Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Epizode

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  Play the Fill: Stage Confidence, Filling an Empty Room & Booking Gigs 14.09.2026 1h 1min

  You’ve earned your seat on that drum riser, even when four people in the crowd know the Bonham parts better than you do. Dave Hamilton and guest co-host Skylar Hamilton (his daughter) look back on Dave’s summer of gigs, starting with a Led Zeppelin and Heart tribute for about 600 people. A shaky moment in Heartbreaker turns into a drum solo nobody rehearsed, and a derailed Living Loving Maid turns a careful recital into a real rock show. Less than a week later, a Casual Gravity night in Laconia starts with six fans and a nearly empty room and ends packed by the third set. Two rules made that happen: don’t punish the people who showed up, and play for the crowd that’s not in the door yet. Skylar sums it up with the question you should ask every time you walk on stage: are you going to bother to be here, or should you just go home? Then Skylar picks your questions for Stump the Music Geek. You’ll hear how to juggle a day job and multiple bands (put everything on the calendar), what to do when a private-gig client wants to swap six songs 72 hours before the show, the contract clauses that turn last-minute requests and overtime into extra pay, and why one bandleader needs to make the final call on stage. The Sales 101 speed round covers following up with venue managers, what to do when 20 booking emails get no reply, asking for the no like an auctioneer, visiting a venue as a customer when nobody answers your DMs, and getting local businesses to back your band. Play the fill, set the expectation, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 551 – Monday, September 14, 2026 September 14th: National Rosa Tequila Day Guest co-host: Skylar Hamilton 00:02:40 The lessons of perspective: Zeppelin/Heart Underground gig 00:20:16 SPONSOR: Hims. With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:21:51 Casual Gravity Gig Don’t punish the people who showed up Play for the crowd that’s not in the door yet Stump the (Music) Geek 00:29:52 How do you handle time management? 00:36:42 How would you react to a client who changes the set last-minute? 00:44:04 What’s your advice on having a bandleader who makes the final call? 00:47:50 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab Sales 101, Musician Style 00:51:20 After making initial contact with a venue manager, is it bad business to follow-up with them a week later? 00:52:12 What about 20 booking emails? 00:54:53 Ask Like An Auctioneer Dia Bondi on Business Brain 00:55:30 How do you get someone’s attention? 00:57:20 How to find local business sponsors for a band? 01:00:37 Gig Gab 551 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Play the Fill: Stage Confidence, Filling an Empty Room & Booking Gigs – Gig Gab 551 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Re-Impressing the Room All Night: The Realities of Nashville's Lower Broadway with Tyson Hanes & Adam Barber 07.09.2026 1h 30min

  Nashville’s Lower Broadway isn’t a gig, it’s a gauntlet, and Tyson Hanes and Adam Barber of The Tyson Hanes Band are here to show you how it actually works. You’ll hear why nobody’s from Nashville, why being the small fish in a giant pond forces you to level up fast, and what it takes to play four-hour shifts straight through with a thousand-song list, no set list, and no safety net. The crowd builds the show one tip at a time, so you go from Merle Haggard to Metallica in a single breath, learn a requested tune off a fifteen-second Spotify listen, and lean on shared Dropbox charts and big ears to nail the transitions together. And because new people walk in all night long, you’re not impressing an audience once…you’re re-impressing them for four straight hours. That’s what Always Be Performing really looks like. Then there’s the business side, and this is where it gets pointed. Tyson and Adam collaborated to their own QR-code song request system with a developer – two taps from scan to Venmo, straight to the band’s group text – and turned it into SongRequestHero.com for other bands. When JBJ’s management mandated a clunkier third-party app, killed their on-stage banners, and then ignored three weeks of professional questions from forty-five musicians, they walked. You’ll get the full story, plus the bigger lesson underneath it: treat your band like a real business or stay a bar band forever. Answer your email. Send your invoices. Don’t get drunk on stage. Build the infrastructure that lets you sell the Nashville experience to corporate buyers anywhere in the country. And take Adam’s advice: you’ll happily pay for lessons from a better player, so pay for a business coach or a mastermind too. Dave throws SCORE.org into the mix for the free version, with one catch worth hearing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 550 – Monday, September 7, 2026 September 7th: National Beer Lovers Day Guest co-hosts: Tyson Hanes and Adam Barber of The Tyson Hanes Band 00:02:06 Being a band in Nashville But no one is from Nashville Talent is off the charts The pond is much bigger Nashville keeps you from getting stagnant 00:06:42 Playing Lower Broadway on Nashville Playing straight through Multiple genres Making money off of tips From Merle Haggard to Metallica 00:10:26 The talent 00:12:16 The nerdy tech behind being a band playing lots of covers Shared Dropbox Audioengine 00:16:53 Playing on Lower Broadway takes big ears 00:18:01 Re-impressing an audience all night Lose Yourself from The Tyson Hanes band Playing the same song multiple times 00:20:00 The crowd builds the setlist Streamlining the process 00:22:07 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:23:38 Dave asks the unintentionally loaded question 00:25:57 Developing your own app 00:28:31 What’s your app? SongRequestHero.com Dave has used HelloBand.io 00:31:50 JBJ’s management said you have to use a new app and no on-stage banners 00:41:17 The relationship erodes 00:45:36 Musicians bonding together…if they want to 00:48:50 How do bands make money as a band in Nashville? 00:52:27 Going from a “hey, we’d like to pay you in alcohol” band to a corporate band Bringing the Nashville Request feel to Corporate Gigs 01:00:38 Deciding you’re going to be a pro band before you can be a pro band Communication! Mike Schulte from Pork Tornadoes “Nashville is not the flex you think it is.” 01:06:51 Bringing Nashville to you and your event 01:11:25 When your name is on the door There’s a benefit and a risk 01:19:53 Get a business coach Join a mastermind, even if it costs you. Especially if it costs you. SCORE.org 01:28:00 Gig Gab 550 Outtro Follow Tyson Hanes Band IG: @tysonhanesmusic TheTysonHanesBand.com Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Re-Impressing the Room All Night: The Realities of Nashville’s Lower Broadway with Tyson Hanes & Adam Barber – Gig Gab 550 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Ask for the Gig You Want: Kevin Glendinning on SNL, Super Bowls, and 25 Years on the Road 31.08.2026 1h 10min

  Monitor engineer Kevin “KG” Glendinning joins you live from a Roman amphitheater in Pula, Croatia: eight countries in seven days into the Lorde world tour…and he’s got the receipts. You’ll hear how fifteen trips through the SNL stage started with a Carson Daly taping, why the rooms that treat you well are the rooms you remember, and what happens when a 32-year veteran finally plugs in a source expander and realizes the “new guys” were right. That’s the through-line: always be learning, always be open-minded, and never let a get-off-my-lawn attitude about new tech be the reason your phone stops ringing. Then it gets into the real in-ear monitor conversations: recreating a Celestion cab with a 2.6mm armature, the one-ear trick that quietly costs Adam Levine and John Mayer another 25% of volume, and why ear fatigue deserves the same respect a pitcher gives his arm. The road stories land hard from there. Super Bowl XLV in Dallas with snow, the Black Eyed Peas, and a lesson in letting the pros run their own show. Red Rocks (aka “Wet Rocks”) and why a mountain full of shuttle trucks is worth every minute. A locked-up console mid-residency and telling Christina Aguilera the audio will come back, all while genuinely hoping it would. A charter plane struck by lightning over the Amazon, an emergency landing at a decommissioned airfield, and waking up to the news about Taylor Hawkins. Plus the covert phone call that became seven years with Justin Timberlake, and the soft ask years earlier that made it happen. Rehearse enough that nerves turn into muscle memory, thank the people who opened doors for you, ask for the gig you want…and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 549 – Monday, August 31st, 2026 August 31st: Eat Outside Day Guest co-host: Kevin Glendinning 00:02:38 Pula, Croatia. 8 countries in 7 days 00:04:36 SNL stage for The Deftones with the Carson Daly show 00:06:20 Making an impression on touring musicians with 00:08:35 Always be learning about the new tech Learning from the “new” guys Neve 5045 Primary Source Expander Waves PSE Plugin Digico Mustard Source Enhancer 00:13:55 Always be open-minded 00:18:57 Mixing ears and the respect of it all 00:21:02 Chris Rabold mixing monitors for REM 00:22:06 Now some REM stories 00:24:23 Helping get Adam Levine & John Mayer through ear fatigue with one ear monitor 00:26:46 OzFest System Engineers and hearing fatigue 00:27:45 Sometimes it just doesn’t sound right 00:30:44 Super Bowl in 2011 in Dallas…with snow! And The Black Eyed Peas 00:35:45 Being rehearsed enough to just do the gig (and fix what goes wrong when it goes wrong) 00:36:25 Lorde’s large-and-resilient fanbase 00:39:21 Working Red Rocks..”Wet Rocks” 00:44:33 Christina and the reboot “Don’t worry…the audio will come back.” Dave’s issue with the Mackie DL32S losing input signals 00:49:58 Batteries Matter 00:52:31 Miley Cyrus, Taylor Hawkins, Lightning-stuck aircraft, oh my! 00:56:28 Getting paid to see the world The pros and the cons 00:59:11 The “covert” phone call… and Justin Timberlake Get to know ML who works for ShowCo Ask for the gig you want (and, specifically, ask Anthony Giordano) The Victoria’s Secret Awards! Watching Muse with Justin 01:06:11 Have gratitude for everyone who you’ve worked with 01:08:14 Kevin wants to answer your questions! 01:09:52 Gig Gab 549 Outtro Follow Kevin Glendinning IG: @kev_chitown LinkedIn: Kevin ‘KG’ Glendinning Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Ask for the Gig You Want: Kevin Glendinning on SNL, Super Bowls, and 25 Years on the Road – Gig Gab 549 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week...with Victor Carrillo Tracey 24.08.2026 1h 14min

