A question for you "IN PUBLIC" players out there.

[onewilyfool]

Just wondering about how many songs would be needed for a "cafe" set or gig from you players who actually go out there and do it???? I have about twenty songs under my belt, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, etc. A good mix, maybe a little heavy to the Beatles. Just wondering if you can offer some advice.....Wily

[John Lee Walker]

Really depends on the venue and the schedule. Some places I play I will have about 7-8 songs ready for a typical coffeehouse set in which someone else is waiting to go on. One place I go to, you sign in and get 20 minutes and its a cattlle call. Another place I play, if they like you and let you know it, you can be up there all night, so I'm prepared with about 30 songs up my sleeve. Twenty songs is a good arsenal for any coffeehouse or open mic setting. If you run out, thumb thru the pages and you'll be surprised at what comes up sometimes:)

 

Always write out your set list. Sometimes you'll go by it, other times you'll improvise, especially if they're calling out requests...be prepared for 'Knockin on Heavens Door' and 'Fish and Whistle' ...and the inevitable biker in the front with his Bic in the air yelling for 'Freebird' hah

 

Good luck! Let us know how your debut goes!

 

(take extra strings! First few times you may be nervous and heavy-handed and you'll break a few, gar-on-teed)

[ksdaddy]

Anybody who has the nads to perform in front of people is lucky. I'm petrified anyone would hear me but I wish I could just get up there and do it

[Rambler]

The duo I was in would get in 9-11 tunes over a 45-50 minutes set. Folk songs, blues, singer-songwriter, not a lot off improv. Or patter.

[ballcorner]

Anybody who has the nads to perform in front of people is lucky. I'm petrified anyone would hear me but I wish I could just get up there and do it

 

All you have to do is break the ice. If you play in front of people a few times, you get comfortable with it and then you learn to use the energy of an audience to give you momentum.

 

Look at the amazing things you can do with guitar repairs. If you can find the confidence to attack some of those projects, there is no reason at all you should let fear keep you from performing.

[Honky Dog]

 

All you have to do is break the ice. If you play in front of people a few times' date=' you get comfortable with it and then you learn to use the energy of an audience to give you momentum.

 

<snipped>

 

[/quote']

 

No truer words ...

 

I've played for years, and recently decided I'm going to go live. I played for some friends at a cookout in the back yard a couple of months back. As it turned out, I was really tired with a lot of arm and hand fatigue from mowing and "week whackin'" in the afternoon. I was also nervous as hell. Compared to how I normally play (which ain't great but so so), I played like ****. I made mistakes I never make. If one of you guys were in the audience, you would have said, "Man, that was rough. etc. etc." and you would have been right, but everybody thought I sounded good. Being polite? Well, my experience is that when people are being polite they're ready to move on, not ask for more. I planned on playing two songs, and ended up playing seven, by request, and I was the one that ended it.

 

For various reasons I haven't had a chance to play publicly again. But when I do, I will be much more relaxed and, well, better.

[Honky Dog]

Anybody who has the nads to perform in front of people is lucky. I'm petrified anyone would hear me but I wish I could just get up there and do it

 

One more thing, based on my experience in public speaking, and the recent public playing/singing experience. The first time or few times, it doesn't hurt to be in front of a supportive audience. Just to work out the kinks. As an example, in my profession we would never go out and give a presentation without "dry-running" in-house first. So important.

[Jinder]

honky, you probably did sound great...your own mistakes are usually only audible to you. Don't get hung up on yourself.

 

I have been doing a couple of hundred shows a year for the last 8yrs, and I feel like I'm starving if I'm away from the stage for a couple of weeks. I've just had a month off but I've been writing songs for what will be my eighth album (the second album with my band) so that's kept me busy. I'm off with the boys to play a few dates up in Scotland next week though, so that should give me a restorative shot of sanity!

[onewilyfool]

Great advice guys.....Jinder, I only hope to get to the point where I "need" to play in front of others, and feel that energy of the crowd....well baby steps first. I have about 20 songs I could use in a pinch, however, I still get these moments, where I just forget the words, or the next chord. I guess the amount of focus playing on the couch is not enough prep for the real world....lol....thanks...

[jefleppard]

if you have the curse, like me, you HAVE to do it. i can't stop thinking about preforming, writing, playing, jamming, gearhunting. truthfully, my voice is crap. absolutely. and i hear it often. wow, you're songs, lyrics, playing is awesome only if you had another singer...." yada yada. it gets me down. i wish i had the pipes. but i also get further down if i dont do it. when i sing my tunes the lyric cuts through and the medium no longer becomes the message (marshall macluhan - another great canuck who made very little sense!). if you have the drive, just do it. it is its own reward. some will say you suck - whether it be catcalls from the back or right to your face. but you're the one up there. remember how difficult it is to get up there. keep doing it. its like anything else. you get better with practice. you'll loosen up. catcalls will get the best of you less and less. sometimes, you'll even start to win and get the crowd on your side. someone will come up after and say "i liked that line...." and everything will be validated. i imagine dylan had the same hurdles to get over. that voice! yeesh. but look what was behind it. everybody's got to back it up somehow. even saint bob.

