Bored Band In A Van

At the beginning, you’re on the road with just the band. No crew. Just four or five people in a van.

When there’s only a handful of people on the road a few things happen…

-you talk about everything there is to talk about

-you get bored

-there’s still no new people in the van

-boredom is no fun

-you start wondering and (hopefully) asking why you’re doing this at all


And that is a great place to be. That is the glory of paying your dues on the road.

(Teenage superstars never get bored long enough to ask that last question.)

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

The Good Front Of House Engineer

If you’re going to take the time and money to hire the good players, don’t forget about finding and hiring the good front of house engineer.

Having the good players is essential and gives you lots of confidence in the music while you’re on stage…but having the good front of house means you know the audience is hearing what you want them to hear.

It needs to sound good in the audience.

And if it does they’ll never even notice it.

But if it sounds bad in the audience, they’ll notice. Even if they don’t notice it, they’ll know.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

So We Get More Famous

Why are you playing this show?

So we get more famous.

How are you going to get more famous?

By the people who come to the show telling all their friends.

Why are the people at the show going to tell their friends?

Because they’re going to really like the show.

Why are they going to really like the show?

They just will.


The arrogant response to the last question goes hand in hand with the immature response to the first question.

If you know your answer to the last question, the answer to the first one will quickly transform.

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How Much More

How much more to do your best work?

It’s worth considering making that your regular price and always doing your best work.

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Feeling Like It

I dust the top of the TV only if I feel like it.

I go play basketball only if I feel like it.

I call my friends from high school only if I feel like it.

On the other hand…

I write the blog everyday even if I don’t feel like it.

I brush my teeth even if I don’t feel like it.

I connect people with opportunities even when I don’t feel like it.


We need to decide which things we’re going to do regardless of feeling like it.

Even more…Feeling like it is a horrible prerequisite for being a professional, maintaining consistency, or making dreams come true.

If you have to feel like it before you’ll do it, then you’re going to end up with a dusty TV.

What are you going to do even when you don’t feel like it?

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Leader In The Spotlight

The good thing about playing a show is there’s so much risk, so much unknown, so many variables, so many possibilities, so many things that could go right and so many that could go wrong that if you open your eyes you’re sure to learn something new.

And odds are you’ll get to do it again and build on what you’ve learned.

There’s no end to the uncertainty that comes along with the spotlight. But you will become more agile and more intuitive. A better leader in the spotlight.

Most often we want a lead singer, not just a singer.

A lead singer is willing to get better at both parts.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com