Now that I'm back on the live circuit, (okay I know I'm only one gig to the good, but, I need all the bolstering I can get) I am reminded of that regular occurrence in the live musician's calendar - The Gig Day Ritual. When I played in the covers band, this consisted of making sure that I had every lead, connector, fuse and screwdriver known to man. We always supplied the PA at our gigs, as, 9 times out of 10, the venue was a pub. You see, most publicans have very little in the way of a musical ear and are only interested in how many punters you can drag along to their sticky carpet emporiums. Oh, how we used to chortle during a sound check when said landlord would shout "Three, Four" after each of our "Testing One, Two's". I once shouted "Testing, One plus Two" and still the reply was a hearty "Three, Four". Contrary to what those THX people on every sodding DVD would have you believe, the audience is not listening.
The Solo acoustic gig is different. The PA is usually provided and the only two essential items I need to remember are; my Guitar and, Me. It's sort of like the Musician's equivalent of "Wash and Go". Goodbye set lists - Hello spontaneity! I'm heading out for another slot at the open mic tomorrow night and I have no idea what I'm going to play, and, more to the point, I don't want to know. That's not to say that I'm not nervous. I am, but, it's a " I can't wait to get up there" nervousness and, that, for me, is nothing short of a miracle. Unfortunately, for my old sparring partner, it's also the sound of someone shouting "Taxi for Mr Low Self Esteem".
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