Some thoughts on solo performance...?

[mojobone]

I've cut lots of different gigs, and solo gigs are the hardest, particularly in bars. (perhaps if only because it doesn't seem appropriate to be loud enough to get drunk people's attention as a solo) Then there's the 'restaurant wallpaper' gig where the last thing you should do is try to call attention to yourself; hey, people are trying to eat. It presents a number of challenges, among them, finding someone else you can blame when a show doesn't go well. Then there's the wearing all the hats challenge; you're not just the rhythm section/accompanist/singer/announcer/utility infielder, you are also the soundguy/booker/manager/agent. There's a lot to learn, but you can learn a lot. It helps if you're a 'glass half full' sort of person.Putting together a band can be an exercise in networking before you even try to book; depending on your style, it can be difficult in the extreme to find even a few like-minded individuals with similar musical goals, and it often seems as though the larger the talent pool you're in the more tiny subgenres it's fragmented into, so negotiation comes into play-another opportunity to learn a new skill set! Whether to use backing tracks comes down to personal choice and, to some extent, the tolerance of the audience for your particular brand of audio damage. I think a performer is really only limited by their own creativity and imagination, these days, 'cause the technology is up to just about any task you can dream up. Here's a clip of a former bandmate who's doing quite well as a solo, with occasional supplementary musicians on larger gigs-I told him about MIDI sequencing some years ago and he ran with it.





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[elser]

I think it's the ultimate expression of what it is to be truly an entertainer. You won't have any of the typical places to run to if something falls flat, can't blame it on the drummer or the soundman. You have to be on the mic all the time and doing your best to capture these people's attention whether it's the loudmouth who's getting obnoxious and trying to make her group of friends the center of attention, or helping the guy who just spilled the drink all over his table and now he's embarrassed but you still want him to have a great time. It's something like a classroom teacher relation ship where the class will try to mutiny but if you are able and I'm sure you are, you can capture that room by the force of your personality and then entertain them with your musicianship. I think you should try it at least to get a better gauge of who you are as a performer.I've tried it and found out that I don't have the ability or desire to try and entertain a room on my own. I make a pretty animated and visible side man and I'm happy in that role. But if you think you might make a good solo artist, go for it!

[cmrmurray]

Some interesting stuff in this thread.Before my latest band I played solo for a while. Lots of my music didn't work well with one guitar and vocal, so I guess that part of the experience varies hugely depending on what you're doing. And I tended to be lumped into this 'singer/songwriter' type of circuit just because I was a guy with a guitar, which shelved me rather insensitively with people trying to be James Blunt and Damien Rice when my sound was somewhere between Mark Lanegan and Grandaddy.I found solo performance excruciating compared to band performance, which causes me much less stress - probably because there's less focus on me individually.Glenn's link is useful. The house concert idea sounds good although I'm sceptical about how much you can build your profile with 'private' events, even with word-of-mouth acting in your favour. Throughout the industry opinion seems divided over how much you need to gig - some say all the time, as much as possible, others disagree. It is expensive and potentially heartbreaking to play all the time, for no profit, to few people. My band is presently trying to play a few shows a month in good venues (as opposed to contemporaries who play more frequently, but do more middle-of-nowhere bar gigs), hoping that quality of event will win out over quantity. We'll see if it gets us anywhere.- Chris

[ddusty]

Mar 8, 2009, 7:58pm, ggalen wrote:ggalen said:So solo acts are only for acoustic instruments? Solo artists can't do rock and roll? Rhythm sections are off limits?Rhythm sections are welcome, rhythm tracks are "off limits". Jokes aside,Backing tracks can work ok in some situations (although personally I disdain them completely), but to me they are best left for cover music, be it the bar gig or the wallpaper gig.Many of us have played these kind of shows to pay the rent, and there is nothing wrong with these kind of shows.I am trying to keep the discussion relevant to Southpaws original post, in his situation where he wants to Quote:"communicate my stories and have them resonate with people on an emotional level. I want to get out on the road to meet people, share who i am, understand those around me and really inspire and have an impact on my fans.."To me (and this is just one man's opinion) If you are trying to go out and showcase yourself as a songwriter, leave the backing tracks at home. Play solo or find a band. Backing tracks are so sterile, and can not play to the room at all, even inexperienced musicians will instinctively get louder or quieter if the gig calls for it.A band is one of the hardest things to keep together, especially as we get older and life get's in the way. I am 40 years old and I play in a number of bands, plus I have a day job. It's hard. but it's worth it. Robps - or if you really need to play two parts at once, just keep practicing, check ou this guy-





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[ernstinen]

Hey Rob,Ouch! That's so good it hurts! It sure would be nice to be able to fingerpick like that (and have big hands to boot!).Who's that guitarist that plays his guitar on his lap and hammers everything with both hands? Can't remember his name.I saw Jeff Healey live once, and he plays guitar on his lap, but picks with his right hand. Pretty amazing, too!This video isn't the greatest quality, but it sounds pretty good:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoBHag7ykh4Ern

[suzdoyle]

Preston Reed is one guy that does two hand hammer on guitar playing. He gave a workshop in town once. It was very impressive!

[ernstinen]

Mar 9, 2009, 10:05am, suzdoyle wrote:Preston Reed is one guy that does two hand hammer on guitar playing. He gave a workshop in town once. It was very impressive!Thanks, Suz! Yea, I think that's the guy I was thinking of. Pretty interesting and creative technique!BTW, I'm sure you guys probably know this, but Jeff Healey is blind. Makes it even more astonishing!Ern

[sgs4u]

This guy is interesting.

[ddusty]

Yeah Ern, I've always been a fan of Jeff Healey, great player.Steve, that kid is great, the first video i saw him do was this one

[mojobone]

Okay, jes' one more. This is our local guitar hero, and the main reason I don't do solo shows anymore. It starts a little slow....