Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Your fellow working musicians just handed you a year’s worth of gig hacks, and this week Gig Gab pulls the best listener tips from Instagram and Facebook into one episode. You’ll get a hand-raise monitor check that knocks out soundcheck in minutes, a dedicated soundcheck song for when the room’s already full, and the mixing moves pros swear by: high-pass the bass at 80 Hz, sidechain it to the kick, and carve 2.5 kHz out of everything else so the vocals cut through. Then you’ll build a smarter set list. Space out the songs that wreck your singer, keep a back-pocket list of crowd-grabbers, mark who sings lead for the sound person, and track song lengths so you never blow past curfew. Booking and pitching get the same treatment. Pitch yourself as the hyperlocal fill-in for cancellations, ask for the next date while the room is still packed, send thank-yous that name the bartenders, and turn a dead Wednesday into a residency. You’ll dial in your in-ear monitor mix with the STP formula (self, time, pitch), add reverb and drum overheads so it feels real, and stop asking for “more me.” And when the crowd is thin, the song falls apart, or the applause hits, you’ll know exactly what to do, because the show starts the second you walk on stage. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 556 – Monday, October 19 , 2026 October 19th: Evaluate Your Life Day Guest co-hosts: Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen from Neonautica Soundcheck Tips 00:04:58 Roland J. Beckerman-Run the monitor check like this: go through each instrument one at a time while the other band members raise a hand if they want it in their ears or wedge. Move to the next player when no more hands are up. Quick line checks one by one for FOH. (also suggested by 3 others) 00:06:35 jbellitz775-We wrote a soundcheck song: a basic rock I-IV-V at around 124 bpm where each instrument enters one or two measures after the last, in this order: drums, bass, rhythm guitar, utility instruments like mandolin or fiddle, lead guitar, male lead vocal, female lead vocal, harmony vocals. We only use it when the room already has people in it. (also suggested by kurt_ackermann, +2 more) 00:08:56 More soundcheck tips 00:10:27 Donald Bundy on Facebook-Never ask the audience ‘how does it sound?’ mid-show; that got worked out at soundcheck, and breaking the rhythm is hard to recover from. Bassists and guitarists can check the house mix on a wireless; keys and drummers can’t, and don’t have a friend play your drums while you stand at the mixer, because they’ll never play like you. And the moment you walk into the venue, introduce yourself to the sound person and build a quick rapport. 00:12:33 A Facebook listener Tim Greig-High-pass the bass at 80 Hz; that’s about -12 dB at open E (41 Hz), a Motown-engineer trick, because the harmonics are roughly 10 dB louder than the fundamental anyway. Then sidechain a compressor on the bass from the kick so it dips about 3 dB on each kick hit, and the low end stays felt without drowning the guitars. 00:16:00 Notch 2.5kHz out of other instruments to leave sonic room for the vocals 00:17:15 Patrick Storey A Facebook listener-Keyboard players: leveling your patches is the single most important thing. Plug into a mixer with a PFL button to meter the input, go to your softest patch (a Rhodes is always quiet), note the level, then go through every other patch you use and turn them down internally to match it. (also suggested by 1 other) Setlists & Repertoire 00:20:43 Todd Clark Sr. A Facebook listener-My 30-year formula for building a show: once the bulk of 30-40 songs is learned, ask the vocalist to label the most fatiguing songs to sing and the easiest ones, then spread them apart from each other. Then make sure no two slow-tempo songs sit together. That becomes the show list, and I play the list with confidence, never off the cuff, just like the pros. (also suggested by 2 others) 00:22:21 Gerard O’Neil A Facebook listener-Annotate your setlist for the sound person: to the left of each song, who sings lead; to the right, solos or other notes. That way the right vocal isn’t buried at the top of a song, especially when the drummer sings lead on a couple. 00:23:19 Steve Gallup A Facebook listener-Put your best songs off to the side of the setlist and call them when the time is right. It may be early, it may be late, but when you’ve got a full house or you need to grab the audience, they’re right there for you. 00:24:51 Kevin Ilsen A Facebook listener-We record our shows and enter each song’s real duration into BandHelper . As I tap from song to song on my iPad, mounted low on my mic stand, it shows the estimated end time of the show. If we’re running late we skip a song, or cut the break short if it’s before the last set. (also suggested by 2 others) Sponsors 00:26:09 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad Booking and Pitching 00:27:35 Booking isn’t our favorite, but it’s a valuable skill to develop! 00:29:14 chrisriccomusic-Send your EPK to venues in your home area with a line like ‘in the event of cancellations we’re hyper-local and would love to fill in.’ You’ll get last-minute bookings at a premium; then melt their faces off and send a follow-up email saying you’d love to discuss future dates. (also suggested by 1 other) 00:30:25 scottie0501-On the way out of a gig, thank the owner and ask for the next date right then, while the room is still packed and drinking. He looked around and gave them a September date on the spot. (also suggested by 1 other) 00:31:09 Doug Shankle A Facebook listener-The day after a gig, send a thank-you note to the venue that names the bartenders and staff, plus a private note to the person who booked you saying you’d love to come back. 00:34:25 Michael Harvey A Facebook listener-Build a spreadsheet of every area event planner you can find online (about 80), sort by neighborhood, and call one neighborhood each week asking for an in-person meeting with a 5-minute laptop presentation and video. Get on the short list of just two or three planners and you’ll work constantly. 00:35:55 Andres Lerma A Facebook listener-Have decent-quality video content to send bookers. Set up a tripod or bring a friend to rehearsal and record something so you can send one URL; a flyer-only page with no proof of how you sound is a much harder sell. Social media is the new demo tape. (also suggested by 1 other) 00:36:34 Joe Gillis A Facebook listener-Pitch a residency that fixes a dead night: I walked into an empty restaurant on a Wednesday, sat next to the owner and offered to play the ignored patio for ten Wednesdays in a row for twenty bucks. I brought my own posters, and by the fifth week the place was packed inside and out. IEMs and Monitoring 00:38:22 east_coast_fxco-A 25-year A-list monitor mixer’s formula for building any mix: STP. Self (they have to hear themselves sing and play), Time (a time reference like snare, hat or kick), Pitch (a pitch reference like keys or guitar). Start there, then refine. (also suggested by 6 others) 00:39:49 flyabstract-IEM tips from a monitor engineer: start low and add, never blow anyone out. Roll off everything above 16 kHz and below 80 Hz to fight fatigue, and always add the FX, overheads and crowd mics alongside the dry channels so it feels real. Run a split snake into a dedicated monitor console, even a Wing Rack, so you don’t share preamp gain with FOH, and give everyone an iPhone app for their own levels. 00:42:39 ggonzalez1337-Never say ‘more me in my monitor’ unless you’re alone on stage; the engineer is looking at a console and doesn’t know who ‘me’ is or whether you mean instrument or vocal. Say ‘more guitar vocal in the guitar monitor.’ (also suggested by 1 other) 00:43:23 Sid Cooper A Facebook listener-A monitor engineer’s protocol for mid-show changes: he scans player to player looking for eye contact. If you’re happy, smile and nod; if not, point or look at what needs to change and signal more or less. Then keep watching him and tell him when it’s enough, or you get what he thinks you should have. Bring a written note of who gets what in their wedge and he’ll have you close before the first song. Stage Presence and Showtime 00:45:04 Eric Essenberg A Facebook listener-When the crowd is thin, pick one person in the audience and pretend they’re from a record company, then play like your goal is to convince them you’re the best they’ve ever heard. 00:46:20 johnnybolomusic-Don’t step on the applause. Applause is the audience telling themselves they enjoyed it, and talking over it is basically telling them to shut up. 00:47:07 Mike Hart A Facebook listener-The solution to every problem in a stage show, especially after a mistake: start the next song. Avoid dead time and just nail the next one. 00:48:08 Peter Wade A Facebook listener-When a song is falling apart and the drummer can’t just stop, I drop out and start telling a story, usually about someone in the audience or a band member, while the band lowers the dynamics. Then bring everyone back in at a chorus, double it, and finish the song. 00:49:16 Ed Peace A Facebook listener-Use the iPad only for lyric prompts: just the first few words of each line. If every word is there, you end up reading it to keep your place. With prompts you only glance when needed and engage with the audience otherwise. 00:50:25 Rob Parker A Facebook listener-Design your entrance: get out of sight before the set and walk on together ready to play. No audible tuning, no playing the opening riff early, no tone-checking, no sitting around on stage, no straggling on one by one. Good options: an intro tape that covers the walk-on, lights down and no count-in then first chord bam, or walk on, wave, and straight into song one. (also suggested by 1 other) 00:52:04 Sal Barone A Facebook listener-At the end of the night my band always played our theme tune: short, upbeat, and it told people who we were one more time. I’d hear customers singing it as they left the venue. 00:52:42 Gig Gab 556 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Don’t Step on the Applause: Listener Tips for Working Musicians – Gig Gab 556 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Megan Ihnen and Alan Theisen of Neonautica went from contemporary classical recitals to headlining dubstep parties in New Orleans, and they brought a theater kid’s discipline with them. You’ll hear how they split band duties so nobody has to wonder who’s handling what, why the only correct response to a note is thank you, and why there’s no such thing as a good or bad sound, only the sound you meant to make and the one you didn’t. They also explain why they wrote an hour-long set the way a composer writes a symphony, and what it means to control the room instead of just reading it. Then it gets into the fun, nerdy stuff! You’ll learn why the decisions in a duo are unanimous or they don’t happen (a rule worth stealing for any band), why a Rick and Morty sample got its one word bleeped when both dads showed up, and how bass music meets Stop Making Sense became the Neonautica pitch. Live music is a visual art, so give your audience a way in on the joke, use a character to quiet your nerves, and remember that you’re not competing with other bands. You’re competing with the couch. Get them off it. