As musicians, we play because we love to play, and it’s an honor to be able to do that. But that’s not the only reason… and some gigs can feel pretty lonely, even if you’re surrounded by a crowd or fellow musicians. Dave and Paul start this episode thinking they have a few different topics to discuss – and they do – but in the end it all comes back to the same thing: loneliness and how to avoid it.

Well, there is ONE topics that doesn’t fit into that theme, and that’s the topic of how much to charge for your gigs and your merchandise. Listen for some essential lessons that your two favorite weekend warriors have learned this week.

Chapters/Timestamps

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 151 – Monday, January 29, 2018
• 00:01:26 Bruno Mars
• 00:03:04 TAMI Shows
• 00:04:47 Multiple songs by the same band
• 00:07:46 Gigs for enjoyment, or gigs for a living
• 00:10:39 Pro vs. Amateur: Don’t Muck Up the Payscale
• 00:13:40 Asking for more money
• 00:17:36 The Frustration of Missing Measures
• 00:21:12 Getting up to speed with (almost) no charts!
• 00:24:25 Ticket prices – variable wins. Also merchandise.
• 00:27:38 The science of pricing
• 00:30:43 The Psychological Difference Between Tipping and Paying
• 00:32:19 Knowing your Locale
• 00:33:00 Pay what you want when you leave?
• 00:34:24 Playing just to sell merch
• 00:35:50 The Solo Mentality
• 00:37:46 In the way Wallpaper
• 00:40:06 Learning to focus when there’s no crowd
• 00:40:31 Learn your strengths… then exploit them!
• 00:43:29 It’s not always about you
• 00:46:10 Owning the Loneliness… and Maximizing it!
• 00:49:01 GG Outtro

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The stage is sacred ground for most musicians… but how does it get to be that way? Certainly it’s not comfortable the very first time you walk on stage. Depending on how you look at it, it may never be comfortable walking on stage… and yet, it can still become a comfortable, safe, and secure place for most performers. Paul and Dave find themselves in the midst of a conversation talking about exactly that!

To get there, they discuss some of the issues and hurdles musicians need to jump over and through to set themselves up for success. Knowing your bandmates, understanding your band’s logistical needs, and learning how to (quickly!) learn what it takes to make a room sound and work well are all skills that can set you up for success.

And that, folks, is what Gig Gab Podcast 150 is about, with an unexpected (but heavy!) dose of lessons from and about Tom Petty. Press play… and enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 150 – Monday, January 22, 2018
• 00:00:54 Evolving a Venue into a Music Room
• 00:02:46 The value of appreciative fans
• 00:03:10 Playing with Human Jukeboxes
• 00:05:15 Prioritizing fun with gigs
• 00:10:20 Tweaking Sound in Wooden Rooms
• 00:13:21 Timing conflicts
• 00:15:15 The logistics of multi-band bills
• 00:17:23 Spend the time to do the “Advance” work for your gig
• 00:19:55 Spend the time to get it right
• 00:22:47 Tears for Petty
• 00:25:46 That Gig Mindset
• 00:27:13 Playing brain versus talking brain
• 00:28:59 Giving Yourself the On-Stage Freedom to Focus
• 00:32:31 Being comfortable on stage
• 00:35:13 “Up here, nothing can touch us”
• 00:36:44 The bubble on stage
• 00:36:57 Solo gigs
• 00:38:27 GG Out

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Paul and Dave each had experiences – from both sides of the “rail” this week – with that concept where musicians need to manage what’s going on inside their bodies while on stage. They talk through Paul’s first gig with the Houserockers new drummer, and Dave’s experience watching seasoned, Grammy-winning professionals … all of which deal with the fact that every musician on any stage – at any pay rate – is simply a human that has to deal with being human!