  Your voice is the most temperamental instrument you’ll ever own, and this week Victor Carrillo Tracey – original company member of Broadway’s The Outsiders – walks you through what it takes to keep one working eight shows a week. Hydration and sleep swap places at number one, alcohol and caffeine cost more than you think, and inspiration doesn’t get a vote when downbeat is 8pm. You’ll hear how a single college voice lesson with a head cold taught Victor to navigate around a compromised instrument years before he needed it on Broadway, and why nerves usually answer to preparation rather than talent. Book the room. Play your opener as the last song of soundcheck. Always Be Performing starts well before anyone’s watching. Then it gets nerdy. Victor breaks down what a swing actually is (think relief pitcher), and how he covered nine tracks at once before working his way up to playing Paul full-time. You’ll pick up forced perspective, the staging trick that tells an audience exactly where to look and translates straight to your own stage. Plus the band sealed in the pit under the apron, monitor wedges in the floor and sidefills in the wings, a rig that tracks each voice around the house, watching a Broadway book get written in real time, and Dave’s case for mixing your in-ears in stereo instead of piling everything up the middle. Victor’s last Outsiders show is October 11th, right around performance number one thousand…and he still tells himself this is the best job ever before every show. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 548 – Monday, August 24th, 2026 August 24th: International Strange Music Day Guest co-host: Victor Carrillo Tracey 00:02:45 The voice is the most temperamental instrument 00:06:04 The benefits of an education Always Be Learning – Beginner’s Mind 00:08:54 Learning to navigate around your voice when things are non-optimal 00:13:28 Taking care of your voice The most important thing is hydration. Except Sleep is the most important thing. Be aware of alcohol and caffeine 00:17:01 Inspiration won’t always strike 00:18:35 And taking care of your body 00:20:55 Preparing yourself for success Play your opener as your last soundcheck song before the house opens You can visualize this, too! Book the room to rehearse in advance Always be preparing Having a preparation mindset 00:28:40 SPONSOR: Hims. With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:30:08 Being a Swing Kinda like a relief pitcher Nine tracks at once! 00:33:33 Ok, a detour into musical theater and The Outsiders 00:39:02 Forced Perspective 00:43:12 Missing playing a non-voice instrument 00:45:19 Playing with the band in a theater show …without seeing your bandmates 00:50:46 Watching the Broadway book being built And recording the Cast Album at Power Station at BerkleeNYC Music Studio Jamie Eblen Justin Levine 00:56:11 Mixing a musical…and hearing it on stage! Monitor wedges in the apron Sidefills in the wings Cody Spencer 01:04:55 Previews are grueling, and great! 01:05:45 Mix your in-ears in stereo Nothing up the middle: kick one degree right, snare one degree left. 01:07:43 Victor’s leaving The Outsiders after 2.5 years Choosing your destiny…follow your gut And make it happen! Gratitude! “This is the best job ever” before going on stage every time. 01:12:37 Gig Gab 548 Outtro Follow  Victor Carrillo Tracey IG: @victorctracey Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week – Gig Gab 548 with Victor Carrillo Tracey appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Matt Beck on Matchbox Twenty, The Outsiders, Hot Cocoa and a Green Tartan Suit 17.08.2026 1h 13min

  Matt Beck taught himself guitar strung upside down and backwards and has never once found a reason to stop. He joins you this week from the pit of The Outsiders, where he’s played since opening night three years ago, and from a July that had him running Jon Anderson, the B-52’s, and Matchbox Twenty in the same month: seventies, eighties, and nineties, back to back to back. You’ll hear why a guitar player who can actually read on a staff gets calls other players never see, how orchestrators bury Easter eggs in a score, what it does to a band when the pit is closed and the audience only sees you on camera at the curtain call, and why the plight of the freelancer always comes down to the same thing: your calendar, and what you said yes to eight months ago. Then it’s the road stories. Matt traces twenty-three years with Matchbox Twenty back to a Lisa Loeb tour with Dweezil Zappa standing next to him, and the Zappa family connection that put his name in the right room. He talks about building parts alongside Bono and The Edge for the Spider-Man musical, writing live arrangements for Rod Stewart, and finally getting Sugarjar out the door with Richard Hammond and Sammy Merendino. You’ll also get a Matchbox soundcheck shut down by something nesting in the rafters, three cups of hotel cocoa and a green tartan suit that taught Matt everything he needed to know about a pre-show routine, and the discipline underneath all of it: on Band Geeks off-days, he ran the entire Jon Anderson show every single morning. Always be performing and, as Matt adds on his way out, always be practicing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 547 – Monday, August 17th, 2026 August 17th: Black Cat Appreciation Day Guest co-host: Matt Beck 00:03:48 Musicals trying to make it on to Broadway 00:04:50 Theater work in NYC Playing, orchestrating “Play like Steve Gadd” “Play like Steve Vai” “A la Larry Campbell” 00:09:45 Acknowledging the band 00:11:56 Reading guitar on staff music 00:14:36 Knowing your castmates 00:15:59 Managing the schedules of multiple projects Going from Jon Anderson to B-52’s to Matchbox Twenty…in a month! 00:22:07 Logistics of travel on gig day 00:24:37 Matchbox Twenty…23 years! Got the call for…Lisa Loeb, alongside Dweezil Zappa. And the Zappa family connection delivers, along with great networking. 00:30:38 Studio vs. Live 00:32:28 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:34:15 Working with Bono and Edge on the Spiderman Musical Creating those signature moments 00:35:32 Live arrangements with Rod Stewart 00:37:03 Creative collaboration is the key 00:38:06 Playing in original bands as an informative piece of the career 00:39:27 Learning how to be in a band 00:40:24 Sugarjar, Matt’s 3 piece band Richard Hammond Sammy Merendino 00:42:30 Learn to play every style authentically And play with as many people as you can. Diversify! 00:45:01 Growing up with professional musician parents 00:47:09 The risk of a day job 00:48:21 As if a swarm of bees 00:50:44 Slipping through the crowd in a green suit! 00:54:47 Pre-show routines and biological imperative 00:57:30 “If You’re Gone” – matchbox twenty Dave says: Yes, I know… “When I am Gone” is a similarly tear-jerking Bitter Pill song 01:02:08 Band Geeks and Jon Anderson…and Matt Beck Off-day routine: run the show 01:11:15 Gig Gab 547 Outtro Follow Matt Beck IG: mattbecktwenty Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Matt Beck on Matchbox Twenty, The Outsiders, & Hot Cocoa and a Green Tartan Suit – Gig Gab 547 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Hired From an 11-View Video: Sean Mullaney on Opportunity and Owning the Stage 11.08.2026 1h 22min

