Should I go for it? Asked to play.

Mischief · #1 05-18-2016, 09:00 AM

Well I got a phone call tonight hat I was not really expecting.
There's a local country music festival in my town. I've played a few open mics and some guest sets. I really enjoy playing and thought I would like to play a busking position in the down town.

So I sent an email about 6 months ago and about a week ago I followed up as I had not heard back.

Tonight I got a phone call and was tentatively offered pay to play and the organizer asked if I would play in the shopping center main stage too. I suggested just the street performance and am waiting to hear back if she has approval. I think they maybe short on country artists this year and she may want me to play one of the main stages.

Here's the thing. I'm still tied to my tablet and a rookie. I have 2 weeks till show time. I really want to get out and start playing but I also don't want to disappoint people.

I get compliments when I do open mikes and although mistakes are sometimes made I can recover okay. The open mic I play is 30 minute sets. I realize everyone starts somewhere and at some point you have to jump in. I also realize getting a compliment at an open mic where the bar maybe set low is different then at a more professional setting.

So I'm happy to play a busking position. I'm worried I maybe asked to play a more featured stage. I'd be happy to do it but not sure I'd be good enough for that.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts. Especially about people's first festival experience or first professional appearance etc. any advice etc.

Should I just spell it out to the promoter that I may not be good enough for a featured stage and risk loosing the busking position (Which is actually a paid position but on the street)?

Here's some samples I quickly recorded a little while ago just testing different mikes find them below.

Should give you an idea of my level. But again I use my tablet but am able to lookup and around at the people.
Thoughts?

https://soundcloud.com/user-30307877...vil-and-me-vox

https://soundcloud.com/user-30307877...kiid-guitar-di

https://soundcloud.com/user-30307877...if-im-still-in

https://soundcloud.com/user-30307877...une-ribbon-vox

https://soundcloud.com/user-30307877...est-record-vox

Recording Mikes; 3U 47fet Warbler MKIID (LDC), 3U Cm-1 teal 251 style matched pair (LDC), Golden Age MKIII (active ribbon), Interface Focusrite Scarlette 18i8.

Live use.
Sennheiser 935e Dynamic and some nock off Sm58's.
TC Helicon Acoustic play FX pedal as Guitar and VOX DI.
Behringer 1020FXUSB mixer
Single Yamaha DBR-10 speaker
Portable battery/mains operated 6" PA 30WRMS busking speaker that can double as powered monitor or fill speaker.

Guitars Pono L-30 12 fret Parlor #2 size equipped with Lyric
Cort mini earth 100 with Fishman pickup
50's vintage unknown name 12 fret parlor
Ubass mini bass with active pickup

JonPR · #2 05-18-2016, 09:52 AM

I think if you've been asked to play (and you're being paid!) you should definitely go for it - both venues. Just focus on your most confident tunes, and don't let yourself be persuaded to play for longer (30 minutes if you're good with that). For an unknown act, that's probably more than enough anyway. You can play the same set at both venues. Of course, if you get showered with praise and people yell for encores, you may want to have something in reserve...

If the organiser doesn't know you (I assume she's heard some of your music?), the main stage slot will probably only be a low key one anyway, maybe at or near the opening. She probably just wants someone who's reasonably OK (reliable, sings in tune, etc) to fill a spare slot. (Maybe someone pre-booked has pulled out.) For the busking gig, 30 minutes of tunes is more than enough, even if you have to play for a lot longer, because the crowd will be changing all the time and you can repeat stuff. You can't do that on a stage gig. So you obviously need to know how long the slot is: 30 minutes or less, great - pick your best tunes, obviously. If it's more than 30 minutes, don't say you don't have enough tunes! The professional thing would be to stick to 30 minutes, or ask for more money. (I'd be surprised if it would be longer than 30 minutes.)

The last thing you should worry about is whether you're "good enough". She must believe you are, or she wouldn't have asked. (She doesn't have to believe you are great, or any better than you are - just competent enough to fill the slot. Which you are - your stuff sounds great.) Keep up the open mics in the meantime, polish that set you have.