Then it’s on to some new gear, starting with some in-ear monitors Dave found at CES for less than $25! Paul asks about the new Boss KATANA AIR amplifier, too. All of this on Gig Gab!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 149 – Monday, January 15, 2018
• 00:00:48 First Houserockers Gig
  • Springsteen Documentary: Blood Brothers
• 00:03:12 Managing your adrenaline (individually and as a band)
• 00:05:23 …and managing the transitional arc of the band
• 00:07:21 Be careful of the second gig!
• 00:09:05 When pocket is prevalent, you’re rolling!
• 00:11:05 Las Vegas Parties
• 00:13:26 Sick on Stage
• 00:14:37 Do you tell people when you’re sick?
• 00:17:59 Why color the gig?
• 00:19:44 Stage respect
• 00:22:55 Ever been sick on stage?
• 00:24:48 Dealing with it.
• 00:27:22 Finding things at CES
• 00:29:10 Advanced S2000 at CES
• 00:33:54 Boss’s new Katana Air
  • Sony Guitar Wireless System
  • LINE6 Guitar Wireless System
  • Shure Wireless System
• 00:36:47 Dolores O’Riordan Passed Away
• 00:37:00 GG Outtro

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Is your band for sale? Of course it is! Otherwise you’re not getting paid. And if your band is for sale, then who is the salesperson? Listen to hear your long-time Weekend Warriors put on the relevant parts of their weekDAY hats and talk through their process for selling … anything. There’s lots to learn here this week, folks, and Dave and Paul are on fire with this one!

Then it’s time to answer a question about setlists, this time focused around managing the energy of the room… both while you’re playing and while you’re not.

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 148 – Monday, January 8, 2018
• 00:00:57 Paul’s Booking Formula
• 00:04:10 Looking at the summer
• 00:07:08 Portraying comfortable confidence
• 00:10:20 Booking bands at the Pro level
• 00:12:45 If your band is great, it’s great. Other bookings are gravy.
• 00:15:45 Be on alert when things are on autopilot
• 00:16:38 Building trust with new booking contacts
• 00:21:00 Leveraging the relationships of all your bandmembers
• 00:25:01 The value of building community
• 00:26:49 48 years?!?!?
• 00:27:58 The value of brotherly-love
• 00:28:25 Integrating someone new into your band
  • Getting ready for immediate gigs
• 00:29:56 Learning the back catalog
• 00:32:42 Adding new tunes, too!
  • Chart Check!
• 00:36:34 Record your shows
• 00:38:19 Dan-Driving the energy with your setlist and flow?
  • The Clanky Lincolns
• 00:40:53 The flow of the set
• 00:41:39 Feel out the band
• 00:45:58 Own your own destiny
• 00:47:21 Make sure to warmup!
• 00:49:32 Harness the energy
• 00:50:44 But learn the energy first!
• 00:52:11 Managing the breaks!
• 00:54:24 Learn the way the room flow

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New Year’s Eve came and went for your two favorite working musicians. One of them played and one didn’t, and they have some stories to tell because both Paul and Dave learned some important lessons that night… and they share! Payment for your valuable services as a musician is definitely a highlight of this episode, and then it’s on to the care one must take when inserting a new member into your band (or inserting yourself into a new band). All this and more… on Gig Gab today!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 147 – Wednesday, January 3, 2018
• 00:00:51 New Year’s Eve
• 00:02:05 Playing with musicians that can turn on a dime
• 00:03:30 Be careful you don’t price yourself out!
• 00:07:25 Going to check out your local comrades
  • Sage
• 00:08:39 Back to NYE
• 00:10:44 Don’t be afraid to Ask To get paid
• 00:14:51 Contracts are good – except when they’re bad
• 00:19:01 Make it less nebulous
• 00:21:54 First Houserockers Rehearsal for Paul all Winter
• 00:24:27 Joining a new band: ask what your role is?
• 00:25:33 Juggling multiple versions of the same tune
• 00:28:28 “But the crowd’s not moving, Dave”
• 00:30:37 Giving people something to dance on
  • Russ Lawton
• 00:33:19 Pocket vs. Groove
• 00:35:30 Next time: Setlists!
• 00:35:57 GG Outtro
  • feedback@giggabpodcast.com
  • Our Gig Gab Facebook Group

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