My First Musical Gig

So you have your first gig? After all the practicing your band has done, you finally landed the dream- a chance to play in front of a crowd. This, next to being signed, is one of the greatest experiences and thrills to happen to a knew band. You can show the world how great you are. Like Murphy’s Law says “what can go wrong, will go wrong.” Every musician in the world can remember the first time they performed on staged, so make it a good experience not a frightful mess.

First, 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 in one small room and quite close to your fellow band mates. On stage, you can be separated 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 no matter what sound problems you have.

Secondly, be confident. If you rehearse your songs well, you will do fine. If you are nervous, it will show and you will mess up and no one will wan to hire you again. This is your time to shine. You don’t want a bad reputation. Rehearse the songs in order so you know how each one will sound when you play them in the place and you can keep going if there is a problem. This will let you know how you will do in real life and if any problems might happen.

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. Keep track of your stuff and maybe even invite a few friends to watch it.

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 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 or guitar changes.

Your first music gig experience will be one you always remember and one you want to go right. Be sure to follow the tips above so everything goes smoothly and nothing bad happens. Even if problems occur, remember that this your first time- you’re learning and that’s ok. No matter what happens you’ll have a great time and be telling your kids and grandkids about the time you rocked the house down.