Tips on getting your first gig...

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fraggle
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Tips on getting your first gig...

Unread post by fraggle » Wed Apr 09, 2003 6:57 pm

Got any?
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snoopdoug1
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Unread post by snoopdoug1 » Wed Apr 09, 2003 6:59 pm

Paid or no paid?

hehe, either way, maybe talk to some other musicians in the area?
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Pickles
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Unread post by Pickles » Wed Apr 09, 2003 8:21 pm

youth groups are always good to get gigs at. if youre old, then say youll play somewhere for free. then ask to get paid once they are in awe of you. :)
Sort Of A Protest Song wrote:I don't know if this is shameful or not, but after waking up in a girls bed that was really high up off the ground (almost top-bunkbed type high) I told her that if I fell off I'd "come back to life as a white wizard". I was still a bit tipsy. She did not laugh.
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Unread post by Four Eyes » Wed Apr 09, 2003 11:42 pm

Without a doubt, open mic nights. I got all my gigs through playing at an open mic night. Most bars are pretty cool about letting underage people play, if age is a concern. Just be polite and proffesional about it, and you will find it easy to find more gigs. Next thing to do is to make some sort of demo cd. Shop it around to places that look fun to play. If you can't afford to make a demo, just take your guitar with you. Make sure you go see the Manager after lunch rush, or before dinner rush. The best time is around 3:00 p.m. It will be at this time that a manager is relaxed enough to get through to. Practice your sales prowess. You need to sell yourself, like any job interview. If it is a venue that doesn't normally have live music, be prepared to be paid less. I run for around $200 for four hours of music, but I am prepared to be paid $150. Just starting out you should be able to pull $100, for three hours. My best advice is this. If you don't enjoy playing at a venue, get rid of it. It's the easiest way to get burned out.

Peace!!
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Unread post by fraggle » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:26 pm

Ok, but now how to you decide what to play, and my biggest problem, memorizing 4 hours (or even 2) worth of lyrics :)
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Unread post by snoopdoug1 » Fri Apr 11, 2003 7:06 am

fraggle wrote:Ok, but now how to you decide what to play, and my biggest problem, memorizing 4 hours (or even 2) worth of lyrics :)
That's what I was going to say. I can play about 3 min worth of a song... but not 3 hours!
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Pickles
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Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": I'm thinking about getting metal legs. It's a risky operation, but it'll be worth it.
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Unread post by Pickles » Fri Apr 11, 2003 9:50 am

i dont think i know enough songs to play 3 hours...
Sort Of A Protest Song wrote:I don't know if this is shameful or not, but after waking up in a girls bed that was really high up off the ground (almost top-bunkbed type high) I told her that if I fell off I'd "come back to life as a white wizard". I was still a bit tipsy. She did not laugh.
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fraggle
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Unread post by fraggle » Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:33 pm

shane wrote:i dont think i know enough songs to play 3 hours...
Well how about 2 hours even.
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Four Eyes
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Unread post by Four Eyes » Fri Apr 11, 2003 1:59 pm

Start small guys. If you can't memorize the songs, then bring the sheet music with you. Also, Three or four hours of music isn't bad when you add your 15 minute breaks after each set. If your nervous about it, you can usually get away with 20 to 25 minute breaks. So that would add up to about two hours of music. If you can't do two hours of music, then find someone who can, and play along. You will be paid less, but you will also learn new songs. When you have built up a repertoire of songs, you can go at it on your own. It took me five years to build up a list of songs to play for four hours. Now I just keep adding more to the list. Check out http://www.donttellanne.com. Look under the song list link. These guys are some of my best friends. When I was starting out, I printed out their song list, and learned as many of those songs as I could. I know some of the songs aren't the coolest, but they are what the public wants to hear. Also by learning songs of different generations, you can play for just about anyone, and keep them happy.

Peace!!
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Unread post by Four Eyes » Fri Apr 11, 2003 2:02 pm

Ooops. Look under the music link on that website. Then click on the songlist link. Sorry.

Peace!!
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Unread post by fraggle » Fri Apr 11, 2003 2:21 pm

Thanks man! I can play 2 hours of music, its just remembering lyrics...Wont it look stupid with lyric sheets?
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Pickles
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Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": I'm thinking about getting metal legs. It's a risky operation, but it'll be worth it.
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Unread post by Pickles » Fri Apr 11, 2003 3:15 pm

dont let people know you have a sheet of lyrics. just be like "its my setlist." and leave it at that. :) and 2 hours i can do :)
Sort Of A Protest Song wrote:I don't know if this is shameful or not, but after waking up in a girls bed that was really high up off the ground (almost top-bunkbed type high) I told her that if I fell off I'd "come back to life as a white wizard". I was still a bit tipsy. She did not laugh.
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Four Eyes
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Unread post by Four Eyes » Fri Apr 11, 2003 3:24 pm

Not at all. The band that I was talking about uses lyric sheets sometimes. That way if they lose track of where they are, they can just look down to get back on track. I don't use lyric sheets. Sometimes I forget the words and wish I did though. It's funny when you make stuff up, and nobody figures it out. I was playing "Babylon" by David Gray and forgot the third verse once. I just started singing about my favorite beer, and it went over! My friends noticed, but that was cool because we all laughed about it later on. The more comedy and showmanship you put into the gig, the more of a following you will get. Try doing a few Tenacious D songs. Maybe some Adam Sandler songs too. You will get the bar rocking, and if you mess up later on, no one will be the wiser.

Peace!!
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Unread post by God_Fearing_Man » Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:30 am

The best song to do is Sandler's grandmother song.

you can make shit up, laugh, even tell the audience "oh shit, let me check my lyric sheet" and they'll still love it.

but don't play a beatles song you don't konw the lyrics to.
"There must come a day... when the unfinished work of our heroes, must truly be our own."

-Ben Harper
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