[Honky Dog]

<snipped> it is its own reward. some will say you suck ... someone will come up after and say "i liked that line...." <snipped>

 

Great point! And, oh man, a synchronicity with a correspondence I've been having with a friend. I also like to write fiction (short stories at this point). I was mentioning that sometimes I have trouble figuring out when the "rules" apply and all the technical stuff. This friend, who also writes, has been painting for about 30 years, and he said at some point you just have to say screw it and do what feels right to you. I know I've written stories where one person will rave about something in the story and the next person will say I should cut it. So I just have to write what is right for me and let the chips fall where they will (cliche alert! :-) But it reminded me of Ricky Nelson's lyrics:

 

But it's all right now

I learned my lesson well

You see, you can't please everyone

So you got to please yourself

 

So it is with playing guitar and singing, or any creative endeavor/endeavour for that matter.

[albertjohn]

I played in school and university bands for a few years many years ago. It's great for confidence to have others to "hide behind". Whilst at university I remember playing and singing solo, Behind Blues Eyes - The Who, at a party. Not planned but someone asked so I had a go. I'd never performed on my own in my life before that and remembered that effort for decades afterwards.

 

I've been playing live on and off for about 3 years now. This year at my local pub I did 3 nights during a beer festival, largely on my own. It was terrifying but I remembered that party all those years ago and got through the evenings OK. Made loads of mistakes and did songs which I thought would be great but came out all wrong. Others were surprisingly good. But I loved doing it and woukld do it again at the drop of a hat.

 

I'm still very nervous in front of people I know but the confidence is gaining. Ballcorner is spot on - you just have to break the ice and then just play!

 

I have about 30 covers I can "do" on my own and several others as a duet.

 

As for choice - it's easy. I play the music I like and if others like it too, then great, otherwise...............sod'em!

[Jinder]

cunk, fwiw I think you have a great voice, from your Myspace recordings anyway. Very individual and cool. You don't sound like another 'production line' singer-you sound like yourself. And there is no bigger compliment than that. Nowadays, so many singer/songwriters sound like clones of Damien Rice (the sad, folky ones) Ryan Adams (the sad, country ones) or Moldy Peaches (the quirky but still slightly sad ones) so it's refreshing to hear someone who isn't trying to be someone else.

[ballcorner]

some will say you suck - whether it be catcalls from the back or right to your face.

 

Heckler: "You suck"

 

Singer: "Well, at least I do it standing up"

[ksdaddy]

And you win the Comeback of the Day award!

[jefleppard]

 

Heckler: "You suck"

 

Singer: "Well' date=' at least I do it standing up"[/quote']

 

thanks, jinder. great line, BC. i'll use that one for sure.

[solacematt]

There's a few places around here that have a few groups and solo players for a night. It's usually just about 30-40 min.

[davidbg63]

I had to add my "two-cents" to this thread...I play several local venues but have an everyother Thursday night standing gig at a local bar. Set is normally 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I play a variety of music from Johnny cash to Tom Petty to Pearl Jam, buffett, zepplin, hootie to santana and about everything in between even some original stuff. I get alot of my inspiration from watching the old unplugged MTV series. Most bars around here people really want to just hear cover songs. Playing every few weeks helps you stay fresh always looking for new stuff to play.

 

I ALWAYS..ALWAYS have a set list I may not follow it but it is there. I try and start out the first few songs with stuff I am comfortable with cause no matter how many times I play I always get butterflies. But I have always been told that alot of times you have to play stuff the crowd wants to hear if you like it or not.

 

I play many cover songs but I do them my way...people really go for that around here anyways. As for setting up my equipment. I like to set up earlier in the afternoon so that night I can walk in, have a drink or two at the bar and when people are looking around trying to figure out who is playing I walk up, hit the chair and get with it. Yes chair, I sit on a stool in the corner...I lke that.

 

Thats me in my avatar picture playing and yes I do have a music stand....no problem using one if you want. It is hard to remember all those songs! You can always put a team logo from local college on the back so people can see it....makes them warm up to you, just pick the right team!

 

I use my J180EC acoustic and es-335. I also use the boss dr3 drum/bass machine, shure beta 87a mic and run everything through my Kustom PA. I can have it all set up and ready to go in about 30-45minutes. I take plenty of picks, a few extra sets of strings and extra cord or two and an extra mic. Never have needed them but makes me feel better to know they are there.

[Rambler]

BG-- Id think twice about whether that stand is a necessity. Imho, it kind of makes a wall between the singer and the audience. Plus consulting it is kind of concession to thinking over being. Just a thought.

[Honky Dog]

 

Heckler: "You suck"

 

Singer: "Well' date=' at least I do it standing up"[/quote']

 

LMAO

[davidbg63]

Thats in case someone throws something at you, it is for protection HAHAHA no it is actually lower than it looks...

[GibbyJoe]

I got asked to play at my boss's wedding reception and I only had six songs to play. I think they liked me cuz they kept asking for me to play rust never sleeps over and over again. LOL!! I think I played it four times that night.