm). A little confidence in your own abilities is always a good thing but not preparing properly is not only a really bad look for you personally, it’s also hugely disrespectful to the musicians who have put the work in and learned the tunes properly. Don’t be ‘that guy’ in the green room asking - “what are the changes to this one again?”.
Bringing your issues with you
This is one of the biggest things that puts people off working with someone again, when they constantly bring their day-to-day issues with them to the gig. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you can be in a tough situation in your private life but letting that bleed into the green room or onto the bandstand isn’t a good idea. If your bandmates are your best friends then sure, you might want to discuss it with them, but otherwise it can be uncomfortable for everyone else when someone is unloading their issues in the green room right before you go on stage. This can take some mental discipline, but if possible, leave your issues in the car when you arrive at the gig and get yourself into the gig mindset. In many ways gigging can act as a tension release valve if you can really get into the music, so think of it as something positive you can be doing with your time!!
Badmouthing The Gig
The long and short of this? If you don’t want to be on the gig (for whatever reason), don’t take it. You’ve taken the gig? Don’t sit in the green room complaining about it to the rest of the band, YOU made the choice to be there (this ties in with getting the info in advance). There are many bass players/bands out there that will be more than happy to be where you are and out playing, and if you’re sitting there badmouthing the gig (whether it be the repertoire, the pay, the client, the conditions), remember the phrase ‘walls have ears’. MD’s won’t rehire people that are constantly whinging, it gives them a people-management headache they don’t want, and it will eventually grate on the rest of the band. Ditto for gig promoters. They want people that are going to be team players, not people/bands that are going to cause trouble. If the conditions on the gig mirror what you signed up for, don’t complain. If they don’t then have a private conversation with the person that hired you and have them get things sorted.
Socially
The hang is a complex issue and is one I will admit I sometimes misjudge. There are topics that I really enjoy talking about and before you know it, I’ve turned into a wind-up toy monkey that doesn’t know when to stop talking. It’s something I’m actively working on improving though, and this is one of those things where reading social cues is important (like I said, I’m working on it!). If you’re new to the band or there are some people you’ve never worked with before, don’t do things like lead in with your list of playing/recording credits or, as Nick mentioned, immediately try to aggressively network for more playing opportunities. There may be a time and a place for that if the gig goes well and they are obviously interested in working with you again but don’t turn into your own hype machine; let your preparedness and your playing do the bulk of the talking.
Don’t Be A Doormat
This ties directly in with not being exploited. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into situations that you are uncomfortable with. When you are first coming through, sometimes you will be taking gigs that are less than ideal (no pay/no food etc.) but once you are starting to build a good reputation and establish yourself, you need to decide what your standards are on gigs. This could mean certain venues that you do/don’t want to play at, a certain minimum rate of pay, certain promoters you do/don’t want to work with, what your minimum gig conditions are and most importantly the players you want to work with, but have your red lines/convictions sorted out in your head and stick to them because this will make you a much happier musician in the long run. For me that often involves the distances I’m being asked to drive; anything above 3hrs and I ask to be put up overnight. This is because as I’ve gotten older (not that I’m old, I’m 35 ) I don’t recover as well from red-eyeing home and getting in at 4-5am. Another is factor is now that I’m a father, getting home and having little to no rest and then getting snappy with my daughter when I get woken up at 8am is completely unfair on her. As such, if I’m getting in any later than 3am the people I’m working with need to put me up in a Travelodge overnight so I can get some sleep after the gig and then head home first thing in the morning. My process is that I lay this out very clearly in writing for anyone wanting me to do those gigs, in unambiguous but polite terms. If they are fine with it then I ask them to set up the reservation for me in advance and forward the booking details via email so I know I’m covered, if not then I tell them politely but firmly that they will need to find someone else.
Now let’s talk about the red flags to look out for ...
Lack of Communication
This is one of the biggest and most common red flags for me when it comes to not taking gigs, people not communicating, because I like to have everything absolutely clear in my mind so I know what I’m getting myself into when I take a gig. This can involve total radio silence from the people organising, or it could mean little things like being vague on the conditions, the setlists, the rate of pay, whether expenses are included, load in times, what gear you need, the list is a long one. How I approach this is that if I’ve been booked well in advance, I want the details at least 3 weeks out from the gig so I can get my day (and my family’s day) arranged around what I need to do for the gig. If people are unresponsive within 3 emails and a phone call, I pull out of the gig and recommend a dep, because I’m not prepared to show up and be humiliated and/or be scrambling around to try to cover and make things happen. If I’m being asked to gig within 2 weeks, I want all the details then and there. I’m cool with things like arrival times being TBC because sometimes the event organiser is finalising details and sometimes load ins might need to be moved to happen at specific times, but things like the venue address (so I can gauge driving time/distance), the pay, dress code, equipment list, food/drink rider, the gig finishing time and who else is going to be on the gig are all details I need immediately so I can make an informed choice. If that information isn’t forthcoming, I don’t take it.
If you’re part of a band, all of the above still applies. If the promoter/organiser/pub landlord doesn’t have their stuff together and isn’t communicating promptly and clearly, think very seriously about whether or not you want to take the gig .... which leads me on to my next red flag ...
Do a little digging!!
Check up on who is running the gig, who the promoter is, what sort of rep they/the venue have, how well they run things and how they look after the bands on the roster!! Some people have a great reputation and look after/stand up for the musicians’ interests, some will shamelessly exploit you, some are well intentioned but couldn’t organise a drinking competition in a brewery. The more gigs you get under your belt and the more people you meet, the more you will get to know the good people from the chancers but try and do a little digging ahead of confirming you want to take the gig. This also goes for any touring you are being asked to do. I’ve not toured on anything like the same scale or level as Nick (my touring has all been in Europe), but there are basic indicators you can look for such as is the guy organising things really on top of getting you flight information, visa details (if required), making sure your personal documents are up to date (passport/driving license/medical certificates! - (remember Sput Searight not being able to record with Snarky Puppy because his documents weren’t in order?), any medicals you might need to have done, any medication YOU might need, any other paperwork that you might need (such as medical/travel/instrument insurance!), shuttles to/from the airport, where are you going to be staying, how are you travelling from gig to gig ... if you go on a tour, no matter how big or small, these are the details that matter so you don’t end up in either another city or a foreign country with nothing organised for you or in a really precarious situation at immigration if you get asked questions about the tour!
This also goes for freelancers. When you’re first coming through, you can’t be choosy about who you play with but as you work your way up the ladder, ask around about people/outfits you’re being asked to play with. Some are incredibly professional and a real joy to work with, but others can be an absolute nightmare, including drug problems, alcohol problems, personal problems, money problems ... the list goes on, but if you’re part of a large circle of musicians you can sometimes avoid horrendous situations by asking some of the people who might know something before you commit and find yourself right in the middle of them.
Hopefully this article resonates with some of you, and for those of you looking to get out there and gig it can perhaps help you with that process and give you some ideas of what to look for and what things to avoid!
As always if any of you have any questions, thoughts or comments please drop them below! For those of you starting out on the gig journey I wish you the very best of luck!!