Think about it...
I'm on my way to California for fame and fame. I'm also hoping to get super famous. Wish me luck.
ON this eve of travel, I thought I would share my thoughts on gigs. Going to people's - and having people go to... them.
FIRST off, I'd like to say that getting people to gigs is really the bane of a musician's life. We seem to live and die by the numbers. Of the course the music is important, but that's likely to happen regardless. We play music out in public so that we can share our music with others. Sure, you're sharing it with the musicians you're playing with, but for that you could check out a room somewhere and have at it - no need for a press kit or posters. So people are an important ingredent in this gig stew - and it's generally hard to get people to do things. At the begining of a musician's career, one can really only expect to see friends in the audience (save maybe a few randoms - and they're almost always drunk). Now friends are very nice, it was very nice of them to show, but friends typically always want something in return. A spot on the list, a free drink, a student discount or, wait for it, recipercation. Yeah, they want you to go to their next gig - and all the ones after that. See, if a friend shows up at your gig (especially if you didn't have to beg them to come, they just came because that's how awesome they are) they basically own you. You are now expected to show up to their next 15 gigs, at least - and you're supposed to love it. If you can't make it or you don't care to go, you're now the jerk who doesn't go out to other people's gigs. I know it, I've been on both sides - and it feels weird both ways.
SEE, I think two things need to happen. First, more people need to start going to more gigs. Secondly, people need to have less crappy gigs. Crappy gigs are all over the place. Here's the headline for Joe Shmoe's next gig: "Joe Shmoe plays at crappy expensive bar with all the kids at school that stink so hard they didn't have a previous engagement tonight!" Wow, I'm super excited for that one. Good thing he came to my last gig and now I get to have to go to his. Just super.
DON'T waste time getting crappy gigs where no one gets paid, no one shows up, and you feel like a turd afterward. We've all been there. Playing gigs is important - but crappy gigs are like playing two negative gigs, in my opinion. Just book a room, play a session and record it. Listen back like you're listening to a live at the Village Vanguard and actually get something out of it. I've listened back to so many of my crappy gigs - if I can actually hear the music it's a plus - more than not, the just of the recording is two wieners who sat too close to the microphone and spent the whole time talking about which Justin Timberlake video they prefer. Personally, I like them all.
SO, to summarize - gigs are tricky business. In general, we fail as both musicians and audience members. It's hard to put yourself in the other's shoes (even though we do a fair share of both), but it's absolutely essential. Every time you have a gig think to yourself, "would I leave my apartment and ride the train for a half-hour both ways to pay $15 to hear me?" If you answer yes, you either have a annoyingly bloated ego, or you've resisted the urge to settle for every crappy gig that falls into your lap. If you answer no, get over it, no one's coming to your gig - and if they do, they own you.
Alright, like I said, off to be famous now. Leave me alone - my publicist will call you back when she gets a minute.
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