Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Groove. What is it? What defines it? What makes it good? What’s obvious when it’s missing? How do you find it? That’s the core of today’s show folks, as your two favorite weekend warriors set about answering this question. Out of that conversation comes some road-tested tricks for ensuring you find the groove before you start the tune, and what to do when it doesn’t w...

As all working musicians know, those fun New Year’s Eve gigs re followed-up by a hangover of tax season. But, as with all hangovers, if you properly prepare for it you can limit the pain. For this, your two Weekend Warriors talk through their strategies of keeping the books straight and simple and also share some of their tax tips, too. Paul and Dave aren’t accountants, of course, but...

Some important topics addressed this week, including the special benefits of doing a tribute act as well as the concept of “four-walling” your own show and managing the whole night. That conversation is bookended by equally-important discussions about the substances on which both your crowd and your bandmates (and you) choose to use at your shows. How do you set those rules? What do yo...

You know where your amps and drums and mics go, but what about your mains? Any ideas? It’s worth not just making an assumption every time you walk into a new room, and Paul and Dave start that conversation for you. Merchandise can either be a huge benefit or a huge time-suck for your band, and it all depends on who you are. Listen to Paul and Dave and then share your thoughts with them, too!...

Roberto R. Hernandez joins Paul and Dave to talk about the genesis of his new book, The Unstarving Musician’s Guide to Getting Paid Gigs. The discussion starts with how Roberto set about to write the book, and then opens up into more of a GigGab-style chat about some of the topics covered within. Relationship management, venue interaction, negotiating, personality and, yes folks, subbing are...

Phish cites their new “No Analysis” rule as a foundational reason they’re still playing together. Paul and Dave take a look at this and discuss whether or not this might work in your band (or theirs!). But first, Dave’s just finished two weeks of Bitter Pill, and he debriefs the experience thus far with Paul, going into some uncharted waters and discussing how important it...

Jerry Harvey , founder of Ultimate Ears and JH Audio , joins your two favorite weekend warriors to talk in-ear monitors and more. Jerry has seen so much during his career that his advice likely outweighs his stories, and his stories are epic. Today he offers tips on not only mixing your in-ears, but mixing drums and how to run a successful sound-check, as well. Plus, if you were ever curious about...

Another crazy week for your two favorite working musicians means another episode chock full of stories and lessons learned. Dave just finished one theater show and loaded his drums in for another. The show he just finished had him and the rest of the “pit” band prominently on stage, so there were some interesting on-the-job lessons there. Paul played his first show in a new club in a n...

It’s one thing to put on a great show, it’s quite another to convince people to attend and put their butts in the seats or their feet on the dance floor! Today Paul and Dave talk through a few ways to market Paul’s upcoming gig on Saturday. This is a real world workshop between your two favorite working musicians. We hope you’ll learn something from this… we certainly...

What happens when you expect a dance crowd and get one that wants to listen intently? Every gig is different, and many times you don’t get to control the vibe of the room you walk into. The only thing you can do is control what  you deliver from the stage, and sometimes that means adjusting on-the-fly. Hear your two favorite weekend warriors talk through some of the recent scenarios they&#82...

Autumn is almost here for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, and the gigs change right along with the New England leaves. Even though Paul’s not in New England (or, well, not usually), he’s experiencing the end-of-summer effect with his west coast gigs, too. Listen to what your two favorite working musicians have to say about this different time of year, and also about booking new...

Despite the shorter-than-usual gap between episodes, both Paul and Dave found themselves in intimidating scenarios they had to deal with in the moment. Caring about what you do and how you do it is an important trait of being a musician, and sometimes that means external factors drive you to perform better… or worse! Listen to what your two favorite weekend warrior musicians went through thi...

Both musicians and bandleaders alike have to make split-second decisions and then live with them long-term, and today’s show is all about being a  little more thoughtful about the things that both come out of and go into our mouths. Paul and Dave share some recent lessons along these lines to prove that time and wisdom don’t necessarily stay in sync! The post Watch What Goes Into and O...

