How to make the best out of your acoustic solo gig?

[geek_usa]

I'm going to start playing solo again, just me and an acoustic. I'll probably play some bars, pubs, and coffee shops. But I really want to make an impact with lighting, mood, and etc. Do I bring candles, incense, etc? How can I really make a good show with just me and a guitar?

 

Thanks!

[Stackabones]

It's a given that you've already got a killer set, killer chops, and a killer voice, right?

 

Candles and incense seem to project a certain kind of hippie/new age/goth image to me. Is that what you're going for?

 

Lighting would be cool, but that's a lot of work, isn't it? Especially if it's just you running the show.

 

I've heard about some folks just bringing a black backdrop of some sort (like a screen for a projector or curtains/cloth) to frame the performer.

 

How about personal appearance at the gig? I see plenty of shots of guitarists around HC with great looking guitar gear but not-so-great looking stage apparel. Perhaps gig wear could be a factor in deciding how you'd like to present yourself?

[daklander]

 

Originally posted by geek_usa How can I really make a good show with just me and a guitar? Thanks!

 

 

First and foremost, don't suck.

Secondly, know your stuff.

Thirdly, interact when needed.

 

Oh, it won't hurt to have a PA system that sounds good.

[Cripes]

Know your audience. That's to say you should visit the places you intend to play at and get a basic understanding of the patrons and general mood at each place. Then you can tailor your sets. Then know the room at each place and how it is already equipped. That'll lessen some baggage. Lord knows those bubble machines and dry ice smoke pots are heavy.

 

Last but most importantly, ask the owner if he has already paid his royalty fees in to ASCAP, et al, if you plan on covering some songs.

[guitarist21]

Originally posted by Cripes Last but most importantly, ask the owner if he has already paid his royalty fees in to ASCAP, et al, if you plan on covering some songs.

 

!!!

 

I think the most important thing is communicate to the audience. I never like it when I go to a show and the guy just plays the songs and that's it. I like a little interaction, a little humor if appropriate.

 

Candles/incense? I feel like that's a little bit of a fire hazard. Plus people might be allergic to the incense (my brother is to stuff like that), or, if its not already a smoky venue, sensitive to the smoke from the candle. So I would avoid anything requiring fire to function.

 

Ellen

[Cripes]

Originally posted by guitarist21 !!! I think the most important thing is communicate to the audience. I never like it when I go to a show and the guy just plays the songs and that's it. I like a little interaction, a little humor if appropriate. Ellen

 

This always goes a long way with the audience if you can. I found that not taking myself so seriously was a good thing.

 

By the way, Ellen's Evil-Eye emoticon is not without empathy but my point about ASCAP is valid nonetheless. It is a serious business they're in and they do make that much known in their litigious way. Know thyne enemy. Playing your own (originals) makes it all okay but the audience does connect better if you give them something they know - covers.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Originally posted by Stackabones It's a given that you've already got a killer set, killer chops, and a killer voice, right? Candles and incense seem to project a certain kind of hippie/new age/goth image to me. Is that what you're going for? Lighting would be cool, but that's a lot of work, isn't it? Especially if it's just you running the show. I've heard about some folks just bringing a black backdrop of some sort (like a screen for a projector or curtains/cloth) to frame the performer. How about personal appearance at the gig? I see plenty of shots of guitarists around HC with great looking guitar gear but not-so-great looking stage apparel. Perhaps gig wear could be a factor in deciding how you'd like to present yourself?

 

Appropo dressing is key! I see too many performers dressing like they just got through mowing the lawn!

 

"Slob" is NOT the new "chic"! Dress up a bit and look like a professional musician...establish a "look" and use it to your advantage in terms of recognition/identity...in my case, a dress shirt, vest, nice jeans, my politically-incorrect Cuban Crocodile-skin boots (circa 1950), and a fedora.

Originally posted by guitarist21 !!! I think the most important thing is communicate to the audience. I never like it when I go to a show and the guy just plays the songs and that's it. I like a little interaction, a little humor if appropriate. Absolutely...part of my "schtick" is the stories in between songs while I'm changing instruments or whatever (and sometimes they're in the middle of songs, too...for instance, in the middle of " The Mermaid Song " I'll ask someone who's getting into the performance if they know what a mermaid does on their "day off" ('cause obviously it's not luring sailors to their watery doom!)...this leads to about 5 minutes of explaining about seeking out information on the internet, the weird outlook on life from vegetarians and finally that on their days off, mermaids go disco-dancing, which then segues into " The Sailor's Hornpipe " as being the sort of tune that mermaids disco-dance to...then it's back to the last verse of " The Mermaid Song "... The trick is to CAREFULLY watch what schtick works and remember those parts for future reference. Candles/incense? I feel like that's a little bit of a fire hazard. Plus people might be allergic to the incense (my brother is to stuff like that), or, if its not already a smoky venue, sensitive to the smoke from the candle. So I would avoid anything requiring fire to function. Likely a good choice for inside gigs, although citronella candles have made outside gigs MUCH more bearable!

[Michael Martin]

I haven't done this yet (solo gig) but, being an avid fan of solo gigs and aiming towards doing this myself soon, I have noticed a few things:

 

Sometimes the sound is all wrong, and the performer can't tell. In a coffee house recently, the performer had a distracting amount of echo in his vocals for the first couple of songs. When he asked how the sound was, I told him, and he was very grateful. So be sure somebody is monitoring this, or be sure to check with audience.

