What not to do on a gig

[Doublea A]

Ahem, a CEO who comes scouting at an event where no one attending looks like they'd fit in his/her work culture can keep his/her event if you can land the gig as long as you look the part regardless of well you (don't) play (and s/he can't even be bothered to check if alternative performance uniforms are an option). I never played to be appreciated for form over function.
Am I the only one thinking along such lines now?

That is not what I said.
The CEO doesn’t scout local bars but event planners do. The performance is important but how you present should not be overlooked


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[pamosmusic]

I never played to be appreciated for form over function.
Am I the only one thinking along such lines now?

I certainly never play that way.

But it's a reality sometimes.

I play a telecaster and can't tell you the number of times I've been asked if I have an archtop (even by musicians).

Though I do have to say, I don't think I've ever heard of an event planner scouting local gigs for musicians. Maybe they used to, but they sure don't any more. If they're local, smaller organizations, then they're working on references. If they're a bigger booker for high-dollar events, then they're working with agents.

[RJVB]

That is not what I said.
The CEO doesn’t scout local bars but event planners do

Maybe not literally, but it sure is implied: There are people in the audience that have come to scout musicians for their next wedding, corporate party, special event etc. They want to see what it will look and sound like. Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO

Event planners can be expected to do their jobs and check if you have a performing uniform that will match their event dress code and will probably not bother their boss with redundant details. Mr. CEO can still ask about it though, in which case my remark stands.

I certainly never play that way.

But it's a reality sometimes.

I play a telecaster and can't tell you the number of times I've been asked if I have an archtop (even by musicians).

I was talking about attire, not the actual tools of the job

[pamosmusic]

Maybe not literally, but it sure is implied: There are people in the audience that have come to scout musicians for their next wedding, corporate party, special event etc. They want to see what it will look and sound like. Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO

Event planners can be expected to do their jobs and check if you have a performing uniform that will match their event dress code and will probably not bother their boss with redundant details. Mr. CEO can still ask about it though, in which case my remark stands.



I was talking about attire, not the actual tools of the job

Spoiler alert: none of them actually cared about the sound of an archtop. Just wanted it to look like an archtop. Thats basically just attire

[Doublea A]

Maybe not literally, but it sure is implied: There are people in the audience that have come to scout musicians for their next wedding, corporate party, special event etc. They want to see what it will look and sound like. Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO

Event planners can be expected to do their jobs and check if you have a performing uniform that will match their event dress code and will probably not bother their boss with redundant details. Mr. CEO can still ask about it though, in which case my remark stands.



I was talking about attire, not the actual tools of the job

Okay. We will have to agree to disagree in an agreeable manner.


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[AllanAllen]

Okay. We will have to agree to disagree in an agreeable manner.


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Yeah, don't worry, it's clear who is gigging and who isn't.

[DawgBone]

Maybe not literally, but it sure is implied: There are people in the audience that have come to scout musicians for their next wedding, corporate party, special event etc. They want to see what it will look and sound like. Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO

Event planners can be expected to do their jobs and check if you have a performing uniform that will match their event dress code and will probably not bother their boss with redundant details. Mr. CEO can still ask about it though, in which case my remark stands.



I was talking about attire, not the actual tools of the job

I like t-shirts. It's summer and the gigs are outdoor in 100 degree weather. If someone wants to hire me for a wedding I try and dissuade them. Having a blues band at your wedding is bad luck. I already have landed corporate events while I was wearing a t-shirt. Harley Davidson. I hate corporate events. I don't really like dealing with private parties either so I quote astronomical rates that way I don't have to do them. Unless I know the person hosting the party my demands for cash on arrival combined with a 2500 minimum for a local party usually close the deal. How to say "I don't wanna play your fucking party" without actually saying it.

[pauln]

I like t-shirts. It's summer and the gigs are outdoor in 100 degree weather. If someone wants to hire me for a wedding I try and dissuade them. Having a blues band at your wedding is bad luck. I already have landed corporate events while I was wearing a t-shirt. Harley Davidson. I hate corporate events. I don't really like dealing with private parties either so I quote astronomical rates that way I don't have to do them. Unless I know the person hosting the party my demands for cash on arrival combined with a 2500 minimum for a local party usually close the deal. How to say "I don't wanna play your fucking party" without actually saying it.

Ever wonder if maybe after the party host hears your price and sees your attire they decline, but then thinks your price must be the going rate and offers it to the well dressed band?

