Hey guys,
Man it´s been a while hasn´t it.
For the past few months i´ve been wondering if it is better to come early to a gig or not. It got the best of me and i decided to do a test.
The back story
After taking the decision i attended a few gigs early. An average of 2 and a half hours before. Although some may feel this is a bad move due to people seeing you lurking around and because it´s mostly a waste of time. I too thought at first that this is not needed due to people seeing you. There is an unwritten rule that a performer must come on stage without anyone pre-seeing him. But this seemed to be impossible for me since i usually wanted to see the stage/setting and calculate my movements. Also a bit of practice and getting used to the scene is suggested to get a full feel of the atmosphere for maximum confidence.
So i attended the gigs a bit earlier than most performers would like to(counting out musicians who have to set up their gear). This got me thinking that would there be a performance setback if i came a few minutes before or a few hours before.
Coming a few hours early
When i showed up at a gig a few hours before i got the chance to see the atmosphere and get used to the rooms. Also it saved me a lot of fuss concerning the layout of the building. Eg. where the bathroom is or where i could get a drink or two before the show. I had no trouble dodging any unwanted attention. Also i find it fascinating how cool musicians are. I spent a few moments with the guys who i would be sharing the stage with. I also warmed myself up by doing a few effects thus making them feel special and actually come and see the show.(it worked btw)
Also i chatted with the manager of the place and the man who was supposed to say a few opening remarks about me. The manager got hit in the face with new knowledge of me and was pretty excited for asking me to perform. Also he gave me insight about hecklers and the situation of the party. He showed me where to get free coffee and food(i loved the man since i had not eaten for a few hours also i´m a big fan of free stuff, who isn´t right). Also i had a chat with the man who introduced me and gave him insight to how magic is doing and what i am and how i act. This was awesome because he literally took what i told him added jokes and probably gave the best introduction i have had in my whole life. We talked a lot after my gig and he took my contact information(win) for the future. A good point towards future gigs. Also meeting everyone who put together the evening and not only talking about magic but life in general, for a young guy like me information from people is the best.
So what did i gain?
*confidence
*insight of the gig itself and the people i was performing to
*contacts
*i got to practice before my show
* met some really cool people
A few moments earlier
Now as i´m a beginner performer this was a challenge. I had no time on stage so i had to gain knowledge as i did my effects. Calculate angles and so on, also i had no information about the people i was performing for. This wasnt a big set back because a lot of performances are like this and are somewhat more fun for me. But i like to know what im up for if i´m peforming for a crowd of 50-70 people. It´s more intimate than a 200 person gig. Also i had a problem with my setup which was caused by rushing into things since i was going on stage really fast. I mixed up a few pockets and it was a bit messy, no big problem tho but i´m a perfectionist.
Also i had almost no time to get to know what people were the business so some of my problems were unsolved. Also the place didn´t have a backstage(i was behind the curtains in a very dark place ON THE STAGE WHERE I WAS PERFORMING). Also it turned out i picked a comedian for a trick, he made some jokes but i picked him for the wrong effect. Pissed me off a bit, would have loved to know he was in there. Also i wasnt at all as confident as i was with the few hours before gig.
For me it wasn´t the best option. As i´m still learning a lot and don´t have as much knowledge with gigs as a pro.
So what did i gain?
*The worst heckler of all: a comedian.
*Experience(the best of all)
*Always pre-arrange your set at home
*They probably wont ask me to come back because i didn´t have a chance to talk to the managment and first and foremost win their approval of me and thus get their credit and live up to what i said. I just did my set and that was it.
Verdict
I´d like to say that if you are a beginner try to show up at least an hour before. It will improve your people skills, get you into the vibe and give you an insight to whats going on. I hate storming in without a clue, i always have.
Also always have your set prearranged if you do a fast gig(show up a few moments before and take off after your set). This will eliminate any suprises with backstages.
What are your views on the subject?
I´d like to hear anything you have to say from your experience for me and mostly for the benefit of others.
Thanks,
Mikk.
