Couverture de Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

De : Dave Hamilton & Friends
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 Welcome to Gig Gab—the podcast sanctuary for working musicians and anyone fascinated by the vibrant, often unseen world behind every note played on stage. Whether you’re a musician, a member of the crew, or just someone who loves peeking behind the curtain to discover the secrets of live performances, you’ve found your tribe.BackBeat Media, LLC 2026 Musique
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    • Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse

      Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse
      Feb 16 2026
      You kick off this week with Dan Ray by reframing failure as a tool, not a verdict. Instead of obsessing over the “vanity listen” after a gig or rehearsal, you do the check-in listen and extract the lesson. You learn to fail fast the right way by making small bets that generate real data quickly, including testing demand before you invest rehearsal time. That mindset carries into band direction changes and the leadership realities that come with them: different people want different levels of ownership, and the job is to be a benevolent dictator who listens widely but decides cleanly. You also get practical about managing public perception and egos, taking cues from bands that protected the brand by being intentional about roles and visibility. Then you dig into Dan’s origin stories and the nuts-and-bolts that keep working musicians moving: starting a band young, landing monthly gigs, and learning obvious-in-hindsight lessons like not running a vocal mic through a guitar amp. You hear how scrappy tools like a Tascam 4-track can solve real problems, why running a PA from the stage demands discipline, and why the room you rehearse in changes what you think you’re hearing. From there it gets wonderfully nerdy with quick hits that matter in real life, like using low-pass filters aggressively and remembering that time alignment starts with where sound sources physically live. You close in the feels with theater life and the emotional punch of closing night, a reminder that the tech and the business serve the same goal: show up ready, stay present, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 521 – Monday, February 16th, 2026 February 16th: National Rationalization Day 00:02:08 Guest co-host: Dan Ray Last visit: July 19, 2020 for GG 265 and CBC 100 00:03:23 Having a productive relationship with failure Failure can a lesson you lean intoAfter gigs or rehearsals: the check-in listen vs. the vanity listenFail fast the right way: “make a bet” by setting up something that you can quickly get data from 00:08:47 Transitioning a band’s direction Dan’s Big in the 80s band 00:10:10 Test your market before committing too much Book the gig before you rehearse the songs. Make sure there’s demand and interest. If not… move on! (You failed fast!)Cover Band Confidential 00:12:52 AI solves the blank page problem – use it often!00:14:28 Leading bands (and people) Be ready for people who want to engage with different levels of ownershipLearning how to be a benevolent dictator… but also learn to be the leader, and the decision-maker, the ultimate arbiter. Don’t do it in a vacuum, but I’ll be the last word.The Pork Tornadoes are a democracy-ish. But decision-makers are pre-decided by a healthy division of labor.Learning to manage the public perception of your band (and your egos) like R.E.M. and RUSH did. 00:22:37 Do you name your band after yourself?My Thanks to Our Sponsors 00:25:09 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today and get 50% off Claude Pro, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit Claude.ai/giggab00:26:50 SPONSOR: Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with flavorful and nutritious ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Visit FactorMeals.com/giggab50off and use code giggab50off for 50% off! 00:28:38 First kid in high school to start a band Grew out of the school-run rock bandDecided to play some originals and covers at home, and got a gig!The school librarian booked them monthly!Lesson: don’t put a vocal mic through the guitar ampTascam 4-Track cassette recorder to use as a mixer 00:33:27 Dan Manages the PA from the stage We rehearse in a 15×20 indoor, climate-controlled storage unit 00:36:32 Quick Tip: Use Low Pass Filters on everything00:37:35 Time Alignment: A reminder that sound source locations matter Check out the 16-minute mark of this episode with Robert Scovill for more 00:40:36 Having theater kids Stagelights in Greensboro, NC 00:43:05 The emotions during closing night in musical theater00:50:12 Gig Gab 522 Outtro Follow Dan Ray @DanRayMusician@CoverBandConfidential Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagramfeedback@giggabpodcast.comSign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse – Gig Gab 521 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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      53 min
    • Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story

      Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story
      Feb 9 2026
      You jump into this episode balancing the reality of working gigs with the mindset that keeps musicians moving forward. From Dave’s recent experiences playing atypical rooms with Bitter Pill to cramming new material for Casual Gravity, you’re reminded that momentum matters even when the crowd is small. Always Be Performing is not about scale, it’s about consistency. That theme carries straight into the conversation with Laura Whitmore, whose career has been shaped by connecting people, creating opportunities, and knowing when to pull back just enough to build a sustainable life alongside the work. As Laura walks you through the birth and growth of the She Rocks Awards, you hear what it actually takes to build something lasting. It started small, grew through trust and partnerships, and evolved by treating the event like a show, with pacing, flow, and intention. You dig into what real visibility looks like, how to define success on your own terms, and why borrowed platforms are never enough to build a career. The takeaway is practical and clear: start with a big vision, set measurable goals, build community deliberately, and own your audience. This episode is a reminder that longevity comes from intention, preparation, and showing up with purpose, gig after gig. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 520 – Monday, February 9th, 2026 February 9th: National Pizza Day 00:01:00 Dave’s Gig Updates Playing atypical venues with Bitter PillLearning new songs with Casual GravityAlways Be Performing…even for the small crowds! 00:17:10 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB.00:18:34 Guest co-host: Laura Whitmore00:22:20 The love of connecting people and making things happen00:23:08 Pulling back a little…to have a life Backstory in partnership with Guitar World and Parade 00:26:28 The green room at The She Rocks Awards is the ultimate networking event!00:29:33 The Birth of the She Rocks Awards Writing a women-in-music blog at Guitar World, realizing the women in music didn’t know each other… yet!Started as a breakfast (with sponsors…the cheapest meal of the day!). Orianthi performed, serendipitously.After two successful years, NAMM invited She Rocks into the event officially, and The Bangles performed.“You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’re challenged and take that leap of faith.” – Laura Whitmore 2026 was the 14th year of She Rocks Awards. 170 She Rocks Awards have been presented in the last 14 years. 00:34:51 “Is this ever going to come together?” is scary Reframe it with “how is this ever going to come together?”It takes a village, folks! 00:38:12 Having good partners helps00:38:59 Create the event for yourself as an audience member That way you’ve got a stake in how it “feels” to attend, which means the audience is represented 00:41:16 Assembling the featured women Nominations at TheWimn.comCrafting the arc of the night by slotting the right people at the right spot. It’s a show! 00:43:49 Managing the flow of the night She Rocks Awards YouTube Channel 00:46:58 People whose names became known after they were on She Rocks Queen Herby (as Amy Heidemann)BeachesPRS Guitars brings in the opening act, with a fantastic Artist Relations team 00:49:40 Defining valuable visibility What’s your end goal?What are your metrics? What defines success?For your band, those might be: Did I get contact information?Did I build on success that I had before?Did this exposure opportunity help me grow to a new place/level?Start with big vision, small goals 00:54:16 You don’t own social media platforms, so don’t leave your audience there. Facebook used to let you message all your followers. Used to!If your audience is a subset of Facebook’s audience, that’s not your audience. Give them a reason to give you their email address.Gather those email addresses.Keep those pieces of paper – scan them! Spam laws might require you to prove it! 01:00:18 Gear Gab! Laura Whitmore is Sr. VP of Marketing at Positive GridSpark practice amps (with an app!)Project BIAS X – Standalone or Plugin 01:07:36 Designing high-quality technology for a market with a budget01:13:02 Gig Gab 520 OuttroFollow Laura Whitmore Check out TheWIMN.com (sign up for the mailing list for free!On InstagramOn LinkedIn Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagramfeedback@giggabpodcast.comSign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story – Gig Gab 520 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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      1 h et 14 min
    • Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026

      Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026
      Feb 2 2026
      You walk into NAMM 2026 thinking you will just wander and see what grabs you. You leave reminded that wandering works best when paired with a plan and a willingness to torch a few sacred cows along the way. This episode is a fast-moving field report from the floor, where the real takeaway is not just gear but mindset. You hear why talking with people matters more than chasing booths, why listening beats pitching, and how staying flexible turns a chaotic show into a productive one. NAMM rewards curiosity, but only if you stay intentional and remember that Always Be Performing is not about being loud, it is about being present. From there, you get a tight rundown of what actually stood out. You hear about clever mic and monitoring solutions, portable PA ideas that punch above their weight, smart tools for managing stage volume and feedback, and electronic drums and keyboards that feel less like compromises and more like real instruments. There is a clear throughline here: gear is getting smaller, smarter, and more musician-centric, solving real problems instead of adding features for the spec sheet. By the end, you are not just caught up on what Dave saw at NAMM 2026, you are thinking differently about how to approach shows, stages, and decisions long after the badges come off. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 519 – Monday, February 2nd, 2026 February 2nd: National Tater Tot Day NAMM Coverage Sponsors Ultimate Ears ProEarthworks AudioRock-N-Roller Carts 00:02:23 NAMM Guidance Wandering is fun. But have a plan also.Be ready to abandon sacred cowsTalk with people… share and listen 00:05:11 DPA Microphones on the Yamaha Stage00:13:12 JBL BANDBOX Solo ($250) and BANDBOX Trio ($600)00:18:37 D’Addario IR Mic Mute00:21:05 Card Chords00:24:55 UE 350 from Ultimate Ears00:27:57 Sensaphonics IEM dB Check Pro00:35:27 Efnote Electronic Drums Efnote 3 (with optical hi-hats) – $2,49900:36:52 KickPort KickTone Pro microphone00:40:12 Alpha Labs De-Feedback in action00:43:57 Nord Electro 700:46:27 Allen & Heath Qu-500:49:49 iCON P1-M (on Amazon)00:52:31 QSC CB1000:55:21 Gig Gab 519 Outtro Thanks to Parthenon Huxley for today’s outro song. And thanks, Hux, for everything you gave us all while you were here on this earth!Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagramfeedback@giggabpodcast.comSign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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      1 h et 2 min
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