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 555 – Monday, October 12 , 2026 October 12th: National Pulled Pork Day Guest co-hosts: Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen from Neonautica 00:02:42 Neonautica! 00:03:49 Dividing the labor in your band…clearly! Communication is key Classical Music and Theater 00:10:00 Hearing information 00:11:50 Learning to Take the note 00:14:36 Developing that self-awareness “objective remove” 00:15:38 There’s no such thing as good and bad sounds There’s the sound you meant to make and the sound you didn’t mean to make I’d rather be right in the future than have been right in the past 00:19:05 Maintaining humanity, fun, and flexibility…with tracks What are the parameters of the show that are theatrical? 00:21:04 The flow of Neonautica’s hour-long original dubstep sets Reading the room vs. controlling the room Lights vs. Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ 00:26:34 Different genres in bass music set? Gospel in Dubstep 00:27:57 SPONSOR: Tidal – Visit https://Tidal.com/GIGGAB to create an account and start uploading your music for free: zero platform fees on every sale. Your music, your earnings. 00:29:30 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:31:01 Working with your partner…and surprising and delighting each other Shared ownership unlocks the creative freedom (In a duo) The decisions are unanimous or they don’t happen 00:41:51 Should we bleep the word “dad”? 00:46:37 Getting people on your side…by getting people in on “the joke” 00:50:51 Recording your shows and gathering valuable information Live music is a visual art! Like Bass Music meets Stop Making Sense 00:59:32 The influence of being in a mime troupe in high school Alleviating performance anxiety by adopting a character The Alter Ego Effect 01:14:07 The importance of showing up for live music 01:17:11 Connecting with your audience 01:23:24 Gig Gab 555 Outtro Contact Neonautica IG: NeonauticaMusic NeonauticaMusic.com Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Your Competition Is the Couch: Building Fans Through Theatrical Live Shows with Megan & Alan from Neonautica – Gig Gab 555 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Chris Cron posted what he thought was a one-off video about how to sound like the Beach Boys, set his phone down, and came back to 10,000 views. A few days later it was near a million. A few years later, he’s a touring member of the actual Beach Boys. Chris joins Dave to show you what was underneath that “overnight” success: a full-time session vocalist gig since 2018, years of throwing content at the wall, and the social media lessons that made one video stick: Frame your post as a question, reply to every comment, and treat the haters as fodder for a lesson or a laugh. From there, the path runs through a John Stamos follow, a coffee with the band’s musical director, a one-off Post Malone fill-in, and a phone call you don’t say no to. When the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity shows up, you throw the door open wide. Then Chris pulls back the curtain on harmony stacks, and it’s less mystical than you think. Learn the melody first, figure out the chord, and your harmonies are what’s left. Knowing every lane on the highway is how you stay in yours. You’ll hear what it’s like learning new parts on bass, guitar, and keys for the same songs in different bands, getting corrected on lyrics by the guys who were in the room when they were written, and turning the whole skill set into Harmony Build, his remote vocal and arranging business. The big takeaway: Chris landed his dream gig in his forties, after construction jobs and eight-dollar-an-hour shifts. Humility is a superpower, the long game is the only game, and the job is to keep doing the thing. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 554 – Monday, October 5 , 2026 October 5th: National Be Nice Day (Wouldn’t It Be Nice? Day(?)) Guest co-host: Chris Cron 00:01:43 Posting to instagram…and a million views! Session Vocalist since 2018 Simply Sing When someone comments on your instagram post…reply! Frame your video as a question (“How to sound like the Beach Boys?”) 00:09:53 Haters are fodder for a lesson or laugh Come hang out 00:15:09 Learning the economy of songwriting Chris Cron in Mêlée 00:17:24 Thanking John Stamos for the follow Chris Cron, “Don’t Be Afraid” Coffee with Brian Eichenberger 00:22:43 Post Malone asks Chris Cron to fill-in on background vocals for one show 00:27:49 Saying Yes to EVERY Once In a Lifetime Opportunity When It Shows Up 00:31:16 Learning all the different parts to play…same songs, different bands! Bass for Pet Sound Live tribute band 34:37 SPONSOR: Hims . With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:36:03 The stage as your classroom Learn as much as you can 00:40:19 Finding your home in the vocal stacks 00:42:27 De-mystifying harmony stacks Learn the melody first Then the chord And your harmonies are what’s left! Focus training 00:51:29 Chris Cron’s Harmony Build Learning things wrong…and then 00:52:35 Playing music for the fans! 00:55:44 Learning the Beach Boys…from the Beach Boys “Surf Route, Surfin’ Safari” 00:59:59 Harmony Build from Chris Cron AirGigs SoundBetter 01:06:24 Humility is a superpower 01:13:58 Gig Gab 554 Outtro Contact Chris Cron Email on Linktree IG: @chriscronmusic Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Instagram Paid Him Tens of Dollars. It Also Got Him Into the Beach Boys: Social Media, Session Vocals, & Harmony Stacks with Chris Cron – Gig Gab 554 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Every club at SXSW sounds good, every night, all week, and we’ve often wondered how they maintain that consistency. This week Dave finally gets the answer from Nate Cross, SXSW’s Director of Production, who went from intern to Assistant Production Manager to running the whole show. You’ll hear how his team builds out 55 to 60 venues (down from 100+ before the pandemic), why they mic everything even when it looks like overkill, and how 20-minute changeovers actually run on time with bands who’ve never met. Then there’s the backline story: trading the free band beer for a drum kit and amps at every venue, which enhanced everything. Want to be the band every festival wants back? Show up on time, keep it simple, and put your current input list first, since it matters more than your stage plot. Add one sentence describing what your band should sound like so the engineer isn’t guessing. Nate also explains how SXSW went from a flat “no” on in-ear monitors to welcoming your split snake, and shares how his two-drummer, nine-piece band Water Damage turned one showcase into a challenge accepted. Whether you’re under the lights or behind the scenes, Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 553 – Monday, September 28 , 2026 September 28th: Ask a Stupid Question Day Guest co-hosts: Nate Cross from SXSW 00:01:16 Arrived in Austin 2003, interned with SXSW in 2006 Finally in 2012 the phone rings…Assistant Production Manager 00:07:33 Learning the SXSW flow 00:11:20 Dozens of Venues, 5-6 bands per night per venue 00:12:40 Building out stages and PAs 00:15:01 Setting up the stages for success Everyone coming to that stage wants it to sound as good as possible…and so do we! Micing everything 00:17:18 Changeover 00:18:10 Keeping the schedule running on time Managing the 20-minute changeover 00:22:44 How many production staff assigned per venue? FOH engineer Stage manager Student Production Crewmember Plus 2-3 stage crew 00:24:05 Adding backline to every venue in 2026 00:27:22 Setting Your Band Up For Success at a Festival Punctuality Communication Simple Is (usually) best 00:31:04 Advancing with Success Stage Plot is truly for space allocation. Make sure your layout is up-to-date and correct. Input List is the most important aspect Update your Stage Plot and Input List once per year 00:35:08 Put that “what my band sounds like” sentence on your input list 00:41:21 IEMs, Split Snakes Pre-pandemic the answer to IEMs at SXSW was “no” 00:49:40 “My band doesn’t use monitors” 00:51:27 Water Damage , Nate’s band Water Damage Instagram – @wwwaterdamage 00:54:05 The Thread of Serendipity That Runs Through SXSW Dave says get a Platinum Badge ! 01:02:14 Gig Gab 553 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post How Every Club Sounds Great: Running SXSW Stages & Changeovers with Nate Cross – Gig Gab 553 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Skylar Hamilton is back by popular demand for round two of your questions, recorded across an Airbnb kitchen table in New York City where a roll of paper towels doubles as a mic stand, because it’s the right height and it kills table rumble. Set lists first: your opener sets the tone, and the tone is yours to set. Easing a dining room into rock-band mode calls for something catchy and upper-mid-tempo with room to breathe; a room that came to see a band wants to know right away what kind of show they walked into. Start cold off a click in your ears instead of a count-off if you want crisp. Put the across-the-board crowd-pleaser second, not first. And treat the night as an exchange of energy: it’s great when the audience offers first, but you can’t plan on that, so you make the first offering. Always Be Performing, right from note one. From there you get a genuine on-air disagreement about AI and episode artwork, and where the line sits between using a tool and removing the human creator. The audience for your art is other humans, whatever you used to make it. Then stage etiquette, with Rush handing you both answers on one tour: Anika Nilles quietly fixing a wardrobe malfunction mid-song while the show rolls on, and Geddy Lee stopping 2112 to get a dead bass sorted. The call is yours in a split second: if you’re the focal point and the problem has you distracted, name it and bring the crowd in; otherwise let it go and keep playing. Crowd work closes it out: banter is a skill you learn to summon on demand, not a personality you’re born with. Pick one person or an avatar and talk to them, build a stage character the way Billie Joe Armstrong is already St. Jimmy every night, treat what you wear as a costume your audience assumes you chose on purpose, borrow the bits you love from the front people who inspire you, and then watch yourself back a few days later…alone, and generous enough to find one good moment for every three you’d fix. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 552 – Monday, September 21 , 2026 September 21st: National Pecan Cookie Day Guest co-host: Skylar Hamilton 00:02:28 Use a paper towel roll Keep Rolling With It 00:04:45 Setlist Management Starting Songs 00:18:33 How do we continue using AI to maximize efficiency without removing the artists? Waves NS1 00:31:51 feedback@giggabpodcast.com 00:32:09 Stage Etiquette: What happens when something goes wrong? The Alter Ego Effect 00:43:13 Crowd Management: Being a front-person 01:03:01 Gig Gab 552 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post The Opener Sets the Tone: Set List Strategy, AI vs. the Artist & The Craft of Fronting a Band – Gig Gab 552 appeared first on Gig Gab .

