A Little Fun With This One

Something I hear a lot at shows, both big and small is…

“Ok, we’re just gonna have some fun with this one”…usually said before the act plays a well known cover.

A couple things to point out:

I applaud the statement of purpose.  It’s clear what the point of doing the next song is: Fun.  And by “fun” they mean happy fun, smiley fun, excited fun. fun fun.

And it usually proceeds as such. Clear purpose, desired result.

So with the clear answer of “why are you playing this song?” stated both verbally and internally as it pertains to the cover song you’re about to play…it begs the question…

Why are you playing each of the other songs on your set list?

If the cover song is to have some fun…What are the other songs for?

It could also be to ‘have some fun’. Maybe it’s something different. But it should be something. Something understood by the people on stage, communicated to the people watching the stage. 

(Not necessarily spelled out, but definitely communicated)

p.s. I will add: The phrase “Ok, we’re just gonna have some fun with this one” can easily carry with it the artist distancing themselves from any distaste the audience might have for the cover song the artist picked…

And in turn, equating “have some fun” with a lack of personal attachment to the outcome and consequence of playing the song.

If you want to have some fun, have some fun, and be willing to take it seriously.



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

Festival Lights

The thing about festival gigs is that…

The lights are on. As in, the sun is out. As in, it’s not dark like you’re accustomed to, like the 98% of other shows you play.

Usually. Unless you’re one of the last three acts of the day.

When you’re a young act your dying to get on those festival stages, and then when you do it can often “just feel weird”.

It’s probably because you played your first 150 shows in the dark. Dingy clubs and bars, where having more than a few can lights was considered a luxury…and now all of a sudden the sun is illuminating absolutely everything. There’s literally no hiding. It’s a very different set of feelings and circumstances. 

But even for acts further up the food chain who are used to playing with production in bigger clubs and theaters…those acts are still getting the day time slots at festivals…So there’s no smoke and lights to help the climactic moments.  There’s no black out at the end of the song to help the audience know it’s the end of the song.  

It’s just you. Brightly lit you.

It’s important to remember.  And it’s important to embrace the difference and do something with it.

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

An Important Music Podcast Episode

If you’re the type of person who reads this blog, then I think you’re the type of person who would appreciate this podcast episode:

And The Writer Is: Season 2 Episode 6: David Israelite 

(it’s the most recent episode right now)

You need to listen to this.

David is on the front edge of making legislative change in favor of songwriters…as in more money for songwriters.  He’s brilliant and explains how we got here, where ‘here’ is, and where we might be going.  

Obviously lots of the talk revolves around streaming.

This podcast is incredibly informative and educational.  I hope it doesn’t inspire more complaining but more action. 

Somehow “what are you going to DO about it” has become synonymous with “what are you going to POST about it”.  And those aren’t the same things.

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

Ask What They Like

Before pitching your songs to a label, publisher, artist, manager, A&R…it’s a very good (and overlooked) idea to find out what kind of songs that person is liking right now.

You find this out by asking them. It sounds like this, “So play me some tracks that you really dig right now”.  And the ‘right now’ part is a key to the request…it brings the request current.

Once you hear what they like, it’s not that you need to play them something exactly like what they just showed you, but hearing what they like will help trigger you for what song you’ll start with.  And then the reaction to that one will trigger the next and so on…

Too often you’re so excited about the meeting itself, so eager and elated to show your wares that you don’t even take into consideration that the person you’re showing them to (and hoping to get help from) might be really into ukulele indie dudes right now but you brought new wave heavy metal synth songs.  

Now this isn’t the end of the world, but it would sure be nice to know what head space the other person is in.  You can use it to your advantage, and theirs.

Ask what they like.

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

What’s The Vision

What’s the vision?

If you’re the artist, the vision needs to be entertaining, interesting and focused.

So many artists are trying to be so many things, to tell so many parts of their story, so afraid at the thought of being pigeon holed…and don’t realize that every successful artist they look up to can be pigeon holed….a very very lucrative pigeon hole that brings a lot of joy and happiness and money for everyone involved.

You need to know what you’re going for.

***If you’re asking someone else what you’re going for, you’re wasting your time.  You need to figure it out and then invite people in to help you carry it out. 

And “we’re a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Abba” isn’t focused.

You need to be able to walk into a room whether it’s a writing room, studio, conference room, hotel lobby, green room, gas station, Arby’s…and have your strong vision within your presence.

What is your vision?

You need to answer this question. You need to be in the eyes-wide-open process of answering this question for your artist career.

p.s. What is your vision and what is the one thing you need to complete next as a means to realize that vision?

p.p.s. And this isn’t fruit loop talk either. I meet with a lot of artists and the ones who have a clear vision, I don’t even need to see their live show to know exactly what it’s going to be.  I’m almost always right.  And that’s not a pat on my back, but a pat on theirs.  Their clear, focused, interesting, entertaining vision makes everyone look like geniuses. 


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

The Help Desk

What do you have to do a lot of that you wish you didn’t have to spend so much time doing?

Here’s the thing…there’s people who really enjoy doing the thing(s) you don’t like doing.   

(And it’s a good thing you like doing what you like doing because they hate doing what you like doing.)

So ask around.

If you have the guts to ask, you will have the joy of getting something you hate off your plate.  If you don’t have the guts to ask, you can’t complain anymore.  

Do you actually want to stop doing what you don’t like doing, or do you enjoy the complaining too much to delegate it? Do you like the control too much to seek out help? Do you feed on the anxiety while simultaneously complaining about it?

Help is available. Ask.

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