  Guest co-host Sean Mullaney joins Dave Hamilton to prove that the gig you want is usually hiding inside the gig you almost skipped. A video with eleven views got Sean hired, the same way a YouTube clip landed Alexandra Mullaney in The Book of Mormon, so the lesson is simple: put the work out there, then be ready to say yes when someone finds it. You’ll dig into managing your niche without getting trapped by it, and the bigger question every bandleader eventually faces: who do you want to be as a frontman? You can’t make a face unless you’ve seen it, so study the greats, then get authentic to who you actually are. Preaching from the stage is hard. Performing as yourself is harder, and better. Then things get deliciously specific. You’ll hear what it’s like to chase Robert Plant with Mr. Jimmy, where nobody’s speaking English, everybody’s in full costume, and the details are so meticulous that imposter syndrome becomes something you manage rather than something that eats you. Sean said no. Then Sean said yes…and ended up on a sold-out stage at the Whisky a Go Go, a little petrified because the stakes were higher. That’s the point. You’ll get the upcoming Whole Lotta Heart show, why theater runs are a fun grind, what happens when you make that first mistake in front of everyone, how to honor your influences by studying the film instead of copying the notes, and how to manage your voice so you can keep doing this. Always Be Performing! Even when nobody’s watching yet, because view number eleven might be the one. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 546 – Monday, August 10th, 2026 August 10th: Duran Duran Appreciation Day Guest co-host: Sean Mullaney 00:01:00 The Underground Series 00:02:33 Hired on the 11th view! Once at Seacoast Repertory Theater Sean singing Leave by Glen Hansard (now with more than 11 views!) Alexandra Mullaney was booked into The Book of Mormon from a YouTube video 00:10:40 Managing your niche! 00:11:27 Be ready to say yes to opportunities 00:16:12 The Instant Classics in Phoenix 00:18:29 Who do you want to be as a frontman? “You can’t make a face unless you’ve seen it” 00:22:42 Being authentic to who you are Preaching is difficult! 00:26:36 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:28:37 Do you want to be Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin? No one’s speaking English, and everyone’s in full costume The Mr. Jimmy Story on Gig Gab Led Zepagain With Mr. Jimmy, Sean plays a sold out show at The Whisky a Go Go 00:41:56 Managing Imposter Syndrome through the meticulous details 00:43:34 So…I said no. And then I said yes. 00:48:58 Upcoming Whole Lottta Heart Show 00:51:11 Petrified a little because the stakes are higher. 00:55:03 The Underground is… alternative programming! In Danger of Being Discovered Brother Love’s Album of the Year 00:59:13 01:06:02 Theater shows…a fun grind! 01:10:37 Making that first mistake 01:11:23 Honoring your influences Studying film! 01:14:00 Managing your voice! 01:19:37 Gig Gab 546 Outtro Follow Sean Mullaney IG: seansingsnstuff Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Hired From an 11-View Video: Sean Mullaney on Opportunity and Owning the Stage – Gig Gab 546 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Nobody Bought a Ticket to Watch Load-In 04.08.2026 1h

  It’s just you and Dave this week for a full mailbag episode, with road stories up front: Matt Musty behind the kit with Train at Great Woods, three nights of Phish and Rush at MSG, and the Rush policy worth stealing: when a mistake is a one-off, don’t talk about it. Then into your questions. Should the front-of-house feed live in your in-ears? Here’s pre-fader versus post-fader, and why the answer’s usually no unless you’re a drummer. Maybe. Bass distorting in your IEMs? Start with gain structure, work down the chain one variable at a time, and suspect your earphones. Plus the cable fix for that hummy mono click, and the Zoom Q2n-4K for filming your gigs. Nobody bought a ticket to watch load-in. That old adage – you’re not paid to play, you’re paid to haul gear – gets retired here, because the performance is the product, and that’s exactly why we Always Be Performing. From there: sitting ahead of, behind, or dead on the click and why none of it’s wrong, how to stop cringing at your own stage videos using the Alter Ego Effect, and why demand for small-act live music has softened: drinking age, drinking habits, and the couch you’re competing against. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 545 – Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 August 4th: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day 00:01:20 Matt Musty with Train, then Phish/Rush/Phish at MSG 00:03:31 Rush’s rule: don’t talk about a one-off mistake 00:04:51 Frankie Valli tribute nights with The Underground 00:05:46 Drums mushy in the wall the sound 00:06:36 Issue Mackie DL32S 00:10:49 Jeremy-What about adding the FOH mix to my IEM mix? Pre-Fader vs. Post-Fader 00:16:49 Glynn-Why is my bass distorting in my IEMs? Behringer XAir XR 12 00:23:42 Steve-Solving the mono click hum problem? 00:27:42 Drew-Recording Your Gigs with a Zoom Q2n-4K 00:31:50 Adam-Playing for free vs. being paid to load gear 00:37:10 SPONSOR: Hims. With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:39:00 Joe-Playing with the click vs. ahead or behind Roland SPD ONE: Kick and Electro 00:44:54 Kim-How do I learn to control my body on stage? Alter Ego Effect 00:52:34 Noah Kirkeide-Why is demand for live music down? 00:57:46 Drinking laws morphed during World Cup 00:59:28 Gig Gab 545 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Nobody Bought a Ticket to Watch Load-In – Gig Gab 545 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  When Your Worlds Collide...and the Drummer Becomes the Sound Guy 27.07.2026 1h 27min

  Daniel East is back for a no-agenda episode that turns into Gig Gab therapy. You’ll hear about Brit Drozda’s fifth record in pre-production, unannounced pop-up gigs built from cajon, guitar, and keys, and the Rayvel grand opening on Florida’s Space Coast, where a rocket went up over the stage during Starman. Then Daniel gets into those moments of bliss you can’t fish for…the ones that arrive because you prepared enough to stop thinking. If you’re feeling it, they’re feeling it. And when a piece of the puzzle is missing, that’s your cue to admit a gig isn’t the right fit for you and be willing to walk. Then Dave takes the couch: three gigs in a row where he became the accidental sound savior. A theater where nobody knew how Dante was routed. An outdoor stage hard-panned left with monitors EQ’d to the disco smile. A club that handed him the iPad at line check. Daniel’s prescription: an expectations agreement when you don’t have a contract, an audio tech who also speaks IT, and permission to say no. Always Be Performing is real, but you set a standard, you don’t meet one. Plus: find your clock first, and Gear Gab on Earthworks drum mics, the Kompakt 421, and why a high-pass filter beats deep EQ cuts every time. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 544 – Monday, July 27th, 2026 July 27th: Barbie-in-a-Blender Guest co-host: Daniel East 00:03:53 Brit Drozda’s new record 00:04:46 Pop-up gigs! Cajon, Guitar, Keys Stage Ninja Cables 00:06:58 Chad Ely Productions Rayvel – Joe Ciaudelli’s involved Rocket launching during a performance of Starman Dan Lawson Chowtoberfest VII September 12th, 2026, Fence Road Farm Brewery in Warwick, NY. Benefits To Write Love On Her Arms and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Bo Bice on the lineup 00:12:46 Those moments of bliss on stage 00:16:21 If you’re feeling it, they’re feeling it Find the groove Preparation helps Shoutout to Paul Kent! 00:22:16 Recognizing when a gig is not the right fit for YOU 00:24:46 Nobody’s Perfect 00:25:11 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad 00:27:21 Dave’s Had Three Gigs…and needs therapy Allen Heath SQ7 00:40:12 Were there contracts? 00:41:59 Option A: Bring your own audio tech with you to every gig And your audio tech also needs to be versed in IT @groovepocket80 – Joe Cabrera 00:46:33 Finding the people who are skilled AND humble Jason Banta, FOH engineer Marty Garcia, new Future Sonics IEMs 00:51:12 Back to the solution A contract or expectations agreement Find help, have help, learn how to find help Have the venue/gig hire someone professionally trained 00:53:04 Pave the path to enforce my Dave Bang Drum ethos Don’t be afraid to walk away You set a standard, you don’t meet a standard – be the example of what 00:59:33 Diagnosing Dante FIND YOUR CLOCK FIRST 01:04:30 Solving Dante issues in the future Move fast, break things 01:11:11 Gear Gab: Sennheiser MK4 SSL 2 MkII Interface Earthworks Drum Mics SR20 Gen2 overheads DM17 Snare Drum & Tom Mic DM20 G2 – great for toms! Kompakt 421 01:20:16 Sound summarization! Minimal EQ, but don’t forget about your high pass filters De-Feedback on Gig Gab And Time Alignment is important 01:24:23 Gig Gab 544 Outtro Follow Daniel East DanielEast.net @eastd and @themixdoctor Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post When Your Worlds Collide…and the Drummer Becomes the Sound Guy – Gig Gab 544 with Dan East appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  The Wrong Audience Is Still an Audience: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on the Gigging Life 20.07.2026 1h 9min

