This is for people who are starting, attempting, PLAYING writers nights, open mics, talent nights, contests, Auditions, etc.
BE AWARE OF YOUR TIME!!!!!
It happens all the time. You have a particular time slot and tell all your friends, family, social media, etc. that this is when you are going to be on. Many show up even though they have WORK (that thing we used to do) in the MORNING. They all get a table (or tables) and are ready for your big shot. Then, the writers BEFORE you, start going on and on about how they wrote the song, where they are from, their philosophies on life, etc. Some even order drinks WHILE ON STAGE.
THEN…. They launch into VERY SLOW, LONG SONGS, THAT JUST SEEM TO GO ON FOREVER. The next person…SAME THING! And you start seeing this over and over and over. Long pointless stories, songs that just don’t end, guitar solos into something that really doesn’t NEED a guitar solo.
DON’T BORE US GET TO THE CHORUS!
Before you know it, you are an hour late, your audience leaves and you are playing to…TABLES AND CHAIRS!!!!!!
This is a HUGE DEAL. My first cut came at a quarter to one in the morning, when I was the FIRST TO SIGN UP FOR THE NIGHT! The “featured guest” brought 15-16 of their friends and all left. By the time I was on…THREE PEOPLE were left in the bar. Luckily, one was the roommate of someone in the music business, got a tape of my songs, and BOOM led to my first cut on SHELBY LYNNE! That, in itself, is another VERY INTERESTING STORY I’LL SHARE SOMETIME. But it REALLY devastated me that night.
Over the next few months and years, I found myself playing night after night, with PACKED HOUSES, OFTEN WITH RECORD LABEL PEOPLE, PRODUCERS, PUBLISHERS, and a WHO’S WHO OF VIP’S IN THE INDUSTRY. Since I was on later in the evening, the VIPs had left, before I even GOT ON THE STAGE. That experience taught me to be on time, ready to play and allow the others after me to have their time.
As time has gone on, it has gotten more congested. More and more people trying to do this, thousands more for any open slots, and far too many, are VERY NEW TO PERFORMING solo in a writer’s night. ONE INSTRUMENT, ONE VOICE. And now, we see newer singer/songwriters spend too much time talking (maybe nervousness – be self aware) Because of social media, people feel they can go on and on and on, and they CAN’T! The attention span of the LISTENING public (not to mention the other people on a show), is very limited So you will BORE THEM VERY EASILY. So, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OF THIS to NEWER PEOPLE DOING THIS, AND EVEN SOME OF THE OLD PROS WHO JUST NEED REMINDING.
TIME YOUR ENTIRE PRESENTATION!!!!!!!!!!!
With each song, you have a maximum of FIVE MINUTES (intro AND song). So if you have a set-up, or story, TIME IT! Whether it’s a story or an extended solo, which are not recommended for songwriter nights. CUT PARTS OF THE SONG! Don’t do extensive musical parts unless you have an accompanist. And if you have a solo portion, KEEP IT SHORT! Keep intros and turnarounds (the places between verses and choruses) to a minimum. And FOR GOD’S SAKE, DON’T JUST KEEP PLAYING OVER THE SOLO SECTION!!!!!! When you just play the same chords over the same patterns, the same way, IT JUST GETS BORING!!!!
Present your songs like you would to radio or an audition. At the Bluebird, you have ONE MINUTE!! Contests about THIRTY SECONDS!!!! And the audience has about a thirty second attention span.
Now there are exceptions to every rule. The “FEATURES” (those that have cuts, hits, deals, artists, are known to THEIR PEERS as credible and entertaining) are expected to tell a little about the writing process, a little about their careers how they got to where they are, how songs got “out there”. This is normal and actually is what a lot of people want, because they one day want THEIR SONGS and THEIR CAREERS UP THERE TOO. So having an INSIGHT into the workings of the industry, is important.
Even sometimes when you have multiple people onstage who write together, who are climbing the ladder, who might have Industry people in the audience, a little leeway can be given. BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ON EVERY SONG!!!! If you have a special “set-up” section in a song, CUT SOME OF YOUR OTHER SONGS A LITTLE SHORTER. BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT!!!! (I didn’t write that…Yet.)
And RESPECT THE OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR ROUND! Everyone is trying to get their songs in. So be aware of all the time, make sure you are tight in your presentation. Try not to play the SAME THEME song. If someone does a song JUST LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO PLAY, you might have to switch. It happens. Might have to shift your order a bit. If you need to TUNE, have an IN-LINE TUNER, or turn your volume off and do it QUIETLY.
CHECK YOUR BATTERIES BEFORE YOU PLAY!!!!!!!! I have to learn this the hard way all the time. AND I KNOW BETTER!!!! HAPPENS TO ALL OF US!!!
OPEN MICERS
The open mic is the FIRST STEP you have in writer’s nights. Usually at the end of the night, people have to arrive early SIGN UP, or go to a web site or phone number the day of the show. BE PREPARED TO WAIT IN LINE. That’s all part of PAYING YOUR DUES!!! BE READY, GET ON STAGE, TELL WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU’RE FROM, ANY SHORT MESSAGE, AND PLAY YOUR SONG!!
You mostly just get one song on the open mic! If you want to play more…GET GOOD!
If they are at the END OF THE NIGHT, the HOST, THE STAFF, THE AUDIENCE IS WORN OUT!!!!! Keep that in mind.
BE IN TUNE - KNOW YOUR PLACE - GET ON STAGE - PLUG IN - KEEP IT SHORT - BLOW THEM AWAY!
If you can HIT HARD with a mid to up tempo song, JUST DO IT!!!! You are going to get more chances… I promise!! So go on, do your gig. Remember LESS IS MORE!!! TRY NOT TO SUCK (Billy Joel advice)!!!
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