| Create Digital Noise Forum Index » Share Your Work » Getting good music/visual gigs -- let's share advice |
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How are you feeling about your gig-getting skills at the moment?
| I am a rock superstar. Be awed of me. |
| [ 2 ] 5% |
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| It's getting better all the time. |
| [ 13 ] 36% |
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| Meh. Middling. I could use some help. |
| [ 12 ] 33% |
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| Why do I have to live in the middle of nowhere? |
| [ 6 ] 16% |
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| No one wants to listen to my glitch/death metal. Hatebeak is hurting. |
| [ 3 ] 8% |
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Total Votes : 36 |
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| PeterKirn |
 Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 12:38 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 822
Location: New York, NY
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Hi everybody,
As I expect you've seen by now, Liz (Quantazelle) posted some tips for how to successfully get good gigs for laptop/electronic music:
Getting Booked: 10 Basic Tips for Getting Live Electronic Music Gigs
Liz's article comes out of her own experience in Chicago. It raised a variety of questions, ranging from how to improve laptop performance itself (which can get into technical issues with Ableton Live, etc.) to the realities of networking and finding venues.
We've spent time before on using live computer software (not just Live, either), and it's something I want to deal with in more depth over the coming months.
But let's focus on this experience of how to successfully find venues and get gigs. Chicago has one scene and its own set of opportunities and challenges; here in New York, we've got another. CDM has readers from Tel Aviv to Brisbane, Australia to Munich, Germany to Kansas.
What has your experience been? Where do you feel like you've run into roadblocks getting gigs?
One thread won't cover it all, but I'd love to get this going.
And naturally, VJs/visualists face a lot of the same issues and musicians ... and some of us are both. At the same time, when we're feeling especially crazy.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I can't hang about, or I won't be ready for my gig tomorrow.  |
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| DJ McManus |
| Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 5:40 pm |
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Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 4
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HOW TO DO EVERYTHING THE BEST:
Go to your local thrift store. Go through the first bin of records. By now you will have found at least the five copies you’ll need of “No Jacket Required” by Phil Collins. “Whipped Cream & other delights” by Herb Alpert is also a dignified option.
Take the five records out when you set up for your show and slowly put each one on, one on top of last until you have covered the spindle height of the turntable. Set your laptop down and feel good about yourself. This is known as “The “High Fidelity” method”. Try to look like John Cusack while doing this. If you are a girl you will have to try harder.
It may take more than five records. I haven’t tried this yet myself. If you still need one more just say to the last DJ “Man, that last record you played was like lemonade made from mangoes can I see it for a sec.” Then put it down on top of the others, place your laptop down, and feel good about yourself.
Also, in between tracks when you have dead air announce “Hold on a minute guys I just have to answer this e-mail.” or say “I’m totally gonna win this auction.” and feel good about yourself.
As for breaking in to doing visuals; just go up to any DJ and say “I can add visuals to your set.” They will say yes. Do not let them see the Phil Collins records until you have the gig.
One last thing I’ll share. I was recently DEEing the Jay with Ableton and perpetrating some groovy breakdowns in well known Indie Prance tracks. A girl came up and asked “Hey, can I try that?” I don’t know who was more surprised, me by where her head must have been at or her when she looked at the screen and saw what must have looked like sideways tetris.
So my point is this. Man, when that girl asked to give it a try I would love to have just handed her one of the Phil Collins records. It would also work if someone asks you for a demo. “Try track five, I call it Sussudio. Its a rebel bruiser mate.”
How to look pro playing pubs and nightclubs: Smuggle in a flask. Bring in a few beers to sell. Two words: piss bottle. That one’s also up for grabs, DJ Piss Bottle.
Last thing I promise. Save money on poser pretend vinyl like Final Screetch and Serato. Again, put down the Phil Collins records and muck about furiously while winamp plays your tunes on the laptop. … and feel good about yourself. |
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| sosb |
| Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 8:32 am |
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Joined: 02 May 2007
Posts: 2
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Possible solution to dead air between songs:
Render first eight bars / intro to all of your songs. Burn each intro with a lot of silence on the end (more than the length of the rest of the track) onto a separate track on a CD, in the order of your setlist. Bring a diskman to your gig and DI it. Press play on the while you wait for new song to load. And finally kick off the next section of your track on your laptop at the exact moment the CD track ends.
I'm gonna try this at my next gig. |
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| PeterKirn |
| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:59 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 822
Location: New York, NY
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| Okay, only 12 responses, but largely optimistic -- that's a good thing! |
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| segwist |
| Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:31 am |
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Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 120
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DJ McManus wrote: HOW TO DO EVERYTHING THE BEST:
Go to your local thrift store. Go through the first bin of records. By now you will have found at least the five copies you’ll need of “No Jacket Required” by Phil Collins. “Whipped Cream & other delights” by Herb Alpert is also a dignified option.
Take the five records out when you set up for your show and slowly put each one on, one on top of last until you have covered the spindle height of the turntable. Set your laptop down and feel good about yourself. This is known as “The “High Fidelity” method”. Try to look like John Cusack while doing this. If you are a girl you will have to try harder.
It may take more than five records. I haven’t tried this yet myself. If you still need one more just say to the last DJ “Man, that last record you played was like lemonade made from mangoes can I see it for a sec.” Then put it down on top of the others, place your laptop down, and feel good about yourself.