  Episode 543 lands on National Fortune Cookie Day, and guest co-host Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe of NUGEN Audio opens by demystifying how your masters actually translate across streaming. You learn that MasterCheck lets you audition one master against every platform before release day blindsides you, because you should still submit a single master everywhere, not a separate file per service. From there you dig into possible reasons why Spotify felt so flat for so long, the crucial difference between data compression and dynamic compression as a way to tame your audio, and how compression ratios shape the result. Then Freddy flips to the gigging life: guitar and vocals in Thank, bass in the gleefully unappealing Solderer, touring Europe and the UK on DIY tours he’s been booking since 2014. You’ll chew on his theory that drummers can fake their way through a set more easily than anyone else, the cover-band mentality (Tommy Igoe’s gospel: he’ll teach you to play other people’s music, not your originals), and playing for the nerds who clock every groove (like the white-knuckle eleven-beat break in Steely Dan’s Josie). The throughline is reading the room, even when it’s the wrong room: sometimes the crowd’s on mushrooms, sometimes you just throw them a party regardless, and either way you Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 543 – Monday, July 20th, 2026 July 20th: National Fortune Cookie Day Guest co-host: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe of NUGEN Audio 00:01:56 NUGEN’s MasterCheck plugin Still submit one master to all platforms, but MasterCheck helps you ensure that your one master sounds good everywhere 00:05:04 Why did Spotify sound so flat for so long? Spotify is normalized to -14 LUFS 00:07:24 Data compression vs. Dynamic compression Dynamic compression is a way of taming the audio Auphonic Waves NS1 00:15:14 Compression Ratios 00:18:44 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:20:17 Freddy, the gigging musicians Guitarist and vocalist in a band called, Thank Plays Bass in Solderer, deliberately unappealing Touring regularly throughout Europe & UK 00:24:17 DIY Booking of Tours Freddy has been booking DIY tours since 2014 00:27:45 Dave’s gigging schedule 00:31:15 Freddy’s theory about drummers Drummers can fake it more easily! 00:36:30 Wedding bands … that aren’t wedding bands 00:37:31 Cover band mentality Tommy Igoe: I’m not going to teach you how to play in your original band, I’m going to teach you how to play other people’s thing Playing for nerds The 11-beat break in Josie 00:47:35 Unexpected grooves and parts 00:50:52 Realizing the audience is the wrong audience Mushrooms help the audience! 00:59:44 Special offer from NUGEN – 30% off of a bunch of plugins for the next few weeks! Stereoizer Stereoplacer Monofilter Paragon ST 01:06:43 Gig Gab 543 Outtro <https://giggabpodcast.com/> Follow NUGEN @nugenaudio Follow Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe: @loudnesswardraftdodger @fsvc____ @thankleeds Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post The Wrong Audience Is Still an Audience: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on the Gigging Life – Gig Gab 543 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Growing Up Statler: Wilson Fairchild on Harmony, Hustle, and the Working Musician's Life 13.07.2026 1h 8min

  This week Wil and Langdon Reid of Wilson Fairchild pull up a chair beside Dave to show you what a life in music actually looks like from the inside. These guys grew up on a tour bus in the ’70s and ’80s watching their dads, Don and Harold Reid, play eight years with Johnny Cash before becoming The Statler Brothers, a side-stage masterclass we all wish we had. You’ll hear the advice that shaped them: nobody can put you in the music business and nobody can take you out, so you’d better love the life and want it bad. You’ll get the manager horror stories (let’s just call him Peter), the reminder that every musician is an entrepreneur, and the hard, useful stuff most players dodge: build a P&L, diversify, manage cash flow first, and when it rains, fill up your buckets. Treat every gig like it matters, because you never know who’s in the room: never punish the people who showed up, and don’t play to the empty seats. Then you’ll dig into the craft that made the family famous: blood harmonies. Learn every part, let the piano teach you how the notes relate, and practice early in the morning just to find your pitch. You’ll discover why four voices were an act nobody wanted to follow, why going from two parts to four is an exponential lift, and where the modulation earns its keep. Through all of it runs one thread: be believable. Whether it’s a vanity song that tells your audience exactly who you are or a closer like It’s Amazing What a Hug Can Do, you sell it because you mean it. That’s the whole game: Always Be Performing, every seat, every song, every night. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 542 – Monday, July 13th, 2026 July 13th: National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day Guest co-hosts: Wil Reid and Langdon Reid of Wilson Fairchild 00:02:19 Post-gig snacks Nachos Chocolate Milk Twinkies Exempt from the food pyramid 00:05:17 Growing up on a tour bus in the 1970s and 1980s A Masterclass in performance art Their Dads, Don and Harold Ried played with Johnny Cash for 8 years before going out on their own as The Statler Brothers Watching from side stage 00:07:25 At 16 and 14, Wil and Langdon started band practice and gigging 00:08:07 Advice from Their Dads “Nobody can put you in the music business, and nobody can take you out” You gotta love the life. You gotta want it really bad. 00:09:24 Learning what to do…and what not to do 00:09:37 Manager stories! The manager who hangs on to you, waiting for something to happen, instead of doing work to make it happen for you. A tuition moment: “Let’s just call him Peter” 00:13:20 Our dads were businessmen Managing and building a retirement as a musician Business Brain – Every musician is an entrepreneur Coming from nothing, sharing a bedroom, make enough to live check-to-check When it rains, fill up your buckets! 00:18:37 The dreamers are the ones generating the income 00:20:24 Build a P&L for your music business 00:23:10 Diversify yourself, produce yourself, protect yourself CD Baby Concert Pay Manage cash flow first 00:24:36 Every gig has an opportunity for you You never know exactly who is in the audience “Never punish the people who showed up” – Parthenon Huxley “Don’t play to the empty seats” – Charlie Daniels 00:28:35 Singing “blood harmonies” together Tip 1: learn to sing every part Tip 2: playing piano will teach you how the notes work and relate together Statler Brothers were “Country lyrics with southern gospel harmonies” Tip 3: practice singing early in the morning just to learn your notes 00:34:30 Learning to blend with other people “Bach says no!” 00:36:00 Always think about the piano for harmonies Their dads, The Statler Brothers, were the first group in country music. Four voices were an act to follow! 00:39:30 Their sons, Jack and Davis Reid…the next generation Four part harmonies with their boys! 00:40:22 And now…harmony blend Going from two parts to four parts is an exponential lift! Dallas Corbin on Gig Gab – Rock is how high can you go? Country is how low can you go? Where is Skid Row of 2026? 00:50:00 The value of the modulation 00:54:17 American Songbook: Country Classics and Gospel Favorites on Gaither Music 00:58:10 Always be believable 01:01:00 The value of vanity songs in your set Show your audience who you are 01:04:00 It’s Amazing What a Hug Can Do 01:06:00 Gig Gab 542 Outtro Follow Wilson Fairchild @wilsonfairchild on IG Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Growing Up Statler: Wilson Fairchild on Harmony, Hustle, and the Working Musician’s Life – Gig Gab 542 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Ryan Goldbacher on Touring with Tom Keifer, Mixing FOH (and Monitors), and AI 06.07.2026 1h 10min

