Dear Dude,

I have been playing in a recently signed full time touring band since April and recently thought of quitting. This was due to not making any money, having rough things going on at home, gear messing up…etc. Pretty much the standard rigors of touring. All the other dudes in the band have been playing together since they were sixteen and the reason I was chosen to play with them is because I was a close friend and could tour and handle the material. Their guitarist that I replaced can’t tour and has a college career, but still is friends with all of the guys and writes the majority of the material in the band. As a quick background on me, you should know I’ve been playing in about 3-4 bands over the last 7 years, mainly leaving bands because the people I’m in them with have drug problems, money issues, weird personalities. I’ve always moved on because I want this to be my career and with this band I thought I had finally found something that works. I brought them a Trailer, GPS, paid the van insurance since I joined, learned their songs quickly, rearranged my life and school (I go to college online now) and even moved closer so I could work with them. On the day that I said I didn’t know if I could do the band anymore, I had all of the normal tour problems plus they told me their old guitarist back home who is not touring will be recording their next record, so most likely the only money I would see from the band at all was the recording budget we didn’t use to be split up between band members and I wasn’t even going to see that. The other guitarist who is the unspoken leader of the band told me that it was a stupid move and I countered with that I could go play for other bands, because I’m a decent guitarist. I want to stay in THIS band though. He and the band took it as I was doing them a favor and taking what they gave me for granted. I stupidly then said that he doesn’t understand because he’s not the best guitar player and therefore couldn’t go to another band easily. BIG MISTAKE DUDE! So now he wants me out of the band and I’m pretty much stuck here on tour with them while they hate my guts. I didn’t mean it the way it was said, but it was still said regardless. Is there any way I can repair this band? Should I move on? I don’t want to lose friends most of all but cant help but feeling a bit screwed. And at the same time I feel like I shouldn’t have said such cruel things to my friends who gave me an opportunity. Help me dude!

Thanks,
Big Mistake?

Dear Big Mistake?,

Damn, shit can get hot on tour can’t it? Man if there is anyone who knows how to cut into you, it’s your band mates. Being in a band full time means you’re forced to deal with your band members full time. When you’re out there living on tour, grinding it out, you will learn all of your band mates’ weaknesses and neuroses. And although this dude is actually professionally trained in communication skills I still find myself in these types of situations all the time. Bands are like mini family units made of mostly brothers, and brothers do like to take the piss out of each other, and then some. With this in mind you will find yourself on both ends of some dirty comments. Its important to acknowledge that these things will happen and it’s also important to acknowledge that you may be at fault some of the time (how much, well that’s up to you). Its from the base of acknowledging that these altercations can and will happen that you must draw both patience and perspective in order to look at your problem in a way that will move you in a positive direction towards working things out.

Dude, you have yourself a bit of a mess. It sounds like the family structure of the band is all messed up. I have never seen a band have separate touring/writing members (some designated for touring others designated for only recording and writing) and do it successfully. That’s not to say it hasn’t happened, but in my 15 years or so of experience I have never seen it work, not once. Really the band needs to choose between you and the other member who is at home/college, but its obvious they have chosen that member over you, if they are planning on having that member write and record the next record anyway.

In this situation I think it’s in your best interest to bow out. You do have a history of flopping around bands so you should do some soul searching. Do you jump ship whenever it gets hard for bands? I mean all those “standard rigors of touring” are not going to change, they are constant and you will almost always be up against them in one form or another (shit it will probably get even worse!). Ask yourself, is there something about the way I interact with band members that has you jumping bands? You mention drugs and money which are always two ingredients needed to fuck a band up, so chances are you’re probably making the right move each time. It’s just always good to self check yourself. Is there something you can do in future that will make the inter-band dynamics better? You have to be able to ask yourself these questions as well as answer them if you’re hoping to grow as an artist, band member, and person.

It’s understanding (although not in your best interest) why you attacked your band mate (other guitarist) when he confronted you with the fact that the other member would be recording the record. Shit you could have been having the worst day on tour ever and then your boy drops this shit on you, it’s enough to make anyone say some dumb shit in defense. Of course it’s the dumb shit you said that will make it hard for you to see a return on the money you had invested in the band (IE trailer, GPS, etc).

