Gigging Solo: A Guide

[@jonwanrocks]

preparation is KEY. "if you have one of something you have zero. if you have two, you have one"

[@KyleMillerMusic315]

This video was so helpful I have my first paid gig next week and I can't wait

[@shlxng1787]

How was your gig ?))

[@TheIcanntspel]

My first paid gig is this month. :)

[@AndrewWilliams-bm9ik]

@@TheIcanntspel me too!

[@budgetguitarist]

Every so often, I come back here and rewatch the video for a refresher. These are really good concepts.

[@m17434]

Thank you Tom Robinson! I am a fan of you and your music. More please! I work as a busker singing 4 -5 hours per day, six days a week. Your videos are helpful.

[@AidanMooreacoustic]

From someone who has been doing this a long time and learned many of the useful tips the hard way, this is an incredible resource for people coming into the industry

[@mikeddarren]

Exelent thank you 35 yrs entertaining and I only knew 10 %

[@TimDoyleMusic]

Oh, how I wish I'd had this video 40 years ago. I knew all of this, but I learned it the hard way. To those of you just starting out....Tom Robinson is 100% on everything he said. But let me add just one more: NEVER wear a watch! Nothing looks crappier than an entertainer looking at his watch. It looks like he/she has better places to be. Thanks for a great video!

[@stratstart]

Excellent video ! Thank you!!

[@gerrydivermusic]

This is brill Tom! Really really good

[@kaleolaniahlo]

I have found sometimes the space given to you to set up and preform due to the gigging area is limited to an area thats not what it should be, but with a little thinking and common sense you can make it work . yes never ket let the lack of area no matter how small get to you, you just make it work for you.

[@bryanquarrie6820]

I must say - he did look cool with those shades 😀

[@DavidLee-hj2sw]

Absolutely brilliant

[@babblybird]

this really helped me.

[@nonny6990]

Just discovered you - how brilliant. Thank you for your help and advice :-)

[@KolussuslifeKB]

Great stuff. I'll definitely save this one to one of my playlists.

[@ianparker5007]

I also suggest an acoustic amp and good pickup (not piezo!!) if you are using acoustic. This will give you more control over your sound.

[@RobertsPianosHouston]

This was great!

[@rosshorne4769]

Helpful video, thank you

[@JUSTherejustME]

I've greatly appreciated this talk. Very helpful. Thank you .

[@mikogale]

this is so amazing!!

[@milliewilliams7976]

I have an image no matter whether people see it or as good or bad its pretty hard not to notice me I really miss my music groups I've shared this post to my friends who actually have talent x

[@TroyNaumu808]

I wear shades. They are prescription.

[@terrywitzu7874]

He says, "It takes Preparation", and the chick's taking notes! If anybody consider's this...did he say change your strings? Before a show? Yeah, you guys do that. In fact listen to EVERYTHING this man has to say. Don't forget to change your strings, though. They sound best right after you put them on, so...yeah, later, Tom. Thank's for the guidance. :\

[@johnanderson2320]

terry witzu ya if they stay in tune. Hahah

[@GDJ113]

He's talking about submixing through your own mixer to compensate for the in house PA and lazy tech I think

[@noahmcnabb5681]

Disagree, I'm not a fan of the way new strings sound until they've been played for a few days

[@GDJ113]

Some really great simple advice there...but then you started rapping and now I'm confused and scared

[@andrefjbernardo]

If music stands out you will stand out.

[@AdaptivePhenix]

Excellent advice....I would add/change only one thing....ditch the acoustic. They all sound the same at pub gigs.....shite! You can do so much more with a proper electric with no rattling and buzzing :)

[@spiderlab2526]

Agree. I play a Taylor T5Z thin body Fhole - so much more versatile - plays like a Les Paul and sounds like a great acoustic.

[@AdaptivePhenix]

@@spiderlab2526 *VERY* nice guitar, thanks for the tip.

[@steffanbull4671]

Bring your own beer or you will spend your wages... get a pint of tap water for free , drink this immediately to hydrate ready for your inevitable hangover, then pour your own bargain booze in to the glass at the back of the stage so as not to offend the venue.

[@dunkman393]

Great advice, but please relax on the editing.

