Have you ever had it where all the clubs you’re playing suddenly no longer want bands anymore? If you haven’t, you will. Thankfully, Paul and Dave have each been through it, and have some words of wisdom to share on the subject.

First though, let’s talk about a few scenarios for hired guns out there, and how the right approach and mindset can make all the difference in the world.

Press play and enjoy, and always be performing!

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 226 – Monday, September 16, 2019
  • ZenCastr
• Coming up: How to improve your chops.
• 00:02:01 Hey Dave, Wanna Play TEDxPortsmouth?
  • Paintbox
• 00:07:20 Subbing a rhythm section member
• 00:15:07 SPONSOR: Mint Mobile. Cut your wireless bill to just $15 per month at MintMobile.com/GigGab
• 00:17:27 (Re-)Creating Your Club Base
• 00:34:54 RFCs! (Reasons for Contact)
• 00:39:56 Success with (and as) opening bands
  • Dan Meblin on Gig Gab
• 00:46:00 GG 226 Outtro
  • Under The Scales

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When someone brings a new song in for your band to learn, what’s the process? What does it take for it to be a success? What does it take for your whole band to buy-in to the process?

Listen as Paul and Dave share their successes–and failures–in this regard. They’ll share some of the tricks they’ve learned, and some that they haven’t.

All this and more, on this week’s Gig Gab. Press play and enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 225 – Monday, September 9, 2019 <https://giggabpodcast.com/>
• 00:01:22 The vibe of acoustic gigs
• 00:15:13 Market Minimum
• 00:21:00 SPONSOR: Bandzoogle – Built by musicians for musicians, Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music. Try for free for 30 days, then use promo code “giggab” to get 15% off your first year.
• 00:23:51 Is this a song by your favorite band?
• 00:32:47 Poo-pooing tunes
• 00:38:16 The Wedding Three!
• 00:45:03 Buy-in matters!
• 00:48:00 Next week: Chops!
• 00:49:07 GG 225 Outtro

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Contract riders have the stigma of being reserved for only the über-elite – and über-pompous – bands. The reality is, though, that riders can be very useful and helpful devices in ensuring not only a great performance, but a smoother gig-day experience for everyone. Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their favorite rider items, and why they have them.

There’s more, including the legendary Fling Eagle story, but you’ll have to listen to find out more about that!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 224 – Tuesday, September 3, 2019
• 00:01:06 Los Gatos Park Dance
• 00:10:17 The Importance of On-Stage Visual Contact
• 00:19:16 SPONSOR: CHAUVET DJ. Don’t just rock…rock in the spotlight with CHAUVET DJ!
• 00:23:21 What should be in Your Rider?
  • feedback@giggabpodcast.com
  • Price and Terms (Prepayment, Post-payment, deposit)
  • Water (24 bottles)
  • Stage, size, electrical requirements (how many 20A circuits do you need?)
  • Is the stage covered?
  • Meals (enough for band and crew!)
  • Extra stagehands (loading help)
  • Green room
  • Cards Against Humanity
  • Parking
  • Bar privileges
  • Find out about stairs/floors
  • Lights (stagewash)
  • SIR Equipment Rental
• 00:39:44 Bohemian Rhapsody – The Movie
  • Genesis: Together and Apart
• 00:48:43 GG224 Outtro

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If you were starting all over again with your band, what would you do and how would you do it? That’s the question Paul poses to Dave – and, by proxy, all of us – today. Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through all of this and a LOT more.

The LOT? Well, there’s a conversation about how best to handle people behaving badly (yep, time to revisit that one!). And then there’s a discussion about the attitude to take as you walk on stage, based on something Dave learned (again!) this past week.

