- Confirm Booking with Booking Manager
- Push Notifications to Fan Base in Advance, Update Social Media Calendar
- Collect Tickets/Flyers and Distribute Tickets/Flyers
- Promote Show
- Review Video Recordings Of Past Shows or Rehearsals
- Rehearse
- Create Set List
- Anticipate a Song For Encore
- Load Out From Rehearsal Space
- Gear Preparation Restrung Guitars
- Gear Check Re-Check
- Look Good
- Don’t Get Pre-Show Drunk Or Buzzed or Over-Eat
- Leave to Show Early Be to Show Early
- Make Contact With Booking Agent/Staff
- Make Nice with the Sound Person
- Load In
- Load in Gear Check
- Sound Check
- Set Up Merchandise Table
- Make Introductions and Network with the Other Acts Playing
- Follow the Rules
- Embrace Pre-Show Jitters and Exhale
- Positive Affirmations and Ritualistic Luck Mantras
- Introduce Band Properly – Hype Person? Take Stage
- Be Confident
- Feed Energy as You Can Amongst Your Bandmates
- Overcome Stage Fright
- Lock On to a Group in the Crowd
- Always Play to an Arena, Who Cares if There is 1 or 1000
- Stretch Out Use the Entire Stage. This is Presence
- Slightly Exaggerate Physicality
- Bridge Songs… Think of Your Set as a Story
- Engage the Audience
- Eye Contact
- Make Acknowledgements
- Mitigate Mistakes by Driving Through Them
- Don’t allow for Uncomfortable Dead-space
- Promote Your “Merch” Stage to Connect with New Fans
- Organic Encore Only
- Say Stage Thank Yous and Goodnight
- Get Band and Gear Off Stage Stored
- Find Your Beverage of Choice Come Back Down to Earth
- Network Mingle With Audience
- Man Merchandise Table
- Collect Social Contacts From Audience
- Collect Contact Information From Other Bands
- Thank the Sound Person Exchange Contact Information
- Confirm Booking Manager is Pleased Collect Pay
- Gear Double Check and Load Out
- Load Out and Go Home
1. Confirm Booking with Booking Manager
This first step while seemingly obvious is the most important thing, as it what predicates everything else. Make sure that the date is a hard date and that it is ok and safe to begin creating and printing any promotional materials and that it is also safe to begin notifying your audience that you will be having a show. Speak with the Booking Manager Directly be sure to confirm any details and have any questions answered as they relate to load in times, schedule or line up. If there are tickets to be collected, confirm that and schedule a time to do so. Be sure to communicate in a professional business like way or have someone to manage this step of the process for you if you are not of the capacity to conduct yourself in appropriately.
2. Push Notifications to Fan Base in Advance, Update Social Media Calendar
Now that you have a show scheduled and you have some idea of where, when and how your prospective audience will be able to collect a ticket for themselves and their friends. Be sure to update your social media calendars with all of that information. Also push invitations and promotions to them in a suitable fashion through those accounts to build awareness for the event. It is best to do this at the soonest point possible to give your potential audience ample time to consider making arrangements and plan for attending your event. If there are any interesting themes or activities related to the show and connected to the event it would be important to communicate that to them at this time in order to build interest and to pad your bands numbers in regards to turnout. Always keep in mind that while music is cool it’s the numbers you draw that feed the staff and owner of the venue. It is a symbiotic relationship.
3. Collect Tickets/Flyers and Distribute Tickets/Flyers
Now that the word is on the street, get to the rendezvous point for your bands allotment of tickets or promotional flyers and get them to the places that they need to be. Whether it is music shops, coffee shops or meet ups be sure that you have distributed them all to the places and people that will best serve to bring the eye traffic you need to promote awareness about your show. Doing so will help to ensure some respectable turnout on your behalf. If there are multiple bands on the ticket it is quite common for tickets to have some designation to what band the ticket was collected from. This tells the club who has a draw and who would be advantageous to reschedule for later dates. So do your very best in this regard in order to get top consideration for future bookings. If you’re just getting started this is one area that is complicated to navigate, but if the club is worth its weight and if the night your playing is a good night for the club then you’ve already demonstrated some capacity within your “home-base” community.