You’ve earned your seat on that drum riser, even when four people in the crowd know the Bonham parts better than you do. Dave Hamilton and guest co-host Skylar Hamilton (his daughter) look back on Dave’s summer of gigs, starting with a Led Zeppelin and Heart tribute for about 600 people. A shaky moment in Heartbreaker turns into a drum solo nobody rehearsed, and a derailed Living Loving Maid turns a careful recital into a real rock show. Less than a week later, a Casual Gravity night in Laconia starts with six fans and a nearly empty room and ends packed by the third set. Two rules made that happen: don’t punish the people who showed up, and play for the crowd that’s not in the door yet. Skylar sums it up with the question you should ask every time you walk on stage: are you going to bother to be here, or should you just go home? Then Skylar picks your questions for Stump the Music Geek. You’ll hear how to juggle a day job and multiple bands (put everything on the calendar), what to do when a private-gig client wants to swap six songs 72 hours before the show, the contract clauses that turn last-minute requests and overtime into extra pay, and why one bandleader needs to make the final call on stage. The Sales 101 speed round covers following up with venue managers, what to do when 20 booking emails get no reply, asking for the no like an auctioneer, visiting a venue as a customer when nobody answers your DMs, and getting local businesses to back your band. Play the fill, set the expectation, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 551 – Monday, September 14 , 2026 September 14th: National Rosa Tequila Day Guest co-host: Skylar Hamilton 00:02:40 The lessons of perspective: Zeppelin/Heart Underground gig 00:20:16 SPONSOR: Hims . With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:21:51 Casual Gravity Gig Don’t punish the people who showed up Play for the crowd that’s not in the door yet Stump the (Music) Geek 00:29:52 How do you handle time management? 00:36:42 How would you react to a client who changes the set last-minute? 00:44:04 What’s your advice on having a bandleader who makes the final call? 00:47:50 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab Sales 101, Musician Style 00:51:20 After making initial contact with a venue manager, is it bad business to follow-up with them a week later? 00:52:12 What about 20 booking emails? 00:54:53 Ask Like An Auctioneer Dia Bondi on Business Brain 00:55:30 How do you get someone’s attention? 00:57:20 How to find local business sponsors for a band? 01:00:37 Gig Gab 551 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Play the Fill: Stage Confidence, Filling an Empty Room & Booking Gigs – Gig Gab 551 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Nashville’s Lower Broadway isn’t a gig, it’s a gauntlet, and Tyson Hanes and Adam Barber of The Tyson Hanes Band are here to show you how it actually works. You’ll hear why nobody’s from Nashville, why being the small fish in a giant pond forces you to level up fast, and what it takes to play four-hour shifts straight through with a thousand-song list, no set list, and no safety net. The crowd builds the show one tip at a time, so you go from Merle Haggard to Metallica in a single breath, learn a requested tune off a fifteen-second Spotify listen, and lean on shared Dropbox charts and big ears to nail the transitions together. And because new people walk in all night long, you’re not impressing an audience once…you’re re-impressing them for four straight hours. That’s what Always Be Performing really looks like. Then there’s the business side, and this is where it gets pointed. Tyson and Adam collaborated to their own QR-code song request system with a developer – two taps from scan to Venmo, straight to the band’s group text – and turned it into SongRequestHero.com for other bands. When JBJ’s management mandated a clunkier third-party app, killed their on-stage banners, and then ignored three weeks of professional questions from forty-five musicians, they walked. You’ll get the full story, plus the bigger lesson underneath it: treat your band like a real business or stay a bar band forever. Answer your email. Send your invoices. Don’t get drunk on stage. Build the infrastructure that lets you sell the Nashville experience to corporate buyers anywhere in the country. And take Adam’s advice: you’ll happily pay for lessons from a better player, so pay for a business coach or a mastermind too. Dave throws SCORE.org into the mix for the free version, with one catch worth hearing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 550 – Monday, September 7 , 2026 September 7th: National Beer Lovers Day Guest co-hosts: Tyson Hanes and Adam Barber of The Tyson Hanes Band 00:02:06 Being a band in Nashville But no one is from Nashville Talent is off the charts The pond is much bigger Nashville keeps you from getting stagnant 00:06:42 Playing Lower Broadway on Nashville Playing straight through Multiple genres Making money off of tips From Merle Haggard to Metallica 00:10:26 The talent 00:12:16 The nerdy tech behind being a band playing lots of covers Shared Dropbox Audioengine 00:16:53 Playing on Lower Broadway takes big ears 00:18:01 Re-impressing an audience all night Lose Yourself from The Tyson Hanes band Playing the same song multiple times 00:20:00 The crowd builds the setlist Streamlining the process 00:22:07 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:23:38 Dave asks the unintentionally loaded question 00:25:57 Developing your own app 00:28:31 What’s your app? SongRequestHero.com Dave has used HelloBand.io 00:31:50 JBJ’s management said you have to use a new app and no on-stage banners 00:41:17 The relationship erodes 00:45:36 Musicians bonding together…if they want to 00:48:50 How do bands make money as a band in Nashville? 00:52:27 Going from a “hey, we’d like to pay you in alcohol” band to a corporate band Bringing the Nashville Request feel to Corporate Gigs 01:00:38 Deciding you’re going to be a pro band before you can be a pro band Communication! Mike Schulte from Pork Tornadoes “Nashville is not the flex you think it is.” 01:06:51 Bringing Nashville to you and your event 01:11:25 When your name is on the door There’s a benefit and a risk 01:19:53 Get a business coach Join a mastermind, even if it costs you. Especially if it costs you. SCORE.org 01:28:00 Gig Gab 550 Outtro Follow Tyson Hanes Band IG: @tysonhanesmusic TheTysonHanesBand.com Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Re-Impressing the Room All Night: The Realities of Nashville’s Lower Broadway with Tyson Hanes & Adam Barber – Gig Gab 550 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Monitor engineer Kevin “KG” Glendinning joins you live from a Roman amphitheater in Pula, Croatia: eight countries in seven days into the Lorde world tour…and he’s got the receipts. You’ll hear how fifteen