Press play and enjoy, Gig Gabbers!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 223 – Friday, August 23, 2019
• 00:01:47 We’ll wake her up… or not!
• 00:04:44 Handling people behaving badly
• 00:11:16 The crowd was small, but mighty
• 00:17:10 If you had your druthers, what would you?
• 00:27:10 The corporate band is the easy route
• 00:34:57 What rejuvinates a cover band scene?
• Bonamassa Cover Mainline Florida
• 00:37:34 Create a scene
• 00:41:18 Next episode: September 3rd!
• 00:41:54 Make your band a purpose
• Gig Gab Podcast Facebook Group
• 00:44:50 Today we’re using the RØDECaster Pro
• 00:46:29 GG 222 Outtro

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How do you introduce new songs to your band’s setlist? This is a pretty loaded question, it turns out, and your two favorite weekend warriors chat through this. Seems it might even need some kind of intentional process, especially if you want new songs to enter your band’s top 10.

Mothballs might be involved. And you’ll need to learn about The Final 45. Dave certainly did, and thankfully Paul was there to help! Press play and enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 222 – Tuesday, August 13, 2019
• 00:01:57 Podcast Movement and Dave’s Steve Jobs Story
• 00:05:36 Adding New Songs
  • The Dangling Participle
• 00:10:24 The creativity of a cover band
• 00:11:51 Bringing a song into your A-List
  • Break Glass in Case of Emergency
• 00:16:56 SPONSOR: Mint Mobile. Cut your wireless bill to just $15 per month at MintMobile.com/GigGab
• 00:19:09 What do you look for in a tune?
• 00:26:00 There are so many great songs
• 00:31:26 Giving a song a fair shake
• 00:37:04 What works for your band
• 00:46:04 The Final 45
• 00:51:51 GG 222 Outtro

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Are you in for a rollicking good time? Enjoying your summer, either playing in the streets or watching bands playing in the streets? That’s fun! Got a player who can’t stay in the pocket? What about when the bandleader isn’t up to snuff? How about when a festival doesn’t wanna pay local bands? Uh huh. And what do you do when someone spends too much time looking at your pedal board?

Paul and Dave have answers… and not only the titular one. That’s right. We said titular. Enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 221 – Tuesday, August 6, 2019
• 00:01:03 Stones played Harlem Shuffle
  • The Stones are an Impossible Band to Cover
• 00:03:50 Two gigs, one night
• 00:08:30 Playing In the Street!
• 00:13:50 SPONSOR: Bandzoogle – Built by musicians for musicians, Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music. Try for free for 30 days, then use promo code “giggab” to get 15% off your first year.
• 00:17:46 Martin-Pocket-less Players
  • “Eff That!”
• 00:29:00 When the bandleader isn’t up to snuff
• 00:35:51 Eff That: Santa Cruz Music Festival Not Paying Local Performers
• 00:44:38 CJ’s Pedal Board Sign
• 00:46:35 Gig Gab 221 Outtro
  • Hats off to Kevin Bryson!

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Sometimes you get to go on stage with a band of musicians with whom you’ve played many times before. Sometimes you get to go on stage with musicians you’ve never met!

Both can be rewarding – and a little scary! – and it seems Paul and Dave’s bicoastal synchronicity has struck once again. Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors discuss their recent (and upcoming!) experiences with all of this.

First, some thoughts about and for the folks involved with the recent events in Gilroy, too. Stay strong, Gilroy. We know you will!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 220 – July 30, 2019
• 00:00:56 The benefits of a Stealthy Break
• 00:02:54 Thoughts about Gilroy Garlic Fest Shooting
  • Gypsy Jack Van Breen
  • Tin Man band
  • Rolling Stones at Altamont
• 00:09:03 The healing after trauma
• 00:14:45 Peace to Gilroy. Gilroy Strong.
• 00:15:47 Mystery Street Stroll Band
  • Matt Langley will Save the Day!
• 00:22:41 The assembly of competent musicians
  • Amanda Dane
• 00:27:56 The confidence of a good leader
• 00:30:04 The musician’s perspective
• 00:35:42 Springsteen Playing “You Never Can Tell”
• 00:38:05 Gig Gab 220 Outtro

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How do you define “great”? More importantly: do you and your bandmates share that definition? If not, is there someone in your band to whom you all defer on that topic?

