Careful what you wish for…
The gig. In music, this is what we call the job, whichever or whatever job that may be. You can place just about any word in front of the word ‘gig’ to describe the gig, and another musician will know exactly what you are saying in just those two words. I promise. You can talk about the touring gig, the cover gig, the church gig, house gig, club gig, pub gig, indie gig, jazz gig, theater gig, Broadway gig (both NYC and Nashville), the shit gig, the big gig, the chart gig, trio gig, bus gig, van gig, Sprinter gig, and the local gig. It’s all playing music for (possibly) money. The goal is to avoid the shit gigs and land the big gig.
But the question always looms: How do I land the big gig? I’ll tell you. Play a LOT of shit gigs. Ask anyone who has the big gig.
My first gig would be considered a shit gig, but at age 15, it was the best gig ever. I played a pool party at Oceana N.A.S. and we were paid $100. I had to rent a PA for $70 (Thanks AL&M!), so that left $10 for each of us. I mean, top of the world, right? It was for me, and $10 was $10.
As I continued down my musical path, more gigs would come in, albeit mostly bad ones. What makes a bad gig bad? It could be the location, the event, the crowd (typically the LACK of crowd), the money (typically LACK of money), or lack of anything remotely professional about the gig (See: Fraternity house gig). The funny thing about most gigs is that if you throw the band a few beers and a shrimp basket on top of the $300 you are paying them, they think its a decent gig.
Until its not. You (hopefully) climb the ladder and get to a point where you aren’t setting up your own sound and lights, and maybe routing is a little sleep-friendly (Although it gets MUCH worse on the Big Gig because of NYC TV appearances and nobody goes to bed in NYC). The shows do what they are supposed to do, and after many bad gigs, hopefully you learned from all those long nights and tucked them into your knowledge bank to carry you through to your big gig.
Steve! How do I get the big gig?
There are so many things that go into getting the big gig. It may be the audition. Truth be told, I don’t audition well. I just don’t. You want me to play in your band, you ask me to play. That’s not cocky, it’s just nature of the ‘hole plugging’ of musicians in a conveyor belt. ‘GET A WARM BODY IN HERE!’, says the musical director. There are LOT of players that can play better than I. That’s just truth. There’s also a lot more to the gig beyond playing. That’s the unspoken truth. I won’t set your tour bus on fire or steal your food out of the bus fridge. You decide who you want living next to you for days on end…
Here’s the nugget of information the whole world needs to know: It ain’t what you know, it’s who you know. That sounds silly, but it’s truth. Meet people. Be cool, yet inquisitive, and express exactly what you want to do in your life. No one can read your mind. Put your intentions out into the universe and watch the doors open.
Everyone asks how to get the gig, but strangely enough, no one asks how to KEEP the gig. We don’t want to bounce around, do we? You don’t want to be the guy that just gets the gig; be the guy who keeps the gig. Be the good hang, the good player with the good attitude who is on time, who knows the material, and who can adapt quickly. Know your place and your role. You want to make changes to the show or arrangements? Go start your own band. Just. Play.
And none of this is exact science. I’ve been recommended for big gigs where I was surely a lock. Until I wasn’t. And that’s OK too. One thing I have learned in this crazy business is that you are always right where you are supposed to be. Good or bad, broke or flush with cash. You are supposed to be there for one reason or another.
Keep in mind, these few hundred words is just the gig primer, a little insight into the constant struggle that is our world. I would venture to say that this is a similar situation in most lines of work, right? I could write a book about the enigma it is about getting the big gig. Some people started as truck drivers on tours, some as guitar techs that were promoted. Some people just grabbed the attention of someone somehow and they thought ‘that would be a great addition to my show.’ Or you are the brother-in-law of the musical director. Crap shoot. All a crap shoot.
I’ve been a lucky boy, for sure. I still have places I want to play, and it seems ALL my friends have played them already. But you know, if you quit you can’t win. Don’t give up, don’t ever give up. I have to tell myself that as well, daily it seems. That’s part of it as well. Don’t leave anything behind, and keep your goals in focus.
Staying on top of yourself and staying motivated are paramount for your success.
Now go get that big gig!
See you on the road, maybe?