trips through the SNL stage started with a Carson Daly taping, why the rooms that treat you well are the rooms you remember, and what happens when a 32-year veteran finally plugs in a source expander and realizes the “new guys” were right. That’s the through-line: always be learning, always be open-minded, and never let a get-off-my-lawn attitude about new tech be the reason your phone stops ringing. Then it gets into the real in-ear monitor conversations: recreating a Celestion cab with a 2.6mm armature, the one-ear trick that quietly costs Adam Levine and John Mayer another 25% of volume, and why ear fatigue deserves the same respect a pitcher gives his arm. The road stories land hard from there. Super Bowl XLV in Dallas with snow, the Black Eyed Peas, and a lesson in letting the pros run their own show. Red Rocks (aka “Wet Rocks”) and why a mountain full of shuttle trucks is worth every minute. A locked-up console mid-residency and telling Christina Aguilera the audio will come back, all while genuinely hoping it would. A charter plane struck by lightning over the Amazon, an emergency landing at a decommissioned airfield, and waking up to the news about Taylor Hawkins. Plus the covert phone call that became seven years with Justin Timberlake, and the soft ask years earlier that made it happen. Rehearse enough that nerves turn into muscle memory, thank the people who opened doors for you, ask for the gig you want…and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 549 – Monday, August 31st , 2026 August 31st: Eat Outside Day Guest co-host: Kevin Glendinning 00:02:38 Pula, Croatia. 8 countries in 7 days 00:04:36 SNL stage for The Deftones with the Carson Daly show 00:06:20 Making an impression on touring musicians with 00:08:35 Always be learning about the new tech Learning from the “new” guys Neve 5045 Primary Source Expander Waves PSE Plugin Digico Mustard Source Enhancer 00:13:55 Always be open-minded 00:18:57 Mixing ears and the respect of it all 00:21:02 Chris Rabold mixing monitors for REM 00:22:06 Now some REM stories 00:24:23 Helping get Adam Levine & John Mayer through ear fatigue with one ear monitor 00:26:46 OzFest System Engineers and hearing fatigue 00:27:45 Sometimes it just doesn’t sound right 00:30:44 Super Bowl in 2011 in Dallas…with snow! And The Black Eyed Peas 00:35:45 Being rehearsed enough to just do the gig (and fix what goes wrong when it goes wrong) 00:36:25 Lorde’s large-and-resilient fanbase 00:39:21 Working Red Rocks..”Wet Rocks” 00:44:33 Christina and the reboot “Don’t worry…the audio will come back.” Dave’s issue with the Mackie DL32S losing input signals 00:49:58 Batteries Matter 00:52:31 Miley Cyrus, Taylor Hawkins, Lightning-stuck aircraft, oh my! 00:56:28 Getting paid to see the world The pros and the cons 00:59:11 The “covert” phone call… and Justin Timberlake Get to know ML who works for ShowCo Ask for the gig you want (and, specifically, ask Anthony Giordano) The Victoria’s Secret Awards! Watching Muse with Justin 01:06:11 Have gratitude for everyone who you’ve worked with 01:08:14 Kevin wants to answer your questions! 01:09:52 Gig Gab 549 Outtro Follow Kevin Glendinning IG: @kev_chitown LinkedIn: Kevin ‘KG’ Glendinning Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Ask for the Gig You Want: Kevin Glendinning on SNL, Super Bowls, and 25 Years on the Road – Gig Gab 549 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Your voice is the most temperamental instrument you’ll ever own, and this week Victor Carrillo Tracey – original company member of Broadway’s The Outsiders – walks you through what it takes to keep one working eight shows a week. Hydration and sleep swap places at number one, alcohol and caffeine cost more than you think, and inspiration doesn’t get a vote when downbeat is 8pm. You’ll hear how a single college voice lesson with a head cold taught Victor to navigate around a compromised instrument years before he needed it on Broadway, and why nerves usually answer to preparation rather than talent. Book the room. Play your opener as the last song of soundcheck. Always Be Performing starts well before anyone’s watching. Then it gets nerdy. Victor breaks down what a swing actually is (think relief pitcher), and how he covered nine tracks at once before working his way up to playing Paul full-time. You’ll pick up forced perspective, the staging trick that tells an audience exactly where to look and translates straight to your own stage. Plus the band sealed in the pit under the apron, monitor wedges in the floor and sidefills in the wings, a rig that tracks each voice around the house, watching a Broadway book get written in real time, and Dave’s case for mixing your in-ears in stereo instead of piling everything up the middle. Victor’s last Outsiders show is October 11th, right around performance number one thousand…and he still tells himself this is the best job ever before every show. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 548 – Monday, August 24th , 2026 August 24th: International Strange Music Day Guest co-host: Victor Carrillo Tracey 00:02:45 The voice is the most temperamental instrument 00:06:04 The benefits of an education Always Be Learning – Beginner’s Mind 00:08:54 Learning to navigate around your voice when things are non-optimal 00:13:28 Taking care of your voice The most important thing is hydration. Except Sleep is the most important thing. Be aware of alcohol and caffeine 00:17:01 Inspiration won’t always strike 00:18:35 And taking care of your body 00:20:55 Preparing yourself for success Play your opener as your last soundcheck song before the house opens You can visualize this, too! Book the room to rehearse in advance Always be preparing Having a preparation mindset 00:28:40 SPONSOR: Hims . With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:30:08 Being a Swing Kinda like a relief pitcher Nine tracks at once! 00:33:33 Ok, a detour into musical theater and The Outsiders 00:39:02 Forced Perspective 00:43:12 Missing playing a non-voice instrument 00:45:19 Playing with the band in a theater show …without seeing your bandmates 00:50:46 Watching the Broadway book being built And recording the Cast Album at Power Station at BerkleeNYC Music Studio Jamie Eblen Justin Levine 00:56:11 Mixing a musical…and hearing it on stage! Monitor wedges in the apron Sidefills in the wings Cody Spencer 01:04:55 Previews are grueling, and great! 01:05:45 Mix your in-ears in stereo Nothing up the middle: kick one degree right, snare one degree left. 01:07:43 Victor’s leaving The Outsiders after 2.5 years Choosing your destiny…follow your gut And make it happen! Gratitude! “This is the best job ever” before going on stage every time. 01:12:37 Gig Gab 548 Outtro Follow Victor Carrillo Tracey IG: @victorctracey Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week – Gig Gab 548 with Victor Carrillo Tracey appeared first on Gig Gab .

