Gig Gab - The Working Musicians' Podcast

For many bands, vocals are the most noticeable element of your music. Has your band spent time learning how to sing together? How do you structure your vocal rehearsals…if you have them at all? Listen as Paul and Dave answer listener Rob’s question, talking through how they’ve approached this in […] The post Learning How To Sing As a Band – Gig Gab 351 appeared first on Gig Gab.

With some of the best wisdom ever shared in seven years of Gig Gabbing, this week Paul and Dave help you take your band to the next level. Sure, Dave has some great technical advice, but it’s Paul’s brand of big-picture thinking that takes this episode to the upper echelon. […] The post If You Can Drink a Beer On Stage, You Can Mix Your Ears — Gig Gab 350 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Listen as Paul and Dave discover why “the hang” might be the most important aspect of being in a band, especially on tour. Also… have you ever played a morning gig? Do you do a pre-show band huddle? These are the questions your two favorite weekend warriors ask of themselves, […] The post Finding Your Number One Fan — Gig Gab 349 appeared first on Gig Gab.

It’s not rare for us musicians to find ourselves needing to juggle our musical lives with our personal lives, and then even within the musical realm we’re juggling priorities of gigging vs. rehearsing vs. doing-the-business-stuff, too. Listen as Paul and Dave approach this concept from a few different angles, and […] The post Managing Your Musical Priorities — Gig Gab 348 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How confident are you in your band’s ability to get setup on stage? What are the common pitfalls you encounter? Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through the approaches they use with their bands, with a special focus on sound and, yes, in-ear monitors. Paul and Dave are […] The post Perfecting Your Setup Routine — Gig Gab 347 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Your submissions to the mailbag help drive the bus today, with conversations about choosing good venues for your audience and selecting the right headset mics happening. Dave got to see The Coffis Brothers…and his audiologist. Both come with stories, some more pleasant than others, but a good PSA emerges, nonetheless! […] The post Of Harmonicas and Headset Mics — Gig Gab 346 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How do you approach mixing your band from the stage when there is no FOH sound engineer? It’s Q&A time with Paul and Dave. Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors share their thoughts on putting together the right stage setup to get a good mix for your audiences…every time. […] The post Mixing From The Stage — Gig Gab 345 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How often does your band rehearse? Would you consider yourselves a “rehearsing” band, or a “rehearsal-less” band? Either way, what are the costs of that on your band’s show? Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their experiences with both sides of this…and then listen as Gear Gab accidentally creeps […] The post The Rehearsal-Less Band — Gig Gab 344 appeared first on Gig Gab.

As the world of live music sees more and more of a resurgence, what are the important things to consider? Listen as Paul and Dave chat through things like managing your health, negotiating your way with sound engineers, navigating the contract process, and preserving your worth as an Entertainer. Press […] The post Navigating The Resurgence – Gig Gab 343 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Keeping everyone on the same page in your band can be a trick, and Paul shares the method he used for his band this year, managing and then meeting those expectations so everyone could plan their lives. That’s not the only thing he and Dave discussed this week, though! Setlists […] The post Managing Your Musical Calendar — Gig Gab 342 appeared first on Gig Gab.

With a week off and SXSW happening in between, Paul and Dave have lots to talk about today, including the sad news of the passing of Taylor Hawkins. Dave saw some more great bands and music-related movies at SXSW, and he shares a few of his highlights, including how your […] The post Watch Him As He Goes… — Gig Gab 341 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Paul’s got an idea about audience fatigue, Dave’s attending SXSW (remotely today, then in-person tomorrow), and there are some new music documentaries coming out. This is the hodge-podge upon which this week’s Gig Gab is built. Of course, your two favorite weekend warriors played some gigs from which they must […] The post SXSW 2022, Movies, & Knowing Your Audience — Gig Gab 340 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Sure, we rehearse, we practice (there’s a difference!), we craft setlists, and we gig…but what do you do to take care of your band as a unit? Paul asks Dave this pointed question and launches your two favorite weekend warriors into a discussion which digs deep into what it takes […] The post The Care and Feeding of Your Band — Gig Gab 339 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Y’all filled up the mailbag, so Paul and Dave dig in and share your thoughts, questions, reactions, and more! Topics include mics to record gigs, covering rap songs, and managing your reputation. Join in the conversation with your two favorite weekend warriors and let’s have some fun together. And remember: […] The post Mailbag Time! — Gig Gab 338 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Join Paul and Dave as they share Valentine’s Day together, Gig Gab-style! They talk about some gear they’re loving (and some they aren’t), some music they’re loving (there’s nothing they aren’t), and the bands they love, too… and your two favorite weekend warriors also dive into the value of opening […] The post Open Your Heart to Music — Gig Gab 337 appeared first on Gig Gab.

It seems almost everyone is involved in multiple musical projects these days, and there’s a lot of good which can result from that. It can also create some headaches, both logistical and emotional. Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their experiences with all of this, including sharing a service […] The post Managing Multiple Projects — Gig Gab 336 appeared first on Gig Gab.

It’s another jam session, folks, this one with themes of collaboration, limberness, and insurance. Some Gear Gab enters the fold, too, along with a cool new service for collaborating with other folks recording in their homes! Listen as Paul and Dave, your two favorite weekend warriors, talk you through all […] The post Always Be Insuring…and Collaborating — Gig Gab 335 appeared first on Gig Gab.

As musicians — as humans — we’re constantly choosing our balance point between perfection and production. Paul and Dave dig into that today with regards to being “gig ready” with songs and your show. Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors share their tips and tricks for getting over the “good enough” […] The post Getting Past “Good Enough” — Gig Gab 334 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Is your band special? A better question: do you know what it is that makes your band special? Does everyone in your band know? These are important questions to answer, and your two favorite weekend warriors discuss in this week’s episode. Listen as Paul and Dave talk through each of […] The post Viva La Sum Of Your Band’s Parts — Gig Gab 333 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Haha, yeah, we know “sales process” isn’t a sexy term, but the gigs that result from it sure are! And if you don’t have a sales process, well, perhaps your two favorite weekend warriors can help you begin to create one. Listen as Paul and Dave share some things they’ve […] The post Embracing and Tweaking Your Sales Process — Gig Gab 332 appeared first on Gig Gab.