 

Indeed, interaction is nice--even just visual acknowledgement. As an audience member, I appreciate a performer who looks out at people in the venue, rather than just sing with closed eyes. But...

 

...careful with the repartee. Less is more, sometimes. It's great when it works, but don't do it if it's forced. Probably that depends so much on the individual scenario--but on a few occasions I have had the thought: OK...now shut up and sing!

 

Don't assume everybody in the venue shares your political philosophy, world view, etc. Why alienate people?

 

Vary the mood/tempo. Mix it up. Seems like this is more often a problem with people doing originals, and maybe it's because the songs are unfamiliar--but you don't want a succession of songs that sound too much alike, have same tempo, etc.

 

Good luck! Tell us how it goes.

[Chicken Monkey]

I think the "special effects" stuff (candles, et al) are the sort of thing you have to earn the right to use. If you're a nobody, as we all are at first, my first thought at an elaborate stage setup would be, "Who does this guy think he is?" Really, any time you're spending on glitter could be spent on working out great tunes, perfecting arrangements, etc. If you've got elaborate staging and average material, it's unforgiveable.

 

Here's an idea for the cheap thrills dept., though. People go nuts for the slightest non-traditional instrument. If you can do a little banjo on a song or two, bust out some slide, or play the slide whistle, it will get you 1000 times the kudos you'll get for unearthing that bitching Big Star B side.

[daklander]

 

Originally posted by Michael Martin I haven't done this yet (solo gig) but, being an avid fan of solo gigs and aiming towards doing this myself soon, I have noticed a few things: Sometimes the sound is all wrong, and the performer can't tell. In a coffee house recently, the performer had a distracting amount of echo in his vocals for the first couple of songs. When he asked how the sound was, I told him, and he was very grateful. So be sure somebody is monitoring this, or be sure to check with audience. Good point. Thing is, a solo performer, particularly in a coffee shop or other small venue should be able to hear what is going out, if not he/she should be running a monitor with the EXACT same feed that's going to FOH. Indeed, interaction is nice--even just visual acknowledgement. As an audience member, I appreciate a performer who looks out at people in the venue, rather than just sing with closed eyes. But... ...careful with the repartee. Less is more, sometimes. It's great when it works, but don't do it if it's forced. Probably that depends so much on the individual scenario--but on a few occasions I have had the thought: OK...now shut up and sing! Yeah, you have to take each night as it happens, even in the same venue. Sometimes it's best to just shut up and sing, other times it's going to work very well prefacing songs and interacting with the crowd. Don't assume everybody in the venue shares your political philosophy, world view, etc. Why alienate people? Yeah, this ain't the '60s and you ain't Bob Dylan or Joan Biaz. Vary the mood/tempo. Mix it up. Seems like this is more often a problem with people doing originals, and maybe it's because the songs are unfamiliar--but you don't want a succession of songs that sound too much alike, have same tempo, etc. Good luck! Tell us how it goes.

 

 

Some good insight.

[sdelsolray]

Bring a lava lamp and tell jokes about it. Good jokes.

[Muddslide]

 

Originally posted by Chicken Monkey Here's an idea for the cheap thrills dept., though. People go nuts for the slightest non-traditional instrument. If you can do a little banjo on a song or two, bust out some slide, or play the slide whistle, it will get you 1000 times the kudos you'll get for unearthing that bitching Big Star B side.

 

 

Truth. Believe it or not, people go ape over my ukuleles.

[DeepEnd]

Originally posted by Cripes . . . Last but most importantly, ask the owner if he has already paid his royalty fees in to ASCAP, et al, if you plan on covering some songs.

Of course, this can be avoided if you play all original material. Several years ago, Missouri singer/songwriter Mick Byrd was playing at the local Borders and a guy in the audience requested "For All the Girls I've Loved Before." Mick simply replied, "I'd love to if I'd written it," and played another original song.

[Queequeg]

I hate incense.

 

give them ice cream.

 

everybody lovers ice cream.

[Michael Martin]

 

Originally posted by Cripes ...my point about ASCAP is valid nonetheless. It is a serious business they're in and they do make that much known in their litigious way. Know thyne enemy. Playing your own (originals) makes it all okay but the audience does connect better if you give them something they know - covers.

 

But--isn't the ASCAP business a concern and responsibility of the venue, and not the performer? Unless I've missed something in all the recent brouhaha, ASCAP charges fees to music venues, but does not go after cover-playing performers who play in them. Presumably, the venue will tell you whether or not you can play ASCAP-licensed covers in their joint...

 

Of course, I might be wrong...I ain't no lawyer.

 

But what do I care! I'm just about at the point that I have enough originals down cold enough to do a couple of hours...

[Steverino]

 

Originally posted by geek_usa But I really want to make an impact with lighting, mood, and etc. Do I bring candles, incense, etc? How can I really make a good show with just me and a guitar? Thanks!

 

 

I've done a several acoustic sets in the past year. My wife, who is singing with me, has never done this before, so adding little things had a effect on her mood too.

 

I got one of those cheap persian rugs, a candle or two, and don't laugh, but I used one of those little reading lamps with 2 or 3 lamps on a pole, with a red, green and blue bulb next to the mixer. Anythng I could do to put some kind of soothing light and feel up there. I'm even thinking of rigging some simple lighting on top of the mains that I can run with my feet.

[flip333]

I'm thinking of getting one of those djembe drums. I saw a performer singing and playing guitar who had someone beat this drum. It really sounded good.

 

Of course, this requires a second person unless you have really dynamic feet....