[DawgBone]

Ever wonder if maybe after the party host hears your price and sees your attire they decline, but then thinks your price must be the going rate and offers it to the well dressed band?

That's cool with me. I got into music cause I like music, I get to be the boss and I get to dress the way I like. I'm not wearing a suit or tuxedo for ANY amount of money, so there is that. That's actually what makes me different because I am uncompromising. My way or no way. There is no money in music anyways so the biggest benefit for me is playing the blues not your greasy ass dollars.

The last private party I booked.....They really wanted us to play, and were very nice and agreed to all my demands. But it was a cop party right in the middle of BLM riots so there was that plus it wound up getting rained out so a lot of planning and phone calls for zero $ anyways. I have no beef with cops, don't get me wrong, but I am not at home among them and I have heard things about how hard cops party. If things went south and I get stiffed on the pay, what exactly am I gonna do about it? That's right, nothing. The only upside to the entire thing is the potential $$$, that's it. No exposure, no great venue, no merch sales, just somebody with more money than brains who wants to show off that they can afford a band for their private event. Also not my kinda people. So none of what you suggested ever crosses my mind.

My theory is you gotta kinda be a dick to lead a band. So how'd I do?

[mr. beaumont]

Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO

Well, dress for the gig is the deal. If you're playing beach resorts, that could be fine...

People scouting are definitely looking for a look, but that doesn't mean wear a tux to a country gig...and if they're scouting a wedding jazz combo at a rock gig, well, they're a lousy scout.

[Doublea A]

Well, dress for the gig is the deal. If you're playing beach resorts, that could be fine...

People scouting are definitely looking for a look, but that doesn't mean wear a tux to a country gig...and if they're scouting a wedding jazz combo at a rock gig, well, they're a lousy scout.

Agreed


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[Bobby Timmons]

Yeah, don't worry, it's clear who is gigging and who isn't.

Does this picture of my rig give you an idea of who? :P

[AllanAllen]

I like the racquet with a literal weight counterweight.

[Bobby Timmons]

[AllanAllen]

Not judging, my space is a mess

[DawgBone]

Not judging, my space is a mess

Least you got shelves and storage. Heck it looks like you have a dedicated practice area. Looks great to me. My dedicated practice area is my couch or the concret floor next to it.

Bobby Timmons you and your dang ribbon mic got my gears turning the other day. Now I been shopping mics so I can just track vox for my album at home. Do I go with the Blue Blueberry I have GAS'ed for since 1999 or do I grab a Warm Audio WA-44? LOL

[Bobby Timmons]

If the Blueberry is a condenser then I would get the WA-44 ribbon for sure. I'm totally satisfied with my ribbon mic's clarity so I don't really want anything more brittle than that like a condenser. My mic has a bass cut switch too. That's just my hobbyist 2 cents.

[pcjazz]

I like t-shirts. It's summer and the gigs are outdoor in 100 degree weather. If someone wants to hire me for a wedding I try and dissuade them. Having a blues band at your wedding is bad luck. I already have landed corporate events while I was wearing a t-shirt. Harley Davidson. I hate corporate events. I don't really like dealing with private parties either so I quote astronomical rates that way I don't have to do them. Unless I know the person hosting the party my demands for cash on arrival combined with a 2500 minimum for a local party usually close the deal. How to say "I don't wanna play your fucking party" without actually saying it.

Around here if you turn down gigs you don’t get offered gigs. YMMV

[Bobby Timmons]

I like the racquet with a literal weight counterweight.

I just bashed my head on it. Everything fell, one of the clips broke, got stuck in the racquet, and the weight bent the racquet. Don't know how all that was possible at once. But at least the cam is fine. Needless to say, the arm cam stand is ordered.

[rpjazzguitar]

Apparently, my experience may not be typical.

Most of the people I play with make a point of being nice to their fellow musicians. Exceptions are infrequent, but exist.

Even most club owners and managers tend to be reasonably nice to deal with, but there is a significant percentage of people who can be more difficult. In many cases it's because they're preoccupied with bigger problems than making the band feel at home. In a few cases, it has felt like a personality issue.

I make a point of considering the needs of the club. Usually, the response is commensurate. This refers to things like loading in without disrupting service and, most important, keeping the volume level in a good range. Usually that means, not too loud. Not-loud-enough is a rare complaint, although I've heard it on a big outdoor gig.

Getting angry at something or somebody usually makes things worse, so I try not to go there.