4. Promote Show
After you have already pushed notifications to all of the people on your mailing lists and to all of your friends on social media. It is now time to focus on other methods to introduce the event to a wider audience that may not be familiar with your band at all. My band would measure the size and the importance of a gig and proceed accordingly. If we booked a really big show we’d pull out the stops. In our town and during that time, there was a talk radio station that was generous to local artists. They would book you to be on if you were up and coming or regularly popular with a big activity to promote. So look for big opportunities like this and be open to creative bursts of inspiration. When it comes to promotion explore all means. Additionally it will be important to find a way to make each show distinct from the last. You should do this especially if you play within your community on a regular interval. I know that there is only so much that can be done but what is important is doing what you can. So during this stage, be sure to convey what makes this show distinct from the last.
5. Review Video Recordings Of Past Shows or Rehearsals
Making regular recordings of your shows and rehearsals is an excellent way to identify the things you are doing great. It is also useful to identify the things you are doing that may be perceivable as strange. I’m not going to be so arrogant to say what is strange or not. But, if you have some video you can review that for your self. Use the review to identify and reinforce the things you do well and to modify the things that you may not. Sporting teams all around the world do this to modify and improve performance, as it is a useful tool to communicate about what or how something needs to be done.
6. Rehearse
Aside of all the joy in playing marketing promoter, booking agent and coach for your act, you’ll also need to make time for the nitty-gritty of getting ready by making sure you have a show to go on. Spend time focusing on each song and scrutinize any areas that may be causing anyone trouble. Take some time for repetition and if the hang-ups continue then simple it down a bit for the show. Whatever it takes just make it work, after the mechanics of playing each song are good and sorted and everyone is competent, designate a few play throughs to focus on playing with enthusiasm. When you get up on stage you are inundated with adrenaline or at least you can be and that has different affects on different people. If you’re not performing your songs with expression and with enthusiasm regularly in practice that will certainly translate to when you take stage. Additionally when that adrenalin hits that preparation can combat the tendency it has of ebbing away at confidence, eventually you can start to push the needle in the other direction.
7. Create Set List
During the rehearsal come to some consensus with the others as to what songs you will be playing and what order you will be playing them in. This is a very important step and be sure you choreograph that order artfully. Make use of the emotive aspects and the intensity of each song to determine the setlist’s order. You don’t want to put all of your rockers up and front and leave all of your introspective ballads to the end you’ll want to intersperse them. Try to build it like a cinematic experience, building tension towards a climatic conclusion. But don’t forget to get their attention with something exciting to start.
8. Anticipate a Song For Encore
This is tricky if you have just enough songs to get through a show, or if you don’t have a song you want to have unintentionally left out if there is no organic call for an encore. This may be the perfect place for one of those interesting “band’s take” on some cover. If you can do something cool with something, this can work. You can make it something more than a by the book cover by customizing it and if you don’t encore anything there is nothing lost by not having played it.
9. Load Out From Rehearsal Space
Now its time to pack up the van or mum’s station wagon… (do we still have those?!?) How excited I am for you!
10. Gear Preparation Restrung Guitars
If your guitars need restrung for the show it’s best done a few days in advance. The newly strung strings will stretch and pull the guitar out of tune for a day or so after stringing. Dealing with that on stage is nothing that you want to have to deal with. So, unless it’s an emergency be sure to attend to that in advance.
11. Gear Check Re-Check
During load out from your rehearsal room, make a regular if not unofficial load out check list. Your list should include all essential gear, pedals extra batteries, promotional material, and merchandise. So check and re-check so that you will not have to double back for anything.
12. Look Good
What ever looks good means to you is fine, just be sure to have someone to verify that you are looking the part. You don’t have to be fancy you just have to be representative of whatever your band or act is. Even if it is something ironic just be sure it is consistent so that it is well understood by those who are there to see you. They say that presentation is everything and if you make it believable for the audience then that is a lot better than having your one of your players standing out like sore thumb (unless of course that is the bit).
13. Don’t Get Pre-Show Drunk Or Buzzed or Over-Eat
Hopefully this goes without saying but logic dictates that your ability to be reliable can be impaired by indulging yourself before a show. You shouldn’t over eat either. If you over eat before the show you may feel lethargic or uncomfortable during the show. That heaviness in the gut may have you feeling less than larger than life and that would be counter productive. So don’t make yourself bloated and self-loathing before your time in the spotlight.