Lets look at a more productive way to solve this problem. You need to communicate clearly! By the way your write this letter it reads like your on tour. Tour is the best place to resolve differences like this actually. It forces you and the other band members to interact as well as have to communicate, this means you have to at least find some sort of comfortable resolution so you can play shows night after night and not want to kill each other on stage. I would get the guitarist (unspoken leader) alone and speak with him one on one. You have to tell him that you understand that you made a mistake and shouldn’t have said you were not longer into the band. You should then apologize for saying that he was not a good enough guitarist. I mean this is petty but its good to acknowledge that you are sorry because right or wrong you definitely shouldn’t say shitty things to your dudes.

After you have apologized say that you understand your not working out in the band and that its clear they would rather work with the other guitarist who is not committed enough to the band to tour full time (that’s their loss). You have to convince him (the other guitarist) that the fair thing to do is at least compensate you for the time you have spent on tour and the other items you have purchased for the band. Now chances are there is no profit from tour, lets face it most of the time there just isn’t. This doesn’t however mean that the band should not pay you back for the trailer, GPS, and back insurance. Those are both separate business expenses that transcend the use of just one tour and therefore you should in all fairness be entitled to full reimbursement for these items. Tell the guitarist that you agree to fulfill any commitments that the band has already, you cant ask for your money back and then cut off their way to make money by leaving. Its really important that you stress that you care about what’s fair and that you care about making things right. I promise if you show you are willing to help them out by helping the band survive they will in turn reflect that by eventually paying you back. Oh did I mention it may take a bit of time to get money (especially for something as big as a trailer)? That’s ok, its just the nature how bands work financially, they are broke most the time.

After you have had your sit down with the (unspoken) leader of the band your going to have to talk to the other members. Again its good to talk to them when they are alone, each person acts differently to stuff like this so its good to have these type of conversations one on one. You need to reiterate to all the members that your not pissed, you are bummed you have to leave the band, but your going to man up have fun on what’s left of the tour and make sure they are taken care of so that they can take care of you.

Is there any way you can repair this band? Probably not, but its not impossible. I have seen bands bounce back from some pretty insane fights. One of the nice things about arguing like brother is that usually shit can be dropped or squashed easily. Most of the time band members grow thick skin to protect themselves and that’s kind of a must for tour life. But I think the real question is your second, Should I move on? In summery, yes I think you should move on. It just seems too unhealthy and unorganized. Its not worth putting all the time and effort to grow a band if your not writing, recording, or at least participating in the musical side of the bands life. In addition, you may be good friends with the band mates but its really not worth putting yourself through the emotional roller coaster of being in a band if they would still rather have someone else write and perform on the record.

Move on take your ambition and find a band that is ready to focus on touring, recording, and playing shows, that’s where all you and your band mates attention should be right now anyway. Good Luck out there.

The Dude

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Dear Dude,

I’m 19 and still pretty much a virgin to the music industry. I play in a punk rock band that I started a couple of months ago. Recently I insisted we start practicing with a metronome every time we jammed. Now we are starting to gig out and I am wondering if you think it is better to use a metronome live? How many professional touring bands have you seen play live to a metronome? And how would you go about it if you did decided to use a metronome live?

Thanks,
Tempo Tyrant

Dear Temp Tyrant,

Using a metronome (or click as I hear it more often referred to) should definitely be reserved for those ready to attend Advance Concert 501. And while it is both tricky and much harder to do then jamming without it, running a click live can give you some distinct advantages.

First, here is my two cents. I have never played in a band that used a click live. Yes, I have experimented with it but almost every time decided that it wasn’t right. The reason I don’t like the click live is for one main thing, control. See ideally the rhythm and tempo of a song should be controlled by the drummer, not a computer or click track. I mean the idea that a song shouldn’t shift tempo here and there is stupid. A lot of modern recordings are done to a click because it just easier all around, not because it necessarily sounds better. Regardless of my opinions, the click is really a useful tool and a lot of amazing drummers use it.