Also, in between tracks when you have dead air announce “Hold on a minute guys I just have to answer this e-mail.” or say “I’m totally gonna win this auction.” and feel good about yourself.
As for breaking in to doing visuals; just go up to any DJ and say “I can add visuals to your set.” They will say yes. Do not let them see the Phil Collins records until you have the gig.
One last thing I’ll share. I was recently DEEing the Jay with Ableton and perpetrating some groovy breakdowns in well known Indie Prance tracks. A girl came up and asked “Hey, can I try that?” I don’t know who was more surprised, me by where her head must have been at or her when she looked at the screen and saw what must have looked like sideways tetris.
So my point is this. Man, when that girl asked to give it a try I would love to have just handed her one of the Phil Collins records. It would also work if someone asks you for a demo. “Try track five, I call it Sussudio. Its a rebel bruiser mate.”
How to look pro playing pubs and nightclubs: Smuggle in a flask. Bring in a few beers to sell. Two words: piss bottle. That one’s also up for grabs, DJ Piss Bottle.
Last thing I promise. Save money on poser pretend vinyl like Final Screetch and Serato. Again, put down the Phil Collins records and muck about furiously while winamp plays your tunes on the laptop. … and feel good about yourself.
Anyone else feel like someone has been watching you? |
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Sidechain Music / Segue - Live Progressive Tech |
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| ENDIF |
| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:39 pm |
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Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 8
Location: Madison, WI
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THE single best thing one can do to get (and keep getting) gigs is to NOT SUCK.
By which I mean 'NOT be visually boring'.
This is what most people associate with laptop music, and with good reason, as it seems to be the rule, rather than the exception.
Nothing is more boring than watching someone 'check their email' for an hour.
A prime example: I saw Autechre live in Chicago at the Metro about 5 years back. Arguably the holy grail of laptop music. Awesome music, boooooriing stage show. Two guys scowling at powerbooks. Neat. Wound up leaving early, going home, and putting on an Autechre CD. Sounded better on headphones than on the PA packed in with sweaty drunk people anyway. =/ And I LOVE Autechre.
So basically my solution to getting gigs is.. actually playing as much of the music as possible in realtime. Moving around. Getting into it. Having friends plug in and jam out with me. Incorporate nerdcandy for that technical wow-factor. You know, like a 'real' band would.
By way of example, even with my recent switch from hardware samplers and sequencers to a Macbook Pro, I still try to do as much as physically possible live;
- several key- and pad-zones on my controller (k49) each mapped to its own soft synth or sampler. Knobs and sliders and joystick.. everything mapped to something. Maximum leverage.
- SPDS sampling percussion dealio with a pair of Dingbats off the top for more play-space
In the works are a multi-zone Dbeam infrared MIDI controller based on the MIDIsense board at http://ladyada.net (nearly done, kit is built, just have to set up the firmware, add the sensors, and build it into a box..), a suitcase modular (mmm.. solder fumes!) and a variety of visual items. More as those happen.
But yeah. Movement. Visuals. Actual playing of some sort.
Makes all the difference in the world.
As for actually hooking up with gigs; Networking.
Go to shows, meet the other kids in the neighborhood, and network. Collaborate.
If there are no shows, start some, go to a bar or cafe that has a PA or is otherwise suitable and set something up. It takes a village.. or a scene, or whatever, but you really can't do it on your own. Well, you can, but it tends to suck. ;] You'll all wind up collecting more information and sharing it, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts, etc.
A steady flow, even just monthly, of shows makes a huge difference, and over time more and more people will come.
Apply this on a regional scale and you can get gigs out of town. Apply on a wider scale and anything is possible.
Hope this helps someone, somewhere. =] |
_________________
~!J!
http://www.endif.org
http://www.myspace.com/endif |
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| quantazelle |
| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:12 pm |
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 24
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| k1ru |
| Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:52 am |
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Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 15
Location: Tucson, Az
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| always have some analog equip close by...laptops and comps have a tendency for having attitudes when you don't play by their rules...drum machines and synths?a mic connected to a delay line so you can beat box and tweak?...some of this is from experience... |
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[3.1.2]] |
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| metalisrael |
| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:31 am |
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Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 1
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it is all about the movie clips, yo
funny soundbites from films
easily downloadable online
from Dracula to Ferris Bueller
and also
like if you're doing a metal show
throw in splices from funny calypso songs
serious, it's awesome and it keeps people on their toes |
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Metal Israel @ Jemsite
Da Boss @ Metal Israel |
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| sylvanajoyce |
| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:25 pm |
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Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
Location: New York, New York
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what would be really awesome is a collaboration with a visual artist friend, where you commission them to create works that would be viewed as an video/art installation with your music. inter-collaborative work is always exciting, both from a creative pov and as an audience.
also, if you are into persona--wearing something interesting is always an attention grabber. for the more "extroverted".
but really, a performance will suck if the person is not actually inside of the groove or presentation, but just casually there to present it. i think that when you perform live, if you are in the moment, you will see amazing improvisational opportunities, if they perchance arise, and failing that, the audience will be able to feed off of your interaction with the work as the musician/DJ which will be more real and interesting to them then just listening to an audio track they could access at home. |
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