[@roxylipz2672]

His guitar sounds awful. But the Ted talk was nice

[@johndhastings2465]

I started gigging again pre-Covid, mainly open mics. Just me on stage, sometimes with backing tracks , often singing a cappella. I love singing for the audience, not "at" the audience. Some great tips here, thanks Tom., can't wait to start singing live again!

[@damien6685]

I have no idea why this clip appeared on my recommended lit, and I inwardly groaned when I saw how long it was... But I'm so glad I watched it Now going to send the link to a few people I know Stunning stuff

[@chlorine5795]

ALL HAIL THE ALGORITHM LORD.

[@stevekujo7466]

Thanking you Tom. Great advice for everyone performing. We need this for every venue and band that want some impact. Cheers & beers .. Kujo in Tennessee.. 👍😎

[@LonskiBig]

...Great point at the 1:29 mark..."Find your OWN voice".....seldom mentioned but good point...

[@AndyMcH]

This was a great watch. I remember back in the 90s Tom came to one of my band's earliest shows and gave me equally fantastic advice.

[@michaeltritter2743]

In the midst of growing into solo gigging and there were just so many gems in this half hour it was truly a master class. Thanks much!!

[@higgnbe]

great presentation you did us a great service

[@ClassicGuitarRockJFL]

this was a great video! Thank you!

[@chadandrews98]

Very good! Bring an extra U Haul trailer in case the first one with all your other extra stuff breaks down.

[@daverosewood4459]

Really great material for performing artists old and new. Thank you Tom!

[@marshlanderdumarais264]

Just seen this. I’ve created a special playlist so I can find it again. What gems of information! Thank you.

[@AdaptivePhenix]

And why does a solo performer insist on screaming out the lyrics....as if bashing away on an acoustic guitar provides the equivalent of a full band? Always sounds ridiculous to me.

[@stevekujo7466]

P. S. Tom, love the added pick guards! Continued success..😊😎👍

[@rafaelgomez1989]

AWESOME TIPS...the 4 C's ...& the BLACK BACKDROD a GREAT ADVICES...the BAD VISUAL ASPECT is a MAJOR OVERLOOKED PART of many PERFORMANCES

[@rickkaylor8554]

Lots of really good advice. I picked up a few pointers for my own solo performances.

[@andrewvelasquez79]

A couple songs I sing make me rather emotional in the moment. Often to the point of tearing up, voice cracks. . How do I keep going when this happens?

[@PaulWilliamGibson]

Some very valuable advice here.

[@DIFRANCOValter]

"The 4 c's of performing: commitment, conviction, connection and communication."

[@enaugle1]

Thank you so much, some great ideas!

[@axel.lessio]

You absolutely crushed it! I've been performing with bands for over 14 years but only recently started performing solo and this video is incredibly useful and full of great advice - and awesome music, too. Cheers! Axel.

[@stephenlennartz3466]

So much great information here! I completely agree with the vocal microphone recommendation. I've been performing a long time now--guitar, keys, lead and backing vocals. About five years ago I started singing lead on more of our material--mostly through a Shure SM57 microphone cuz that is the mic I've always used for vocals ... even back in high school (long time ago!). A couple years went by and my 'voice' became a more critical part of our show. So I went on a tone quest to find the best mic possible for MY voice. I reached out to a well known local audio engineer ... shared my goal ... and met him with 6 or so mics that he had in mind for me to try. Also ... I had a fellow - musician whose ears I trust join us for the audition. Honestly ... I was ready to invest up to $1000 or more--given that the lead vocal is arguably the most important part of a show. Thankfully ... I didn't have to spend that amount. After trying a few mics that were just o.k. I auditioned the Sennheiser e865 condenser microphone. BINGO! Wow! Should have done this years ago. This mic captures the clarity, resonance, and sonic range I was after. And ... its under $300! Please note that I use this mic for live performance ... not recording. It may or may not be the right mic for you ... but I would encourage all who take their singing seriously to consider this process. This microphone has been a game changer for me! Not that it makes a difference to me but I believe this mic is/or was Ed Sheerhan's 'go to' mic for live performance.

