Gig To Do List

So you’ve got a gig coming up?

If you’ve got a gig coming up, then there is some major practicing ahead. Although you may think that you have practiced enough, let me tell you, you haven’t. Why were The Beatles so good? Because they practiced, and practiced and practiced in the little clubs in Hamburg. They were sometimes told to play for most of the day, and were forced to get really really good at playing, and making stuff up. So you can never practice enough.

Things to be ready for:

Get all your songs in order in a set list, make a list of all the things you need, and get everyone psyched up for it! Also something you’ll want to do, is set up a practice schedule if you don’t already have one. Make sure everyone can come, and has told their parents. This way, you’ll know how many practice days you have left, and can make sure you’re ready to play the gig by the last practice day.

Steps to Take:

Make a setlist
Set practice days
Practice!

The most important thing isn’t your practice schedule, or your setlist though, it’s practicing as much as you can. But don’t just keep going through all the songs, listen to them carefully as you play (or I find it helpful to bring in someone else to listen) and fix all the little kinks in your songs, so that you don’t keep playing songs with the same problems over and over. That dear reader, is a waste of precious time.

In summary:

Make sure your bandmates are ready to play and practice
Practice, practice, practice
Making a list of what you need to do will help