March 26, 2011 editorial: comments

Dear Fellow Audiofanziners!

Today I'd like to talk about that famous rite of passage: your first gig! Your first gig may be a distant funny memory in the past or maybe it's coming up next week, but either way, there is nothing like it and you will never forget it.  What I remember most from my first gig (coffee shop) was my amazement that someone was actually willing to let me play my quirky songs in their respectable establishment.  In retrospect, wheeling in a Peavey amp into a Starbucks was a bit of an over kill...after that we quickly graduated to the bar circuit.  Anyway, here are a few tips for gigging noobs:

1. Practice, practice and practice.  Be prepared!
2. Know the venue
3. Be nice to the people who are supposed to make you sound good (soundmen...)
4. Try to seem confident and comfortable on stage, like you own the place, even if you feel like vomiting
5. If you make a mistake, don't apologize, most likely nobody noticed...
6. Save the drinking for after the show
7. Fill up the audience with as many friends and family as possible
8. Have fun!

After your first gig, and if you are a singer, you probably wish you had one of these TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch to make you sound like a superstar, no matter how nervous you are.  That day may come, in the meantime it's better to cut it raw.  And if you think that cutting a good live sound is complicated in your local bar, imagine the drama around managing live sound for a show like the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. Here is something to strive for !

Take care,

Chater-La