"You know nobody's going to help you, you're on your own" LOL I died right there. Ain't it the truth!

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Keep on rockin' my friend :)

Damian I once left my Stratocaster outside the stage door of a club, didn't miss it till I arrived home and unloaded my gear into my home. I rang the club, and luckily there was a honest bar steward who brought it in for me - so I went the following morning to pick it up. It was a 50 minute drive each way to get it, and I tipped the guy £10 for helping me; taught me a lesson to Double Check every time I leave a club.

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Wow. So glad to hear that you were able to retrieve the guitar. Thanks for sharing. Cheers & keep on rockin'

if there's a house sound guy, say hi, be kind, he can make or break your gig

@NoWayOut55

11 ай бұрын

OOOH YEEA!!!🤬👊💥

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

For sure. That's some good advice :)

GREAT points! If you want to stand out, always remember to do these things. It’s easy to forget sometimes because you’re drunk (which as a professional you shouldn’t be), forgetful, or excited. Remember, you are still getting paid to do a job. Follow Damian’s rules in this video and make your band stand out from the rest!

@Damianblf

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for leaving a comment. Cheers & keep on rockin' :)

Great tips. This one, like many others, is a keeper. Additionally, come on everybody, its time, let's get The Big Baccher to 100k. He truly deserves it. God bless all.

@Damianblf

5 ай бұрын

Thank you Paul. Much appreciated my friend :)

I LOVE all your clips, but this is a cut above! In my experience I'd add 2 things that are vital: 1) A mini flashlight! Day gigs aside you're likely to be on dim or dark stages. When you're trying to set up, esp in a jiffy, a mini flashlight is worth its weight in gold! Easy to stash (I keep mine velcroed to my board), quick to use! 2) A personal air fan. I keep a fan behind my amp to keep the tubes cool, but, esp in recent weather, YOU can easily overheat. Recently I advised my singer/bassist to get herself one, but she (no pun) blew it off. Last gigs we did she felt like keeling over, more than once, from the heat. At one point I even aimed my fan at her to keep her going. She still didn't get herself one. Like they say about horses & water...

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Good advice. Thank you for sharing :)

Don’t forget for outdoor gigs to bring big plastic tarps and maybe large contractor bags to cover gear in the event of rain. We’ve had to cover gear even when the band played outdoors under a building or roof, as rain always blew in sideways.

Dont forget a sleeping bag. I once drive from Cape Cod, MA to Burlington, VT. It was warm about 50 in MA. Hit NH it started to snow. Hit VT whiteout conditions. Played the show and had to sleep on the floor of the venue with only my leather jacket and booze to keep me warm. I was 21 and it was my first show. I made sure to be prepared next time.

I would add that it's been best in my experience to not use any old powerstrip, but use a power conditioner that regulates an even flow of 120. I had power surges from the club blow the tubes in my amp twice over the years because of that problem. Now I am hyper vigulent to always bring the power condition. Damian, your videos are the best! I try to catch every one! This one is especially useful! Thanks!!

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

That's some good advice. Thanks for sharing :)

Damien you’re the best-You always put me in a good mood. Keep up the great work!

Great advice Damian! You are such a great cat and player! I've been learning a lot from you! Your videos are just awesome!

Thank you for these very worthwhile tips, Damian. Even though I am just a bedroom guitarist, I find that having an extra pair of nail clippers and a small baggie of Band Aids in my guitar case has come in handy more than a couple of times. Take care and have a great weekend!

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching & keep on rockin' my friend :)

Nice to see you up and running

Marvellous as usual Damian, have you tried a Vibromate Spoiler on your Bigsby?, makes string change a breeze. I think 5 minutes of playing live is like 5years in your bedroom, your gorgeous vintage tone you spent a fortune on vanishes in a salvo of drums,keys and bass. Your pedal board the next gig is filleted , to reverb, trem and a tube screamer

Great vid mate!

Nice presentation and good advice. Funny too!

Hi Damian I'm usually the front person when I do live shows. I like to thoroughly rehearse what I'm going to say when I'm talking to the audience. Then there's no hesitancy or bumbling when I'm talking. Also I'm confident about spontaneous responses to anything that happens because I have my prepared remarks to fall back on.

