Gig Gab - The Working Musicians' Podcast

In this week’s episode, Dave and Paul dive deep into the challenges musicians face when putting a substitute musician on stage, delving into the nuances of finding a reliable sub for extended periods.. The hosts also explore the concept of truly “knowing” a song, highlighting the dedication and depth of […] The post It Doesn’t Work! – Gig Gab 384 appeared first on Gig Gab.

In this episode, Dave and Paul explore a diverse range of topics, from loud crowds to reminiscing about the COVID era. They also delve into the fascinating realm of band dynamics and take an exclusive peek behind the scenes of Natalie Merchant’s current tour. Additionally, discover some exceptional gear recommendations […] The post Listen To The Universe (and The Music) — Gig Gab 383 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Welcome to the Gig Gab podcast, hosted by Dave Hamilton and Paul Kent. In this episode, they discuss vocal warm-ups, email marketing, and microphone reviews. Let’s dive into the details. Vocal Warm-Ups At the beginning of the podcast, Dave and Paul talk about the importance of vocal warm-ups before a […] The post I Want More E-Mail! – Gig Gab 382 appeared first on Gig Gab.

The NAMM conference is the ultimate destination for music enthusiasts and professionals alike. In this week’s episode of GigGab Podcast, hosts Dave Hamilton and Paul Kent are joined by guest Dan East to discuss his recent experience at NAMM 2023. The hosts begin the show by acknowledging that NAMM is […] The post Digging (Into) NAMM 2023 with Guest Dan East — Gig Gab 381 appeared first on Gig Gab.

When was the last time you just hung out as a band? When bands are touring, this happens all the time. Wedding bands often find themselves spending more time hanging out than playing, just because of the way the schedules often work at those kinds of events. But most bands […] The post Sharing The Tea Leaves — Gig Gab 380 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Welcome back, Gig Gab listeners! In this week’s episode, your two favorite weekend warriors, Dave Hamilton and Paul Kent, dive into a musical journey that spans centuries and explores the exciting innovations shaping the future of the music industry. Happy 400th Birthday, Zildjian! We kick off the episode by celebrating […] The post The Sound of Progress – Gig Gab 379 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Have you ever wondered why the stage holds such a special place in the hearts of musicians? Join two of the most passionate weekend warriors around as they delve into this topic and explore ways to protect this hallowed ground. But that’s not all! Dave found himself in a sticky […] The post Ethical Gymnastics – Gig Gab 378 appeared first on Gig Gab.

What do you do to ensure you’re always able to entertain an audience? Performing is great, but entertaining is the goal. Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through this from a few different angles, both as performers and as audience members. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the […] The post Always Be Entertaining — Gig Gab 377 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Sometimes Paul says, “Always Be Performing.” Ok, he always says that. This time, though, Paul says, “Raise Your Damned Prices!” As working musicians, we need to figure out how to raise our baseline pay. Sure, some of us have figured it out for our specific gigs, and obviously the touring […] The post Raise Your Damned Prices! — Gig Gab 376 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Last episode, your two favorite weekend warriors talked about the bliss that is a good monitor mix. This time, they might have stumbled upon a secret to repeating that! Listen as Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton talk through not just monitor mixes, but song choices, musical evolution, Ticketmaster, and much […] The post Hey, Leave Those Gains Alone — Gig Gab 375 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How much leverage does your band have? Do you check your Messenger? Does your band reserve dates months in advance? More importantly, how are these questions related? Well, your two favorite weekend warriors cover all three of them this week on Gig Gab! Listen as Paul and Dave share their […] The post Eight Years of Bending Your Ears – Gig Gab 374 appeared first on Gig Gab.

Of course you’ve had to cancel gigs, and of course you’ve had gigs canceled. But did you feel the same about each of those scenarios? Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their feelings on cancellations, and how they affect reputations, in general. Dave had a last-minute gig come up, […] The post What’s Your Band’s Fungibility? — Gig Gab 373 appeared first on Gig Gab.

There’s no greater compliment for a musician than having someone catch the subtle things that happen on stage, and the bartender at The Midway Cafe caught all that and more this weekend. Listen as Dave shares his tales about the gig, and yes, that includes the follow-up to Gig Gab […] The post The Gmail Story — Gig Gab 372 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How competitive are you when it comes to booking gigs? When another band gets a gig you want (or used to have), how does that land for you? Listen as Paul and Dave talk through their thoughts on this. Traveling around the country (and the world) as your two favorite […] The post No Drama The Day of The Gig — Gig Gab 371 appeared first on Gig Gab.

If you could go back in time and give advice to your band, what would it be? Listen as your two favorite weekend warriors talk through a lot of your thoughts and answers to this question, and they share some of their own, too. But first, Dave saw a band […] The post Play Dive Bars! — Gig Gab 370 appeared first on Gig Gab.

It’s winter…how is your band’s momentum doing? Are you making yourself seem active even if you aren’t? Listen as Paul and Dave talk through this concept and share some ideas they have about keeping your band active even if you aren’t playing quite as many gigs as usual. Then your […] The post Don’t Be That Guy — Gig Gab 369 appeared first on Gig Gab.

How do you figure out what each harmony line (or guitar line, or drum part) is in songs you’re learning? Listen as Paul and Dave share their processes — and a new app! — for doing exactly this. First, though, your two favorite weekend warriors go through their recent gigs — and cancelations […] The post Dissecting Songs — Gig Gab 368 appeared first on Gig Gab.

“If you’re going to do something that affects other people, be a good dude and talk to them about it.” These wise words from Paul Kent shape today’s discussion. Listen as he and Dave talk through various forms of musician etiquette, both on-stage and off. Plus, some tips about both […] The post The Etiquette of Music — Gig Gab 367 appeared first on Gig Gab.

It turns out it might be worth taking a minute to stop and think about how you discover new music (and new shows) to gain some insight into how your fans might do the same. Paul and Dave go through this exercise together and share some of the revelations they’ve […] The post Discovering Music In Today’s World — Gig Gab 366 appeared first on Gig Gab.

You know how there’s that difference between knowing a song on paper and knowing it in your lizard brain? That can make a big difference in terms of how things go in the mayhem that we call gigs! Listen as Dave and Paul talk through this from a few different […] The post Barn Burners, Door Splits, and Sunday Gigs — Gig Gab 365 appeared first on Gig Gab.