It finally happened: Dave and Paul played the gigs together that they’ve been discussing for the past few episodes. As always there are lessons that were learned, stories to tell, and sometimes both are about the same thing! Listen as these two weekend warriors share their shared weekend with all of you!   Chapters include: 00:00:00 GigGab 79 00:01:04 Big Ears 00:05:06 Beginning of the...

Paul and Dave are in the final stages of their shared gig prep, but take a detour today to talk about all the  other projects they each have going on and the value of embracing intensity. Then it’s time to look to the pros and learn some lessons about requests and stage presence. As if we thought honing our craft on our instruments was enough, that’s only the beginning! The post Embrac...

Dave’s coming out to sub for The Houserockers in a couple of weeks, so it’s time for him and Paul to chat through some of the details required to ensure a good gig. Equipment, dress code, charts and confidence are the topics discussed today, and it’s a good one! On top of that, listener Kevin has a question about how much input and influence a subbing drummer should exert. Dave a...

Paul curses Dave by revisiting the subject of People Behaving Badly , this time with the twist of discussing folks who feel the need to join your band (or any band!) on stage without invitation. Before getting into  that , though, your two favorite weekend warriors discuss the joys of playing outdoor summer festivals, and why you might want to do that with your band. Finally, have you ever gone to...

Today, Paul and Dave address the question a new bandleader asks about getting things started. As you might expect, your two favorite Weekend Warriors have a differing set of opinions on this, and that makes for a good podcast! First, though, it’s about how much energy it takes to play a “simple” acoustic gig. Keeping the crowd engaged is always an effort, and as a musician you&#8...

Paul and Dave come together today to ponder the subject of responsibility, and that leads to discussing which instrument bears the most responsibility for keeping the train on the tracks. A thoughtful, spirited discussion ensues, and your two favorite Weekend Warriors find they’re on common ground. Drummers, you might not be happy with Dave today! Before that, though, Paul talks through his...

Dave’s back from a tour of Abbey Road Studios and Paul’s in the final stages of pulling together his latest All-Star Band project, which means your two Weekend Warriors have a lot to talk about. Listen to hear all about all of this… and more! The post Abbey Road and All-Star Bands – GigGab 73 appeared first on Gig Gab .

As it often happens, today’s show starts and stems from the gigs your two favorite weekend warriors have played … and seen! Paul and Dave talk about some of the recent lessons they’ve learned performing and watching, and it all seems to center around finding your way out of your comfort zone. Dedication, determination, schtick, persistence, musicianship and focus are all parts of...

Robert Berry ‘s musical career has followed his passion, and that’s led to him playing and collaborating with some of the best musicians on the planet. A true journeyman, he’s got some fantastic stories to tell, and that’s what we all love here on GigGab. Listen to the interview to hear Robert talk about getting an out-of-the-blue call from Carl Palmer, having that first lu...

You filled up the mailbag, Paul and Dave dig in and answer your questions. Listen today to hear your two favorite weekend warriors answer your questions about money, in-ears, hanging banners, backing tracks and much, much more! The post Band Banners, Backing Tracks and In-Ears, all from the Mailbag! – GigGab 70 appeared first on Gig Gab .

Today Paul and Dave answer listener Patrick, who asks, “is it too late to make a living playing music?” As Weekend Warriors, this is an interesting concept to consider, and likely one that everyone has thought of at least once. Listen to what Paul and Dave have to say… then send in your own feedback about this. To start the show, it’s gig talk. Dave discusses how Paul jinxe...

Jan Hammer joins Paul and Dave today to share his own stories from throughout his life and career. From his start in Prague, the stories flow, including tales about Jan’s experiences with Jeff Beck, Keith Emerson, Jaco Pastorius, Neal Schon, Mahavishnu Orchestra and even Jimi Hendrix. There’s so much packed into these 43 minutes you’ll probably want to listen twice. Enjoy! The po...