Locking tuners make string changes with Bigsbys a breeze. Or a capo to clamp on the strings and neck so they don't come off the Bigsby pins, Kudos on the spare tubes, too. A couple pre amp or power tubes in the gig bag can save the day.

Hi Damian. Spot on with all your tips👍. I once left my ' home made ' amp stand outside the load in door , I went back a week later and it was still their !!! 🤣

Another great vid and final comments. All the best to you and your daughter

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

Excellent advice.

Great advice, Damian, and, as usual, you're an awesome inspiration!

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching :)

I think you covered just about everything. i've been doing this for a long time, too.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching :)

Muchisimas gracias Damián Bacci, eres un genio❤

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

Happy Labor Day Damian! informative content as always, and enjoyable too! sending along my best to you and yours 🤠

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thank you my friend. Cheers & keep on rockin' :)

Great points. Back in my early 20s, there weren't things like Snark tuners (and things these days break), so know how to quickly tune an instrument by ear. Drunk or loaded audience members might grab a neck or headstock as they stumble across you while you're moving through the crowd if the green room isn't behind the stage. Believe me. It's a pain to be out of tune when you switch on the amp and the crowd is stoked and ready. The second instrument is paramount. Stuff happens. Strings break. Even new strings. I played bass hard, and broke strings regularly... and I played my Precisions with the bridge and pickup covers on like they were designed back then. Changing strings means a screwdriver removing two tiny screws to remove the cover. Changing strings can't happen during the set. One time later, in the 90s, I broke a string on a Gibson Thunderbird I had, and the bridge saddles float..... it fell off into the darkness on a stage in France when the D string broke. I'll never forget that it was the D string. The Jazz wasn't my favorite bass, but it was a lifesaver that night. A second instrument on a stand has to be there, and in tune. All the other stuff makes sense, even with roadies moving your gear. Extra strings, and extra cord even if you use a wireless. In some towns, there's interference to the point the wireless just won't work. Have a cord or two on hand. I don't share this story often, but I crossed the Mississippi River for soundcheck across from New Orleans one evening when I was 21 (in 1978), and forgot my vintage Precision. No one had hands on it except for me. Girlfriend was really hot and there was business to finish, but me dashing across the river without an instrument would have been a big deal if it was the gig. Always remember your instrument when going to the gig. Knowing the material backward and forward or in your sleep is a no-brainer. You don't play for money if you don't know the stuff you're going to play. ....and if you're playing for money, have a contract and know what you're being paid, even if it's a split at the door. After you've played a while, you won't be happy just to be playing at some dump. They have to pay you. If it's a local club and it's the door or split, bring your own guy with a clicker to count heads if you draw more than fifty or a hundred people. Some club owners will short you, even if you sell the place out of beer that night. Playing music is fun, but it's a shitty business. Good luck!

@Damianblf

Ай бұрын

Thanks for leaving some tips. Cheers & keep on rockin' :)

Ahh, I remember playing live. Looks like you're having fun, Damian!

I always forget the band’s sign. We hang it behind us and forget it. One time we were at the state fair and had no way to get it back. A friend of the band had access and surprised us with its safe return. Great video!

Some great tips here thanks. For an optimum performance, we really need to do pre checks like airline pilots . We can crash and burn like them but in the mental sense rather than physical. We are both moving air as well.

Pure gold tips Damian! I’ve learned every one these the hard way over the years. This video should be required viewing for every beginning gigging guitarist regardless of genre. I’ll never forget the first time I had a hand truck to bring to a gig, all I could think was “why didn’t I do this years ago?!” Some additional tips, get yourself some sort of case with a handle to put your strings, tools, cables power supply etc. in. Always bring a Sharpie marker so you can add notes or revisions to your set list and be able to autograph merch if you are lucky enough to be asked to. Cheers man!

Hi Damian. Would love to catch one of your shows when I’m in the Sunshine State. Where can I see when your playing live? Don’t see a section on your website. And ton of really good real world practical advice. One that people may forgot about that you highlighted about getting gig ready, is to stand up in rehearsal. That is one of my top “to do” items, as I am typically sitting in band rehearsals.