  This week front-of-house engineer Ryan Goldbacher calls in from the road with Tom Keifer, and you’ll quickly learn that landing the next gig comes down to two things: competence, and not being miserable to be around. Word of mouth is the real currency of touring life, so Always Be Performing applies long after you step off stage: when the tour bus is smaller than your bedroom and there are twelve people on it, how you treat the room matters. You’ll pick up honest strategies for protecting your sanity on the road, from taking a walk to renting a car and disappearing into the mountains, plus why testing your limits only works if you actually know where they are. Then you and Ryan get deep into the craft. You’ll hear why the way FOH mixes your band one night can shape how it sounds for gigs to come, why you’ve got about thirty seconds to describe your band to a house engineer at load-in, and the EQ lessons Ryan learned the hard way dialing in loud rock guitars and high-passing the bass. Stop calling a kick a bass drum, leave some air in it, and don’t be afraid to turn the knobs until it sounds good. From the pressure-cooker of mixing monitors on Mr. Big’s final US tour to a frank take on AI mixing and building the next generation of engineers, this one’s loaded for anyone serious about live sound. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 541 – Monday, July 6th, 2026 July 6th: National Fried Chicken Day Guest co-hosts: Ryan Goldbacher 00:01:17 Ryan on tour with Tom Keifer 00:02:29 Word of mouth is the key Competence is key…that’s number one. Close number two: you’re not miserable to be around! 00:05:09 The tour bus is smaller than your bedroom, and there’s 12 people in it 00:07:19 Creating your own personal space Take a walk Rent a car and drive into the mountains 00:08:45 Week off between gigs Fly me to Spokane, then I’ll drive to Alaska Skagway, Alaska 00:11:11 FOH for Tom Keifer for Summer, 2026 You can’t spread yourself too thin If it won’t fit on your plate, get it off Having a dedicated monitor engineer makes a huge difference 00:13:50 Test your limits, but don’t be afraid to know where they are. 00:16:52 Always be communicating 00:18:46 This tour Ryan brings a FOH console House monitor engineer Band is all on wedges A&H Avantis Tom Keifer goes over the entire set with the house lighting designer 00:21:12 Tom Keifer helps Ryan with producing the show for the night The benefits of working with an artist who tells you how to make yourself more valuable to them 00:23:32 The FOH and Band relationship The way FOH mixes the band for one gig could affect the band for the future. Respect this! Communicate what your band sounds like to the engineer…early on as you’re loading in 00:29:42 Developing trust with your engineer first 00:31:03 Thirty seconds to describe your band 00:32:33 Making the next generation of engineers better 00:33:59 Engineers who are musicians / Musicians who are engineers ProTools…great software, dumb name! 00:38:18 Learning from mistakes 00:40:16 Stacking EQs on Rock Guitars by mistake…and then intentionally! Working with loud guitars on Stiff Little Fingers Steve Smith introduced Ryan to Stiff Little Fingers 00:41:21 SPONSOR: OneSkin. Born from over a decade of longevity research, OneSkin’s OS-01 Peptide is proven to target the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code GigGab athttps://oneskin.co/GigGab  #oneskinpod #ad 00:43:30 Accidentally learning to drop guitar EQ between 2k-4k Adding a high-pass filter on the bass guitar in a rock band 00:48:21 Don’t call a kick drum a “bass” drum, otherwise you’ll mix it the wrong way. You want some air in that kick! 00:49:07 Don’t be afraid to turn the knobs until it sounds good 00:51:27 The pressure of mixing monitors makes you a great engineer Mixing monitors for Mr. Big’s final US tour 00:55:09 RTAs are great, but be able to do it by ear 00:58:29 Speaking of Toys…Let’s Talk AI Mixing Mentorship and apprentice programs 01:08:43 Show Logistics 01:10:03 Gig Gab 541 Outtro Follow Ryan Goldbacher @ryanthegoldbacher on IG Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Ryan Goldbacher on Touring with Tom Keifer, Mixing FOH (and Monitors), and AI – Gig Gab 541 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Patrice Peris on Sync, Survival, and Why You Don't Need a Backup Plan 29.06.2026 52min

  This week singer-songwriter Patrice Peris joins Dave to flip the script on building a music career. That question musicians always get – what’s your backup plan? – is a terrible one, because Plan A was never required to land where you first mapped it. Through COVID, a cancer diagnosis, and a bone-marrow transplant she now calls a rebirth, Patrice kept asking what each detour was teaching her and never stopped writing, landing sync placements on Netflix, HBO Max, and The Voice along the way. Want to break into sync licensing yourself? Get resourceful and bullheaded: take a class, build multiple streams of revenue, and gamify the grind: how many gigs can you find, how many music supervisors can you email? Every musician is an entrepreneur, and the numbers game rewards whoever keeps opening doors. Then Patrice gets practical, because gigging musicians are athletes. You get her playbook for protecting your voice across three-set nights: a real warmup, scale work, stretching, smart placement that pulls the sound out of your throat and into the mask, and the vocal rest you keep skipping. From there comes the band conversation nobody wants to have: in-ear monitors and the whole mix exist to serve the lead vocalist, so drop the ego and decide together what you actually want your band to sound like. Build a backup bench while you’re at it, because life happens and roles need filling. Patrice stepped back from the stage but never stopped creating, and that’s the whole point: keep writing, keep adapting, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 540 – Monday, June 29th, 2026 June 29th: National Waffle Iron Day Guest co-hosts: Patrice Peris 00:02:36 Live has given me things in waves that weren’t what I wanted Welcoming the unexpected 00:05:20 “What’s your Plan B?” Is a terrible question And Plan A doesn’t have to go where you planned 00:07:55 COVID and Cancer…all a journey 00:09:10 Perspective… always be asking: what is this teaching me? 00:10:43 Always writing 00:11:40 How do you get started writing for sync? A nod to bullheaded persistence 00:15:10 Starting a Sync Business Always have multiple streams of revenue Take a class (or two) 00:19:44 Being resourceful is the key to bullheaded persistence Gamify it all! How many gigs can I find? How many people can I email? 00:22:57 Learn to be strategic and mindful Anytime you’re climbing the ladder, failure is inevitable Invest energy into the creative realm and also into the business realm 00:25:54 “No Plan” isn’t a plan Listen to your inner 16 year old…sometimes! 00:29:47 Coaching people to let go of the hat The 80% Rule 00:35:20 Growing your music business 00:35:38 Vocal blowout Learn to Sing Like the Pro’s with Patrice Peris Voice Studios Gigging musicians are athletes Good warmup Scale work Physically stretching Take some vocal rest 00:41:00 Listening for Placement Where is the voice going? 00:42:31 In Ear Monitors can make a big difference Bands need to understand the sound has to serve the lead vocalist 00:44:42 What do we want our band to sound like to people listening? Bands need to come together as a group Communicate and decide upon the goal for what the BAND is going to sound like 00:49:38 Get two of everything 00:50:56 Gig Gab 540 Outtro Follow Patrice Peris Patrice Peris Voice Studios Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Patrice Peris on Sync, Survival, and Why You Don’t Need a Backup Plan – Gig Gab 540 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Sub Gigs, Mic Mutes & the Art of Mixing Live with Jesus Hernandez 22.06.2026 1h 38min

