# Tips/tricks for live shows



## ChaNce (Nov 25, 2006)

Hey, I thought with our experience on this board, we could come up with a really good list of tips and tricks that make the process of playing live that much more enjoyable (being on stage is fun, but the rest of it can suck). 

I'll start with a few from my experience. Please put even the most obvious tricks on the list: I'm hoping this will be a resource for all. This list assumes most of us have read the rules of metal, and deems them true.

Things to bring to the gig:

-Backups of all cables
-Duct tape
-2 sets of strings for each guitars (and a few extra high E strings).
-A Bunch of extra picks
-My band usually brings a single extra amp (like a fender or something smaller) so if someone's rig totally dies, we can still at least play the gig. 
-Everyone brings their own tuner
-An extra beater guitar (a strat, say) as a backup. If you can afford it, buy a few "show" guitars, and leave your real nice stuff at home. You can pick up crappy 7s nowadays for a few hundred dollars. Do it. 
-And jesus christ, get some earplugs. You will thank me 10 years from now when your can sleep in silence instead of with a constant ringing companion in your ears.

If it is outside and cold:

-Hand warmers

-Don't stand there staring at your guitar. You worked hard to get on that stage. Enjoy your interaction with the crowd. They want to see you perform, not stare at your fingers. 

-If you don't have a light show, an industrial worklight will work wonders. Set it on the ground next to the drummer pointing up, and have the rest of the lights turned down. Kind of looks like a strobe. Especially useful if your band primarily stares at their fingers

-If you are playing technical stuff that requires you to have your guitar up under your neck, lengthen your strap and take a trick from Slash and put your foot up on something and then place the butt of your guitar on your thigh, neck straight up. Zakk Wylde does this as well. You can shred with your fingers by your teeth, and still look good. Remember, live is a show. The album is the music

-Club PAs usually SUCK. Super midrange, abusive highs, boomy lows. On top of that, since your shows are packed, all the bodies suck up the highs, making things sound like you are listening through a wet rag. The thing is, it means your sound doesn't sound as good as it does in your bedroom or practice space. I usually try to cut out the bottom end on stage, and let the PA add it back in. What you don't want is that "whump" sound when you chug away on your low B string. Also, tell your bass player to ease up on the distortion. He isn't in Tool. The cleaner the bottom end and bottom midrange, the nicer the experience for your crowd, with the added benefit that your singer can actually hear themselves.

-I know you will hate this, but the DRUMMER is the most important person in the band, especially if you are unknown and playing shitty little clubs. Here is why: by the time your crowd has heard the first band and had a few drinks, combined with screaming in each other's ears to hear their friends, they are hearing nothing but a loud, mooshy buzz in their ears, and pretty much deaf to any nuance. 

But they can still feel the drums. Further, most people have an intuitive (if not accurate) feel for how hard drums are to play well: you have to move your hands and feet, right? Finally, the drummer tells the audience when a song starts, ends, climaxes, etc. Your 7 string minor sweep arpeggios don't. In fact, unless you have a good PA, great gear, a good sound guy, and a great room, the crowd can't really hear your soloing anyway. Of course, they could look at your fingers to know your are doing something interesting, but the only person interested in your fingers is you.


Some thoughts on setting up your show:

Usually the shows that I see or play in are 2-4 bands on weekday evenings. For no other reason than tradition, these shows seem to start at about 8:30-9:00 every time, even on work nights. Further, I'm assuming that the bands are essentially local or regional. Obviously, if Slayer is the last band, no one is going to leave. 

My personal campaign to start shows a bit earlier aside, if you have a choice, I have figured out that the optimal slot to be in is......

The second spot. Here is the logic. The opening band is usually new, and no one knows them. Further, since all people are chronically late, even their friends will be late (they will be your friends if it is your band). Finally, anyone who is coming to the show knows this about the first band, so they will try to get there about half way through the first band to get a good spot to see the rest of the bands. That means no one will be there for the first band. 

It takes two drinks for a person to get properly lubed for a show. The first is purchased as soon as he or she arrives at the show (in order to get into the flow of the scene), and the second between the first and second band. 

Therefore, people are in their best mood for the show right after the first band ends. They are in attendance, and ready to rock. The second band is the beneficiary of this.

Wouldn't the third be better? Well, maybe. People drink more, rock harder, etc. However, people also have jobs and such. It just seems like the crowd peaks during the second and third acts, and then the fourth, ostensibly the headliner, gets the leftovers. 

So, go second, unless you are big enough that people will stick around for you regardless what time you go on.

-NO DRUM SOLOS. NO GUITAR SOLOS. NO SHTICK.

Ok, let's add stuff to this list. I'm sick with the flu this weekend, so I feel like writing I'll add more as I think of it.


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## OzzyC (Nov 25, 2006)

you said even the obvious...so

DONT MESS UP!


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## Christopher (Nov 25, 2006)

Damn! Nice list. My rule of thumb is that if there is even the slightest chance something will go wrong than expect it to. I have so many backups and safe guards on all my rigs for those just in case situations.

Here's a few things to add.

1. Take a shit before you go on, every time you go on. If you don't Murphy's Law will require you to desperately NEED to as soon as you start rockin'.

2. If you're further than a few miles away from home take a change of clothes (or two). You never know when it's going to be hotter / colder than you expected or when you're jackass drummer will spill his coffee in your lap.

3. ALWAYS carry a soldering iron and some solder if you're using anything electrical. It doesn't matter if it's a shitty cheap one or not, just have one.

4. Take a towell with you. No, better yet two towells. One for you and one for that jackass drummer so he doesn't try to use yours. Gigs get sweaty man!

5. Drink after the gig. No matter how much better you think you sound when you're shredding away drunk, you don't. Need a beer or a shot to loosen up, no problem, but safe the celebration for after the show.