SFCRetired · #3 05-18-2016, 01:42 PM

Probably need more information on exactly what type of festival this is and how many are expected to attend.

Some festivals are small town with smaller crowds and they may just want a fill in for a time spot and aren't concerned if you are Nashville ready. others are much larger that feature and require a more seasoned performance.

If it's the first, I say go for it. If it's the latter I may bow out. I think you have plenty of potential, but you're not seasoned for the latter type of performance. If that makes sense.

Also get a more balanced set ready if possible. Those songs you posted are all the same thing to people in a crowd. At festivals people usually respond better to a more uplifting type of music and maybe a ballad thrown in.

Good luck.

My ex wife and FIL once played at the Everly Brothers festival talent show. My fil could pass for Chet Atkins on the guitar and my wife (ex) has the voice of Dolly Parton. That was a tough crowd. In my mind we were better than any of the folks that participated but didn't even place, and then one of the judges made a comment. "could have been tuned better" Well son, we were tuned, get the wax out of your ears.

I haven't played much as a solo act but when the three of us got together we were usually given high praise. Except that one time. I think the problem was our song selection in reality. I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen. We played 3 songs that she wrote which were good songs, but nobody had ever heard them. We played at a place that had weekly shows with different entertainers each week and we were usually one of the stars of the show when we played there.

Oh, and there were people from Nashville trying to make it in the business who came up and played as well. But in reality, we were still better. It was the song selection. The guy who actually won first had a CD, although not marketed much, and he sang about Momma. Momma always wins.

Kray Van Kirk · #4 05-18-2016, 03:42 PM

If you've been offered positions, by all means - accept them!! It is the responsibility of the booking manager to make sure you are appropriate for the slot. Don't try and second-guess them or yourself - prepare absolutely as best you can, and then plug yours nose and jump in!! Performance slots can be extremely competitive, and I'd advise not turning them down when they are served up so nicely. :-)

Mischief · #5 05-18-2016, 04:35 PM

Thank you for the responses.
Just for some clarification. Those songs are not my set list just some songs I did to test some mikes. However I do a lot of them like that and I agree I'll have to mix the songs up and do more uplifting ones. Although they will be newer songs to me.

Regarding the festival; it does draw some players that play venues around and are popular. But it also has unknown artists of varying degree. There's a lack of country singers around here being in Australia so they have even expanded the festival to include blues.

Crowd wise could see a few hundred at the shopping center plus all the people milling around. Downtown stage slots might see 30-50 people plus all the people milling around. Street spots maybe 10 people plus people milling. I'd say the festival makes the down town town swell up by a few thousand but there's markets and lots of other things to see.

I know about 50 songs so no worries about having enough except they are mostly slow to medium songs. I'm a sucker for them and every time I say I'm going to learn a faster song I think of another classic that's slower and end up learning it.

I'm sure I can select a number (maybe half)of more upbeat songs and try and keep all songs diversified to make up a 30 minute set.

Dang I wish I could play my songs all from memory......

Recording Mikes; 3U 47fet Warbler MKIID (LDC), 3U Cm-1 teal 251 style matched pair (LDC), Golden Age MKIII (active ribbon), Interface Focusrite Scarlette 18i8.

Live use.
Sennheiser 935e Dynamic and some nock off Sm58's.
TC Helicon Acoustic play FX pedal as Guitar and VOX DI.
Behringer 1020FXUSB mixer
Single Yamaha DBR-10 speaker
Portable battery/mains operated 6" PA 30WRMS busking speaker that can double as powered monitor or fill speaker.

Guitars Pono L-30 12 fret Parlor #2 size equipped with Lyric
Cort mini earth 100 with Fishman pickup
50's vintage unknown name 12 fret parlor
Ubass mini bass with active pickup

MuddyDitch · #6 05-18-2016, 05:17 PM

Yeah, do it. Your Between the Devil and Me song is better than any popular music I've heard in 20 years.

Mischief · #7 05-18-2016, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuddyDitch

Yeah, do it. Your Between the Devil and Me song is better than any popular music I've heard in 20 years.

