Playing Better Gigs

Learning the songs is only half the battle – but we can help you with some of the rest…

There are so many variables and unpredictable factors involved in playing a gig that it would be easy to assume rehearsing, turning up and plugging in are about the only things you can be sure about. But that’s really not the case. There’s so many things you can do to help your gigs go well before you even step onstage, and many of them will be learned with experience. But that’s where cheating comes in. Because the TG team have combined their years of hard-earned gigging experience – all the good, bad and the downright ugly shows we’ve played as guitarists – to help you avoid the mistakes we made starting out and gain the small victories in every gig you play that will add up to a lot. Let’s take it step by step.

PREPARATION

What happens before you play a gig is vital to success. We’re going to assume you’re well rehearsed before you set foot on the stage, and if you’re making last minute changes to your set make sure all the band is comfortable with them - you don’t want the bassist blanking out before the middle eight that they never quite remembered in practice. Firstly, think about the gig you’re playing; how much time do you have? Time your set a few times in rehearsal (a band that wilfully goes over their allowed slot and cuts into the next act will not win friends on the local scene) and allow realistic gaps between songs for tuning and gear tweaks.