You’re not alone if you’re running a click track on stage—more and more musicians are embracing it, and for good reason. This week on Gig Gab, Corey Manske joins Dave Hamilton to unpack how using a click can reduce stress, keep your band tight, and help you Always Be Performing. From essential stage gear like chapstick and a tape measure (you’ll get it), to the magic of “coopetition” among musicians, you’ll walk away with practical tools and mindset shifts. Corey shares how watching other players—and sometimes borrowing a rubber mallet—can lead to big breakthroughs.
But that’s just the beginning. You’ll hear how launching a Third Eye Blind tribute band taught Corey the power of planning, from finding the perfect frontman to handling contracts, stage plots, and backing tracks like a pro. Learn why tribute bands are dominating the venue scene and what it really means to “wear a disguise” on stage. You’ll also get into the nitty-gritty of tech setups—which apps might replace SoundCue, how to prep your tracks for any venue, and why slipping your sound engineer a $20 bill is a move worth making.
- 00:00:00 Gig Gab 487 – Monday, June 23rd, 2025
- June 9th: National Detroit-Style Pizza Day
- Guest co-host: Corey Manske
- 00:01:39 Everyone’s using a click (some of the time)
- 00:08:02 Taking the stress off by using a click live
- Kill Switch
- 00:14:51 Always be performing means always putting on a show!
- 00:17:00 Important gear to have on stage
- Tape measure (drummer thing)
- Chapstick
- 00:19:53 The value of Coopetition
- 00:22:15 Learning parts from other people
- Mike Cosgrove at a NAMM party
- SS Recognize
- Rubber Mallet
- 00:26:31 Playing the parts your way…and comfortably
- 00:29:32 “Just don’t confuse the strippers, man”
- Music is a shared art form…band, performers, audience
- 00:31:05 SPONSOR: Bzigo Iris, your smart home mosquito detector. Stop losing sleep over mosquitoes. Take back your nights with Bzigo. Go to bzigo.com/discount/BUZZ10 and save 10% off.
- 00:32:27 The experience of starting a Third Eye Blind Tribute Band
- Started a year ago
- The demographic is 50/50 M/F
- Find the right singer, and the right band
- Cover band is playing dress-up, being in a tribute band is wearing a disguise
- Previously subbed in a Smashing Pumpkins tribute for 4.5 years, which gave some information and contacts
- Venues figured out that Tribute bands are where the money is
- Developing the backing tracks
- Corey became the manager
- 00:38:02 Becoming comfortable with doing the paperwork
- Contracts
- Hospitality Riders
- Stage Plots
- Details matter!
- 00:40:16 Using an iPad to trigger tracks, clicks, and more
- SoundCue for iPad (non-existent)
- Replacement option: ShowOne for iPad
- Other replacement options
- We just need an audio player in a cart format!
- 00:52:09 The pre-production work so you can have the tracks live
- Frst, decide what needs to be there
- Decide the tempo
- Center the (mono) mix on where the backing vocal is. That way FOH can set the backing vocals and, boom, the tracks work in every venue
- Make a track for soundcheck, too!
- Also, give the sound engineer a $20 bill before sound check
- 00:59:34 Embrace technology
- Also, we really need an iPad app that not only triggers the sounds, but also the videos.
- 01:05:12 Gig Gab 487 Outtro
- Follow Corey Manske
- Contact Gig Gab!
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