So, here’s the full story. The main reason why almost every professional touring band (I have observed) uses a click is to allow for the addition of samples and backing tracks. Using a click or metronome live is the only way to go if you’re going to be using keyboards, samples, loops, or backing tracks and using a click live will defiantly give your live performance a feel that is closer to your record (that is if you used a click on the record). The click is nice for keeping everyone from speeding up. It’s a common tendency amongst most metal bands to speed up in the middle of their songs so a click can keep everyone under control. This in turn allows the guitar players, bass player, and singer to perform their parts at the appropriate speed. This will hopefully make the overall sound of your band cleaner, and more produced sounding.

Here are some ways to run a click live:

iPOD IT: This is the easiest because it just involves your drummer needing only an iPOD. Your going to need to make an MP3 of the click tracks for every song. You can do that with just about any computer recording program (garage band, Pro Tools, Cake Walk, etc.). Make a playlist on the ipod in the order of the set, if you need to have tempo changes in a song make sure to map it out a head of time and give yourself count in clicks so you will always know where to start. The iPOD technique although cheap and easy is really only good for curing your drummers crazy tempo problems or just keeping the overall tempo of the band under control. If your going to use loops, backing tracks, and samples I suggest the next option.

DIGGI 002 it: On our last European tour the good dudes in As I lay Dying used a Dig Designs (DIGI 002) to run an entire Pro-tools session live during their show. The click is built into the session so along with the drummer being able to hear the click he or she is also given the ability to not only hear but see when the backing tracks and samples are going to happen. This technique also allows for the soundman to have a one designated signal for all these loops and tracks. Using a Pro Tools session like this gives you the piece of mind that the loops and backing tracks will always happen at the same time, same place, and the same way every time. This also allows for the drummer to not have to think about when and where samples will come in (as he or she would have to do if you used some kind of sample machine or other prerecorded sampler). This is not easy and takes time to perfect so if your going to go this rout you might want to make sure you try it out a few times before you try it live.

So what’s my advice for you Tempo Tyrant? Well you mentioned your band is, Punk Rock and now a days that can mean anything. I am going to have to say that unless your playing supper intricate fast punk (IE Propagahndi, Bad Religion etc) you will probably be better off performing live with out a click. Chances are your not going to be using backing tracks and loops, so running the click live will probably be more of a hassle then anything else. As a punk band your probably going to want to have the freedom to change the set list up on a dime and running the whole show to a click will definitely change how the overall set flows. Although I do not suggest you use it live, I do suggest you shred it out in the practice space to the click as much as you can. Running a click with band practice is an amazing way to get everyone in the band to feel the right tempos of the song. By practicing to the click your drummer (and band) will develop better overall natural timing and this will improve the overall sound of the band without making your drummer slave to the click!

The Dude

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Dear Fellow Dudes and Dudettes,

This week we have been making much needed improvements and updates to the Ask the Dude site. Although these improvements might not rear their head for a bit you can rest assured that the dude will be back next week with more advice and help for all you rocker’s grinding it out!  

Dear Dude,

First off HUGE fan!

I play in a Psychobilly band. We had to cancel the last 3 practices because our guitar player went out of town / anniversary / Lyle Lovett. Now he’s saying that he doesn’t like the band anymore and doesn’t feel like were going in the “direction” he wants. He claims, “were too hard to be a Psychobilly band.” When it’s he that writes most of the songs. He would rather play Honky Tonk Rockabilly and as of last month started drumming for a band that plays that style but only does covers. Anyways what do you think we should do, besides break his face?

Thanks,
Psychobilly Freak Out!

Dear Psychobilly Freak Out!

First of all breaking his face is not an option, physical violence against band members no matter how drunk, high, or angry the parties are should never be entered in the equation. With that out of the way, I can say there have been more then a few times I have wanted to “break some faces!” Music is personal, music is emotional, and music involves artists injecting part of themselves into the overall product. These three things can lead you to think emotional and irrationally about the predicament of your band. So lets try to tear away all the emotional garbage and take a look at this problem.

