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Got My First Gig!

Triumph_Rock

By Triumph_Rock,
in Gigs

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Geek99 Grand Master

Geek99

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Bunion said:

Your probably the luckiest guy on here, the thrill of the first gig and the feeling of wanting to play the 2nd then the thought of more is something you only experience once!!! 
Enjoy

Feel the quickening, highlander 

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Happy Jack Grand Master

Happy Jack

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Lo-E said:

Write your set list in black ink on white paper - no colored ink!

 

Pah! Amateur! I write out my setlists using coloured oxygen-free gold-plated tone ink mixed with pixy dust ... people often come up to me at gigs and tell me how good my setlist sounds.

 

Then I start playing and ruin it all.

 

😉

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Triumph_Rock said:

The pub has a PA system. I'm thinking to get a noise suppression pedal and tuning pedal. My Ashdown Little Stubby has a DI out which is 6.5mm jack. Am I expected to supply the cable to connect to there PA system?

 

They probably will have all the cables but never rely on other people having the things you need for your sound, have your own stuff. If you have a ¼" jack DI, get a ¼" to XLR lead anyway, just in case you need it. 

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Bunion Grand Master

Bunion

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Triumph_Rock said:

I'm thinking to get a noise suppression pedal and tuning pedal.

Get the tuning pedal absolutely, a good tuning pedal will also mute your sound while you tune up too. When I  started gigging this was the only pedal I had, keep it simple but keep it professional and sounding good. 
Nothing worse than having to try and tune to the guitar player during a set if you should knock the headstock on a small stage (a Cymbal or piece of furniture.)

As regards other pedals, unless you’ve had time to get to know them inside out and are fully versed in what they do why complicate things worrying about setting changes in different kinds of rooms. 

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Bunion Grand Master

Bunion

Posted
Posted (edited)
44 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

My Ashdown Little Stubby has a DI out which is 6.5mm jack. Am I expected to supply the cable to connect to there PA system?

I’ve never supplied cables for PA but it’s worth putting together a small bag with some spare cables (guitar and amp cables) a spare strap (just a cheap get out of jail one) an old beer bar towel or hand towel for wiping down your strings after and a set of spare strings, these can be an old set you’ve taken off previously. Personally I’ve never broken a string playing but never say never, remember some wire cutters, but you can get by without) 

A small multi gang extension 2/4/6 what are your requirements. probably not needed where your going to gig but you don’t know what some venues are like for power outlets. 
Spare batteries for your pedal/active bass (change them anyway before a gig but carry a spare) 
A small torch (head torch is best) messing with the back of your amp/cab setup is a pain in a tight spot on a dark stage when you have no light.

There are more items you could take but for now a small bag with the basics is fine. 
Remember your a band and it could be the  guitarist forgets his strap or leads or something breaks. It’s a team effort to make it work so be prepared. 
oh and get some earplugs, the small foam ones are fine. On a cramped stage where you can’t  move things can get loud. 


 


 

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Lo-E Enthusiast

Lo-E

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Pah! Amateur! I write out my setlists using coloured oxygen-free gold-plated tone ink mixed with pixy dust ... people often come up to me at gigs and tell me how good my setlist sounds.

 

Then I start playing and ruin it all.

 

😉

Hah!  I put that on the list because it’s the kind of advice nobody will ever think to give you when you first start out. The first time I wrote a set list in colored marker (I can’t remember now if it was red or blue - probably blue), I put it on the stage floor and we ran through a sound check under fluorescent work light.
 

Later, we started the show under colored stage lighting and I was looking down at a blank page!!  The colored  lighting  canceled the colored ink and it simply disappeared!

 

It had never occurred to me that this could happen. Why would it?  It would have been nice if someone had warned me, so now I’m paying that forward. 

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Lo-E Enthusiast

Lo-E

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, Bunion said:

I’ve never supplied cables for PA but it’s worth putting together a small bag with some spare cables (guitar and amp cables) a spare strap (just a cheap get out of jail one) an old beer bar towel or hand towel for wiping down your strings after and a set of spare strings, these can be an old set you’ve taken off previously. Personally I’ve never broken a string playing but never say never, remember some wire cutters, but you can get by without) 

A small multi gang extension 2/4/6 what are your requirements. probably not needed where your going to gig but you don’t know what some venues are like for power outlets. 
Spare batteries for your pedal/active bass (change them anyway before a gig but carry a spare) 
A small torch (head torch is best) messing with the back of your amp/cab setup is a pain in a tight spot on a dark stage when you have no light.

