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Guitar Gig

How To Survive Your First Gig

A young band's first gig is always an exciting time. Many hours slogging it out in the garage finally come to fruition with the offer of a first gig.

These days bands usually get a school or party gig or a shared bill with a few other bands or even a band competition. Either way the experience of the first gig should be enjoyable and exciting. You don't want it to turn into a nasty experience with everything going wrong, which it invariably will if you are not prepared.

Murphy's law will apply ..."what can go wrong, will go wrong" if you are not ready for the task at hand...every musician in the world can remember the first time they perform on staged, so you should make it a good experience not a frightful mess.

Be ready!!

# Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse... no matter how many times you have performed your songs in the garage, when you get on stage it will all sound different, and if you don't know your part 110% you will get it wrong. In the garage you are usually all in one small room and quite close to your fellow band mates. On stage you can be separated quite a lot and you may not be able to hear the other guys or what they are playing. If you know your songs very well you will be able play it no matter what sound problems you have.

Be confident in your ability.

Also rehearse your songs in the order you will perform them especially if you are doing a short set. If you are doing a whole night, rehearse your whole song list as if you are actually doing the gig. This will alert you to any problems such as guitar changes, pedal set up changes, singers needing a "breather", etc. that may make you look disorganized on stage.

Be ready.

# Make sure your guitars have new strings (but put them on at least two hours before you play and stretch them in), your drums have at least a new snare skin, check the condition of the kick drum skin too.

Make sure you have new batteries for pedals and especially tuners, and for any wireless systems you may be using. And don't forget a guitar stand or two!!
Have a spare lead close by even if you are using wireless systems, it is a good back up.

If you are doing a gig with a bunch of other bands, make sure your accessories such as leads, tuners , and microphones are clearly marked with your name or at least some special markings, it is strange how much gear goes 'walking' at these gigs.

Write a song list/order for all the band members and a few spares if the gig is using a sound or lighting guy. Make notes if you want any special effects etc done for you by the sound man. Each member should write notes on his or her list if they need to remember certain things such as pedal adjustments, change of guitar, etc.

Singers may need a "cheat sheet", just write down the first word of each line to jog your memory in case you get nervous, however if you are well rehearsed your should not need it!

Make sure your equipment is ready.

Get to the gig early enough to be in no rush and bring as many as your friends as you can. Audiences generally have a 'sheep' mentality and if they see or hear a bunch of people making a lot of favorable noises they too will go along and get the vibe.

Your friends can also help you with your equipment too!!!

Enjoy your self and get the whole thing recorded on audio and visual mediums so you can show it to your family and friends and to your grand kids when your old!! Either way you won't forget it!!

About the Author

Matt is a guitar enthusiast who lives and breathes anything guitar related. He's been playing for a long time and loves talking about guitars with everyone. You can find him frequently playing on his porch. Check out free tips, online lessons, and a guitar forum at his site
Axebay Used Guitars

Is the Ibanez GSR200 Bass Guitar Gig level? and AMP advice?

Is my Ibanez GSR 200 Bass with Active pickups good enough to gig with?

What is the minimum size (Watts?) for an small gig amp/speaker combo?
Can you recommend any decent BUDGET gig amps that allow for a thick round sound?

Thanks for your help!!

Your bass is definitely fine for playing gigs. I bought a second-hand Ibanez entry-level bass more than 20 years ago figuring I'd upgrade to a Fender in a few years. I eventually did get a Fender jazz bass, but Ibanez pickups are so punchy and clear, I still consider the Ibanez my primary bass for both playing live and recording. Since yours is active, you shouldn't have any problem at all punching through the mix of instruments at live shows.

I agree with the previous poster about Peavey bass amps, which can take a beating and still perform great. At most smaller clubs, the sound man will probably run your bass through the PA system with a direct box, so you'll only need your bass amp to be loud enough for you to hear on stage. For years, I played medium and large clubs with a 100-watt amp, since that was more than loud enough for me to hear myself. Most places that have their own PA systems will also provide the direct box, too, so you probably won't have to buy one.

There's a chain of music stores in the Northeast called Daddy's Junky Music that sells used equipment at great prices and I bought my current bass amp through their website. Even with shipping costs, it cost considerably less than I'd have paid otherwise. Craigslist is another place to check, since lots of musicians are hurting in the current economy and unloading their equipment at bargain prices. Here's a link to the Peavey combo amps at Daddy's:

http://www.daddys.com/listing.php?categoryId=1003&attributes=manufacturer:peavey;&verbose=peavey&query=

If you'll be playing really small spaces, you can even get away with lower wattage. I downgraded to a 40-watt Peavey (called Basic 40) when I finished traveling with bands and that's served me very well at small venues where I run through the PA.

