How to structure gigs.

cocoshovel

Hey all, I'm currently playing in a band nearly a year now and we're doing quiet well for ourselves with 1 or 2 gigs every month, many of these in pubs etc. I was just wondering how to structure our set lists because we are really unorganized when it comes to this. Should we introduce ourselves at pub gigs or just bust into the first song then introduce ourselves once we've gotten peoples attention. We usually take a 15 min break half way through our set list but I was thinking would maybe it be better to play straight for about 2 hours then take a 15 mins break, come back and replay 5 songs or something?
Also where and when to put the slow songs and the upbeat songs etc

We're all new to this so it can be a bit daunting sometimes. It would be nice to get some advice from more experienced people.

drumdrum

Well, in my experience you go by the singer. Keep the songs with the bigger notes near the start of the set so that the singers voice wont have worn out by the time the song comes around. It sticks out like a sore thumb when you hear someone trying to reach a note but their voice just isnt there.

Most singers are lucky to get 40 minutes of good singing per session before their voice deteriorates so keep this in mind when structuring gigs....and go easy on your singer too! No one can last for 2 hours straight without some serious training and experience..... their instrument is only human after all!


As for taking breaks, well IMO if you are a covers band its ok to take a break halfway through the set for 15 minutes. If you are an originals band, then maybe shorten your set to 90 minutes and do the walk off stage then return for an encore thing. Dont take a 15minute break halfway if you are an originals band. None of the big bands do it for a reason. If you have the talent in the band, let the band leave for a few minute while the drummer or guitarist does a short (2 minutes MAX!) solo. These are tricks that the big bands do, but be careful about pulling them off as it can make you seem pretentious if not done right.
Or what I've seen done before is the drummer does a short solo, then the singer and guitarist return for an acoustic number. Afterwards they are rejoined by the rest of the band....

There are no "right or wrong" things really. Just make sure that whatever you do, don't bore your audience....

cocoshovel

Thanks for the input. Yeah we usually try to keep the singer's voice from wearing out, but the pubs that ask us to play are pretty demanding, some ask for us to play for 3 hours + and we just cant do that. We can do 2 hours max if we drag it out. We're mostly a cover band but we recently wrote 1 original so I dont know if we're going to expand on originals or what.

Skulduggery

Hi Coco,

I have to disagree with drumdrum on getting your singer to kick off with the upper range vocal songs. I would certainly start your gig with an impact song, just to let people you know you're there esp in pubs when a lot of the punters dont really care, but a singers voice actually gets BETTER as the voice opens up which in my experience is normally 20 mins to 30 minutes into the gig. You can damage a voice by forcing it too much when its effectively cold. I took some singing lessons a few years ago, which helped my breathing and projecting of my voice. This has allowed me sustain my vocals for a two hour gig and Im a one man band. I do take a 10 minute break in the middle so I stick on my ipod to keep the musical continuity going. Sometimes the punters dont even know the difference!!! Your singer could of course do some scales with their voice before the gig but that might not be something he/she wants to do. That would certainly make it easier for them to kick off with a big song from the getgo.

On the 3 hour gig thing, thats an enormous amount of time to play gig for. Ive never heard any publican expect that. Maybe if you were doing a wedding or something but apart from that, tell them to take a flying leap!!

Anyway I hope your band does well and these days it seems to me that you really have to sell yourself to get into venues cause there are a lot of people out there trying to subsidise their wages(or dole) so best of luck. If you're good, you'll do well anyway.

drumdrum

Skulduggery wrote: »

Hi Coco,

I have to disagree with drumdrum on getting your singer to kick off with the upper range vocal songs. I would certainly start your gig with an impact song, just to let people you know you're there esp in pubs when a lot of the punters dont really care, but a singers voice actually gets BETTER as the voice opens up which in my experience is normally 20 mins to 30 minutes into the gig. You can damage a voice by forcing it too much when its effectively cold...

Just to be clear, I completely agree with this. I did say "near" the start, not "at" the start. Anyways, my point was really dont expect any singer to be hitting all the high notes with perfect clarity after 2+ hours of singing.

Also 3+ hours!!?? Thats a mad long set no matter who you are!!!
In that case then a 15 minute break in the middle would be essential!

Savman

drumdrum wrote: »

Well, in my experience you go by the singer. Keep the songs with the bigger notes near the start of the set so that the singers voice wont have worn out by the time the song comes around.

To each their own, but generally I find the opposite to be true. Vocal chords are fragile and should be treated as such.

Skulduggery wrote:

but a singers voice actually gets BETTER as the voice opens up which in my experience is normally 20 mins to 30 minutes into the gig. You can damage a voice by forcing it too much when its effectively cold.

Good advice tbh.

Supes1

I sing and drum at the same time, and I find that it's better to warm up the voice first, instead of kicking straight into a high octave tune, plus a break is ESSENTIAL

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cocoshovel wrote: »

Hey all, I'm currently playing in a band nearly a year now and we're doing quiet well for ourselves with 1 or 2 gigs every month, many of these in pubs etc. I was just wondering how to structure our set lists because we are really unorganized when it comes to this. Should we introduce ourselves at pub gigs or just bust into the first song then introduce ourselves once we've gotten peoples attention. We usually take a 15 min break half way through our set list but I was thinking would maybe it be better to play straight for about 2 hours then take a 15 mins break, come back and replay 5 songs or something?
Also where and when to put the slow songs and the upbeat songs etc

We're all new to this so it can be a bit daunting sometimes. It would be nice to get some advice from more experienced people.

Hi,
what we do is 2 hours straight, no breaks unless its a birthday party, where they want a break for cake/photos....
Always open with a popular few songs, that everyone is comfortable playing. We have our first 3/5 songs straight into each other, then maybe a 30 second break, singer ad a bit of banter with the crowd while guitars and bass have a quick tune.
For a 2 hour set, you need to open strong, have a strong few in the middle, and you last 40 mins should be very strong, i.e. every song should be bigger and more popular than the last if you know want i mean. leaving the crowd demanding an encore. we have some acdc, killers, KOL in the last few, they never fail to please a crowd.
always leave the crowd wanting more, if they want an encore, and the only song we have left isnt that popular, dont play it and dont encore! let the crowd's last memory of ye be them wanting more! we usually encore with killing in the name (like every other cover band :rolleyes:) because people go crazy for it, and no other song in our list can top it, so it has to be last!

last bit of advice, dont be too loud. this will drive people out of a pub, and if ye drive people out of pubs ye wont be getting gigs there again.

hope this helps

stingray75

hey there coco...

i've been doing this for a quite a while now so here goes...

2 one-hour sets. group songs into banks of 3/4 that go well together - genres/categories. take 10-15mins between both sets for the sake of the vocals.

first set. open upbeat with 2 banks of 3/4 songs....finish with your 2nd best bank of 3/4.

second set. open with 1 bank of 3/4....now is the time for a few slow ones...then finish with 3rd best (usually some classics) then best bank of 3/4. if your last bank has songs that can run into each other then all the better...

and try to keep it interesting for the in-between parts of both sets.

you're basically looking to start well, steady the ship and then crescendo toward the end for both sets, but double up at the end of the gig.

enjoy...