There are more items you could take but for now a small bag with the basics is fine. 
Remember your a band and it could be the  guitarist forgets his strap or leads or something breaks. It’s a team effort to make it work so be prepared. 
oh and get some earplugs, the small foam ones are fine. On a cramped stage where you can’t  move things can get loud. 


 


 

This is wonderful, practical advice. I’ve carried a small case - my “crash kit” - to about 20 years worth of gigs and it has evolved over time as my needs at gigs have changed. It always contains a spare of every type of cable that might fail (instrument {1 short, 1 long}, speaker {speakon and 1/4”}, XLR, AC mains extension), batteries, some basic tools, torch, extra tuner, strings, some strings for the guitarist (believe me: he didn’t remember to bring any), gaffer’s tape, markers, a direct box, drum key, spare hi-hat clutch (believe me: the one at the club slips), and on and on…. Believe it or not, the case is not all that big but it has bailed me and my band mates out of more trouble than you could possibly imagine. 
 

Bunion’s advice re: pedals is also wise.  I can’t imagine you’d need a noise suppression pedal for any reason unless you’re planning to play with gobs of effects. A tuner pedal is nice. 
 

Since the advent of affordable, accurate headstock tuners I don’t even carry a tuner pedal anymore. What I often do carry, though, is a spare micro head. There are a lot of clubs here in NYC that don’t take good care of their gear and I’ve had to deal with a lot of backline heads that weren’t working right. A spare mini head is good insurance. It’s certainly not necessary, though. You can add it to your list as you start gigging more often. 
 

Spare strap….  Good one, Bunion!  In all these years, that’s never occurred to me! ;)

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Phil Starr Grand Master

Phil Starr

Posted
Posted

That's brilliant, I still get excited at every gig but the first one.......

 

Be prepared, gigs can be chaotic at times and the more secure you are about your bits the less the chance you will panic. Other people in the band will make mistakes and the better you know your songs the less likely you are to get thrown by things.

 

Unless @Woodinblack knows different never trust a provided PA/backline. I always take my own gear even if it ends up staying in the van or more frequently on stage but turned down or even off. If you can't hear yourself or the band can't hear you then there's no way the gig will go well. It's probably better that the audience can hear you too :) 

 

Great advice from everyone else, especially about the dark/flashing coloured lights. There's nothing worse than trying to set up your gear in the dark when the previous/next band are treading all over the stage. 

 

If you make a mistake glare at the drummer, if he glares at you it's because he got it wrong :)

 

Have fun!

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Be prepared, gigs can be chaotic at times and the more secure you are about your bits the less the chance you will panic. Other people in the band will make mistakes and the better you know your songs the less likely you are to get thrown by things.

 

Also on this, remember, you will make mistakes. They will seem a lot worse to you than the seem to everyone else!

 

2 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Unless @Woodinblack knows different never trust a provided PA/backline. I always take my own gear even if it ends up staying in the van or more frequently on stage but turned down or even off. If you can't hear yourself or the band can't hear you then there's no way the gig will go well. It's probably better that the audience can hear you too :) 

 

I haven't played there, but I am the same as you, I never trust anyone elses equipment unless i have been there and used it before. Even when "Oh yes, there is an amp provided", well, my class D amp fits in the door pocket in the car, so it is coming anyway.

 

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Triumph_Rock Community Regular

Triumph_Rock

Posted
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Posted

Thanks for the replies guys. I've been told there is backline gear there. The reason I was going to get a noise suppression pedal is Rickenbackers can be sensitive to EMG and produce 60hz hum and Rickenbackers are single coil, plus if the venue has bad electrics it should deal with that. 

 

I don't really have a small Cat D head I cam take. If it wasn't for the backline gear I was going to use my Ashdown Little Stubby and Ashdown ABM115.

 

I'll be sure to glare at the drummer if there's any mistakes 😂

 

 

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Triumph_Rock said:

The reason I was going to get a noise suppression pedal is Rickenbackers can be sensitive to EMG and produce 60hz hum and Rickenbackers are single coil, plus if the venue has bad electrics it should deal with that. 

 

Only in the states, you are not going to find any 60Hz even in dorset and they only got electricity a few years ago!

 

 

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