6. Always assign somebody to play load out guard. It can be a groupie you trust, that jackass drummer, hell anybody will work. Have them park themselves by your truck(s) and watch everything so nothing "walks" off by itself.

7. If you play outside be prepared for anything weather can throw at you. That includes sunglasses, a hat, some plastic to cover your shit while it rains, whatever.

I'm sure there's more I'll remember later, I've got a gig tonight.


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## Mr. S (Nov 25, 2006)

try not to get _too_ drunk, i find that usually helps things along 




Christopher said:


> 6. Always assign somebody to play load out guard. It can be a groupie you trust, that jackass drummer, hell anybody will work. Have them park themselves by your truck(s) and watch everything so nothing "walks" off by itself.



 very important, ive had stuff stolen and its just infuriating


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## Drew (Nov 25, 2006)

ChaNce said:


> 1.) -Everyone brings their own tuner
> 
> 2.) -If you are playing technical stuff that requires you to have your guitar up under your neck, lengthen your strap and take a trick from Slash and put your foot up on something and then place the butt of your guitar on your thigh, neck straight up. Zakk Wylde does this as well. You can shred with your fingers by your teeth, and still look good. Remember, live is a show. The album is the music
> 
> 3.) It takes two drinks for a person to get properly lubed for a show. The first is purchased as soon as he or she arrives at the show (in order to get into the flow of the scene), and the second between the first and second band.




1.) Everyone should bring a tuner, sure, but you should all tune to the _same_ tuner before you hit stage. The first time the guitarist tunes to 430 hz and the bassist accidentally tunes to 450, you'll thank me. 

2.) Bullshit. Sling your guitar where you're the most comfortable, because the more comfortable you are on stage, the better you'll play and, more importantly, the more comfortable you'll LOOK on stage, in your demeanor and the way you act. There's nothing more pathetic and poser-esq than watching a guy trying to play a guitar slung too low for him. And, the foot-on-the-monitor pose is one of the biggest rockstar cliche's - once, whatever, but every solo? 

3.) I've also found that two drings is about the magic point for me as a performer, too - enough to be physically relaxed but not enough to impede my performance. Don't get wrong, a drunk performance, done right, can be a lot of fun for the band and the audience, but you all have to be on the same page - if you're playing blues rock, doing one nice tight set and then swaggering on stage with a bottle of Jack Daniels in hand a la Janis Joplin for set #2 can totally work. The secret is to get the audience drinking with you, so the promoter remembers you not as the band that got shitfaced on stage and sucked, but rather the band that was leading the entire place in rounds of shots. 

Other things I always gig with - 

-Deodorant, for after the show. This is crucial if you're single and in a band to get laid. 
-enough tools to do anything you could possibly need to do to your guitar - allen wrenches, socket wrenches, screwdrivers, whatever. You probably won't need 'em, but...
-if you gig enough, you'll want spare tubes and a spare fuse. This is especially crucial, I found the hard way, if your amp is top-vented (long story, two pints of beer and a TSL). 
-your cell phone, but more importantly a small notebook and pen. Networking, or drawing pretty pictures while waiting to bail your jackass drummer out of jail (or calling people to bail you out). 
-at least one large friend, in case the promotor tries to stiff you and brings the bouncers in. Hasn't been a problem yet, but...


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## Nik (Nov 25, 2006)

Very useful thread  

As soon as we find a good drummer, we're starting to gig, and I was thinking about asking for advice, but you guys brought it out for me.

I agree with Drew, though. I don't care if I look like a dork, I'd rather do that and feel secure knowing that I'm in a comfortable position to pull off everything, rather than sling it low and end up screwing up. There's a psychological aspect, I've noticed, to playing, too. If you aren't feeling confident, and you know you're going to screw up because you followed that guy's advice on the internet and slung your guitar low, then you WILL mess up.

It's like the Matrix. Don't think you can. KNOW you can.

I've heard moving around on stage actually helps you relax a lot. Sitting there with your knee propped up is bound to tense you up.

Oh, and while it's true that if you play real loud, then the audience won't hear your solo, and you can get away with being sloppy. However, pray to God no one in the audience has ear plugs as well. Because then they can hear everything. Every single stumbling, off-key note you hit  

I'll keep these in mind when we start gigging


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## ChaNce (Nov 25, 2006)

> so the promoter remembers you not as the band that got shitfaced on stage and sucked, but rather the band that was leading the entire place in rounds of shots.


This reminds me of a discussion with a bartender/manager at a club here in Houston. He basically said that they hate the all-ages shows, since it's mostly kids (adults stay away) and they sell less liquor. 

Bars/clubs don't make money on bands, they make money on the drinks that the bands sell. If you have friends that you can call in favors on, have them show up right before you go on stage, and buy drinks.

About the strap height: I sort of said that with half a wink, but you all are right. It's more important to be comfortable. I always liked Petrucci's build-in foot wedges next to his pedal board.

I also agree with the 2 drinks before the show. Perfect amount.


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## includao (Nov 25, 2006)

Drew said:


> 2.) Bullshit. Sling your guitar where you're the most comfortable, because the more comfortable you are on stage, the better you'll play and, more importantly, the more comfortable you'll LOOK on stage, in your demeanor and the way you act. There's nothing more pathetic and poser-esq than watching a guy trying to play a guitar slung too low for him. And, the foot-on-the-monitor pose is one of the biggest rockstar cliche's - once, whatever, but every solo?



   



Drew said:


> -Deodorant, for after the show. This is crucial if you're single and in a band to get laid.
> -at least one large friend, in case the promotor tries to stiff you and brings the bouncers in. Hasn't been a problem yet, but...


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