[@jesseyrad1647]

I was right about leaving d stage quick while still being applauded. It was back n d 70' 80's 90's till early 2K's... Now im busking... cant do that anymore cz i got to fix up my gear. A busker cant have a roadie. It wont look good.😎

[@TroyNaumu808]

I wear shades. They are prescription.

[@stirlingstark1983]

Used these techniques last Thursday at my very first open mic at a bar full of people! Very helpful as it was a success! Mostly haha Still a few wrong chord changes.....

[@nicgalano854]

Thank you sir

[@ElGordo2497]

Dude at the end sounded like Michael Jackson

[@tatjanaelevate]

A nice good quality track can bore ?

[@gerardwolfe]

Very true. The amount of money I spent on gear, and the hours I spent on practice and time. The sound guy puts out what what he/she thinks works for the venue, bit you show is what works for the performer

[@LukeDayInTheUK]

Have to correct something: He said not to change strings right before the gig because they'll go continually out of tune. My advice: You only need to learn to stretch them by hand!!!! ...the strings won't go out of tune because the stretch will defeat the elasticity.

[@jessegaronband]

some excellent points. However next to being well-rehearsed your sound reinforcement mix and EQ is crucial. Never ever turn your mains towards the center of the stage even slightly so that you can hear them, sonically they cancel each other out in front of the stage making your sound thin. EQ your acoustics so they sound rich deep bright and bold. Not the rubber bands going over a cardboard box.

[@dleifmon]

Great Vid... Thank you sooo much. With your help I'll be changing the way I set things up for sure...I've got a daytime job and I'm doin' alright (thank you very moooch), and I been playing out small time for long time now and I never really gave much thought to my bar stage, but I'll be making some changes now .. Can't thank you enough, Cheers!

[@LindaMckenziemusic]

Great advice!

[@ianparker5007]

Nice, but going into a club and telling the sound guy to make all these concessions with their pa is not going to work.. they'll tell you to screw off. Pick good engineers if you can't provide your own. Treat them well and they'll do the same.

[@TomRobinsonMusic]

fair point well made Ian - thanks!

[@Phaseband]

Excellent as always! The world needs more of such talks Tom!

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

Out of curiosity, does anyone ever make To Kill a Mockingbird jokes around you?

[@acharich]

Many excellent points there Tom, thank u..! 🔥💣 - @Acharich

[@caylan8095]

Helpful overall.

[@MikeSarge]

Nice! You simplified this out really well

[@zambonimusic]

Hi Mr.Tom, simply FANTASTIC!

[@dan-o6457]

Thank you for sharing this. Great info and perspective!!!

[@TomRobinsonMusic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jonjeffries3265]

My gig is not a "show".. dinner house guests.. I'm background music.. occasionally they will tip me n thank me for playing at a low volume to where they can actually hear each other talk..

[@aishwaryasridharan4377]

Thank you for your talk! It was so entertaining and pertinent to this day!

[@denisepitter]

Fantastic advice. I will be taking all of this on board. :-)

[@bunskilabonskiwashtubfun9841]

Hi Tom, I play vibraphone, washtub bass, sing w/ keyboard for chord changes. Love "Get into the zone." BTW, I created a channel so people can see what I do, to land solo gigs. It worked! Your suggestions keep me coming back, to improve the look and sound of my set. Thanks!

[@kingleonidas9672]

So glad I came across this. Thank you

[@SpanisGuitarBest]

EXELENTE, BENDICIONES

[@ragebait988]

Amazing advice. if not only to make better artists who follow his advice.

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

The man is a legend.

[@MickBrownFolksinger]

Wow that was such a fantastic talk by a master teacher, thanks so much Tom for sharing your wisdom on stagecraft in such a wonderful and effective way

[@KyleMillerMusic315]

Dude went zero to 100 real quick at 23:05

[@alamooji3716]

This is goooold!!! Thank you sir, God bless yoo

[@weeds5358]

Thanks Tom. your a real life line to us down in the thick of it. great info. My Band is called the WEEDS. were gearing up to send you our Amazing song end of may time.. Getting our focas day organised. and setting up activity around that date ready for when you play it!..Keep an ear out. Your a good man TR. Pete.:)

[@TheSingingDoctor325]

This was excellent information and it was so nice to see you really care about the people in the audience.

