Your instruments are important to you, so you’ve got to take care of them – and that includes your voice. Paul and Dave talk through some recent troubles Dave’s been having, and then move on to properly caring for your audiences, too. It’s important to understand who your audience is at each gig, and what their expectations are. Sometimes it’s not about you… or your desired stage volume!

Finally, Dave saw a few cool things at SXSW that he brought home to tell you all about. You won’t want to miss this one, folks!

Chapters/Timestamps/Stuff Mentioned:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 206 – Monday, April 1, 2019
• 00:00:45 Dave’s Throat Hurts!
• 00:10:31 Care and Feeding of Your Instrument
• 00:13:36 Corporate Gig Dynamics
• 00:18:55 Design your sound for the gig ahead of time
• 00:25:02 The volume pissing match
• 00:27:29 It’s Not About You – It’s About the Volume
• 00:34:40 Do you prepare for low volume? Let us know! feedback@giggabpodcast.com
• 00:36:43 SXSW: Single – Artist, Label, and Record Store Tools for Shopify
• 00:40:31 SXSW: SoundStorming
• 00:43:36 SXSW: Who Let The Dogs Out?
• 00:47:29 Vocal Warm-ups
• 00:52:14 Gig Gab 206 Outtro

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Dave’s back from SXSW and has a few stories to share about bands he saw. First, though, he and Paul talk through expanding your setlist, specifically from the angle of purpose. Why are you adding the songs you’re adding? Are they the best way to serve your band’s show? Lastly, a tip from listener Michael about creatively using wireless transmitters for on-stage submixes. All of this and more in this week’s Gig Gab!

Chapters/Timestamps/Stuff Mentioned:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 205 – Monday, March 25, 2019
• 00:02:10 The Benefit of Singalongs!
• 00:05:52 Adding new songs or stick with what works
• 00:11:12 Filling holes in your repertoire
• 00:17:46 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.
• 00:22:03 SXSW Bands
  • The Texas Gentlemen
  • Reptaliens
  • Sleepwalkers
  • HAELOS
  • Minke
  • The Beths
  • Nord was MVP!
• 00:38:03 Dave Brunyak’s dB
  • Dave Brunyak on Gig Gab
• 00:44:44 Steve Witschel’s Cover Band Central
  • Cover Band Riches eBook
  • Steve Witschel on Gig Gab
• 00:46:19 Michael-Using Microphone Transmitters for Submixer
  • Shure PGA27
• 00:51:15 Gig Gab 205 Outtro

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Dave’s at SXSW 2019, and he has seen more than a few things worthy of a Gig Gab discussion. First he and Paul talk through the overall vibe of SXSW, and then it’s time to get into some specifics!

Amanda Palmer, Redd Volkaert, and Nashville all make cameos, but the big dissection this week stems from Mr. Jimmy, a Japanese guitarist, method actor, and historian who has dedicated his life’s work to embodying the spirit of Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.

How far is too far? How much devotion is too much? And where can you make your career with all of that?

Paul and Dave tackle these interesting questions… what do you think? feedback@giggabpodcast.com is the place to send your thoughts!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 204 – Friday, March 15, 2019
• 00:01:30 SXSW
• 00:03:10 Early morning gigs
• 00:05:58 Austin, Live Music Capital of the World
• 00:06:15 SXSW, as a conference
• 00:10:50 Redd Volkaert and Bill Kirchen
• 00:17:28 Amanda Palmer and Austin/SXSW Music Fans
• 00:18:43 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/GIGGAB gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription
• 00:21:01 The Mr. Jimmy Story
• 00:47:54 Super Diamond’s Experience
• 00:49:43 Gig Gab 204 Outtro

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What do you do when you’re approached by someone at a gig who wants more than just a friendly hello? How about dealing with a booking agent who makes promises they won’t keep? Do you sell merchandise (versus just having merchandise you can’t sell)? And… what do you do to keep yourself inspired as a player?

Listen as Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton, your two favorite weekend warriors, talk through all of this and more.

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 203 – Monday, March 4, 2019
• 00:00:56 Mad Haus Stories
• 00:01:41 Fist Bump to The Rescue!
• 00:08:45 The Stage Adds 10-Degrees of Desirability
• 00:13:25 Managing the Booking Deals You Cut
• 00:17:00 The art of negotiating
• 00:23:40 The Consistently Incorrect Strike Zone of Booking Agents
• 00:28:04 Merchandise
  • Custom Ink T-Shirts
  • Merch.ly
• 00:38:47 Finding that relaxation when playing
• 00:42:56 Realizing you can do more
  • Keith Carlock playing Reelin’ In The Years
• 00:47:29 Beware the Lowest Common Denominator
• 00:54:15 GG 203

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Music is about emotion, and passion, and expression, and so many other intangible things. But how do you get there? What are the mechanics that it takes to make this happen? This is where Paul and Dave’s inspiration comes from for today’s episode.