Matt Beck taught himself guitar strung upside down and backwards and has never once found a reason to stop. He joins you this week from the pit of The Outsiders, where he’s played since opening night three years ago, and from a July that had him running Jon Anderson, the B-52’s, and Matchbox Twenty in the same month: seventies, eighties, and nineties, back to back to back. You’ll hear why a guitar player who can actually read on a staff gets calls other players never see, how orchestrators bury Easter eggs in a score, what it does to a band when the pit is closed and the audience only sees you on camera at the curtain call, and why the plight of the freelancer always comes down to the same thing: your calendar, and what you said yes to eight months ago. Then it’s the road stories. Matt traces twenty-three years with Matchbox Twenty back to a Lisa Loeb tour with Dweezil Zappa standing next to him, and the Zappa family connection that put his name in the right room. He talks about building parts alongside Bono and The Edge for the Spider-Man musical, writing live arrangements for Rod Stewart, and finally getting Sugarjar out the door with Richard Hammond and Sammy Merendino. You’ll also get a Matchbox soundcheck shut down by something nesting in the rafters, three cups of hotel cocoa and a green tartan suit that taught Matt everything he needed to know about a pre-show routine, and the discipline underneath all of it: on Band Geeks off-days, he ran the entire Jon Anderson show every single morning. Always be performing and, as Matt adds on his way out, always be practicing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 547 – Monday, August 17th , 2026 August 17th: Black Cat Appreciation Day Guest co-host: Matt Beck 00:03:48 Musicals trying to make it on to Broadway 00:04:50 Theater work in NYC Playing, orchestrating “Play like Steve Gadd” “Play like Steve Vai” “A la Larry Campbell” 00:09:45 Acknowledging the band 00:11:56 Reading guitar on staff music 00:14:36 Knowing your castmates 00:15:59 Managing the schedules of multiple projects Going from Jon Anderson to B-52’s to Matchbox Twenty…in a month! 00:22:07 Logistics of travel on gig day 00:24:37 Matchbox Twenty…23 years! Got the call for…Lisa Loeb, alongside Dweezil Zappa. And the Zappa family connection delivers, along with great networking. 00:30:38 Studio vs. Live 00:32:28 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:34:15 Working with Bono and Edge on the Spiderman Musical Creating those signature moments 00:35:32 Live arrangements with Rod Stewart 00:37:03 Creative collaboration is the key 00:38:06 Playing in original bands as an informative piece of the career 00:39:27 Learning how to be in a band 00:40:24 Sugarjar, Matt’s 3 piece band Richard Hammond Sammy Merendino 00:42:30 Learn to play every style authentically And play with as many people as you can. Diversify! 00:45:01 Growing up with professional musician parents 00:47:09 The risk of a day job 00:48:21 As if a swarm of bees 00:50:44 Slipping through the crowd in a green suit! 00:54:47 Pre-show routines and biological imperative 00:57:30 “If You’re Gone” – matchbox twenty Dave says: Yes, I know… “When I am Gone” is a similarly tear-jerking Bitter Pill song 01:02:08 Band Geeks and Jon Anderson…and Matt Beck Off-day routine: run the show 01:11:15 Gig Gab 547 Outtro Follow Matt Beck IG: mattbecktwenty Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Matt Beck on Matchbox Twenty, The Outsiders, & Hot Cocoa and a Green Tartan Suit – Gig Gab 547 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Guest co-host Sean Mullaney joins Dave Hamilton to prove that the gig you want is usually hiding inside the gig you almost skipped. A video with eleven views got Sean hired, the same way a YouTube clip landed Alexandra Mullaney in The Book of Mormon, so the lesson is simple: put the work out there, then be ready to say yes when someone finds it. You’ll dig into managing your niche without getting trapped by it, and the bigger question every bandleader eventually faces: who do you want to be as a frontman? You can’t make a face unless you’ve seen it, so study the greats, then get authentic to who you actually are. Preaching from the stage is hard. Performing as yourself is harder, and better. Then things get deliciously specific. You’ll hear what it’s like to chase Robert Plant with Mr. Jimmy, where nobody’s speaking English, everybody’s in full costume, and the details are so meticulous that imposter syndrome becomes something you manage rather than something that eats you. Sean said no. Then Sean said yes…and ended up on a sold-out stage at the Whisky a Go Go, a little petrified because the stakes were higher. That’s the point. You’ll get the upcoming Whole Lotta Heart show, why theater runs are a fun grind, what happens when you make that first mistake in front of everyone, how to honor your influences by studying the film instead of copying the notes, and how to manage your voice so you can keep doing this. Always Be Performing! Even when nobody’s watching yet, because view number eleven might be the one. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 546 – Monday, August 10th , 2026 August 10th: Duran Duran Appreciation Day Guest co-host: Sean Mullaney 00:01:00 The Underground Series 00:02:33 Hired on the 11th view! Once at Seacoast Repertory Theater Sean singing Leave by Glen Hansard (now with more than 11 views!) Alexandra Mullaney was booked into The Book of Mormon from a YouTube video 00:10:40 Managing your niche! 00:11:27 Be ready to say yes to opportunities 00:16:12 The Instant Classics in Phoenix 00:18:29 Who do you want to be as a frontman? “You can’t make a face unless you’ve seen it” 00:22:42 Being authentic to who you are Preaching is difficult! 00:26:36 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:28:37 Do you want to be Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin? No one’s speaking English, and everyone’s in full costume The Mr. Jimmy Story on Gig Gab Led Zepagain With Mr. Jimmy, Sean plays a sold out show at The Whisky a Go Go 00:41:56 Managing Imposter Syndrome through the meticulous details 00:43:34 So…I said no. And then I said yes. 00:48:58 Upcoming Whole Lottta Heart Show 00:51:11 Petrified a little because the stakes are higher. 00:55:03 The Underground is… alternative programming! In Danger of Being Discovered Brother Love’s Album of the Year 00:59:13 01:06:02 Theater shows…a fun grind! 01:10:37 Making that first mistake 01:11:23 Honoring your influences Studying film! 01:14:00 Managing your voice! 01:19:37 Gig Gab 546 Outtro Follow Sean Mullaney IG: seansingsnstuff Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Hired From an 11-View Video: Sean Mullaney on Opportunity and Owning the Stage – Gig Gab 546 appeared first on Gig Gab .

It’s just you and Dave this week for a full mailbag episode, with road stories up front: Matt Musty behind the kit with Train at Great Woods, three nights of Phish and Rush at MSG, and the Rush policy worth stealing: when a mistake is a one-off, don’t talk about it. Then into your questions. Should the front-of-house feed live in your in-ears? Here’s pre-fader versus post-fader, and why the answer’s usually no unless you’re a drummer. Maybe. Bass distorting in your IEMs? Start with gain structure, work down the chain one variable at a time, and suspect your earphones. Plus the cable fix for that hummy mono click, and the Zoom Q2n-4K for filming your gigs. Nobody bought a ticket to watch load-in. That old adage – you’re not paid to play, you’re paid to haul gear – gets retired here, because the performance is the product, and that’s exactly why we Always Be Performing. From there: sitting ahead of, behind, or dead on the click and why none of it’s wrong, how to stop cringing at your own stage videos using the Alter Ego Effect, and why demand for small-act live music has softened: drinking age, drinking habits, and the couch you’re competing against. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 545 – Tuesday, August 4th , 2026 August 4th: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day 00:01:20 Matt Musty with Train, then Phish/Rush/Phish at MSG 00:03:31 Rush’s rule: don’t talk about a one-off mistake 00:04:51 Frankie Valli tribute nights with The Underground 00:05:46 Drums mushy in the wall the sound 00:06:36 Issue Mackie DL32S 00:10:49 Jeremy-What about adding the FOH mix to my IEM mix? Pre-Fader vs. Post-Fader 00:16:49 Glynn-Why is my bass distorting in my IEMs? Behringer XAir XR 12 00:23:42 Steve-Solving the mono click hum problem? 00:27:42 Drew-Recording Your Gigs with a Zoom Q2n-4K 00:31:50 Adam-Playing for free vs. being paid to load gear 00:37:10 SPONSOR: Hims . With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:39:00 Joe-Playing with the click vs. ahead or behind Roland SPD ONE: Kick and Electro 00:44:54 Kim-How do I learn to control my body on stage? Alter Ego Effect 00:52:34 Noah Kirkeide-Why is demand for live music down? 00:57:46 Drinking laws morphed during World Cup 00:59:28 Gig Gab 545 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Nobody Bought a Ticket to Watch Load-In – Gig Gab 545 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Daniel East is back for a no-agenda episode that turns into Gig Gab therapy. You’ll hear about Brit Drozda’s fifth record in pre-production, unannounced pop-up gigs built from cajon, guitar, and keys, and the Rayvel grand opening on Florida’s Space Coast, where a rocket went up over the stage during Starman. Then Daniel gets into those moments of bliss you can’t fish for…the ones that arrive because you prepared enough to stop thinking. If you’re feeling it, they’re feeling it. And when a piece of the puzzle is missing, that’s your cue to admit a gig isn’t the right fit for you and be willing to walk. Then Dave takes the couch: three gigs in a row where he became the accidental sound savior. A theater where nobody knew how Dante was routed. An outdoor stage hard-panned left with monitors EQ’d to the disco smile. A club that handed him the iPad at line check. Daniel’s prescription: an expectations agreement when you don’t have a contract, an audio tech who also speaks IT, and permission to say no. Always Be Performing is real, but you set a standard, you don’t meet one. Plus: find your clock first, and Gear Gab on Earthworks drum mics, the Kompakt 421, and why a high-pass filter beats deep EQ cuts every time. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 544 – Monday, July 27th , 2026 July 27th: Barbie-in-a-Blender Guest co-host: Daniel East 00:03:53 Brit Drozda ’s new record 00:04:46 Pop-up gigs! Cajon, Guitar, Keys Stage Ninja Cables 00:06:58 Chad Ely Productions Rayvel – Joe Ciaudelli’s involved Rocket launching during a performance of Starman Dan Lawson Chowtoberfest VII September 12th, 2026, Fence Road Farm Brewery in Warwick, NY. Benefits To Write Love On Her Arms and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Bo Bice on the lineup 00:12:46 Those moments of bliss on stage 00:16:21 If you’re feeling it, they’re feeling it Find the groove Preparation helps Shoutout to Paul Kent! 00:22:16 Recognizing when a gig is not the right fit for YOU 00:24:46 Nobody’s Perfect 00:25:11 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:27:21 Dave’s Had Three Gigs…and needs therapy Allen Heath SQ7 00:40:12 Were there contracts? 00:41:59 Option A: Bring your own audio tech with you to every gig And your audio tech also needs to be versed in IT @groovepocket80 – Joe Cabrera 00:46:33 Finding the people who are skilled AND humble Jason Banta, FOH engineer Marty Garcia , new Future Sonics IEMs 00:51:12 Back to the solution A contract or expectations agreement Find help, have help, learn how to find help Have the venue/gig hire someone professionally trained 00:53:04 Pave the path to enforce my Dave Bang Drum ethos Don’t be afraid to walk away You set a standard, you don’t meet a standard – be the example of what 00:59:33 Diagnosing Dante FIND YOUR CLOCK FIRST 01:04:30 Solving Dante issues in the future Move fast, break things 01:11:11 Gear Gab: Sennheiser MK4 SSL 2 MkII Interface Earthworks Drum Mics SR20 Gen2 overheads DM17 Snare Drum & Tom Mic DM20 G2 – great for toms! Kompakt 421 01:20:16 Sound summarization! Minimal EQ, but don’t forget about your high pass filters De-Feedback on Gig Gab And Time Alignment is important 01:24:23 Gig Gab 544 Outtro Follow Daniel East DanielEast.net @ eastd and @ themixdoctor Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post When Your Worlds Collide…and the Drummer Becomes the Sound Guy – Gig Gab 544 with Dan East appeared first on Gig Gab .

