Have you ever wondered why the stage holds such a special place in the hearts of musicians? Join two of the most passionate weekend warriors around as they delve into this topic and explore ways to protect this hallowed ground.

But that’s not all! Dave found himself in a sticky ethical situation recently, and he and Paul share their thoughts on the best way to handle these kinds of challenges. And don’t worry, no drums were harmed in the making of this episode.

And hey, are you using AI in your own creative pursuits? We want to hear about it! Reach out to us at [email protected] and share your experiences. Tune in now for a lively discussion you won’t want to miss!

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What do you do to ensure you’re always able to entertain an audience? Performing is great, but entertaining is the goal.

Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through this from a few different angles, both as performers and as audience members. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the songs you select!

Then Dave shares a few aspects of his recent SXSW experience with Paul and all of you, too. Some interesting bands — and band names! — come up, as well as some stories about masterful logistics.

Press play and enjoy…and always be performing! And entertaining!

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Sometimes Paul says, “Always Be Performing.” Ok, he always says that. This time, though, Paul says, “Raise Your Damned Prices!”

As working musicians, we need to figure out how to raise our baseline pay. Sure, some of us have figured it out for our specific gigs, and obviously the touring industry has figured it out. But the club gigs are still paying what they used to pay and, well, it’s gotta give!

That’s not all, though. Dave arrived in Austin for SXSW mere hours before recording the show, but he still got a music documentary in under the wire to discuss. That, plus some good gigs had by your two favorite weekend warriors rounds out the show.

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Last episode, your two favorite weekend warriors talked about the bliss that is a good monitor mix. This time, they might have stumbled upon a secret to repeating that!

Listen as Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton talk through not just monitor mixes, but song choices, musical evolution, Ticketmaster, and much more.

Press play and, hey, remember? Leave that gain alone, yes, but also…Always Be Performing.

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How much leverage does your band have? Do you check your Messenger? Does your band reserve dates months in advance?

More importantly, how are these questions related? Well, your two favorite weekend warriors cover all three of them this week on Gig Gab!

Listen as Paul and Dave share their thoughts about gigs, rehearsals, cancelations, fill-ins, and quitting band members that have all happened in the past WEEK! Yep, lots to cover, and you get to join along for the right.

Press play, enjoy, and always be performing!

The post Eight Years of Bending Your Ears – Gig Gab 374 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Of course you’ve had to cancel gigs, and of course you’ve had gigs canceled. But did you feel the same about each of those scenarios?

Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their feelings on cancellations, and how they affect reputations, in general.

Dave had a last-minute gig come up, which led to a rehearsal, which led to a 3-hour drive where he listened to all three of Fling’s EPs…and he shares his reactions to the evolution of that body of work.

Paul had four gigs in as many days, and threw a rehearsal in the middle for good measure. He muses on what it takes to keep a band together, and how that might evolve over time, too.

That’s not all, folks. Your two favorite weekend warriors have a couple of quick hits to share and get your reactions from, as well. Send ’em in to [email protected].

Oh, and always be performing, eh?

The post What’s Your Band’s Fungibility? — Gig Gab 373 appeared first on Gig Gab.

There’s no greater compliment for a musician than having someone catch the subtle things that happen on stage, and the bartender at The Midway Cafe caught all that and more this weekend.

Listen as Dave shares his tales about the gig, and yes, that includes the follow-up to Gig Gab 371’s shared backline saga.

That’s not all, though… Paul and Dave talk about vanity cover bands (there IS such a thing!), cash-only clubs, warmup routines, and being prepared for rehearsal.

Your two favorite weekend warriors packed a LOT into these 29 minutes, and all you need to do is press play and enjoy. Always be performing, folks!

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How competitive are you when it comes to booking gigs? When another band gets a gig you want (or used to have), how does that land for you? Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their thoughts on this.

Traveling around the country (and the world) as your two favorite weekend warriors recently have, it’s interesting to notice how music is different — and the same — everywhere else. Ain’t music grand?

What about when the music business ain’t grand, though? How do you approach gigs to ensure that you’re able to focus, play well, and perform? It’s not easy, but we need to find our ways of rising above!

Press play and enjoy…and hey, always be performing!

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If you could go back in time and give advice to your band, what would it be?

Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through a lot of your thoughts and answers to this question, and they share some of their own, too.

But first, Dave saw a band (Def Leppard!) and a movie (If These Walls Could Sing) and he and Paul talk through some of the lessons—and trivia tidbits—learned from both of these.

Just remember… press play! Also remember: always be performing!

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It’s winter…how is your band’s momentum doing? Are you making yourself seem active even if you aren’t?

Listen as Paul and Dave talk through this concept and share some ideas they have about keeping your band active even if you aren’t playing quite as many gigs as usual.

Then your two favorite weekend warriors dissect the different rehearsal styles of different bands. No band is the same, and there are plenty of “right” ways to be productive. What works for your band? Let us know at [email protected].

Finally, Dave just got back from CES and found a bunch of cool stuff…so he and Paul talk it all through!

Press play and enjoy, folks. Oh, and hey… don’t be that guy. Also, always be performing!

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