Ok, the main fact here is he is the main songwriter. This causes a huge problem for you and the other band members if he wants to leave. Its funny that he says its not going in the direction he wants it to while he is the main songwriter but thats not uncommon. I mean maybe he just doesn’t understand the style you really want to do, or maybe it just seems different to him when your band jams, or maybe its because he would rather play drums then guitar and not have the burden of songwriting on his hands. Whatever the reason (and I am sure I could list 10 or 15 more) his heart is not in it anymore and he is choosing to walk away from the band.

Now you are confronted with a choice. Let him leave and break up, or replace him and move on, The one thing that is clear is the current band climate is not working. So what’s The Dude’s advice? I say let him leave. Tell him you wish him luck and hope to play with his new band some day. There is no reason to fight his leaving. If he is not going to practice and doesn’t feel the music it will be a waste of time for to go forward with him. But this does not mean break up? Shit it’s just a minor bump in the road. You know how many band members I have had to replace? If I had a dollar for each time I could retire and just write advice for free all day! I have seen other bands go through major line up changes and still survive.

My advice is find another guitarist who understands the style you’re trying to rock. Shit replacing a guitarist is the next easiest thing to replacing an amp. Hopefully you will have no problem finding that dude who will fit in. I know it seems scary but move on, and most of all don’t give up. It’s a tough road but, you can and will survive, for those who try to rock, I salute you!

The Dude

Dear Dude,

My band just finished recording a full-length record and since it’s our first and we are unsigned, we have printed 300 copies of it independently. We have booked a big CD release show with bigger signed bands in a large local venue. We have enough CDs printed to last us a while, but we’re stuck with the hassle of having to get everything pressed and packaged at our expense. We’re attracted to the additional organization, promotion and “backbone” that a label can offer us, but the few deals we’ve been offered don’t seem proportionate to the amount of work/money we put into this record. What do you think the best approach to formally releasing a record in this day in age? Do you think it’s worth singing with an indie label that’ll “loan” us the CD printing, but take a lot of our profit and get us slightly better tour packages? Or do you think it’s better to keep it DIY until we find the “perfect” deal, without the hype factor and resources that a label has to offer?

Thanks!

Unsigned and in a Bind

Dear Unsigned and in a Bind,

This is a very interesting and complex question. In an effort to answer this in some kind of reasonably short fashion let me just preface what I am about to write by saying there is no one correct way to release a record (regardless of the era or state of the music industry). Different bands choose different paths and, just for the record, this Dude does not judge. That being said to DIY or not to DIY has always been a burning question. In 2008 a lot of the rules have changed and doing a record on your own can be both profitable and easily obtainable. So lets dig in!

I’m afraid there are really two questions: one - what do I think the best approach to formally releasing a record in this day in age is, and two - what do I think you should do in your current situation. Since the latter is more important, I’ll just get the first question out of the way. I believe that in the 2008 music industry climate current artists can have success releasing their own material or playing the music industry game. It’s almost an open market, I have seen bands have success both ways and both have their advantages. With the exception of Fugazi, I have yet to see a band self release material and sell more then their contemporaries who are signed to labels (sure bands like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are self releasing records but these bands have already reaped the benefits of the label game). At the same time I can tell you for a fact that I would have made more money in the long run if I had not signed to a record label and rather self released all the material. So, in a sense you have to pay to play the game. Both have their distinct advantages but this brings me to my answer and more importantly my advice for you. My suggestion isn’t to pick a side but rather play both games. I think that the best way to grow a band in 2008 is to follow both routs and in turn use the strengths of both systems.

Look, you already have your record recorded, laid out, and pressed. You even already have a CD release show set up. At this point a record label can’t do much for you except promote the release. Honestly you could hire an outside promotions company to do the same thing and probably make more money. The real thing you don’t have that a record label can offer is distribution. You are not going to be able to get those CD’s in “real” stores and honestly it really shouldn’t matter that much at this point. To me the CD is a dead medium. You got to start thinking MP3’s if you want to move into the future and get your record up on the internet! Release it on iTunes, Music Exchange, or shit, even build a way to buy it right of your myspace page! You have to make that record available to as many people as possible, and with no record label involved you have to cover all the basses yourself. As a DIY artist the MP3 digital version of your record is way more cost effective. Think about it, no more pressing CDs, its all virtual and that means a bigger profit margin for your band.