Thanks mate. I can't take credit for anything more then doing covers though. That's an Alan Jackson song.

Although I've written a few songs over the years I don't perform any and would have trouble remembering how they fully went many were long ago and have been lost over the years.

Lately I have been having the hankering to write again so I can see that happening in the near future. Doubt they would be anything like the lyrical geniuses I love so much.

Mischief · #8 05-18-2016, 06:39 PM

Here's a quick list of songs I was thinking may work for the festival. (Faster songs are slim pickings for me)

Festival set list.

Songs I could do by current memory.

Bad timing (blue rodeo)
Blue eyes crying in the rain (Willie Nelson)
She wore red dresses (Dwight Yokam)
Green green grass of home
He stopped loving her today (George jones)
I heard that lonsome whistle (Hank Williams )
Ring of fire (Johnny Cash)

Songs I'd like to do too.

Borrowed angel (Mel street)
Between the devil and me (Alan Jackson )
The dance (Garth brooks)
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you (Hank Williams)
Digging up bones (Randy Travis)

Some other upbeat songs I do.
Don't rock the juke box (Alan Jackson)
Head over heals (Blue rodeo)
Hey good lookin (Hank Williams)
Forever and ever amen (Randy Travis)
Wreck of old 97 (Johnny Cash)

A couple others I currently really like doing.

Three wooden crosses (Randy Travis)
So you don't have to love me anymore. (Alan Jackson )
Here in the real world (Alan Jackson)
Who's gonna fill their shoes (George jones)

Thoughts?

Recording Mikes; 3U 47fet Warbler MKIID (LDC), 3U Cm-1 teal 251 style matched pair (LDC), Golden Age MKIII (active ribbon), Interface Focusrite Scarlette 18i8.

Live use.
Sennheiser 935e Dynamic and some nock off Sm58's.
TC Helicon Acoustic play FX pedal as Guitar and VOX DI.
Behringer 1020FXUSB mixer
Single Yamaha DBR-10 speaker
Portable battery/mains operated 6" PA 30WRMS busking speaker that can double as powered monitor or fill speaker.

Guitars Pono L-30 12 fret Parlor #2 size equipped with Lyric
Cort mini earth 100 with Fishman pickup
50's vintage unknown name 12 fret parlor
Ubass mini bass with active pickup

Mischief · #9 05-18-2016, 09:04 PM

Woah asked to do 2hr street set.

But am finding out more about the shopping center slot.

Recording Mikes; 3U 47fet Warbler MKIID (LDC), 3U Cm-1 teal 251 style matched pair (LDC), Golden Age MKIII (active ribbon), Interface Focusrite Scarlette 18i8.

Live use.
Sennheiser 935e Dynamic and some nock off Sm58's.
TC Helicon Acoustic play FX pedal as Guitar and VOX DI.
Behringer 1020FXUSB mixer
Single Yamaha DBR-10 speaker
Portable battery/mains operated 6" PA 30WRMS busking speaker that can double as powered monitor or fill speaker.

Guitars Pono L-30 12 fret Parlor #2 size equipped with Lyric
Cort mini earth 100 with Fishman pickup
50's vintage unknown name 12 fret parlor
Ubass mini bass with active pickup

JRitt · #10 05-19-2016, 02:55 PM

Do it! Do it all, say thank you, have fun, collect your payday, and don't look back. If you can play 50 songs, you're golden. Nobody is going to be sitting around analyzing your every move. People will be there to be entertained, not to take notes. You're overthinking it. This is what you've been working towards. This is what you always hoped you could do. If you don't do, you'll be left wondering what-if??? Now go do it!

...and congrats! A big step.

SFCRetired · #11 05-19-2016, 03:06 PM

I think you have a good song selection set. If you don't think you have enough songs to fill the space. talk, tell stories, make jokes. etc

Out of curiosity do you have someone who can play with you and maybe do a couple songs as well? It will help with the nerves if you have someone with you.

If not just go up there like you own the place and don't worry about anything, it will be too late to worry, do your best and have fun with it.

