Gig Preparation
We all know that musicians are often amongst society’s most disorganised people. It is therefore no surprise that the details of gig preparation and sound checking are often overlooked by bands. The importance of preparation cannot be underestimated and the implementation of some basic rules can be the difference between a decent gig and a great gig.Firstly, when confirming the gig with the venue, ask them to email you a list of equipment provided and equipment you will need to bring with you. This may seem obvious but it is surprising how many times bands arrive at the venue without everything they need. Make sure you check that everything works before you leave and take as much spare kit as you can. Things that worked at the last band practice tend to break on the day of the gig just to spice things up, so take spare jack leads, guitars, strings and batteries. The time saved running around trying to find a working jack lead will allow you to implement the other rules of gig preparation.
Be on time. Being fashionably late does not apply to gigs. This is very much in the bands interest. If you are late you may have to do a rushed sound check or none at all. You may also hold up other bands which isn’t going to make you very popular. Despite the archetypal Rock ‘n’ Roll, “us against them” mentality, it can be important to keep the other bands sweet. If you introduce yourselves to the other bands, they and their fans are more likely to support your band, and stick around if you are on later in the night. Building up contacts with other bands exposes you to their fans and their opportunities. These band relationships also facilitate a less segmented gig and therefore a better atmosphere, with each band’s fans supporting all of the bands.
Other than the obvious rules, the most important is to introduce yourselves to the sound engineer. This doesn’t have to be the whole band, but the singer should definitely do this (they are bound to be the one doing the most talking). The sound engineer has the power to make you sound as good as he wants, so know his name! If you appear professional to the sound engineer, rather than trying to get his attention by shouting “Mate!” or “Oi!”, he will care more about your sound. If the sound engineer comes across as abrupt or surly, remember, he has to put up with a lot of unwarranted arrogance, so just bite your tongue! Usually persistent professionalism will thaw them out a little.
If you want to be ultra-professional, the sound engineer will always appreciate a stage plot/ input list. A stage plot should depict the position of each musician, microphone and amplifier and the type of equipment being used. This can be emailed to the venue, in advance, for the attention of the sound engineer. If you are touring or playing bigger gigs, or have a complex musical setup, this is much more of a requirement.
During the sound check communicate clearly with the sound engineer, ideally one at a time. You will be asked to play your instruments one at a time so try not to twiddle about while someone else is being asked to play. When the vocalist is asked to sing to get the levels, actually sing. It is no good getting levels for you speaking the words “one, two… one, two”. The characteristics of your singing voice will be very different to that of your speaking voice.
Each musician will need to be responsible for each sound they use. For example if the guitarist uses a pedal and has one clean sound and one distorted sound, let the sound engineer know so they can account for both. Also if you have any specific requirements, do you do anything unusual or play a different instrument in just one song?
At the end of the sound check play two (not necessarily complete) songs which cover as a many of the different sounds and instruments you use as possible. At this point you need to be aware of what you can hear in the monitors so you can let the sound engineer know what you need to hear more or less of from other member of the band. Try and get accustomed to the size and shape of the stage and the area you will be performing to. If the vocalist uses the microphone off the stand they should do the same in the sound check and find out where it feeds back. Often the microphone will feed back if held lower than a certain point, so find out where that point is so you don’t do it in the gig. It can also be valuable for the singer to go into the space where the crowd will be, while the rest of the band are playing, to get an overview of the sound, and see if anything else needs to be changed.
Remember, a gig can only be as good as your preparation and sound check… Good luck!
This post was written by Pete Shorrock.
Copyright 2011 Help for Bands. All rights reserved.