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First solo bar gig


the_big_e

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So I did my first solo bar gig last night for 'real' pay. It's actually a local micro brewery and I was just playing early evening, 6-9 pm which suits me just fine. I'm not a night owl anymore.

I've been busking at local farmer's markets for a couple of years now which I quite enjoy, even in winter (I think I get more tips then just out of sympathy for freezing my butt off!) but I enjoy playing to a mostly passing audience, you can reeeeeaalllly stretch the solos out if you want in that situation!

Playing inside in a bar is, as a first timer, was a bit strange. This place was pretty small so in such a small venue t's sort of like busking at a farmer's market as I had to keep the volume down so I was little more than background music but instead of the audience walking past, they just sat there. Weird is all I can say. Well, it felt weird to me!

As a busker I just play since there's ot a lot of point in talking to an audience that will be gone in two minutes so playing in a bar and having to try to engage an audience that is not really listening is a bit of an uphill struggle, at least it is for me, I'm not the chattiest of people even on a good day! Still I did manage 'some' engagement and the one request of the night I knew (Free bird of course, someone always asks for that) and it got a good response from the audience so I think it's safe to say I rocked it, or that one at least.

I am sure that if I kept at it and did a few more it would get easier, even busking was hard for me the first time, I am just not sure if I really want to keep doing the bar thing. Part of me does but like I say, I'm not a night own anymore.

Still all in all, I had a good time, it's all experience and if I never do it again, I've done it once and that's something I never thought I'd do!

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congrats...the first one is the trickiest, and now that you've lost your virginity, you can become a slut like the rest of us ;)

I get what you mean about the difference in audiences; that 'passing by' thing is what makes me not want to busk. I find the energy level goes up when the audience feels like you are there for them, and you interact. I'm fairly glib, so it came easily to me; in fact most of my solo work is background for private parties, where I am not supposed to 'engage the guests', but it seems I wind up doing it anyway.

6-9 is a very good time slot, although it covers the dinner hour, so you do need to be somewhat subdued until about halfway through the gig.

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Well this was a brewery and the weather was is pretty bad around here right ow so I think that had a lot to do with the smaller crowd. Had it been nicer I would have been outside and been able to crank it up a bit. The blues band I play with from time to time have NO volume control but boy, do we have fun!

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Glad your gig went well.

 

Fingers crossed, I've never had a request for Freebird. In fact I just had to look it up on YouTube, - ya learn something every day.. I've played Skynyrd tunes before, but I believe when that tune came out, I was playing in a horn band doing mostly Cold Blood and Tower of Power. Guess if flew under my radar.

 

Re: busking, I've never done it, but I told the story previously about doing a paid strolling gig, so essentially I was busking but getting paid. I found it very strange, but am comfortable in pubs, clubs and such. I guess it's what you are used to. OT I did play a Farmer's Market this summer, but it was in a band with a stage and decent PA. Oddest thing about that gig was there was nothing to eat! With all that food the only thing that was cooked was corn on the cob. As I said OT.

 

Re: early gigs. I'm finding that there are a lot of them out there. I've been doing two Hotels that run from 5 to 7pm. One place that runs either 6 to 10 pm or 7 to 11pm, another that runs 8 to 11pm and another that runs 6 to 9pm, which is the sweet spot for me.

 

When I have to do a gig that runs to midnight or even later, I get cranky.

 

Anyway, keep checking out those micro breweries, wine houses and so on. I'm looking into a few in my area as well.

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Cool report! I know what you mean about engaging the audience. I don't do any banter anymore, unless it's specifically required (wedding announcements, BUY BEER! selling, etc).

 

I just smile at people and do the music, trying to avoid any gaps between songs. Sometimes I'll throw in "Here's an original tune" or something like that, but more than that and you're likely to interrupt a bunch of conversations and nobody will hear you anyway.

 

Only exception

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Singing songs invokes requests. Playing them as instrumentals invokes listening. Popular songs rendered as instrumentals, if you can pull them off creatively, develop a discerning audience that does more than pass by yet keeps them silent. It's the vocal component that, once your voice and inflection (emotion) are compromised, dissipates that unseen barrier between a professional instrumentalist and a silent, respecting audience. You become much more familiar and approachable when you sing, which I do not do anymore, making you a target for requests.

 

The wine bar gig is perfect for instrumental work. Not really Musak, because the instrumentals are your own renderings with inter-song riffs and voicings substituted for idle prattle, it keeps the air charged appropriately. Vocalised prattle 'tween songs is annoying to me as a member of an audience. I don't think I'm alone. I prefer the player remain silent with the occasional show of gracious gratitude interspersed in the mix; unless his act includes stand-up, like Colin Hay (who often times just-won't-shut-up) where you get a pardon.

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Way back when, banter was an important part of the front person's job. These were the days of the six night a week hotel gigs, and kind of grew out of the "how's the wife and kids" patter of the sixties. By the eighties or so, blabbing between every song was pretty much over. I do recall guys in the seventies who were really good at it though. Worked with one guy named Scottie, who could say the same thing about ten different ways and never get boring. We always had time to have a sip or even light a smoke during the set - and people loved him.

 

These days, I don't talk much in my solo act except to say thanks, maybe point out a birthday or whatever. If I'm in a band, and the crowd wants some interaction, sure I'll talk a bit, ask for requests or whatever, but my solo gigs, be they instrumental or vocal are all quasi background. When it's time to party I can do the "somebody scream" nonsense but otherwise it's all music. I guess the exception would be when I'm doing something like a tribute to George Benson, or my Gospel show. Then I give some background regarding the material.

 

Now Colin Hay.... there's a man who can talk! I saw him years ago as a solo. I guess I was in the right frame of mind, and thoroughly enjoyed his verbosity. Enjoyed his music as well.

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