OK so you've decided that you have a good voice and you fancy getting out there and earning money on the circuit as a singer - but before you do, ask yourself one question;
"Is it for me?"
Well if you read this blog and the answer is still "Yes" then you are on the right track...
OK, lets look at the cold hard facts.
Being a gigging singer is hard work both mentally and physically. Let's look at the life of an average gig which, for the sake of argument is located about an hours drive from your home:
4.00 pm
Sort out which clothes you will be wearing on stage tonight. Get them ironed and hung in a suit holder by the front door - don't forget to take them! Seriously, if you are working at a wedding or corporate function the last thing you want to do is find that you don't have anything decent to wear on stage! I've done it - once. Once is enough to make sure you never make the same mistake twice. It was pure luck that my roadie had dressed smartly that evening and I was able to borrow his suit and shoes.
Sort out which clothes you will be wearing on stage tonight. Get them ironed and hung in a suit holder by the front door - don't forget to take them! Seriously, if you are working at a wedding or corporate function the last thing you want to do is find that you don't have anything decent to wear on stage! I've done it - once. Once is enough to make sure you never make the same mistake twice. It was pure luck that my roadie had dressed smartly that evening and I was able to borrow his suit and shoes.
4.30 pm
If you haven't been to the venue before, double-check where you are going. Plan your route!
If you haven't been to the venue before, double-check where you are going. Plan your route!
5.00 pm
Load up the car / van with P.A. and lighting equipment. Now chill out for a bit before you set off. You've got a long night ahead of you.
Load up the car / van with P.A. and lighting equipment. Now chill out for a bit before you set off. You've got a long night ahead of you.
6.00 pm
Start your journey, but before you leave the house, do a quick mental check list to make sure you haven't forgotten anything.
7 pm
Arrive at the venue and meet with the landlord / entertainments secretary / manager / bride & groom etc. Try to get an idea of what type of music goes down well at the venue - although this is something that you should really find out in advance.
7.10 pm
Get the gear into the venue (bearing in mind it could be a difficult get with loads of stairs or no close parking etc.)
7.30 pm
Rig your P.A. & Lighting and if possible have a small sound-check. You should be very familiar with your gear so there shouldn't be a need to make a noise for more than 5 minutes.
Rig your P.A. & Lighting and if possible have a small sound-check. You should be very familiar with your gear so there shouldn't be a need to make a noise for more than 5 minutes.
8.00 pm
Retire to your dressing room to change (more often than not you will have to use the disabled toilets) and relax.
9.00 pm
First set. 45 minutes during which time you will quickly find out what the audience likes or more importantly doesn't like!
9.45 pm
Break. During this time you should try and talk to members of the audience to get reaction and a feel for what they like.
10.15
Second set - Give 'em hell!
11.05 pm
After one or two encores your done. If you need to go and change back into your civvies.
11.15 pm
Break the gear down. Keep an eye on things because there is always one drunken idiot who thinks it's OK to grab your microphone and use it to serenade his friends at the end of the night.
11.30 pm
Carry the gear back out of the venue and into your car / van. Make sure you lock it each time you leave to get the next load, even if it's only for a few minutes.
11.45 pm
Pick up your hard earned money.
11.50 pm
Drive home.
12.50 am
Arrive home and transfer all the gear from the car / van back into the house.
1.15 am
Chill out for a while before going to bed. Any kind of live performance increases adrenaline levels and it's almost impossible to go straight to bed - even after a long drive.
02.00 am - ish
Finally nod off to slumber land.
Finally nod off to slumber land.
Imagine doing that 2 nights a week.
Now imagine doing that four or five or even six nights a week with the occasional double gig on a Sunday afternoon and Sunday night at different venues!!
Do you still want to make your living as a gigging singer?
Of course you do - that's why you're reading this blog.
The purpose of the above exercise was to let you know what you are letting yourself in for. Above is just an outline of a typical gig. Don't forget that you will have to arrange the gigs, liaise with venues, deal with agents and private bookers and deal with paperwork such as accounts and contracts. You will also have to find time to rehearse songs, source backing tracks and maintain equipment. My point is that it's not just about the performance. To be a successful and full-time singer you need to be a jack of all trades and a master at them all as well!
There is a very good reason that there are a lot of quite frankly awful acts working in the UK today. Quite simply - Karaoke. Don't get me wrong, Karaoke has it's place and it's a great form of entertainment. However many Karaoke singers have been told by their friends that they should take singing up professionally and with that they go off half-cocked and end up with a show that is embarrassing and insulting to any professional performer. It takes a massive amount of effort to put a good show together and if you can't be bothered to make the effort you won't have a good show.
A good polished performance will get you more work. Period. The more people talk about what a great performer you are, the more work you will get. A happy customer will tell a few of his or her friends about you. An unhappy punter will tell everyone and his his wife how rubbish you were. Performance and professionalism are the keys to success.
So if you are still willing to make a living out of this industry - read on!
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