Get Gigging
Pete Farrugia reckons it time to dust off the guitar flight case and get back on the stage.
You’ve
been studying the noble art of guitar-playing since early adolescence, when
you used to lovingly read each page of every mail order music catalogue
until you’d fall asleep at night with names like Fender, Gibson and
Martin on your lips. Once, years before, you aspired to pop stardom, but
now you’ve become resigned to the fact that it’s not what you
know, but who you know, and that it’s too late for Top of the Pops,
and that you’ll never get to fulfil your fantasy of rubbing shoulders
with Pan’s People. And anyhow, they’ve retired. So you’ve
gone on to teaching; passing on your years of learning and lightning fast
licks to grateful students. In fact your teaching career’s become
so successful that you’re fully booked up nearly every evening and
weekend. But, I bet, something inside you still yearns for the roar of the
greasepaint, the smell of the crowd, the cheers, the fears. Why not clear
the odd evening and get gigging on the local pub and club circuit?
On Stage
The gigging scene today is encouragingly buoyant – live music is going through something of a renaissance throughout most parts of the UK . The money’s still awful (it hasn’t changed much since the ’70s), so you certainly won’t get rich, but you will be satisfying those creative urges. With a bit of hard work, and persistence, at least you’ll get to play regularly. Playing live again will undoubtedly rekindle your enthusiasm for music; this in turn will help you maintain your eagerness for passing on your skills to budding guitarists.
I really believe that keeping your hand in with gigging can inspire and motivate your teaching approach. Also, you never know, you might even pick up a few new students from the multitude of impressed audience members – your performance on stage can serve as a live advert for your guitar skills. It’s also nice for existing students to be able to come along and hear how well you can really play outside the confines of your teaching room.
Gig Advice
A few words of advice about looking for gigs. Never, ever, leave your demo tape in the hands of anyone other than the manager or licensee. No matter how much the head barman, or relief manager or cook’s cousin promise they’ll pass it on, the real decision-maker will always deny all knowledge of ever receiving it. In any case you should always carry out follow up visits. Don’t just leave your tape and contact details – unless your band’s name is Oasis they’ll never call you, no matter how much they say they will.
Once
you’ve got a gig make sure that you always turn up at the venue early.
Double-bookings are surprisingly common, so whichever band turns up first
usually wins the gig (that scene from the Blues Brothers was based on reality).
Keep your diary with you and if the gig goes well ask for more bookings
straight away – if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Make sure you work with dedicated professionals with reasonable organisational
skills. Avoid musical partners that regularly forget essential items like
drum sticks, PA amps or the bass player.
Finally, perform each song as though it’s the first time and play each gig as though it’s your last. Enjoy yourself gigging and you’ll soon pass this enthusiasm for playing onto your students.