  This week you start things off digging into the craft that separates good gigs from great ones. You’ll get the playbook for prepping and surviving sub gigs, learn (again!) why a splitter snake earns its place in your rig, and sort through the real options when you need a mic mute switch that actually works. Then you wrestle with a question every working band faces today: are fan-posted videos helping your brand or hurting it? It’s the kind of practical, in-the-trenches breakdown that reminds you to Always Be Performing, whether the camera’s rolling or not. Then guest co-host Jesus Hernandez joins, and you trace his path from a Portastudio kid to the engineer bands trust with their sound, along with the philosophy he’s built along the way: you’re serving people’s ears, and the console is your instrument. You’ll hear why you should ask a band what they want to sound like before you touch a fader, why learning to mix yourself turns your engineer into a producer, and how routing a digital mixer keeps everything simple when the power flickers. He shares the gear that’s earned his trust, hard-won war stories from the road, his time subbing as a bass player in Nashville, and life on tour with a Phil Collins and Genesis tribute. By the end you’ll be listening to your own gigs with sharper ears and a hungrier inner critic. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 539 – Monday, June 22nd, 2026 June 22nd: National Chocolate Éclair Day Guest co-host: Jesus Hernandez 00:01:32 Prepping for and playing Sub Gigs Ultimate-Guitar’s Pro Charts…now with lyrics! 00:04:25 The benefits of splitter snake Listener Questions 00:09:55 Mark-What’s the best MD Mic Switch? D’Addario Mic Mute Infrared Mic Sensor Optogate Radial HotShot DM-1 or HotShot MD LILYP4D Mic Mute 00:20:25 Mark-Are fan-posted videos good or bad? 00:24:36 SPONSOR: OneSkin. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code GIGGAB at https://www.oneskin.co/GIGGAB  #oneskinpod 00:26:54 Guest Co-host: Jesus Hernandez 00:28:20 Lady and the Tramp Start taught him to record multi-track Then the Portastudio Tascam Multitrack Recorder Jesus became the go-to guy for recording bands and fixing sounds 00:34:27 A2 at a local theater Then the A1 went on vacation, and Jesus became the A1 00:35:38 Then a jazz club Sound reinforcement at the most basic level Ultimately what you’re trying to serve is people’s ears. Use your eyes to serve that purpose. 00:37:38 Recording was rough at first, but you learn! Making recordings with a live performance in mind Let it Be…Naked 00:41:24 Ask the band: what do you guys want to sound like on the recording? “Take a picture of the band, then paint on top of it!” 00:32:36 For live sound: how do you find out what the band sounds like? Before arriving: listen to the band’s records (or the band they’re covering) 00:47:26 When doing sound, consider yourself a band member “Playing the console” – The mixer is an instrument I’m controlling the arrangement 00:48:50 Singing the praises of bands that can set levels on stage 00:49:20 A band whose levels are ALL over the place So bad the band was sent home after the first set. You have to be your hardest critic 00:53:25 Learn to mix yourself, then your engineer can go from problem-solver to producer! 00:55:26 “If the power goes out at the mixer, you’ll still sound good” Fixing it at the source The night the power-flickered and factory reset the mixer! PreSonus StudioLive 01:00:19 Keeping it as simple as possible Soft-patching, routing, matrixes, oh my! Learn how to route a digital mixer 01:06:39 The downsides of strictly analog But you learn how to ring out frequencies Fix low-end feedback by popping in/out the polarity button Rick Carmona (From “No Peace At All”), the engineer who mentored Jesus Every business is in the customer service Davis Thurston on Gig Gab The engineer has multiple customers: the band, the audience, and the staff at the venue 01:13:38 Bands vs. Reunion Gigs 01:18:25 Bringing an analog mixer…and no snake! 01:24:50 Soca Music 01:26:00 Time for some war stories 01:31:46 Subbing in Nashville as a bass player 01:08:21 On the road with Face Value, Phil Collins & Genesis Tribute Band 01:37:24 Jesus Hernandez Home Studio 01:38:23 Gig Gab 539 Outtro Follow Jesus Hernandez IG: @jesusandthecomplaintdepartment Jesus is my Sound Guy Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Sub Gigs, Mic Mutes & the Art of Mixing Live with Jesus Hernandez – Gig Gab 539 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Three Rush Fans and Rush's 2026 Comeback Tour: From the Room and From Afar 13.06.2026 1h 4min

  Three Rush fans — a father, a son, and Spartacus — walk into a podcast. There’s no punchline, just the tape rolling on a conversation that was going to happen anyway, and you get to be the fly on the wall. Two of them just flew home from LA, where they stood in the room and watched Rush kick off the tour nobody was sure would ever come. The third has been taking it all in from a distance, which is its own peculiar thing when you once mixed front of house for the band for years. You’ll get the origin stories — a kite-flying contest in early-seventies St. Louis, an R40 playlist that turned a kid into a lifer — plus enough on the drummer question (yes, Anika Nilles) and show-count stats to earn the Rush-nerd badge none of them will quite cop to. Then it gets real. This is a band that fans and insiders alike once quietly accepted was finished, now back out there proving otherwise, and that turns the talk toward something bigger than setlists. You get to do this. Whether it’s thousands of people or a Tuesday night for a dozen, that gratitude is the whole game — the reason to Always Be Performing no matter how rough the bus ride was. Stick around for a ten-year-old’s perfectly timed gut check that still lands two decades later. Press play, and join Lucas Hamilton, Robert Scovill, and Dave Hamilton for a tour through the opening of Rush’s comeback — from inside the room, and from afar. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 538 – Monday, June 15th, 2026 June 15th: British Beer Day Guest co-hosts: Lucas Hamilton and Robert Scovill 00:02:46 Rush Stats All three co-hosts have seen Rush live with 2 drummers Lucas and Anika are tied for Rush shows… as of this recording 00:04:39 Robert Scovill was living in St. Louis when he saw Rush with Rutsey KC Kite Flying Contest 00:07:31 Lucas’s Rush origin story 00:08:31 About that whole live concert sound thing Spoiler: Rush always sounded good 00:11:02 Favorite Rush heirlooms 00:13:55 I want a Red Barchetta for my midlife crisis Rush 2026 Tour started with 12 dates 00:16:02 That opening song, that opening night Rick Beato’s Breakdown of Xanadu 00:23:40 Anika Nilles’ dropped stick recovery Getting the first mistake out of the way moments into the first song of Rush’s 2026 Reunion tour 00:27:21 Time Stand Still for those emotional moments 00:33:11 Lights and video for 2112 – in the cave! 00:34:00 Singing 2112: Presentation at the tops of our lungs 00:38:50 Moving Pictures to open night 3 set 2 00:40:13 Loren Gold’s keys and vocal harmonies And Geddy Lee’s voice, too! 00:44:29 The composition of YYZ Alex Lifeson is the most underrated guitarist in rock and roll 00:45:48 Anika Nilles is just a star 00:49:25 Anika grooving during A Passage to Bangkok 00:52:22 The physicality of playing Rush music The wisdom of days off in between shows for the entire Rush Fifty Something tour 00:57:41 You know what we get to do today? We get to go play music in front of thousands of people! This is the best job on earth 01:01:23 Who is Spartacus? 01:03:33 Gig Gab 538 Outtro Follow Lucas Hamilton On Instagram Follow Robert Scovill On Facebook On Instagram On LinkedIn RobertScovill.com (where you’ll find The Back Lounge) Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Three Rush Fans and Rush’s 2026 Comeback Tour: From the Room and From Afar – Gig Gab 538 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Road Stories, Recording Secrets, and the Perfect Pop Song – with Rand Lempert from The Broken Rings 08.06.2026 1h 16min