Line 6 Spider IV Guitar Amp Range - Nevada Music UK

Archer Bass Guitar Gig Bag $14.99 This bass guitar bag from Archer is zippered and padded to help you protect your bass guitar from the elements. The exterior accessory pocket provides for extra space for performance essentials and comfortable carrying handles make it easy to take to any gig. This highly affordable bag is made to fit most basses.

Archer Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag $14.99 This acoustic guitar bag from Archer is zippered and padded to protect your guitar from the elements. The exterior accessory pocket provides for extra space for performance essentials and comfortable carrying handles make it easy to take to any gig. This lightweight case is highly affordable and made to fit most dreadnought sized acoustic guitars.

Fender ELECGTRGIGBAG Electric Guitar Gig Bag $52 Fender standard gig bags feature tough nylon construction with thick padding inside and a large zippered storage pocket. Lightweight amp; easy to carry Fender Electric guitar gigbags fit most electric guitars amp; offer easy protection during transport.Exterior Neck Width: 9.25 Exterior Length: 43 Exterior Base Width: 17 Sides are zippered and about 1 wideBag has side carry handles as well as two overtheshoulder strapsFPN: 0861412000

40 Inch Acoustic Guitar with Nylon gig Bag $51.66 Six string guitar features linden wood back and sides. Includes a nylon carrying case with adjustable shoulder strap. Gift boxed.

Cecilio UKP38SP Soprano Ukulele with Gig Bag $114.74 This soprano ukulele has a spruce top mahogany back and sides; rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Geared tuners keep the instrument always in tune. 16 frets. Soprano ukulele. ABS front and back binding. Package Includes:. Kalos ukulele. Nylon gig bag. Guitar picks.

Cecilio UKP38TN Tenor Ukulele with Gig Bag $114.74 This tenor ukulele has a spruce top mahogany back and sides; rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Geared tuners keep the instrument always in tune. 16 frets. Tenor ukulele. ABS front and back binding. Package Includes:. Kalos ukulele. Nylon gig bag. Guitar picks.

The Gig Bag Book of Guitar Tab Chords $11.21 This book is in New - Excellent condition

Cecilio UKP38CC Concert Ukulele with Gig Bag $114.74 This concert ukulele is smaller than the standard soprano ukulele in size. It has a spruce laminate top mahogany laminate back and sides; rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Geared tuners keep the instrument always in tune. 16 frets. Concert ukulele. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. ABS front and back binding. Package Includes:. Kalos ukulele. Nylon gig bag. Guitar picks.

Gig Young $7.99 Gig Young - Photo

Gig and Saddle $12.49 Gig and Saddle - Masterprint

Power Gig: Rise of the Six String for Xbox 360 - Game Only $19.99 Power Gig: Rise of the SixString will transport players to the world of Ohm, a world where music is banned and Rockers are oppressed. The only hope for freedom is in your hands. Do you and your band have the musical chops to defeat the tyranny of the Headliner? Power Gig uses new technology that represents the next evolution of music performance games to provide players with a more authentic and fun experience. The game offers two modes of play. In addition to traditional beat-matching that will be familiar to fans of the band game genre, Power Gig also introduces the option to switch on chording, or chord play when played with a PowerGig instrument. Chording adds the challenge of playing using chords that require specific finger placement on the strings. As players progress through the game, they will find that the byproduct of playing the game is gaining an understanding of some real-life guitar fundamentals. Game only - guitar not included. Beat-matching game play is compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero controllers.

Power Gig: Rise of the Six String for PlayStation 3 - Game Only $19.99 Power Gig: Rise of the SixString will transport players to the world of Ohm, a world where music is banned and Rockers are oppressed. The only hope for freedom is in your hands. Do you and your band have the musical chops to defeat the tyranny of the Headliner? Power Gig uses new technology that represents the next evolution of music performance games to provide players with a more authentic and fun experience. The game offers two modes of play. In addition to traditional beat-matching that will be familiar to fans of the band game genre, Power Gig also introduces the option to switch on chording, or chord play when played with a PowerGig instrument. Chording adds the challenge of playing using chords that require specific finger placement on the strings. As players progress through the game, they will find that the byproduct of playing the game is gaining an understanding of some real-life guitar fundamentals. Game only - guitar not included. Beat-matching game play is compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero controllers.

Archer Electric Guitar Bag $14.99 This electric guitar bag from Archer is zippered and padded to help you protect your electric guitar from the elements. The exterior accessory pocket provides for extra space for performance essentials and comfortable carrying handles make it easy to take to any gig. This affordable gig bag is made to fit most electric guitars.

After the Gig $64.99 Dane Tilghman After the Gig - Framed Art Print

Before the Gig $79.99 Dane Tilghman Before the Gig - Framed Art Print