Episode 543 lands on National Fortune Cookie Day, and guest co-host Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe of NUGEN Audio opens by demystifying how your masters actually translate across streaming. You learn that MasterCheck lets you audition one master against every platform before release day blindsides you, because you should still submit a single master everywhere, not a separate file per service. From there you dig into possible reasons why Spotify felt so flat for so long, the crucial difference between data compression and dynamic compression as a way to tame your audio, and how compression ratios shape the result. Then Freddy flips to the gigging life: guitar and vocals in Thank, bass in the gleefully unappealing Solderer, touring Europe and the UK on DIY tours he’s been booking since 2014. You’ll chew on his theory that drummers can fake their way through a set more easily than anyone else, the cover-band mentality (Tommy Igoe’s gospel: he’ll teach you to play other people’s music, not your originals), and playing for the nerds who clock every groove (like the white-knuckle eleven-beat break in Steely Dan’s Josie). The throughline is reading the room, even when it’s the wrong room: sometimes the crowd’s on mushrooms, sometimes you just throw them a party regardless, and either way you Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 543 – Monday, July 20th , 2026 July 20th: National Fortune Cookie Day Guest co-host: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe of NUGEN Audio 00:01:56 NUGEN’s MasterCheck plugin Still submit one master to all platforms, but MasterCheck helps you ensure that your one master sounds good everywhere 00:05:04 Why did Spotify sound so flat for so long? Spotify is normalized to -14 LUFS 00:07:24 Data compression vs. Dynamic compression Dynamic compression is a way of taming the audio Auphonic Waves NS1 00:15:14 Compression Ratios 00:18:44 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:20:17 Freddy, the gigging musicians Guitarist and vocalist in a band called, Thank Plays Bass in Solderer, deliberately unappealing Touring regularly throughout Europe & UK 00:24:17 DIY Booking of Tours Freddy has been booking DIY tours since 2014 00:27:45 Dave’s gigging schedule 00:31:15 Freddy’s theory about drummers Drummers can fake it more easily! 00:36:30 Wedding bands … that aren’t wedding bands 00:37:31 Cover band mentality Tommy Igoe: I’m not going to teach you how to play in your original band, I’m going to teach you how to play other people’s thing Playing for nerds The 11-beat break in Josie 00:47:35 Unexpected grooves and parts 00:50:52 Realizing the audience is the wrong audience Mushrooms help the audience! 00:59:44 Special offer from NUGEN – 30% off of a bunch of plugins for the next few weeks! Stereoizer Stereoplacer Monofilter Paragon ST 01:06:43 Gig Gab 543 Outtro < https://giggabpodcast.com/ > Follow NUGEN @nugenaudio Follow Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe : @loudnesswardraftdodger @fsvc____ @thankleeds Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post The Wrong Audience Is Still an Audience: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on the Gigging Life – Gig Gab 543 appeared first on Gig Gab .

This week Wil and Langdon Reid of Wilson Fairchild pull up a chair beside Dave to show you what a life in music actually looks like from the inside. These guys grew up on a tour bus in the ’70s and ’80s watching their dads, Don and Harold Reid, play eight years with Johnny Cash before becoming The Statler Brothers, a side-stage masterclass we all wish we had. You’ll hear the advice that shaped them: nobody can put you in the music business and nobody can take you out, so you’d better love the life and want it bad. You’ll get the manager horror stories (let’s just call him Peter), the reminder that every musician is an entrepreneur, and the hard, useful stuff most players dodge: build a P&L, diversify, manage cash flow first, and when it rains, fill up your buckets. Treat every gig like it matters, because you never know who’s in the room: never punish the people who showed up, and don’t play to the empty seats. Then you’ll dig into the craft that made the family famous: blood harmonies. Learn every part, let the piano teach you how the notes relate, and practice early in the morning just to find your pitch. You’ll discover why four voices were an act nobody wanted to follow, why going from two parts to four is an exponential lift, and where the modulation earns its keep. Through all of it runs one thread: be believable. Whether it’s a vanity song that tells your audience exactly who you are or a closer like It’s Amazing What a Hug Can Do, you sell it because you mean it. That’s the whole game: Always Be Performing, every seat, every song, every night. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 542 – Monday, July 13th , 2026 July 13th: National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day Guest co-hosts: Wil Reid and Langdon Reid of Wilson Fairchild 00:02:19 Post-gig snacks Nachos Chocolate Milk Twinkies Exempt from the food pyramid 00:05:17 Growing up on a tour bus in the 1970s and 1980s A Masterclass in performance art Their Dads, Don and Harold Ried played with Johnny Cash for 8 years before going out on their own as The Statler Brothers Watching from side stage 00:07:25 At 16 and 14, Wil and Langdon started band practice and gigging 00:08:07 Advice from Their Dads “Nobody can put you in the music business, and nobody can take you out” You gotta love the life. You gotta want it really bad. 00:09:24 Learning what to do…and what not to do 00:09:37 Manager stories! The manager who hangs on to you, waiting for something to happen, instead of doing work to make it happen for you. A tuition moment: “Let’s just call him Peter” 00:13:20 Our dads were businessmen Managing and building a retirement as a musician Business Brain – Every musician is an entrepreneur Coming from nothing, sharing a bedroom, make enough to live check-to-check When it rains, fill up your buckets! 00:18:37 The dreamers are the ones generating the income 00:20:24 Build a P&L for your music business 00:23:10 Diversify yourself, produce yourself, protect yourself CD Baby Concert Pay Manage cash flow first 00:24:36 Every gig has an opportunity for you You never know exactly who is in the audience “Never punish the people who showed up” – Parthenon Huxley “Don’t play to the empty seats” – Charlie Daniels 00:28:35 Singing “blood harmonies” together Tip 1: learn to sing every part Tip 2: playing piano will teach you how the notes work and relate together Statler Brothers were “Country lyrics with southern gospel harmonies” Tip 3: practice singing early in the morning just to learn your notes 00:34:30 Learning to blend with other people “Bach says no!” 00:36:00 Always think about the piano for harmonies Their dads, The Statler Brothers, were the first group in country music. Four voices were an act to follow! 00:39:30 Their sons, Jack and Davis Reid…the next generation Four part harmonies with their boys! 00:40:22 And now…harmony blend Going from two parts to four parts is an exponential lift! Dallas Corbin on Gig Gab – Rock is how high can you go? Country is how low can you go? Where is Skid Row of 2026? 00:50:00 The value of the modulation 00:54:17 American Songbook: Country Classics and Gospel Favorites on Gaither Music 00:58:10 Always be believable 01:01:00 The value of vanity songs in your set Show your audience who you are 01:04:00 It’s Amazing What a Hug Can Do 01:06:00 Gig Gab 542 Outtro Follow Wilson Fairchild @wilsonfairchild on IG Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Growing Up Statler: Wilson Fairchild on Harmony, Hustle, and the Working Musician’s Life – Gig Gab 542 appeared first on Gig Gab .