  This week on Gig Gab, Dave Hamilton sits down with guest co-host Rand Lempert of the Broken Rings, a two-piece recording project built on 15 years of musical kinship between Rand and guitarist Gio da Silva. You’ll hear how these two have crafted an intentional, travel-fueled recording process across cities, cutting live instruments and vocals together, passing files between New Orleans, Tampa, and now Denver, and why that friction and urgency is exactly the point. Rand makes a compelling case for keeping things analog as long as possible: real amps, minimal pedals, old-school mic placements like a modified Glyn Johns setup, and the conviction that nothing replaces the feeling of having a human being in the room when the tape (or hard drive) is rolling. The conversation ranges wide, from Rand’s vivid 9/11 tour story, stranded in St. John’s Newfoundland on one of the last planes to land before U.S. airspace shut down, to a deep dive into the art of the perfect pop song, with nominations for Tempted by Squeeze, Big Star’s Thirteen, Bryan Adams’ Cuts Like a Knife, and Fastball’s Out of My Head. Whether you’re a working drummer obsessing over beat placement, a songwriter who only writes when the muse actually shows up, or a road veteran who knows that idle days on tour are far worse than grueling ones, this episode has your number. Get out there, stay curious, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 537 – Monday, June 8th, 2026 June 8th: Name Your Poison Day Guest co-host: Rand Lempert 00:01:38 The Broken Rings are a 2-man band Drums, guitar, vocals all handled by Rand Lempert and Gio da Silva, his bandmate They consider themselves musical kin: They agree on 95% of all music Met in Houston, played in bands, then moved to different corners of the USA 00:04:48 Songwriting duo starts with a long distance relationship Lutefish Stream 00:07:03 Recording remotely doesn’t have the muse of travel So many different avenues to approach recording Finding a way to record with technology in a less sterile way 00:15:08 Preserving analog recording to digital “tape” 00:17:07 The process of recording drums Don’t mess up the end of the track! 00:21:14 Country music 00:23:25 Drummer kinship: Tris Imboden saves the day! Learning by visual 00:31:41 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:33:37 Surviving the road 00:34:45 Road story: hanging out in St. John’s Newfoundland for 5 days Sonny James and the Centers in Europe in 2001 “There’s nothing wrong with this airplane, but this plane is being diverted because of terrorist attacks in the United States.” Canadian authorities: “What do we do with these people? Bring them to a hockey arena!” Memorial University of Newfoundland 00:44:35 Opening up for Bo Diddley in 2004 In Beaumont, Texas Touring is a lot of driving, and you’re doing the driving It’s a lot of lugging equipment, and you’re doing the lugging You get a hotel room…for the entire band! 00:48:55 When touring, days off are worse than the grueling days on 00:51:02 It’s important to travel Touring is the way to do that for a lot of us musicians 00:51:25 Making touring maps as a kid is a good sign Rand needed to do this as a career 00:52:50 First concerts, sound nerding, and getting lost in the music for the first time Rand got lost at four years old! Nerd out about sound and recording First concerts! Weather Report for Dave Air Supply for Rand 00:58:05 The Best pop songs Gravitating towards the hook! Cuts Like a Knife – Bryan Adams Tempted – Squeeze Thirteen – Big Star Out of My Head – Fastball One Headlight – Wallflowers No Matter What – Badfinger 01:12:22 Gig Gab 537 Outtro Follow Rand Lempert The Broken Rings Sick in the city – The Broken Rings Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Road Stories, Recording Secrets, and the Perfect Pop Song – Gig Gab 537 with Rand Lempert from The Broken Rings appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  AI and Music for Working Musicians: Tool, Threat, or Bandmate? 01.06.2026 1h 21min

  This week Stu Dias joins Dave from a slightly different corner of Durham, New Hampshire, and after a quick detour through barefoot drumming, sweaty-hand fixes, and oversized triangle guitar picks, the conversation locks onto the question every working musician is wrestling with right now: what does AI mean for music? You’ll hear why Dave reframes it as Assistive Intelligence (and the best procrastination-killer and writer’s-block-buster going) even as you stare down the harder stuff: Suno-generated tracks, Jack Tempchin’s AI-assisted album, and the ouroboros of machines learning from the music we make. Should AI art be labeled? What happens when it conjures someone’s likeness? And does any of it move you the way a human in a room can? That last question is the heartbeat of the episode. Dave and Stu weigh AI music against the cover-band hustle, remember what COVID lockdowns taught us about humans craving real humans together, and get honest about whose jobs are actually on the line and where AI mixing fits in your workflow. The kicker for every gigging musician: if the machines are going to use your voice and your playing, take a long-term cut of the sales. It’s a sharp, funny, occasionally unsettling look at the line between tool and threat…and a reminder that however the tech shakes out, you Always Be Performing. Hit play for the full conversation. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 536 – Monday, June 1st, 2026 May 25th: National Barefoot Day Guest co-host: Stu Dias 00:00:56 Playing drums barefoot 00:02:34 Iontophoresis for sweaty feet and hands 00:05:05 We all have our own thing for ourselves Large guitar picks for Stu. Equilateral triangles! 00:07:03 AI and Music 00:12:40 AI is the best procrastination eliminator It helps with writer’s block AI Based Plugins and Compressors are fantastic For Dave, AI is Assistive Intelligence 00:13:59 AI Generated music like Suno 00:18:22 Should AI-generated art be labeled as such? 00:22:58 What about if AI generates the likeness of someone? De-Feedback on Gig Gab 00:24:53 Ouroborotic 00:27:31 Using AI to create music Business Brain theme music Jack Tempchin’s AI-assisted album Beck’s Song Reader Creating walk-on music for your band Bowling For Soup’s (non-AI-created) walk-on music for live shows 00:40:47 Comparing Human-Created Music vs. AI-Created music 00:45:11 AI Music vs. Cover Music 00:47:58 COVID Lockdowns taught us that we like to bring humans together 00:55:37 What’s AI going to make Dave say? 01:03:08 Jobs on the line Elvis impersonators and sax players from rock songs in the 80’s 01:05:42 AI Mixing Davis Thurston on Gig Gab 01:13:04 Do we have to Take a long-term cut of the sales, folks! 01:18:06 Gig Gab 536 Outtro Follow Stu Dias Diaspora-Radio.com Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post AI and Music for Working Musicians: Tool, Threat, or Bandmate? – Gig Gab 536 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Loaded Out, Rolling Home, Rolling Tape 25.05.2026 32min

  Ride shotgun with Dave as he records GigGab on the drive home from a Casual Gravity gig, finally living out the show’s original mission. You’ll hear why packing your own mixer saves the night when the venue only wants a single feed from the band, what it’s like when an in-ear band plays its first fully sober gig, and why counting songs in to a click track changes everything once adrenaline stops driving your tempo. Then dig into relearning vocal harmonies for the Underground Band: using the Moises app to isolate vocals, pulling sheet music, and plunking out intervals on piano to lock stacks into your ear. Buddy Gibbons sparks a drumming debate on single strokes versus marching-style sticking through the Foreplay/Long Time triplets, and Dave gets honest about throat fatigue, Lyme disease aftermath, dust mite allergies, and the sublingual immunotherapy bringing his voice back. Listen to your body, learn the parts, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 535 – Monday, May 25th, 2026 May 25th: National Tap Dance Day 00:00:10 Driving Home Experiment 00:01:42 Casino Gig Setup 00:06:38 Sober Show, Strong Set 00:08:19 Relearning Vocal Harmonies 00:18:15 Drumming Through Both Hands 00:21:47 Insurance And Smoke-Filled Gigs 00:26:42 Throat Troubles And Recovery Stuff Mentioned: Mackie DL32S Moises I Love a Piano MusicPro Equipment Insurance 00:31:24 Gig Gab 535 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Loaded Out, Rolling Home, Rolling Tape – Gig Gab 535 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  What's Your Band's Definition of Success? 18.05.2026 1h 1min

  OG co-host Paul Kent rejoins Dave Hamilton to talk about how The Houserockers have stayed booked into their 27th year, and what your band can steal from their playbook. You’ll dig into the social media reality of 2026 (Reels are currently king), why your mailing list is the asset you actually own, and how to grow to 10,000 followers without losing your soul. Paul makes the case that if you want gigs, your band has to be a business, which means alignment on mission, passion, and musical style with the partners or employees standing next to you on stage. There’s nothing wrong with playing for fun, but go in eyes wide open about what you’re chasing. From there you’ll dive into the value of scarcity, Kevin Kelly’s thousand true fans, and why mixing up your setlists is one way to keep audiences coming back. Paul breaks down the current Houserockers formula (civic concert series, experiential marketing, and ticketed off-season events) and why aging-up audiences mean you have to market harder and talk to fans like Springsteen does: a lifetime conversation, all with individuals. You’ll also get the real talk on finding bandmates (Craigslist included), the Gig Gab bookable-band checklist, and Paul’s (joking?) pitch for two new show segments. Whatever your lane, Always Be Performing, and start treating every touchpoint like the gig it is. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 534 – Monday, May 18th, 2026 May 18th: National Visit Your Relatives Day 00:01:27 Guest co-host: Paul Kent The Houserockers in their 27th year! 00:04:21 Did someone call you an old man?!? 00:08:46 The Gig Gab social media approach 00:10:29 Your band can get 10,000 followers Reels are it…today. 00:13:37 Gain a mailing list 00:16:41 It’s about the music business. Is your band willing to be in business? 00:19:00 There’s nothing wrong with doing what you want to do. Just go in eyes wide open. 00:20:49 Getting alignment within your band. You now have business partners or employees Be aligned with mission, passion, style of music … the alchemy of it. 00:26:48 The value of scarcity Does success equal quantity of gigs? Some people want to play five times per month 00:30:43 Finding Your Thousand True Fans 00:32:05 Mixing up your setlists is another way to keep people coming back 00:36:00 Marketing 101 – you have to have something to say Hopefully unique! And then deliver. 00:37:13 The Houserockers formula for today Civic Concert Series Experiential Marketing Ticketed Events in the off-season 00:39:13 Use your mailing list! 00:41:28 Ticketed events required more marketing this year Audiences are aging up 00:43:04 How do you talk to your audience? Springsteen: my career is a lifetime conversation with my audience It’s about you, your personality, and each individual audience member 00:50:11 Finding band members is an imperfect science Craigslist lets you find who is available THEN. The Gig Gab Band checklist 00:56:41 Paul’s show ideas for Dave Dave reads mean comments Dave reads band ads from Craigslist, et al 00:59:47 Gig Gab 534 Outtro Follow Paul Kent SVHouserockers.com Facebook Houserockers Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post What’s Your Band’s Definition of Success? — Gig Gab 534 with Paul Kent appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  Relentless Consistency and the Scarcity Premium with Mike Schulte from The Pork Tornadoes 11.05.2026 1h 1min