Tonkadaddy · #12 05-19-2016, 03:57 PM

What an exciting opportunity for you! I sing occasionally and since it is one of your first times doing this kind of thing would kindly suggest a couple things.

Do more songs with an upbeat tempo. It is HARD to sing slow tempo songs and remain on pitch. Especially if the song is not right in your wheel house. The reason I suggest this is because in many of the songs you posted, you tended to drift flat on the LOWER end of your range. You are also a little pitchy when you REACH for a note in your higher register. I am guessing it is because you are closing up (straining) instead of opening up and just going for it! Super common for us guys! I always tell people that do this to drop their jaw when they sing the note and imagine the note bouncing off the roof of their mouth. Seems to help open up.

Doing upbeat songs, you are not extending notes. People are singing along. You absolutely hide or can quickly recover from anything like this! Might make you even more confident this first time! People only know you mess up if you react. a shrug, a laugh, a funny comment about that part always being your favorite always helps.

BTW. Wonderful songs and wonderful positive attitude! I am sure you will kill it!

Kray Van Kirk · #13 05-19-2016, 04:40 PM

Get someone to take some video for part of it. Post it for us, and it will also be IMMENSELY helpful to watch for your own development as a performer.

Mischief · #14 05-20-2016, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonkadaddy

What an exciting opportunity for you! I sing occasionally and since it is one of your first times doing this kind of thing would kindly suggest a couple things.

Do more songs with an upbeat tempo. It is HARD to sing slow tempo songs and remain on pitch. Especially if the song is not right in your wheel house. The reason I suggest this is because in many of the songs you posted, you tended to drift flat on the LOWER end of your range. You are also a little pitchy when you REACH for a note in your higher register. I am guessing it is because you are closing up (straining) instead of opening up and just going for it! Super common for us guys! I always tell people that do this to drop their jaw when they sing the note and imagine the note bouncing off the roof of their mouth. Seems to help open up.

Doing upbeat songs, you are not extending notes. People are singing along. You absolutely hide or can quickly recover from anything like this! Might make you even more confident this first time! People only know you mess up if you react. a shrug, a laugh, a funny comment about that part always being your favorite always helps.

BTW. Wonderful songs and wonderful positive attitude! I am sure you will kill it!

First up thanks for all the wonderful compliments and positive attitude.
I have told her to tell me more about the slot at the shopping center. Hopefully that opportunity still exists as I think I will go for it if I have not blown it already.

Yes I have to work on my pitch. Yes I need to learn how to open up more. I always choke when it comes to the high notes. I do have some scaring on my thyroid that apparently can have an effect on my vocals? My endocrinologist has said that should soften in the coming years and become
More flexible. But I think a lot has to do with my technique and if I had some extra cash and I could find a good vocal coach I would probably invest in that a bit.
I do have a heap of vocal video tutorials but I need to actually go through and practice.

I want to say though, I always appreciate insightful critiquing especially when backed with some tips. So I'll try that.

I also plan to work on my fast song selection.
So far for fast songs I plan to do in no order;

Jambalaya, Hank Williams but done faster.
Don't rock the juke box, Alan Jackson
Head over heals, Blue Rodeo
Ring of fire, Johnny Cash
Wreck of ole 97 , Johnny Cash
Hey good lookin, Hank Williams done a bit faster.

Then planning a medium tempo song on either side with a slow one in between.

So med, fast, med, slow, med, fast, med, slow, med, fast etc.

If I have too I could double up on mediums or something. I'll keep digging for more fast ones and try and minimize the real slow ballads.

I'll keep y'all posted.

SFCRetired · #15 05-20-2016, 01:01 PM

Have you ever tried any Steve Earl songs? Most of his stuff is 3 chord songs and pretty hard to screw them up. Give it try sometime. I play Guitar Town, Hillbilly Highway, Devils Right Hand which I think would be a good one for you. But he does change keys on the last verse. I don't always change them but it sounds better if you do. Copperhead Road, Nowhere Road.

And I agree with the opening up that tankadaddy mentioned. I have that same problem sometimes. I always do my best when I let it fly.