When your band lands its first live gig in a club or live music venue, it’s time to get ready to make sure you’ll deliver the best performance in front of your audience. Here’s some piece of advice that will help you at this delicate stage.
Practice the songs
It may sound very obvious, but forget last minute decisions. When you are on stage, unless you have a long lasting live experience, you have to plan in advance. Therefore, choose the order in which you are going to play your songs and decide when you are going to take your breaks. If you are performing original songs, do not improvise the lyrics, nor go for a longer guitar solo. Stick to the program as much as you can.
Your Gear and the Backline
A few days before the gig, have a chat with the in-house audio engineer of the venue. Tell him/her who you are, how many instruments you play and where you want to be placed on stage. Be aware that every venue has its own backline, which is the gear already present on stage and that you don’t have to bring along with you. This usually includes the PA, microphones and stands, but also the bass amplifier and one or two guitar amplifiers. Don’t take anything for granted: drummers should bring with them their set of cymbals, as the one they find on location may be a little worn out, and always ask whether a keyboard stand is present or not. You should always bring with you your instruments and audio cables to connect to the system.
It’s actually good practice to send a technical rider, a document that specifies all your technical needs. For example, if you are bringing your own vocal microphone with you, it’s best to inform the audio engineer, as he/she will have to make the necessary adjustments to the system. Some instruments, such as the keyboard, require stage DI boxes for amplification. Specify how many of them you eventually need.