This week front-of-house engineer Ryan Goldbacher calls in from the road with Tom Keifer, and you’ll quickly learn that landing the next gig comes down to two things: competence, and not being miserable to be around. Word of mouth is the real currency of touring life, so Always Be Performing applies long after you step off stage: when the tour bus is smaller than your bedroom and there are twelve people on it, how you treat the room matters. You’ll pick up honest strategies for protecting your sanity on the road, from taking a walk to renting a car and disappearing into the mountains, plus why testing your limits only works if you actually know where they are. Then you and Ryan get deep into the craft. You’ll hear why the way FOH mixes your band one night can shape how it sounds for gigs to come, why you’ve got about thirty seconds to describe your band to a house engineer at load-in, and the EQ lessons Ryan learned the hard way dialing in loud rock guitars and high-passing the bass. Stop calling a kick a bass drum, leave some air in it, and don’t be afraid to turn the knobs until it sounds good. From the pressure-cooker of mixing monitors on Mr. Big’s final US tour to a frank take on AI mixing and building the next generation of engineers, this one’s loaded for anyone serious about live sound. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 541 – Monday, July 6th , 2026 July 6th: National Fried Chicken Day Guest co-hosts: Ryan Goldbacher 00:01:17 Ryan on tour with Tom Keifer 00:02:29 Word of mouth is the key Competence is key…that’s number one. Close number two: you’re not miserable to be around! 00:05:09 The tour bus is smaller than your bedroom, and there’s 12 people in it 00:07:19 Creating your own personal space Take a walk Rent a car and drive into the mountains 00:08:45 Week off between gigs Fly me to Spokane, then I’ll drive to Alaska Skagway, Alaska 00:11:11 FOH for Tom Keifer for Summer, 2026 You can’t spread yourself too thin If it won’t fit on your plate, get it off Having a dedicated monitor engineer makes a huge difference 00:13:50 Test your limits, but don’t be afraid to know where they are. 00:16:52 Always be communicating 00:18:46 This tour Ryan brings a FOH console House monitor engineer Band is all on wedges A&H Avantis Tom Keifer goes over the entire set with the house lighting designer 00:21:12 Tom Keifer helps Ryan with producing the show for the night The benefits of working with an artist who tells you how to make yourself more valuable to them 00:23:32 The FOH and Band relationship The way FOH mixes the band for one gig could affect the band for the future. Respect this! Communicate what your band sounds like to the engineer…early on as you’re loading in 00:29:42 Developing trust with your engineer first 00:31:03 Thirty seconds to describe your band 00:32:33 Making the next generation of engineers better 00:33:59 Engineers who are musicians / Musicians who are engineers ProTools…great software, dumb name! 00:38:18 Learning from mistakes 00:40:16 Stacking EQs on Rock Guitars by mistake…and then intentionally! Working with loud guitars on Stiff Little Fingers Steve Smith introduced Ryan to Stiff Little Fingers 00:41:21 SPONSOR: OneSkin . Born from over a decade of longevity research, OneSkin’s OS-01 Peptide is proven to target the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code GigGab at https://oneskin.co/GigGab #oneskinpod #ad 00:43:30 Accidentally learning to drop guitar EQ between 2k-4k Adding a high-pass filter on the bass guitar in a rock band 00:48:21 Don’t call a kick drum a “bass” drum, otherwise you’ll mix it the wrong way. You want some air in that kick! 00:49:07 Don’t be afraid to turn the knobs until it sounds good 00:51:27 The pressure of mixing monitors makes you a great engineer Mixing monitors for Mr. Big’s final US tour 00:55:09 RTAs are great, but be able to do it by ear 00:58:29 Speaking of Toys…Let’s Talk AI Mixing Mentorship and apprentice programs 01:08:43 Show Logistics 01:10:03 Gig Gab 541 Outtro Follow Ryan Goldbacher @ryanthegoldbacher on IG Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Ryan Goldbacher on Touring with Tom Keifer, Mixing FOH (and Monitors), and AI – Gig Gab 541 appeared first on Gig Gab .

This week singer-songwriter Patrice Peris joins Dave to flip the script on building a music career. That question musicians always get – what’s your backup plan? – is a terrible one, because Plan A was never required to land where you first mapped it. Through COVID, a cancer diagnosis, and a bone-marrow transplant she now calls a rebirth, Patrice kept asking what each detour was teaching her and never stopped writing, landing sync placements on Netflix, HBO Max, and The Voice along the way. Want to break into sync licensing yourself? Get resourceful and bullheaded: take a class, build multiple streams of revenue, and gamify the grind: how many gigs can you find, how many music supervisors can you email? Every musician is an entrepreneur, and the numbers game rewards whoever keeps opening doors. Then Patrice gets practical, because gigging musicians are athletes. You get her playbook for protecting your voice across three-set nights: a real warmup, scale work, stretching, smart placement that pulls the sound out of your throat and into the mask, and the vocal rest you keep skipping. From there comes the band conversation nobody wants to have: in-ear monitors and the whole mix exist to serve the lead vocalist, so drop the ego and decide together what you actually want your band to sound like. Build a backup bench while you’re at it, because life happens and roles need filling. Patrice stepped back from the stage but never stopped creating, and that’s the whole point: keep writing, keep adapting, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 540 – Monday, June 29th , 2026 June 29th: National Waffle Iron Day Guest co-hosts: Patrice Peris 00:02:36 Live has given me things in waves that weren’t what I wanted Welcoming the unexpected 00:05:20 “What’s your Plan B?” Is a terrible question And Plan A doesn’t have to go where you planned 00:07:55 COVID and Cancer…all a journey 00:09:10 Perspective… always be asking: what is this teaching me? 00:10:43 Always writing 00:11:40 How do you get started writing for sync? A nod to bullheaded persistence 00:15:10 Starting a Sync Business Always have multiple streams of revenue Take a class (or two) 00:19:44 Being resourceful is the key to bullheaded persistence Gamify it all! How many gigs can I find? How many people can I email? 00:22:57 Learn to be strategic and mindful Anytime you’re climbing the ladder, failure is inevitable Invest energy into the creative realm and also into the business realm 00:25:54 “No Plan” isn’t a plan Listen to your inner 16 year old…sometimes! 00:29:47 Coaching people to let go of the hat The 80% Rule 00:35:20 Growing your music business 00:35:38 Vocal blowout Learn to Sing Like the Pro’s with Patrice Peris Voice Studios Gigging musicians are athletes Good warmup Scale work Physically stretching Take some vocal rest 00:41:00 Listening for Placement Where is the voice going? 00:42:31 In Ear Monitors can make a big difference Bands need to understand the sound has to serve the lead vocalist 00:44:42 What do we want our band to sound like to people listening? Bands need to come together as a group Communicate and decide upon the goal for what the BAND is going to sound like 00:49:38 Get two of everything 00:50:56 Gig Gab 540 Outtro Follow Patrice Peris Patrice Peris Voice Studios Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Patrice Peris on Sync, Survival, and Why You Don’t Need a Backup Plan – Gig Gab 540 appeared first on Gig Gab .