[@ARIDFooL]

curly watts after life on the cobbles

[@deelnoorahmed2670]

you got me laughing straight away you got me hooked thank you

[@carimabdala]

This is awesome material, thank you so fucking much

[@762mark]

Thank you Tom that was a great presentation with some great advice...thank you mate!

[@NoLefTurnUnStoned.]

Thought this might be a bit "naff" Brilliant Talk

[@Ender99999]

who took a sip of water after hearing this? 10:33

[@partner348]

60 minute gig...really? Where are these venues? I'm in the Tampa Orlando market, and the restaurant/bar scene gigs are 3-4 hours.

[@MelodyMaker]

U.K. A better organized U.S. venue would have more performers per evening.

[@SofoniBeats]

Connecting with the audience was a great tip to give for an artist

[@LavenderFieldsForever]

The guy in the front row at 11:47 is that vegan rapper guy I swear! 😁

[@milliewilliams7976]

All I can do is sing so I guess I should do karaoke of my favourite songs including yours not to infringe on copyright am I allowed to do that and put my expression on the tracks please let me know x

[@kvlen5767]

You shouldn’t be copyrighted for performing other people’s songs unless you’re trying to sell a recording of it. That should be fine

[@wardstudios771]

remember for the guitar you can change the strings a day before the gig if you wanted to I change and cleaned my guitar yesterday which is Thursday and have a gig sunday for solo guitar/backround music. the important thing is to get the strings to the right tuning when you change them and to stretch them out with your fingers and keep tuning it and repeat the stretching until they don't go out of tune.it also helps for me that I have a $3000 taylor acoustic guitar. make sure you get a good sound its so important. also ive had a string break once, one time I had the piece break where plug the guitar in (where you can put a guitar strap on for acoustic).but I had a backup guitar with me and it saved the day. if you ever break a string in the middle of a performance keep going whatever your doing don't stop until the end of the song people will find that impressive. even if you have to improvise something completely different. I actually broke a string twice now that I remember. I was 19 years old(26 now) and I just stopped the song. a man right by me said why did you stop just because you broke a string. when I do backround music/solo guitar I have my sets written on paper with a variety of styles of music.if you do solo guitar its also a really helpful skill to be able to improvise on the spot.i have a gig where I play for 4 hours straight for a brunch at a fancy place. at this gig I now play every week and basicly they got rid of all the musicians before me because im a virtuoso guitar player and bring fans just to see me play acoustic fingerstyle/ loop pedal jams. you know your good if people tip on their way out or people constantly telling you how much they enjoyed your music your amazing! also and I cant stress this enough have business cards at least! make them look professional.put them on a mini table by your tip jar(if the place will allow you to use a tip jar).I use Vistaprint for my cards. if you do great or amazing a lot of people will ask for them as they tell you your awesome I loved your music. have backup strings,guitar, cables, I always bring 9v batterys for my acoustic guitars and more. just think of anyway you can be as prepared as possible. be desirable and show the person paying you why your the right choice.also do not be late ever, or cancel a performance.thats why I get continuous gigs.so many musicians are lazy and cancel.only cancel if its an emergency.ive only canceled one gig because my dad was in the hospital for a heart issue. most people will understand.and when I came back the next week people were asking how my dad was. if your really really good like I am remember to be humble. and always work on your craft.also stretch your fingers everyday or they will become weak and ache. Thanks for the video it was very informational. I just thought of adding my experience to help others. also if your just starting out your going to be nervous its normal. as you keep playing out it will go away and you'll get maybe a tiny tiny bit nervous at worst. o and after thanksgiving start playing some Christmas music people will love that.im just giving my advice on my personal experience. I also appreciate this video its very helpful. good luck everyone!!!

[@dougmac444]

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge, much appreciated

[@aaliyahserafina9366]

21:58 yeww THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO SIR

[@samwheelock9743]

Very nicely done

[@CamRebires]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@LuisRodriguez-lv5vf]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@Jimmerz75]

Great video thank you for the info.

[@michelaser]

Thanks, good ideas are always helpful

[@sarah_k_kreative]

Spectacularly helpful insights!

[@JoshElliottMusic]

Pure gold!