Triggering On Stage

When you’re on stage and the thought occurs to you “this show isn’t going well”, what is your reaction? What does that thought trigger?

Singing louder?

Getting pissed?

Going nuts?

Standing still?

Checking out?

Speeding the song up?

Getting mad at the keys player for not hitting the right part…even though it was three songs ago?

Telling yourself the audience just sucks, writing them off?

Some of these aren’t totally off the mark, but typically their laced with a lot of fear and a reactionary attitude.  Typically all of the responses above are that persons version of freaking out.


I think you can do better. I think you should start replacing what the “this isn’t going well” thought is triggering.

I know I know, every audience is different so making a plan is impossible.

But make a plan anyway.

And by make a plan I mean start giving yourself some new triggers.  Some things that lead you to take responsibility for the show rather than dodging it.

Here’s some ideas that I’ve seen work in the “this show isn’t going well” situation…

Tell a good story

Break a song down and build for a long time to a climax

Go into the crowd

Change the setlist, play a slammer

Make a legit reference to the city you’re in


Figure it out. What’s worked for you in the past? Whats show you can think of where you turned it around after it wasn’t going well? What did you embrace and carry out in order to do that?

The thought “this show isn’t going well” is going to happen to you…what response do you want that thought to trigger?

p.s. You’re right…there’s only so much you can do.

But before you go there, take out the word ‘only’…there’s so much you can do.



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

Adapt And Implement

One of the reasons its a very good idea to get out there and play a couple hundred shows as soon as possible is because there’s a very good chance it will increase your ability and willingness to adapt, to implement new things in a short amount of time, to let your intuition mature.

And this opens up possibilities.

Because when you’re 200 shows in and then it’s time to play some bigger high profile stuff, the process of maximizing those shows’ effectiveness is a LOT of tiny little tweaks.

Important tweaks, tweaks you have to remember.  Important tweaks that have to look natural to the audience at a minimum, but it would be best if they actually ARE natural.

If you’re a new band, its a good idea to simply practice implementing new things to shows. Even if they’re not home run ideas. Even if it’s little things. It’ll exercise that muscle that becomes good at doing new things, which will need to be strong if you want to be a big act.

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

Humans Love Seeing Other Humans

Humans love going to see other humans.  It’s been happening forever.

Something so ingrained, so time tested that its easily forgotten and overlooked.

But if you and your show can be the humans other humans want to see, you’ve tapped into the thing that doesn’t go away.

And more specific to entertainment…

Humans love to watch humans act out and tell a story.  This type of thing goes back a bazillion years.  Look it up.

So it’s simple…Are you telling a story where you are the people other people want to come and see? 

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

Things That Cause An Artist To Feel Good 2

Applause

A confident photographer/director

Pre-selling out the shows

Getting paid on time

Getting a swift, clear explanation/resolution when there’s confusion about what you just got paid

Going back and selling out the first venue you played to 3 people

Not having to pay for guitar strings

When a fan wants a picture with you…not the whole band.

Encouragement from a respected source

p.s. As you are in the position to make these things happen for others, do it. Even if you’re not thanked, the artist will be thankful.


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

THEY’RE Making It??!!

We bump into someone, hear how their career is going in the music biz, wish them well but know in our head that what they’re doing isn’t going to work.  They don’t have the right answers, they’re not pursuing the right things in the right ways, their plan is off, their attitude is off.  We just know.

And then we don’t hear from them in a couple years.

After those couple years you hear their name pop up at a show or a meeting or in a coffee shop, and their name is associated with a cool company, a sold-out tour, a #1 on the charts.

And you think, “…of all people, THEY’RE the ones making it??!!”

Yes. They are.

Why the surprise and disconnect?

Because most of us think we have it figured out (and by “it” I mean: the right plan, the right attitude, the right approach, the right look, the right speaking flow, etc), we think others who are not doing it similar to us don’t stand a chance or as much of a chance.

We think their way sucks and won’t work in large part because their way is so foreign to us…and we’re not familiar with the strengths of their way.

So when we hear they’re doing well it blows our minds because we thought they were employing a crappy, less-than way of doing things and now that crappy way has actually worked.

We’re floored, frustrated, jealous and confused.  How does their wrong approach seem to work and my (correct, perfect) way doesn’t??

Answer: Their approach isn’t wrong and yours isn’t perfect.

Answer: Their approach suited their strengths and yours can too.

Answer: The timing of others taking note of the strength of your approach is different for everyone.

If I need a tour booked I’m not calling you. You’re horrible with details. I’m calling the nerd you thought was a loser and would never make it.

If I need a front man for a New Years Eve gig I’m not calling you. You’re drab and unexcited. I’m calling the “too spontaneous” person you wrote off long ago because they couldn’t focus.

You get it.

What I’m saying is…

YOUR approach can work. YOU’RE RIGHT! 

The way you do things has distinct strengths built into it already.

When we start thinking this way it removes confusion and replaces it with appreciation for others and an attitude of learning for our own benefit.

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

In Flight Safety Information

Nobody pays attention to all of the flight safety speech. 

But I dare say we all know exactly the things to do because over time we’ve heard different bits of it and it seeps into memory.  Little by little, we know what to do in an emergency.  We know the protocol.  We know the message.

We never totally pay attention but we always pay a little attention.

But the message is the same every single time.  That’s the key.  The consistency.

The consistency caused us to completely understand without completely knowing how it happened.

And that’s what you need.

You need a schpeel. A definition.  A message.

Something that remains so consistent, both in the spoken and maybe more importantly the unspoken, that people (over time) can’t help but pick up on it and understand.

It’s why Katy Perry works, or Bruce Springsteen.

Pull down on the red tab to inflate…

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