This week you start things off digging into the craft that separates good gigs from great ones. You’ll get the playbook for prepping and surviving sub gigs, learn (again!) why a splitter snake earns its place in your rig, and sort through the real options when you need a mic mute switch that actually works. Then you wrestle with a question every working band faces today: are fan-posted videos helping your brand or hurting it? It’s the kind of practical, in-the-trenches breakdown that reminds you to Always Be Performing, whether the camera’s rolling or not. Then guest co-host Jesus Hernandez joins, and you trace his path from a Portastudio kid to the engineer bands trust with their sound, along with the philosophy he’s built along the way: you’re serving people’s ears, and the console is your instrument. You’ll hear why you should ask a band what they want to sound like before you touch a fader, why learning to mix yourself turns your engineer into a producer, and how routing a digital mixer keeps everything simple when the power flickers. He shares the gear that’s earned his trust, hard-won war stories from the road, his time subbing as a bass player in Nashville, and life on tour with a Phil Collins and Genesis tribute. By the end you’ll be listening to your own gigs with sharper ears and a hungrier inner critic. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 539 – Monday, June 22nd , 2026 June 22nd: National Chocolate Éclair Day Guest co-host: Jesus Hernandez 00:01:32 Prepping for and playing Sub Gigs Ultimate-Guitar’s Pro Charts…now with lyrics! 00:04:25 The benefits of splitter snake Listener Questions 00:09:55 Mark-What’s the best MD Mic Switch? D’Addario Mic Mute Infrared Mic Sensor Optogate Radial HotShot DM-1 or HotShot MD LILYP4D Mic Mute 00:20:25 Mark-Are fan-posted videos good or bad? 00:24:36 SPONSOR: OneSkin . Get 15% off OneSkin with the code GIGGAB at https://www.oneskin.co/GIGGAB #oneskinpod 00:26:54 Guest Co-host: Jesus Hernandez 00:28:20 Lady and the Tramp Start taught him to record multi-track Then the Portastudio Tascam Multitrack Recorder Jesus became the go-to guy for recording bands and fixing sounds 00:34:27 A2 at a local theater Then the A1 went on vacation, and Jesus became the A1 00:35:38 Then a jazz club Sound reinforcement at the most basic level Ultimately what you’re trying to serve is people’s ears. Use your eyes to serve that purpose. 00:37:38 Recording was rough at first, but you learn! Making recordings with a live performance in mind Let it Be…Naked 00:41:24 Ask the band: what do you guys want to sound like on the recording? “Take a picture of the band, then paint on top of it!” 00:32:36 For live sound: how do you find out what the band sounds like? Before arriving: listen to the band’s records (or the band they’re covering) 00:47:26 When doing sound, consider yourself a band member “Playing the console” – The mixer is an instrument I’m controlling the arrangement 00:48:50 Singing the praises of bands that can set levels on stage 00:49:20 A band whose levels are ALL over the place So bad the band was sent home after the first set. You have to be your hardest critic 00:53:25 Learn to mix yourself, then your engineer can go from problem-solver to producer! 00:55:26 “If the power goes out at the mixer, you’ll still sound good” Fixing it at the source The night the power-flickered and factory reset the mixer! PreSonus StudioLive 01:00:19 Keeping it as simple as possible Soft-patching, routing, matrixes, oh my! Learn how to route a digital mixer 01:06:39 The downsides of strictly analog But you learn how to ring out frequencies Fix low-end feedback by popping in/out the polarity button Rick Carmona (From “No Peace At All”), the engineer who mentored Jesus Every business is in the customer service Davis Thurston on Gig Gab The engineer has multiple customers: the band, the audience, and the staff at the venue 01:13:38 Bands vs. Reunion Gigs 01:18:25 Bringing an analog mixer…and no snake! 01:24:50 Soca Music 01:26:00 Time for some war stories 01:31:46 Subbing in Nashville as a bass player 01:08:21 On the road with Face Value, Phil Collins & Genesis Tribute Band 01:37:24 Jesus Hernandez Home Studio 01:38:23 Gig Gab 539 Outtro Follow Jesus Hernandez IG: @ jesusandthecomplaintdepartment Jesus is my Sound Guy Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Sub Gigs, Mic Mutes & the Art of Mixing Live with Jesus Hernandez – Gig Gab 539 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Three Rush fans — a father, a son, and Spartacus — walk into a podcast. There’s no punchline, just the tape rolling on a conversation that was going to happen anyway, and you get to be the fly on the wall. Two of them just flew home from LA, where they stood in the room and watched Rush kick off the tour nobody was sure would ever come. The third has been taking it all in from a distance, which is its own peculiar thing when you once mixed front of house for the band for years. You’ll get the origin stories — a kite-flying contest in early-seventies St. Louis, an R40 playlist that turned a kid into a lifer — plus enough on the drummer question (yes, Anika Nilles) and show-count stats to earn the Rush-nerd badge none of them will quite cop to. Then it gets real. This is a band that fans and insiders alike once quietly accepted was finished, now back out there proving otherwise, and that turns the talk toward something bigger than setlists. You get to do this. Whether it’s thousands of people or a Tuesday night for a dozen, that gratitude is the whole game — the reason to Always Be Performing no matter how rough the bus ride was. Stick around for a ten-year-old’s perfectly timed gut check that still lands two decades later. Press play, and join Lucas Hamilton, Robert Scovill, and Dave Hamilton for a tour through the opening of Rush’s comeback — from inside the room, and from afar. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 538 – Monday, June 15th , 2026 June 15th: British Beer Day Guest co-hosts: Lucas Hamilton and Robert Scovill 00:02:46 Rush Stats All three co-hosts have seen Rush live with 2 drummers Lucas and Anika are tied for Rush shows… as of this recording 00:04:39 Robert Scovill was living in St. Louis when he saw Rush with Rutsey KC Kite Flying Contest 00:07:31 Lucas’s Rush origin story 00:08:31 About that whole live concert sound thing Spoiler: Rush always sounded good 00:11:02 Favorite Rush heirlooms 00:13:55 I want a Red Barchetta for my midlife crisis Rush 2026 Tour started with 12 dates 00:16:02 That opening song, that opening night Rick Beato’s Breakdown of Xanadu 00:23:40 Anika Nilles’ dropped stick recovery Getting the first mistake out of the way moments into the first song of Rush’s 2026 Reunion tour 00:27:21 Time Stand Still for those emotional moments 00:33:11 Lights and video for 2112 – in the cave! 00:34:00 Singing 2112: Presentation at the tops of our lungs 00:38:50 Moving Pictures to open night 3 set 2 00:40:13 Loren Gold ’s keys and vocal harmonies And Geddy Lee’s voice, too! 00:44:29 The composition of YYZ Alex Lifeson is the most underrated guitarist in rock and roll 00:45:48 Anika Nilles is just a star 00:49:25 Anika grooving during A Passage to Bangkok 00:52:22 The physicality of playing Rush music The wisdom of days off in between shows for the entire Rush Fifty Something tour 00:57:41 You know what we get to do today? We get to go play music in front of thousands of people! This is the best job on earth 01:01:23 Who is Spartacus? 01:03:33 Gig Gab 538 Outtro Follow Lucas Hamilton On Instagram Follow Robert Scovill On Facebook On Instagram On LinkedIn RobertScovill.com (where you’ll find The Back Lounge) Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Three Rush Fans and Rush’s 2026 Comeback Tour: From the Room and From Afar – Gig Gab 538 appeared first on Gig Gab .

This week on Gig Gab, Dave Hamilton sits down with guest co-host Rand Lempert of the Broken Rings, a two-piece recording project built on 15 years of musical kinship between Rand and guitarist Gio da Silva. You’ll hear how these two have crafted an intentional, travel-fueled recording process across cities, cutting live instruments and vocals together, passing files between New Orleans, Tampa, and now Denver, and why that friction and urgency is exactly the point. Rand makes a compelling case for keeping things analog as long as possible: real amps, minimal pedals, old-school mic placements like a modified Glyn Johns setup, and the conviction that nothing replaces the feeling of having a human being in the room when the tape (or hard drive) is rolling. The conversation ranges wide, from Rand’s vivid 9/11 tour story, stranded in St. John’s Newfoundland on one of the last planes to land before U.S. airspace shut down, to a deep dive into the art of the perfect pop song, with nominations for Tempted by Squeeze, Big Star’s Thirteen, Bryan Adams’ Cuts Like a Knife, and Fastball’s Out of My Head. Whether you’re a working drummer obsessing over beat placement, a songwriter who only writes when the muse actually shows up, or a road veteran who knows that idle days on tour are far worse than grueling ones, this episode has your number. Get out there, stay curious, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 537 – Monday, June 8th , 2026 June 8th: Name Your Poison Day Guest co-host: Rand Lempert 00:01:38 The Broken Rings are a 2-man band Drums, guitar, vocals all handled by Rand Lempert and Gio da Silva, his bandmate They consider themselves musical kin: They agree on 95% of all music Met in Houston, played in bands, then moved to different corners of the USA 00:04:48 Songwriting duo starts with a long distance relationship Lutefish Stream 00:07:03 Recording remotely doesn’t have the muse of travel So many different avenues to approach recording Finding a way to record with technology in a less sterile way 00:15:08 Preserving analog recording to digital “tape” 00:17:07 The process of recording drums Don’t mess up the end of the track! 00:21:14 Country music 00:23:25 Drummer kinship: Tris Imboden saves the day! Learning by visual 00:31:41 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:33:37 Surviving the road 00:34:45 Road story: hanging out in St. John’s Newfoundland for 5 days Sonny James and the Centers in Europe in 2001 “There’s nothing wrong with this airplane, but this plane is being diverted because of terrorist attacks in the United States.” Canadian authorities: “What do we do with these people? Bring them to a hockey arena!” Memorial University of Newfoundland 00:44:35 Opening up for Bo Diddley in 2004 In Beaumont, Texas Touring is a lot of driving, and you’re doing the driving It’s a lot of lugging equipment, and you’re doing the lugging You get a hotel room…for the entire band! 00:48:55 When touring, days off are worse than the grueling days on 00:51:02 It’s important to travel Touring is the way to do that for a lot of us musicians 00:51:25 Making touring maps as a kid is a good sign Rand needed to do this as a career 00:52:50 First concerts, sound nerding, and getting lost in the music for the first time Rand got lost at four years old! Nerd out about sound and recording First concerts! Weather Report for Dave Air Supply for Rand 00:58:05 The Best pop songs Gravitating towards the hook! Cuts Like a Knife – Bryan Adams Tempted – Squeeze Thirteen – Big Star Out of My Head – Fastball One Headlight – Wallflowers No Matter What – Badfinger 01:12:22 Gig Gab 537 Outtro Follow Rand Lempert The Broken Rings Sick in the city – The Broken Rings Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Road Stories, Recording Secrets, and the Perfect Pop Song – Gig Gab 537 with Rand Lempert from The Broken Rings appeared first on Gig Gab .