Man it´s been a while hasn´t it.
For the past few months i´ve been wondering if it is better to come early to a gig or not. It got the best of me and i decided to do a test.
The back story
After taking the decision i attended a few gigs early. An average of 2 and a half hours before. Although some may feel this is a bad move due to people seeing you lurking around and because it´s mostly a waste of time. I too thought at first that this is not needed due to people seeing you. There is an unwritten rule that a performer must come on stage without anyone pre-seeing him. But this seemed to be impossible for me since i usually wanted to see the stage/setting and calculate my movements. Also a bit of practice and getting used to the scene is suggested to get a full feel of the atmosphere for maximum confidence.
So i attended the gigs a bit earlier than most performers would like to(counting out musicians who have to set up their gear). This got me thinking that would there be a performance setback if i came a few minutes before or a few hours before.
Coming a few hours early
When i showed up at a gig a few hours before i got the chance to see the atmosphere and get used to the rooms. Also it saved me a lot of fuss concerning the layout of the building. Eg. where the bathroom is or where i could get a drink or two before the show. I had no trouble dodging any unwanted attention. Also i find it fascinating how cool musicians are. I spent a few moments with the guys who i would be sharing the stage with. I also warmed myself up by doing a few effects thus making them feel special and actually come and see the show.(it worked btw)
Also i chatted with the manager of the place and the man who was supposed to say a few opening remarks about me. The manager got hit in the face with new knowledge of me and was pretty excited for asking me to perform. Also he gave me insight about hecklers and the situation of the party. He showed me where to get free coffee and food(i loved the man since i had not eaten for a few hours also i´m a big fan of free stuff, who isn´t right). Also i had a chat with the man who introduced me and gave him insight to how magic is doing and what i am and how i act. This was awesome because he literally took what i told him added jokes and probably gave the best introduction i have had in my whole life. We talked a lot after my gig and he took my contact information(win) for the future. A good point towards future gigs. Also meeting everyone who put together the evening and not only talking about magic but life in general, for a young guy like me information from people is the best.
So what did i gain?
*confidence
*insight of the gig itself and the people i was performing to
*contacts
*i got to practice before my show
* met some really cool people
A few moments earlier
Now as i´m a beginner performer this was a challenge. I had no time on stage so i had to gain knowledge as i did my effects. Calculate angles and so on, also i had no information about the people i was performing for. This wasnt a big set back because a lot of performances are like this and are somewhat more fun for me. But i like to know what im up for if i´m peforming for a crowd of 50-70 people. It´s more intimate than a 200 person gig. Also i had a problem with my setup which was caused by rushing into things since i was going on stage really fast. I mixed up a few pockets and it was a bit messy, no big problem tho but i´m a perfectionist.
Also i had almost no time to get to know what people were the business so some of my problems were unsolved. Also the place didn´t have a backstage(i was behind the curtains in a very dark place ON THE STAGE WHERE I WAS PERFORMING). Also it turned out i picked a comedian for a trick, he made some jokes but i picked him for the wrong effect. Pissed me off a bit, would have loved to know he was in there. Also i wasnt at all as confident as i was with the few hours before gig.
For me it wasn´t the best option. As i´m still learning a lot and don´t have as much knowledge with gigs as a pro.
So what did i gain?
*The worst heckler of all: a comedian.
*Experience(the best of all)
*Always pre-arrange your set at home
*They probably wont ask me to come back because i didn´t have a chance to talk to the managment and first and foremost win their approval of me and thus get their credit and live up to what i said. I just did my set and that was it.
Verdict
I´d like to say that if you are a beginner try to show up at least an hour before. It will improve your people skills, get you into the vibe and give you an insight to whats going on. I hate storming in without a clue, i always have.
Also always have your set prearranged if you do a fast gig(show up a few moments before and take off after your set). This will eliminate any suprises with backstages.
What are your views on the subject?
I´d like to hear anything you have to say from your experience for me and mostly for the benefit of others.
Thanks,
Mikk.