Working with different sound teams can always be a struggle, even when they’re the best in the business. How do you communicate with them? How do you know they’re listening? How do you convey your point without being annoying? These are just some of the questions that come up as Paul and Dave talk through their more recent gigs.

Then it’s on to setups and getting your band — and your individual instruments — to sound good in the rooms you play. How much thought are you putting into that, and how are you addressing it on the fly?

All this and more here on Gig Gab… press play and, don’t forget: Always Be Performing!

The post Your Band Needs a Brown M&M Clause — Gig Gab 316 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Have you ever stopped to think about how “the crowd” perceives your band’s image vs. how you perceive yourselves? It’s an interesting exercise, and sometimes it’s thrust upon you. Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their experiences with this.

Dave had to dig into the backup-bin while his IEMs were in the shop, and had an interesting revelation about just what can work for a gig!

And Paul had an all-too-familiar experience with a club trying to add live music to their “talent stack”, with mixed results. Listen for the warning signs, folks!

Oh, and always be performing, too!

The post What’s Your Band’s Image? – Gig Gab 315 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Let’s go back five years together, shall we? Gig Gab was just a year old, and we all were just finding our footing here together. We had the pleasure of having Jan Hammer join us for a conversation in Gig Gab 68, and with both Paul and Dave out for a two week stretch, we figured this was a perfect time to revisit that interview, certainly our most downloaded episode ever.

From his start in Prague, the stories flow, including tales about Jan’s experiences with Jeff Beck, Keith Emerson, Jaco Pastorius, Neal Schon, Mahavishnu Orchestra and even Jimi Hendrix.

As we wrote in the show notes five years ago: there’s so much packed into these 43 minutes you’ll probably want to listen twice. For some of you, we’ve made that second listening even easier today! Enjoy!

This episode has no official sponsors, but we wanted to remind you of our two active deals. The Ultimate Ears one expires this week!

The post Jan Hammer Talks Mahavishnu, Emerson, Hendrix, Jaco … and Getting the JuJu Happening! — Gig Gab 68 Redux appeared first on Gig Gab.

One of the reasons we all take the stage is in search of those moments where the band is just firing on all cylinders and the energy is flowing perfectly. At least that’s what Paul tells Dave this week, and Dave agrees! Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk about the components of a “perfect” gig, then listen as they explore topics of theater as it relates to rock-and-roll, getting the whole band on in-ears, and two new shows you need to watch. All this and more, and the only price of admission? Always Be Performing!

The post Firing On All Musical Cylinders — Gig Gab 314 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Being a performer often means you get to be an invisible spectator… of the crowd who is watching you! Listen as Paul and Dave share some stories (new and old!) about what they’ve watched people do from the Working Musicians’ side of the fourth wall.

Then it’s time to negotiate. How do you ask for money? How do you know why someone said, “no”? Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors share their trials, tribulations, and advice. And remember: Always Be Performing!

The post People Behaving Like People — Gig Gab 313 appeared first on Gig Gab.

There’s always at least a bit of a gamble in taking the stage. More often it comes up pretty standard, sometimes you get the Stage of Dread, but occasionally … every now and then … things are just perfect.

Despite being a country apart, your two favorite weekend warriors each experienced that perfect stage with great sound this weekend, and they share their stories.

That’s not all, though, listen as Paul and Dave talk through Dave’s magic word: Costume. Listen and then send in your thoughts to [email protected]

All that and more… press play, and always be performing.

The post The Ever-Elusive “Great Sound” — Gig Gab 312 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Your favorite weekend warriors had a revelation: It’s easy to have a lot of microphones! Listen as Paul and Dave answer your questions about gear, including in-ears, mixers, and PA speakers (the microphones were their idea!).

Also on the docket: the sacred space that is band rehearsal. Listen, learn, and enjoy. Oh, and send in your feedback, too! [email protected] is where you wanna be…and where we want you to be.

Always Be Performing!

The post More Microphones Than Cents – Gig Gab 311 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Music connects us all, but how do you define the connection between you and your audience? You and your bandmates? Listen as Paul and Dave discuss, dissect, and even debate a few aspects of all this. Press play, enjoy, and please remember: always be performing!

The post Bands and Connections – Gig Gab 310 appeared first on Gig Gab.

What’s the definition of the perfect gig? Would you know it if you played it? If so, how will that impact the next gig? Listen as Dave and Paul talk through their recent performances and relate them to what the future will look like. Just remember, folks, even when you’re making it up as you go, you can still always be performing!

The post Chasing The Perfect Gig — Gig Gab 309 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Remember all the great gigs you’ve played? Guess what… your next gig could be one of those! Your favorite weekend warriors talk about creating those new memories by fueling your tank with the old ones.

Dave watched “What Drives Us”, Paul saw Springsteen in the Killers’ new video, they’ve both been experimenting with Facebook to promote things, and they share their stories, successes, failures, and thoughts.

Plus a new piece of gear is on the scene!

Press play to hear it all…and remember, always be performing. You might just be playing your next favorite gig!

The post Savor The Moment — Gig Gab 308 appeared first on Gig Gab.