tips for acoustic acts
tonight im doing a gig with an acoustic guitar
this will be the first time i've played a gig on my own
do you have any tips for me/anyone who does gigs with an acoustic guitar?
1. dont drink too much
any more?
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don't be shit
don't play for too long
wasnt shit
had a 30 min set
ended up playing for over an hour
then did another gig in the bar
would definitely do it again
big mistake, pal
i was great, didn't even use a microphone
it was the first time i'd done it, so i numbered the songs
then let a girl in the audience pick the numbers randomly
used it to help me finish unfinished songs.. as in.. at home you can stop/start when you want.. but at a gig, they MUST end!
got a few recordings on a dictaphone
here are two unfinished songs, that i was forced to finish.
i forgot the guitar part for this one, so ended up just singing it for the most part
http://soundcloud.com/mick_squalor4/milk-of-every-mammal-live-at
this one had no end.so ended up being nearly 10 mins long. :/
http://soundcloud.com/mick_squalor4/untitled-unfinished-1-live-at
Don't assume
That the venue are ok with you bringing in your own booze.
If things are sinking quickly, don't be afraid to pull out a cover of 'Wonderwall'
people love a cover!
Throw the acoustic in the bin and whack out a fuzz pedal.
Definitely ^ this
Amp the fuck up, pussies.
Those songs that you wrote after wetting the bed...
Don't play those.
Don't be put off by people talking
Those fuckers will never shut up, and if you go all Jeff Tweedy on them, they'll start to actively hate you.
Also, don't apologise for anything. Just move on from any screw ups with minimal fuss.
Re: that last bit.
There's an alternative which I've successfully pulled off once or twice which is to stop right in the middle of a song, and then - which talking really fast to keep momentum up - apologise profusely for the lack of a band and explain that you'll need to sing the guitar solo and it will sound awful and then get right back into the song.
people talked a bit for the first song
but after that i had them
Wear a hat.
Everyone likes an acoustic guitar player in a hat.
peaked beanies are best
What do you honestly expect us to tell you?
use your guitar as a percussion instrument
Always appear confident dammit!
Don't bring you own beer , after seeing your posts on Symptomatic/Water Rats thread a few weeks ago!
use a loop pedal
and make sure you have a long story for every song you play. Also not playing too long is genuine good advice.
:)
played for quite a while, but people wanted it so it was fine
i sure as hell aint using no loop pedal
Tap the side of your guitar every so often and stamp your feet a lot.
Don't eat yellow snow.
Do heroin
The most important thing when an acoustic guitar is involved
Is to ensure that absolutely everything you play is at exactly the same speed. Everything. They explode if you deviate remotely from the established acousitc speed.
This particularly applies when doing a semi-ironic cover of a pop song.
In all seriousness..
...don't use the same strumming pattern for every song.
That is major issue I have with 90% of solo acoustic guitar acts I've ever seen.
remember to chalk yer cue.
Do an Neil Young cover
bust into a freestyle rap halfway through
like that street-tough Plan B
Do some fingerpicking instead of strumming every song.
Be polite but don't natter on - people want songs, not monologues.
Be nice to the soundguy; they can make you sound awful or great remember.
sit in a bowl of rice whilst emailing this thread to your guitar
hahaha
get a telecaster.
Have you tried bolt cutters?