  Guest co-host Mike Schulte joins Dave with 15 years of Pork Tornadoes social media wisdom, and the message is blunt: relentless consistency wins. You literally can’t post too much in 2026—nobody sees everything anymore, so repost that same flyer as a fresh post (not a share) and keep going. Give it 45 days before you judge results. Why invest? More fans mean more bodies at the gig, plus the social proof that signals to newcomers that other people already love you. And remember—you’re not competing with other bands, you’re competing with people’s couches. From there, Dave and Mike dig into the live-show craft. Build a sound check formula so it stops being a nightmare, then cook up a Suno-generated theme song to walk on to—Always Be Performing means the show starts before the first chord lands. Treat your setlist like art: the opener’s a throwaway, but song three is the most important slot of the night. Then think about your saturation—the Pork Tornadoes cap themselves at two ticketed gigs per year inside a 30-mile radius, and the minute they got scarce, their pay jumped tenfold. Simple, not easy. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 533 – Monday, May 11th, 2026 May 11th: National Eat What You Want Day (also Hostess CupCake Day!) Guest co-host: Mike Schulte 00:01:10 Did you ever watch Night Court Dave reminds Mike of Harry Confused Breakfast Shows that were so far ahead of their time: All In The Family Roseanne 00:05:06 Managing your band’s social media Relentless Consistency is the key (right now). “You can never post too much” – Mike Schulte, May 11, 2026 Mike has been running social media for Pork Tornadoes for 15 years Everyone doesn’t see every post (anymore) It’s money-driven Repost the same thing, the same flyer, the same idea (as a new post, not a “share”) 00:09:49 Getting “started” on social media in 2026 I tried to follow your model and nothing changed. In two weeks. You’ve gotta spend a month or more (Dave says 45 days) 00:14:05 What’s the benefit of investing in social media The more fans you have, there WILL be more people who come to your events Also: social proof. Showing people that other people like you. 00:18:55 Social Proof + Bullheaded Persistence = Success. 00:22:00 People don’t go out like they used to You’re not competing with other bands, you’re competing with people’s couches 00:24:39 A band retreat! If 2020 hadn’t happened, Pork Tornadoes would’ve probably gone full time 00:26:04 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab 00:27:42 Recent Gig(s) Gab Boston Cream Band at Seacoast Repertory Theater Pork Tornadoes is a 2-hours straight-thru band 00:34:19 Orchestrate your sound check Sound check used to be a nightmare, until we created a formula 00:38:27 Create a musical lead-in for your show For the wranglers in the Gig Gab audience Use Suno to create a theme song for your band 00:42:57 Writing a setlist is an art Your first song is a throwaway The third song is the FIRST most important song in the set (according to Dave) Develop business-like rituals for your band 00:48:32 What’s Your Band’s Saturation? Self-imposed proximity clauses Pork Tornadoes Proximity Clause: No more than 2 ticketed events in a 30-mile radius per year Plus one free-to-the-public festival gig to pull people in To the venues who don’t have proximity clauses: why do you not? The minute we started getting scarce, was the minute our pay increased 10-fold 01:00:12 The Pork Tornadoes formula: simple, not easy. Gig Gab 532 Outtro Follow Mike Schulte Confused Breakfast The Pork Tornadoes Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Relentless Consistency and the Scarcity Premium with Mike Schulte from The Pork Tornadoes – Gig Gab 533 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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  From Wedges to In-Ears: A Monitor Engineer's Playbook with Paul Klimson 04.05.2026 1h 7min

  Ready to make the leap from wedges to in-ear monitors? Or finally get the stage mix you’ve always wanted? Dave Hamilton welcomes back monitor engineer Paul Klimson, the man who mixed 32 stereo IEM feeds for Justin Timberlake, for a working musician’s deep dive on monitor world. You’ll learn how to build a default mix from scratch (start yourself at 0dB, your instrument at -5, everything else at -15), why drummers have an easier transition to in-ears than most assume, and how a split snake lets you take care of yourself when the gig demands it. Paul digs into hi-hat pitfalls, drum overheads as stage wash, and why bands who mix themselves on stage make life better for their FOH engineer, too. Then it gets practical. Paul walks you through IEM fittings (pain is always bad, the seal is everything, and yes, drop an AirTag in your case) plus the universal-versus-custom decision, vetting vendor customer service before you buy, and the repair costs nobody talks about until they need to. You’ll get honest talkback etiquette (keep the drama off-stage, give everyone a voice, remember that your monitor engineer is a short-order cook), the post-mortem habit every band should adopt, and a peek at SoulSeed.tv. Wherever you sit on stage, this is the episode that sharpens how you Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 532 – Monday, May 4th, 2026 May 4th: Dave Brubeck Day Guest co-host: Paul Klimson 00:03:24 Start with headphones in your practice space Start with earplugs 00:05:09 Drums are a dynamic instrument, which may be why drummers have an easy transition to IEMs (usually) 00:08:33 What do you want in your wedge? What’s your reference? 00:09:11 The artist/engineer relationship 00:11:03 Building a default mix Start yourself at 0dB Instrument at -5dB Everything else at -15dB 00:12:58 Using a Split Snake When possible, take care of yourself 00:14:47 Timing of a mix Don’t forget about hi-hats Work with your engineer to dial-in your own mix 00:19:18 Drum overheads for stage wash effect 00:22:21 In-ears help you listen better Bands who mix themselves on stage makes your ears AND the FOH engineers job ears 00:23:54 Learn where you and your instrument fit into the mix of your band And change it if you don’t fit. You’re not the most important thing! 00:26:40 What’s going to make you stand out when someone comes to see you at clubs of any size? Do you hear the lyrics? Do you hear the intent of the story of the song? Watch your instagram videos and evaluate honestly 00:30:28 Knowing when the studio mix is done. 00:33:27 Fittings for IEMs Things to look for: Pain is bad Is the seal functioning correctly? Listen for sound leakage (including when you open your mouth and move around) Are the ports aimed down the canal wrong Do you hear high-end better when you rock the mold around? 00:37:36 Put an AirTag in your IEM case! 00:39:28 Figuring out which model to order Try universal fits first to learn the musical qualities 00:41:16 Test the customer service of vendors before you choose 00:42:55 The origin of IEMs 00:44:44 Find out repair costs Comply Foam Strips 00:48:20 Talkback Use Keep the drama off-stage Give everyone a voice Monitor engineers are like short-order cooks… be kind! 00:58:23 Always post-mortem the problems from the gig And also “what happens if?” conversations 01:03:22 Soulseed.TV 01:06:05 Gig Gab 532 Outtro Follow Paul Klimson SoulSeed.tv @TheRoadieClinic Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post From Wedges to In-Ears: A Monitor Engineer’s Playbook with Paul Klimson – Gig Gab 532 appeared first on Gig Gab.