I agree with points made about appropriate dress. I also think the energy level of the music has to be consistent with what's going on in the venue. You're there as entertainment, ambience, seat-fillers or food-sellers, or something, so it's a kind of partnership with the venue.

[DawgBone]

Around here if you turn down gigs you don’t get offered gigs. YMMV

Around here if you take every gig offered to you you will be doing some of the shittiest, most soul sucking, lowest paying gigs you can imagine. And get ignored by an audience if there is one plus disrespected by the bar staff too.

I have a set bottom line $ and set standards for gigs. If a venue can't meet those I don't book it. If they claim they can but don't, I never re-book and then run their club''s offenses into the mud with other musicians so they get a heads up to avoid it, which is exactly how you handle it. Post covid I made a decision; quality over quantity. We did fewer gigs and made the same amount of money while getting disrespected and soul sucked a whole lot less.

[JazzerEU]

100% agree with you on the phone part. It lowers the risk of it getting damaged or stolen on the bandstand. Getting a black and discrete watch can be useful on the bandstand for being able to know what time it is without having to pull your phone out.

100% agree with you and being well dressed for gigs. You also have more pockets with a suit jacket to store things like picks, and extra set of strings and a string winder, business cards (if folks still use those), a backup headstock tuner if your primary goes down, etc.

Can I add

- Do not scroll through your phone while other musicians are playing

- Do not pull out your phone immediately when a break is called

- Do not pull out your phone during the gig period.

- In public settings (restaurants, bars) do interact with the audience. They will feel connected to you and possibly come back next week

- If you are on a jobbing, at least attempt to make it look like you are a cohesive group. Most people don’t understand that musicians can be substituted in and out of groups. Don’t make it obvious that you are not a cohesive group.

- Do dress like a professional. If you want to be paid like a professional, dress like one. No T-Shirts, Shorts, Flip Flops, even if it is a street festival. There are people in the audience that have come to scout musicians for their next wedding, corporate party, special event etc. They want to see what it will look and sound like. Your T- Shirt, shorts, and flip flops will not impress the CEO regardless of how well you play.


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[JazzerEU]

In reference to the OPs post, if people get into a fight on a bandstand, unless someone’s going to kill someone or cause grave bodily injury, don’t try and break it up without using words (the worst thing you can do is stand in between the two fighting parties). You don’t want to get caught up in a fight if you’re trying to break it up and wrongly be implicated by the bandleader or even worse law enforcement or club security if they show up.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Do I go with the Blue Blueberry I have GAS'ed for since 1999 or do I grab a Warm Audio WA-44?

Here's an excellent review and comparison of several ribbons from Sound on Sound (a publication whose reviews are usually similar to my impressions of gear). They and I think that most of the Warm Audio ribbons are excellent mics at very fair prices. This rticle is from 2007, but none of the more recent ribbons I've tried have changed my opinion. I will say that the Fame VRM26 is very impressive for the price. If I needed another mic for under $150, I'd probably buy one.

[DawgBone]

Here's an excellent review and comparison of several ribbons from Sound on Sound (a publication whose reviews are usually similar to my impressions of gear). They and I think that most of the Warm Audio ribbons are excellent mics at very fair prices. This rticle is from 2007, but none of the more recent ribbons I've tried have changed my opinion. I will say that the Fame VRM26 is very impressive for the price. If I needed another mic for under $150, I'd probably buy one.

Thanks for the link. I have a Rode NTK and a Warm WA-84 already. Maybe I need to try the Rode again. The Warm seems geared towards overhead drum/acoustic guitar/room mic but works ok on vocals, just not great. It's confusing trying to select a mic cause there are so many models. I was n a pro studio a few years back and tried a U87 and the engineer yanked it right away and put a KSM105, which was still kinda meh IMO but def sounded better on my vox than the 87. I've used a 414 and hated that mic more than any other condenser I tried but maybe it was me, or the engineer who was a great guy but wasn't the best engineer. Anyways, this is why I have been thinking about giving a ribbon mic a shot since I haven't tried one. I've used the Royer to mic guitars but never vox and found it pretty unimpressive for the price. A good mic, but overkill $ for the results....

I have a UA solo 610 pre and my son has a high quality live console with Neve 1073 clone preamps plus software plug ins for the rest so I have some stuff to work with. Maybe I'm overthinking it cause at the end of the day even a SM57 isn't half bad if the engineer does his part. I'm just kinda lost. Matching mic to vocal tone seems to be a sort of snake oil I don't understand well enough.