I think your best bet is to continue playing shows and selling your self produced record while also pimping the music out over the web . The worst thing you could do right now is sign to a record label out of desperation. This has been the downfall of many a band. I say take your time, keep playing shows, sell your own product, and most importantly create that buzz! Because it’s that buzz that is going to attract a record label who will offer you a deal to do it right.

Don’t be afraid to do things for yourself in the beginning, you may just find the skills you learn are going to help make your band bigger but also keep you from getting taken advantage of later. There are many advantages to being a signed band and working within that world. You mentioned touring that is probably the one place that being signed is the most helpful. Not to mention the built in promotion that comes with record labels advertising your band along side of other established bands. But it’s by building your band, its fan base, and its integrity that you will be able to survive and take advantage of the things you will be exposed to and offered when you start playing the “signed band” game. The DIY skeleton you build is going to work as a base for everything forward and your going to need it to survive life under the iron fist of a record label.

The Dude

Dear Dude,

My band recently started touring more and although I love it to death it has really been taking a toll on my relationship with my girlfriend. At home we talk and hang out all the time, everything is cool. But as soon as I go on tour it gets ugly. We get into a lot of fights on the phone and I find myself even dreading calling her now. I was wondering how do you juggle your life at home (specifically calling your wife) while on tour? How do you make a long distance relationship work when your never in the same place and working all the time? Do you think I should break up with her or is this something that band members go through all the time? I know this are weird questions but I hope you can help.

Thanks,

The Touring Gentleman

Dear Touring Gentleman,

Keeping your relationship alive, healthy, and most of all positive, while on tour is one of the hardest things to do as a touring musician. I have watched many a rock star hide behind a trailer all night or lock themselves in a bathroom stall for that 5-hour long argument with their significant other. There is so much temptation on tour and even the idea of that temptation can drive your girlfriend/boyfriend to madness while they are at home. The most important ingredient is trust. Having that means communication is not the whole battle, its just one part. You have to make sure that your significant other trusts you and you trust them. It’s a big step in making a relationship work while on tour. This means you can’t cheat on her, you can’t fuck around, you have to be honest and stick to it. This also means that if you ruin this bond of trust you may just doom the relationship forever. The same is true for her. You must have defined and clear lines of what is ok in your relationship and what is not. Its going to be different for every couple but it is very important to take the time before you go on tour to define the parameters or your relationship. I can honestly guarantee if you address this issue before you go on tour your overall communication skills and overall relationship will be better.

I am going to admit that along with the following advice you’re going to need 3 big servings of understanding, patience, and most of all trust. These three attributes are a must to making any relationship survive life on the road and are crucial to the process. But lets get into specifics.

Designated Call Times: Born of the payphone, this is a technique that my wife and I used before the age of cell phones. That being said it’s still a nice technique and can even be applied to the cell phone/internet generation. Chances are the two of you will be on totally different schedules while you’re on tour, and it may be difficult to find a time when it’s good for both you of you to talk. Phone tag is something you definitely want to avoid. It can breed insecurity, and the last thing you want is for her to think you don’t have time for her. So, try setting designated talk time. Think about your next day in advance and pick a 20 to 30 min window that you know you wont be driving, loading in, sound checking, sitting at the merchandise table, setting up before the show, etc. I’m telling you, if you give her an idea of the next time you will talk then all that uneasiness or worry will slowly dissipate. Relationships work well when they work consistently well so try to make those calls consistent. Remember to call when you say you will, and make sure you have the time you promised available. It’s the consistency that will keep her at ease when your on the road. In this instance consistency shows you value her time and will build trust. Coincidently it works really well when your international and need to keep that phone bill to a minimum. So, Mr. Touring Gentleman start working out designated times you can talk and stick to them. I guarantee you will see things get better fast.

