How to Last During Your First Gig

A young band’s first gig is always an exciting time. Many hours slogging it out in the garage or rehearsal room finally come to fruition with the offer of your first gig. This can be an exciting experience or a horrific one if the gig does not go well.

These days, most bands usually get a school or party gig or a shared bill with a few other bands as their first gig. Either way, the experience of the first gig should be enjoyable and exciting. You don’t want it to turn into a nasty experience with everything going wrong, which it will if you are not prepared.

First, you need to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse more! No matter how many times you have performed your songs in the garage, when you get on stage it will all sound different, and, if you don’t know your part 110%, you will get it wrong. In the garage, you are in one small room and quite close to your fellow band mates. On stage, you can be separated a lot and you may not be able to hear the other guys or what they are playing. If you know your songs very well, you will be able play no matter what sound problems you have.

Second, be confident in your ability. Rehearse your songs in the order you will perform them especially if you are doing a short set. If you are doing a whole night, rehearse your whole song list as if you are actually doing the gig. This will alert you to any problems such as guitar changes, pedal set up changes, singers needing a “breather” that may make you look disorganized on stage.

Make sure your guitars have new strings (but put them on at least two hours before you play and stretch them in), your drums have at least a new snare skin, check the condition of the kick drum skin too. You want all your equipment to be in working order. If something break while the band is playing, you could spoil the show and be showered in “booos.”

If you are doing a gig with a bunch of other bands, make sure your accessories such as leads, tuners, and microphones are clearly marked with your name or at least some special markings, it is strange how much gear goes walking at these gigs. Your friends can also help you with your equipment too and keep an eye on it. Tell them you’ll buy them a beer. That always works!

The most important thing to do at the show is enjoy yourself. This is your first gig. If you are too nervous or anxious, you will end up psyching yourself out and not performing well. Just have fun and remember why you wanted to do this in the first place. Most times everything goes fine anyways.