Come To Our Show, It’ll Be Great!

“Hey come out to our show next week, it’ll be a really great time.” 

Ha, ok.

That doesn’t work. (Unless I was already planning on coming)

Because everyone says that…and it’s barely ever true.

We’ve all gone to so many shows guaranteeing us a great time, but then it’s not a great time and there’s nowhere to cash in the guarantee. 

If we could cash in the guarantee there might still be value to the words “it’ll be a great time”.  Instead, the value of the words get watered down.

And watered down and watered down more, and less believable and then unbelievable. 

So when they hear it from you, and you’re telling the truth, it doesn’t matter. They’re hearing it through their own experience and the unfulfilled expectations built via countless Twitter or FB posts over the years.

You’re not lying, but you do need a better story.

p.s. Pertaining to the opening line…your true fans will see the words “show next week” and be there no matter what, that’s all they need to know.  All the other words in the opening line are trying to grab the fence riders…that’s who you need a new story for.



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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Job Listings In The Music Business

There are no job listings. 

Everything is referral. 

Everyone is self employed.

Job security is defined by your own ability to fulfill needs consistently. 

Ownership is everything.

If all you do is get paid for the gig, you’ll always be looking for the next gig.

It’s an honor to be the one signing the checks, even if you have to write a lot of them.

It’s ok to make a lot of money.

Desperation makes you the stinky kid.

Please and thank you go a long way.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

To Have An Artist Career

It’s more likely you’ll have a successful artist career if you are playing music people want to hear.

If you’re making music that you love, but no one wants to hear it, you have a hobby, not a career…even if you’re spending the majority of your time making this music, hobby.

It’s also more likely you’ll have a successful artist career if you are someone who others hope gets on stage.

If no one is looking forward to you getting on stage, taking the spotlight…hobby. Even if you get on stage a hundred times and play a hundred shows…if no one really wants you up there…hobby.

So then, the opposite bears mentioning…

If you play music that people want to hear, and people hope you get on stage…career artist.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

When You Walk On Stage

When you walk on stage at the start of the show people are paying a lot of attention to the visual, the reality that YOU are on stage.  They’re taking in your vibe, the way you look, what the gear looks like, maybe even the sound of the lead singers voice.

They’re not thinking “How do I like this first song?”…they’re thinking “This band just walked on stage, what do I think about them”.

The audience is subconsciously distracted from the actual music and melody by the intense visual and energy (hopefully) that you are unveiling to them.

I’m not saying you can burn a song at the top of the set.

I’m not saying you can play a dud song first and it won’t matter.  But it IS the exact reason why U2 comes out and plays a brand new song FIRST that most of the audience has never heard, but then follows it up, second, with the slammin hit that everyone knows.

During the first song, it doesn’t matter what they play, everyone is just thinking “holy crap, its U2!!!”.

I know, you’re not U2…yet.

Still, you walking out on stage is a powerful thing.

Remember that. Use that.

In that moment, YOU are everyone’s focus, not necessarily the music.

p.s. Make no mistake, every song must be great at serving its place in the set.


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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Buzzzzz

If you have buzz it means a group of people believe there’s something about you to be understood.  

If there’s something to be understood, people have expectations. 

The expectations sounds like this…”I’m a smart, well adjusted person who knows a good band when I see and hear one.  If there’s a buzz about this band, if there’s something to understand, surely I will be able to understand.  If I don’t see and understand, everyone else is crazy.  This band better do something that positively affirms what I believe about myself when it comes to surveying new music.”

All bands want buzz.  Buzz is simply an opportunity to come through…an opportunity to tell all these potential fans, “you were right”. 

In what ways will people be right about you?

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

30 Shows

It can be tough to know what shows to say yes to and what shows to say no to.

You believe it’s a good idea to play shows since that’s what artists do, but you probably don’t want to play four hundred shows a year…you don’t want to play zero either.

What if you could play 30 shows per year? 

That’s it. You can’t go past 30.  You can’t just say yes to say yes.

You might get a million offers during the year…you might get five.

How would your criteria change for saying yes and no to show opportunities?  Is the show worth filling one of your precious 30 slots?  If you can only say YES 30 times, what’s the definition of a YES?

My guess is it makes you tighten the reigns a bit. It makes you unable to give a flippant yes without thinking. It makes you really consider the factors of what makes a show ‘worth it’ for you and your gang and your fans.  

So your next show coming up…is it the type that is worthy to be included at your table for 30?

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com