Embrace the Electronic Age: Personal communication is a booming field. The rock Gods have blessed us with Skype, the iphone, Black Berry, instant messenger, video chat, oh and my personal favorite, the international cell phone plan. All of the above (plus the three more techniques that just got invented as I write this) have become tools to help keep our ever globalized world expanding. It has brought personal communication to a new height and it us up to you to use these tools while on tour. Video chat is cool but usually involves needing both of you to be online in a quiet place at the same time. This is sometimes hard. Skype, ichat, and Internet phones are nice and cheap. I see many a touring musician using these more and more often. The Black Berry phone is in my personal arsenal. It allows you to do Black Berry to Black Berry messaging free anywhere in the world anytime. Instant messenger is a must, its great while your working in a loud areas or doing work on your computer while on tour. Anyway what’s my point? Well it’s to start embracing all these communication outlets in order to make sure your home your life doesn’t get neglected. The world becomes a smaller place every second, and as a touring musician you need to use this to your advantage every step of the way.

Make sure she has a life of her own: Now this may seem harsh, but this is actually a major problem I see in most unhealthy relationships on tour. You don’t want your significant other to be living vicariously through you. He or she needs to have his or her own goals, ambitions, and aspirations. Otherwise its just the YOU show and that can get old real quick. The most unattractive quality a girl can have to me is laziness. You can’t let her get so wrapped up in your life that she forgets about her own. You need to encourage her to have aspirations and goals, as well as a strong social network. I know one of the main things that helps my wife, when I’m away from home for long periods, is her friends and busy social life. Equally you have to make it clear to her what your goals and aspirations are. I mean, if she knows you’re out there slumming it so that one day you can do this or that professionally, then it’s clear you have a defined goal your working towards. Damn, in two minutes you can go from loser musician to dude who is following his dream, and hopefully it will be contagious. If she realizes you have a plan for the future she will want one for herself. This is going to take time and work but it is essential to having a healthy relationship on tour. In fact I can state that every healthy relationship I have observed on tour is between two individuals who both have clear goals and are striving for success together as a couple.

Should you break up with her? Dude that is a complicated question to answer in one email response. I can tell you that every good relationship goes through tough spots, and every good relationship involves work. But let me say this, a good first step would be to evaluate your relationship based on the above information and then take steps to try and work on those things. Ask yourself, do I do the best job in communicating regularly? Is trust an issue in my relationship? Do both members of the relationship have goals and direction that help both remain focused on the bigger picture of life? These are all hard questions but they must be asked. By forcing yourself to work on these components of your relationship you will find it will help your growth as a couple and as individuals, and it’s this growth that will make for a strong enough relationship to survive even the longest tour.

The Dude

Today is the opening day of Darkest Hour’s tour with legendary swedish thrash metal gods At the Gates. Needless to say my young jedi powers are needed this week in order to take care of all things rock related. Never fear, the thrash metal partying and stage diving will not stop the letters from a flow’n. I’ll be back Monday July 14, 2008 with some new advice to help all you dudes out there Get R’ Done!

Dear Dude,

I’m playing my first live show at the end of August. The one thing I’m worried about is live tone, mainly the low end. Now, I’ve come to learn first hand the size and material a room is made out of can affect your tone. I’m planning to take written diagrams of all my equipment’s settings to dial it all in once at the venue. So due to the dramatic space increase will the house PA help level the playing field or do I have to reset everything to compensate for a larger area?

Thanks,
Live Wire

Dear Live Wire,

Live sound can be a trip, especially dialing in that perfect guitar tone. I have been on a 15-year continuous trip to find that perfect live guitar sound and to be honest I’m real close. Over that course of time I have spent a lot of money on expensive gear, blown up a few amps, and of course embarrassed myself many times. What’s come of all these years of searching? Some funny stories and a little bit of knowledge.

Yes, you will have to adjust everything to compensate for that larger area. You may have it dialed in to sound sick in your basement but taking your rig to the stage is a whole new monster. Your guitar amp is going to have to be turned up (way louder then you proabaly normally play in your house) and when that volume gets loud the whole amps sound shifts.

There are several factors that are just out of your control when rocking a live concert. You already commented that the size, and material a room is made out off, will affect the sound. This is true, however the number of people in the room, the material and size of the stage your playing on, and the quality of the house PA will have have an equally heavy impact on your overall live sound. I like to call them the wicked seven: stage size, stage build, room size, room build, PA build, and PA set up. Have I missed anything, is there one more factor? Yes, there is. Is it something you can control? Well maybe, but you just have to watch how much Jack Daniels it has access to. What could I be talking about? A soundman.

