PRO GIGS 

After a lengthy stint in lessons, extensive performance history, and a sustained period of consistency and excellence, our advanced students will enter the roster of young paid professional artists. 

Most of the students who have logged several years at our school should already know all of this, but to clarify for any newer students who join our ranks without the years of experience in our showcases:

These type of gigs are NOT a student showcase event. When you’re being paid to play, professionalism is not encouraged; it’s demanded. 

When you are booked for a pro gig, this is the only thing you have going on that day. Cancel or decline any and all other invitations to do anything else. 

Remember that you are not only a representative for yourself and your band, but also of me. Hiiiiiiiiiii. :) Music venues and promoters are understandably weary of booking literal teenagers for paid professional gigs because…. Well, respectfully, y’all are stereotypically volatile, unpredictable and unreliable, and that’s prettymuch the exact opposite of what anyone in this chaotic industry needs. Society might expect you to act your age, but for me that’s completely unacceptable. If I book you for a pro gig, you are effectively a representative of my ability to discern who is and who isn’t prepared to take on a professional role. I am trusting y’all to be judicious with this responsibility. 

It also needs to be understood that not only do any mishaps and trainwrecks risk further booking for your band, it puts every other artist that I book for at risk as well. This is a delicate ecosystem, and anyone who jeopardizes it probably won’t be invited back. 

So while this isn’t a comprehensive and complete list, here’s some basic things to keep in mind for a pro gig:

BEFORE THE GIG 

Decide on a set list. Rehearse and polish every single song in the set. There really shouldn’t be any “iffy” songs on a pro gig. Everything needs to be tight and clean. Do whatever it takes to get this done. This is huge. 

Be sure to be responsive to promoter requests like sending promo assets, links to socials, stage plots, etc. - plan to make a flyer or some sort of promotional asset to use to blast the show a few times on your socials. Promo is a group effort, and venues love to see bands putting in an effort to let their peeps know to come through.

Make sure your gear is in adequate working order, and that you have backups if possible. Change the strings and allow them time to acclimate; have a second guitar if you pop a string. Vocalists, hydrate and rest and don’t have a screaming sleepover till 4am the night before a gig. Drummers, make sure your drums are tuned; have fresh sticks and backups. Capos, Tuners, cables, pedals, amps, power supplies, CHARTS…. Make sure it’s all packed up and ready to go. 

DAY OF SHOW (DOS)

Always plan on arriving at the venue AT LEAST 90 minutes prior to the start of the show. Be sure to account for traffic (especially evening rush hour, especially-especially on Fridays), weather, construction, or any other variables that are never really a great excuse to be late. 

Load in your equipment. Headliner and/or anyone providing backline begins setting up and soundchecking immediately. Once you have your gear all hooked up and tones dialed in, wait for the rest of the band to finish getting set up. If there is a live sound engineer, follow proper protocols for sound check. This means when he’s checking the kick drum, do NOT be noodling around on your guitar. When drums are done and he’s checking bass and guitar, do not be crashing cymbals. Vocalists, make sure your vox are blasting hot in the monitors in anticipation of the volume increase from the band blasting. If FOH asks for a full-band run-through, have a song picked that’s not your first song. When sound check is finished, strike any gear that’s in the way of the opener and let them repeat this process. 

Remember that how you do anything is a metaphor for how you do everything. From the minute you step into the venue, you’re on stage. How you load in, how you sound check, how you carry yourself on and off stage, how you set up and break down, how you wrap cables, how you talk to the crowd, how you talk to each other…. All of it is part of the performance. Many venues are booked by promoters who are my friends, but who work under bosses who do not care about you at all. A lot of them are looking for any and every reason to not make stupid decisions like booking kids to do grown-up jobs. If you get booked for one of my gigs, understand that it’s because I believe in your ability to act like a professional. 

Please and thanks. <3