How do you make sure your band comes across “great” all the time?

Paul and Dave think there’s another word that helps this: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. And that comes in a lot of forms. Hear your two favorite weekend warriors talk about on-stage respect, in terms of both how to share frustrations as well as how to approach the substances-on-stage issue. Dress code comes up, as it always will because, after all, music is a visual art.

Or is it?

Listen to find out more!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 219 – July 15, 2019
• 00:00:44 Intro: Lots-o-Gigs!
  • The Cocktail Monkeys out of San Francisco
• 00:04:57 Intro: Multi-band gigs and song lists
• 00:07:01 R.E.S.P.E.C.T. spells a happy band
• 00:07:20 On-stage Frustration
  • “That tone doesn’t work for me”
  • The Bowling For Soup Lesson
• 00:17:05 Know your vibe
• 00:18:53 When to talk about substance issues
• 00:31:50 What if someone from Company X is in the audience?
• 00:32:48 Dave’s Dress Rant!
• 00:36:17 Are you a mess?
• 00:37:10 The definition of “Great”
• 00:44:40 The Phish “laid back” attitude
• 00:47:29 Live Music is a Visual Art
• 00:50:43 Ringo Sat in with Paul McCartney!
  • Drummer’s Resource with Greg Bissonette
• 00:53:42 GG 219 Outtro

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Wanna hear about some cool, new gear? Wanna learn a new twist on how to have your band wish someone a happy birthday? Wanna hear some geeky stuff about how Phish appears to time their sets? How about some ideas for new venues to ply your craft?

Well, Paul and Dave deliver all of that – and more – right here in Gig Gab 218. Enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 218 – July 8, 2019
• 00:00:59 Kevin-CSF-Lyrics Prompter
• 00:05:16 217-Rolls PM50s Personal Monitor Amplifier
• 00:07:43 Chapters/Shownotes reminder
• 00:09:09 The benefits of a dedicated sound engineer
• 00:10:14 Going for the perfect pacing
• 00:16:09 A peaceful-sounding stage
• 00:18:08 SPONSOR: Bandzoogle – Built by musicians for musicians, Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music. Try for free for 30 days, then use promo code “giggab” to get 15% off your first year.
• 00:20:34 Phish’s Minute Quota
• 00:28:58 “I really wanted Tiny Dancer”
• 00:29:52 Birthday Twist
• 00:31:14 The Lack of Venue Imagination
• 00:36:40 The “Yesterday” movie
• 00:38:47 Bars are the status quo, challenge it!
  • Rock Star
  • Stone Church
• 00:47:22 Understand the Non-Zero-Sum Game
• 00:50:10 GG 218

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Need advice on using in-ears? Check! Want to learn how to play with a click? Check! How about managing all those wireless channels? Check!

Paul and Dave have have all sorts of tips for you… and then a discussion (also tip-filled!) about requests and how to handle them. Don’t miss this one, folks. You’re gonna love it.

Chapters/Timestamps:

• Gig Gab 217 – July 1, 2019
• 00:01:30 Family Time
• 00:02:19 Jacob Collier
  • Meet the Flintstones
• 00:04:46 Lucky?
• 00:07:16 Kevin-216-Tempos and Clicks and More
• 00:10:49 Learning to play with a click
• 00:17:12 Bowling For Soup Tempos
• 00:20:09 Mo’ Wireless
• 00:27:17 Dave’s In-Ear Equipment
  • UE 11 Pro Ambient
  • In-line Headphone Attenuator
  • Extension Cables – White color or Grey color
  • Rolls PM50s Personal Monitor Amplifier (not mentioned, but referenced)
• 00:29:39 Request-O-Rama
• 00:35:50 Don’t alienate them
• 00:43:53 Gig Gab 217 Outtro

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