Having a trained and competent soundman is must for any serious band. I see so many touring and nationally recognized bands who miss this detail. They just go on tour with their million dollar rigs and think, “fuck it, it has to sound good.” A soundman is the single best investment you can make in your band’s overall live sound. And a bad soundman can make your show a disaster no mater how stoked the crowd is or how great your band is playing. So, get a soundman. The best way to find one is to talk to the house soundman whenever you play a show that sounds good. Most of the touring soundmen I know started out by doing house sound for national bands and having that one band say, “dude, that shit was sick want to come on tour?” Maybe you can’t afford one now but dude, the minute you find that soundman who can make your band sound good, hire him or her! It will be like buying a million amps that never seem to get paid off, but it will sound better and that is worth the money.

Ok, so your band isn’t Metallica and you can’t afford a soundman (although come on if you can’t afford one either you’re too cheap or you just haven’t looked hard enough). So here are two stepts you might want to follow to get the best out of your live situation:

First, make an input list and introduce yourself to the house soundman. This is going to seem hard but dude just draw or write on a piece of paper what is going to be on the stage (its called a stage plot in the pro world) but you don’t have to do anything fancy. Take this info as well as the info about what exact monitor mix tweaks you will want (For me I always say: “Stage right guitar needs, kick, snare, vocals, and both guitars at equal volume.”) and give it to the house guy. Be nice and be friendly because this soundman holds your whole show in his measly little underpaid hands.

Try to be clear and friendly, if it was Darkest Hour and we were playing a local show without a soundman I would say:

“Hi, my name is Mike and I play guitar with the band Darkest Hour. I just want to let you know what we have on the stage tonight to make it easy on you. We have two guitars one on the left one on the right. Bass is placed stage left and has a DI and Amp signal. Our drummer has a kick, snare, rack tom, and floor tom. And lastly, our singer needs a straight stand and only one mic in the center of the stage.”

Make sure you end by saying thank you, again take it from a man with experience, don’t get into an argument with the house soundman before you play, its like pissing all over a judges robe before getting sentenced!

Second, keep your bands stage sound under control. After you have introduced yourself to the soundman I would just make sure the band all plays at a level and even volume (in other words don’t try to have a volume war with your band or the PA) you have to keep your sound and the entire band’s sound even and simple because the house soundman who doesn’t know your band or music is running the show. Make sure everyone’s tones are clear and that there is no buzz or noise coming from any of the gear.

A good place to start for that live tone is that sick tone you’ve already dialed in. The tone I start with live is always the same and its the tone that I can jam with at home. So start by using those settings you talked about but don’t worry about charting it out. Instead use your ears and hear what it needs. You may have to do this on the fly but the more you practice the better you will get. Just remember you probably only need to adjust your tone knobs a few degrees either way.

Live sound is tricky and it’s an art. It takes a lot of hard work, time, and most of all experience to really get those tones dialed in the way you’re used to hearing them at home. But don’t be discouraged I have played millions of live shows with soundmen I didn’t know and they were fine (were they as good as when I had engineers I have known run sound, no, but did we survive and have a good time, yes). In the end live sound or really playing guitar live is about the audience. So make sure you put on a good show and have a good time regardless. In the end its not really about whether your sound was as killer as the one time I saw Van Halen. It’s about whether or not you and the audience had a good time, so dial that guitar sound in, buy that soundman a shot, and have a good time because your first live show only leads to your next!

Thanks

The Dude

Introducing our resident Gear Guru, Aaron Deal. Aaron is a close personal friend of The Dude, and long time rocker, with over 15 years band experience on bass, guitar, and drums. As assistant manager and sales associate at three different (MD and VA) Guitar Center locations over the last 7 years, he is no stranger to music gear and it’s applications. Aaron is also highly skilled in the arts of home recording, guitar/amp maintenance, repair and modification. He currently plays drums in Salome and holds down the bass in Nitro Tokyo. Aaron is not only a killer fellow dude, he also knows his shit and is someone that even The Dude seeks advice from.

Check out his first addition to the site here.