14. Leave to Show Early Be to Show Early
Make sure to leave for the show early and arrive to the venue early. You needn’t necessarily go in right away if you are especially early. Use the time to wrap your head around what is going on and run your brain through its internal checklist a few more times. If when arriving you realize that something was forgotten or missing you may still have time to reach out to someone still on their way for help.
15. Make Contact With Booking Agent/Staff
Once you’ve arrived at the club make contact with the booking agent or staff working at the time. Find out where and when they want you to load in. Get yourself familiar with their expectations and requirements and do your best to be as accommodating as you possibly can. If you ever intend on ever playing the club again it is good form. Verify where they want you to set up your merchandise table and who on staff you should look for if you have any additional questions.
16. Make Nice with the Sound Person
The sound person is your key to knowing what is going on and to being sure that the mechanics of playing a live show are even possible. They mix the sound together with the stage noise to best portray your band to the audience. If you’re playing the club for the first time it is likely that the person will not be familiar with your “sound”. While this isn’t ideal, it’s often the case and it’s just how it goes. You won’t get any real idea of how the mix sounded until after the show when you’ve gotten some feedback from some of the people who come to your shows regularly. So don’t worry yourself about that too much and It’s best to go with the flow rather than being remembered as a prima-dona. Be nice and be liked by this person, it will serve you to do so.
17. Load In
After you’ve made all of the introductions you need to and when you know where to store your gear go ahead and load in.
18. Load in Double Check
Just after load in go ahead and make one last mental check that everything you need is in fact where it is suppose to be and that you are otherwise ready to go. If for whatever reason something is unaccounted for you may still have time to source whatever it is.
19. Sound Check
This is typically done two seconds before you play but if it is a big club or event then they may have a console that recalls settings and they may have your gear stacked behind the gear of the band who is playing before you and you may have done a sound check before any audience has stepped into the venue. To be frank in this regard you’ll just need to go with the flow because you are subject to however they do things there. As for your performance this is the time to dial in your stage monitor and to make sure that you can hear the things that you need to in order to successful perform in tandem with your band mates. So be sure that your monitor mix represents that.
20. Set Up Merchandise Table
After gear is in and before the doors have been opened set up your merchandise table where you were told to. Be sure you have everything displayed and that your upcoming shows are promoted. You should also be sure to have some tool for taking or sharing information, digitally or otherwise.
21. Make introductions and Network with the Other Acts Playing
Before the doors open and after you have everything in order take a chance to make an introduction with some of the other musicians from some of the other bands performing. Perhaps you know them, perhaps you know of them or perhaps this is your first encounter with their act. If it is the latter then it’s a good idea to have taken a look at their online presence before the show. That way you’ll be able to tell them you had a listen to some of their music and what of that music you thought was cool. There is always something to be complimentary of, even if it was not wonderful in its entirety. You are as they say building inroads.
22. Follow the Rules
Every venue will have it’s own expectations and protocol. While each place may have a similar way of doing things be sure to be respectful of the particulars of the place you’re playing today. And while in your mind you are “legendary” if you are reading this, it’s likely that as of yet not everyone knows that. So if you are looking for some honest advice the best I can give is a friendly reminder that having a place to play that is reputable and popular is a privilege of circumstance. The stars have aligned this much for you, so don’t sabotage now by not doing things they way they’ve asked.
23. Embrace Pre-Show Jitters and Exhale
Everyone is up to speed and everything is in order and now there’s just time to kill before taking the stage. Use it to relax, calm down and to come to terms with where you are and what is happening. If you can put everything into perspective you can leverage it to better appreciate and enjoy what you are doing. So, rather than waste your time being inundated by your nerves, tamp them down.
24. Positive Affirmations and Ritualistic Luck Mantras
The time has come and your bands on deck. So, wish each other good luck and perpetuate self-confidence onto and amongst one and other. Finding something ritualistic to do or say just before the show is a good way to coalesce together before walking up onto the stage. Do it every time and never be so lame that you can’t allow yourself to be present in the moment.
25. Introduce Band Properly – Hype Person? Take Stage
The size of your band’s draw will determine just what you can get away with regarding your introduction.
26. Be Confident
As they say confidence is attractive so go and be confident. And leverage any attractiveness that is derived from that into making good on your chance of making a favorable first impression on some new people. If on a regular basis you’re not an individual who is typically over brimming with confidence all I can tell you is… fake it until you make it.
For tips 27-51 Continue to Part 2