How do you deal with playing with musicians for the first time? How do you deal with playing withOUT musicians for the first time? Are you playing music or making music?

And where the heck are you supposed to put that danged iPad?

These are the important questions, folks, and your two favorite weekend warriors endeavor to answer them for you!

Chapters/Timestamps

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 202 – Monday, February 25, 2019
• 00:00:55 Happy Four Years! And thanks!
• 00:04:00 No Matter What, Own the Gig, Don’t Just Survive It
• 00:11:50 The Superstition Detour
  • Superstition by Beck, Bogart, Appice
• 00:14:54 The value of stripping things apart
• 00:16:24 How good is your band?
• 00:23:10 The Mechanics of a Pick-Up Band
• 00:30:03 Making Music vs. Playing Music
• 00:40:20 Neal Schon’s Time Machine Tour
• 00:42:19 Bill-iPad on Stage?
  • Speck Cases
  • Stage Ninja Clamp Mount
• 00:49:38 A Time and a Place for the iPad
• 00:55:14 Smart Phone Etiquette
• 01:00:00 Go with the flow, or Choose your best path?
• 01:02:00 GG 202 Outtro

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Sometimes the topics just flow. Of course, you folks do help with that… and today it’s all over the place. Paul and Dave take you on a journey that starts with revamping the airline industry, touches on the beauty of Alex Chilton’s blue-eyed-soul-inspired power pop, mentions Rick Nielsen more than once, and digs into the money conversation.

It’s true, your two favorite weekend warriors celebrate their fourth anniversary of GigGab by having a verbal jam session, and you get to be a fly on the wall. Press play and enjoy, then let us know what you think at feedback@giggabpodcast.com!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 201 – Monday, February 18, 2019
• 00:00:50 Feb 19, 2015 first GigGab release, happy four years!
• 00:02:16 From the 2018 Gift List: Outlaw Nomad Pedal Board
• 00:06:15 Come Fly Propofol Airlines
• 00:09:52 New PitchSlap Cajon for Dave
• 00:11:40 The First Blue-Eyed Soul Performer, Alex Chilton
  • Alex Chilton, Big Star Tribute at SXSW 2010
• 00:19:35 Four gigs in a weekend!
• 00:22:00 Scenes matter!
• 00:27:29 Brushes with Greatness
• 00:31:02 Rick Nielsen
  • Double Fantasy
• 00:34:45 Power Pop requires attention to nuance
• 00:38:26 Kevin-Money Questions
  • Clearly defined (social) contract
• 01:03:04 Gig Gab 201 Outtro

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Some of the greatest art comes from an artist who trusts themselves, regardless of what others are saying, and just puts it out there. This, of course, can happen in many different forms. In music, it can be the guy who came up with an infectious piano groove to change a hit song to his liking, a songwriter who hones his tunes to perfection, a songwriter who took what she liked to hear and morphed it into her own, or in a live setting the band that trusts themselves enough to use one mic for their entire setup.

Whatever it is, confidence stems from delivering what you know is right, and your two favorite weekend warriors talk through a few examples of this they’ve come across as of late. Listen as Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton share their thoughts on all this and more. Press play… and enjoy. And remember… (say it together, now) always be performing!

Chapters/Timestamps

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 200 – Monday, February 11, 2019
• 00:02:10 Four electric gigs in one weekend!
• 00:04:32 Mike-199-Closing Your Eyes… and Feeling the Music
• Brad Madix
• 00:13:02 199-Feelin’ Alright Piano Player: Artie Butler
• 00:15:15 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/GIGGAB gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription
• 00:18:09 Grammy’s Diss Rock!
• Top 25 Tours of 2018
• 00:25:29 Kenny Loggins on Daryl’s House (2016)-The Commitment to Songwriting Perfection
• 00:35:27 Hoot and Holler in Burlington
• 00:39:00 Gig Gab 200 Outtro

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How many ways do you communicate your identity or that of your band? Is it in your performance? Is it in your merchandise? Is it in your stage banter? Is it on your kick drum head? Is it in your name?

The answer is yes! And, of course, Paul and Dave have some things to add to this conversation. Even better, you folks have a bunch to add to this, too, and your two favorite weekend warriors are happy to share the feedback you’ve sent in and let it guide the conversation. You rock!

Keep it coming, folks. And press play and enjoy!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 199 – Monday, February 4, 2019
• 00:02:50 Super Bowl halftime show
• 00:08:30 PK Solo at The Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company
• 00:12:33 Getting to Know Your Inner Performer
• 00:15:04 Handling closed eyes
• 00:18:22 Ensuring Down-Time is not Wasted Time
• 00:21:40 feedback@giggabpodcast.com
• 00:22:56 Andy-198-Politics is about more than the issues
  • Tough conversations are usually about tribal identity
• 00:28:06 The Feelin’ Alright Resolution
• 00:29:25 FB-Kevin-prepping for a theater show
• 00:36:29 DK-Coming up with Band Names?
  • Where did Pearl Jam Get their Name?
• 00:48:34 Bandzoogle
• 00:51:31 GG 199 Outtro

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This week, your two favorite working musicians dig into the now-overflowing mailbag and share your thoughts and questions with the audience. Hear Kevin’s thoughts about having your own, band-specific, portable monitor rack, DK’s thoughts about the Soundcraft Ui24R, and Martin’s question about mixing politics and music.

Paul and Dave talk through all of these with you, of course, and then share some of their own thoughts as well. Have you had band photos taken recently? What image do you think they convey? What image do they actually convey? Be honest… you know everyone else will!

Listen for more. Press play and enjoy. And remember… A.B.P.!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 198 – Monday, January 28, 2019
• 00:00:59 Hedwig Debrief
• 00:07:19 Updating Band Photos
  • Richard Kerris Photography
  • The Houserockers
• 00:15:49 Dan Meblin from Pop Fiction on Gig Gab
• 00:22:24 Thinking about costuming from various distances
• 00:25:56 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/GIGGAB gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription
• 00:28:31 Kevin-197-Have Your Own Monitor Rack
• 00:33:32 Stage volume vs. In-ears
• 00:35:01 DK-196-Soundcraft Ui24R feedback
  • Shure PSM 300 In-Ears
• 00:39:49 Martin-196-The downsides of mixing politics and fans
• 00:46:23 Unintended consequences
• 00:53:47 GG 198
  • feedback@giggabpodcast.com

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Dan Meblin, leader of San Francisco Bay Area band “Pop Fiction” joins Paul and Dave this week to talk through running a successful cover/party/function band. Dan and his bandmates created Pop Fiction after playing together in a band catering to a similar market, and Dan’s history includes both playing in original bands and working in the Silicon Valley technology world.

Dan talks us through creating and marketing Pop Fiction, of course, but also some of the particulars. An on-the-fly segment, “Dan’s Tips for How to Treat a Venue Well” includes a great detour into setting up your own in-ears rack so that you can have perfect stage sound everywhere with very little adjustments needed at each venue.

Dan’s got a lot to share, and share he does. You’re gonna love this one. Press play, listen, and enjoy. Thanks, Dan!

Chapters/Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 197 – Monday, January 21, 2019
• 00:00:45 The snow policy… was enacted!
• 00:02:14 Dan Meblin from Pop Fiction
• 00:03:06 Eric Martin Band and Dan’s history
• 00:05:57 “You Have to Learn To Love Those Cover Songs”
• 00:08:20 Running your own band
• 00:10:37 How did you know what you’re doing?
• 00:11:40 “This Band Sounds Really Good”
• 00:13:02 Gotta play Public Shows
• 00:13:38 Follow-ups are key
• 00:16:12 Venue managers are also your agents
• 00:17:50 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/GIGGAB gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription
• 00:20:01 Dan’s Tips for How to Treat a Venue Well
  • Don’t leave garbage with your name on it!
  • Do a Site Check (size, parking, load-in, electricity, schmoozing)
  • Know and Follow The Rules (avoid the bar!)
  • Manage Your Volume
• 00:25:07 Make in-ears a band-wide priority
  • Behringer X32 – Rack Mounted
• 00:32:51 Presentation matters: “Dressy Flashy”
  • “You Want to Look Expensive”
  • “Don’t look like a waiter”
• 00:36:33 Expanding your business options
• 00:41:19 Intellistage to the rescue
• 00:44:50 Managing Rehearsals for a Working Band
• 00:46:39 jamLink for distant rehearsals (2010!!)
• 00:51:26 GG 197 Outtro

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