Sound advice, thanks

Sei un grandissimo DAMIAN congratulations ❤❤❤yeah chapeau

Great advice......I have played out 50 years and love your vids...Don't forget extra wall warts for your effects (or your band mates who need one fast) ....extra tuner batteries. and for buskers, make sure to keep battery powered amps fully charged......maybe even a backup power cell on hand.....rok on man.....

Great video with good tips Damian. I would like to add the tip of having some spare plectrum within reach during the gig. And a little light for your pedalboard or so would be very usefull in a dark bar or club. Thanks for your video's Damian. Greetings from Holland.

Playing standing up is such good advice and if you're on vocals too then with the mic stand even if you don't actually sing. Remember getting a new straight stand for my Elvis mic only to find everytime I moved around I kept just touching the strings on the stand - took me ages to work out where the wierd sound was coming from!!

All great tips.

@Damianblf

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching :)

Great advice .

@Damianblf

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching :)

Great video! Thanks!

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching :)

Words of wisdom 👍

Your joy in music is contagious, brother! God bless. Btw, a pointer for you: install the Vibramate Spoiler in all your Bigsby equipped guitars; it will make stringing them so much easier. I have two.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

you should come rock Cincinnati!

I played a gig in a town 65 miles away...I was the sound man. And fortunately, the guy who turned me on to this. We played 2 nights. The first night, there were words between a 'noted' singer and a jazz guitarist who was a helluva lot better than the singer...but the singer wasn't having it. Night 2 The pot blew up. And in the middle of the 1st set, 2nd song and these two agreed to take a break together...the singer had an eye more black than his skin color. Which was what the gig was all about. And all of a sudden I'm called up to play. And most of the set list was old Motown, Mustang, Memphis, and Southern Soul music. I was long out of that stage and was working on a progressive sound...far removed from Smokey and the Isley Bros. But, I got paid. And I discovered I could play just about any genre I wanted. That was 1981 and 32 years later, I have no problem stepping up and laying it down. Great Content here Damian. Trust Readers, Dude knows his BIZNESS! 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Awesome and thanks for sharing. Keep on rockin' my friend :)

ln my gig bag I take a Vox mv 50 micro head as well as one of those cheapy pedal effect striips (Sonic Cake) that have at least overdrive, reverb and delay... because frankly I 've had pedalboards fail due to issues and having to play bone dry is not my prefered way to get the job done... the small vox head can just be plugged into either the speaker in my combo amp or can even be routed to the front of house if they have a stage box or a D.I. ... I may have to play through monitors but it's better than nothing ... as always another great video with plenty of tips for all players from newcomers to seasoned pros....

Great advice especially arrive early for a parking space 👍

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Good advice. Thank you for watching :)

Cool shirt!

Hi Damian, thank you for sharing your tips on what to bring and stressing to arrive early based on your own personal experience. I hate to say it but, just this weekend I gathered up my stuff to play a few simple songs for my family for the first time. I recently bought another new electric guitar of which they had never seen. So, here I am asking myself, "Okay, what all do I bring even to the smallest of gigs?" Even though it was just for family, I treated it as though I was getting ready for a few hundred. Thanks again to taking the time to record, edit and post this video. Sincerely, Tim 🎸 Keep rockin!😎

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thank you very much Tim. Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers & keep on rockin' :)

Sound advice. I'd add an amp stand, multitool, spare power supply for your pedal board, since not all pedals can use batteries these days, spare tuner, clothes pegs (if you use a music stand), duct tape of course, fresh shirt or 2 depending how many sets,

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Good advice. Thank you for sharing :)

String butler for a Bigsby is a great invention.

My band always tries to get to venue at least 2 hours before the start. Sorry to hear about losing that rocking gig Damian.. I would also say be very careful on the load out, because it's usually dark so black things can be forgotten. I left an orange tiny terror head, in his black case, outside a venue 10 years ago. Luckily a passerby left it at the venue.

❤❤❤j adore . Merci aux USA pour sa richesse musicale 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🎉

BTW, given this video, I can't be the only one here that would be up for a couple of videos of "Damian Bacci: Stories from the Rockabilly Road." Good stuff.

@Damianblf

5 ай бұрын

I've got a couple of interesting stories from the road that I do plan to share soon. Cheers & keep on rockin' :)

I’d like to add : know exactly what’s in the contract. Nothing will ruin a good gig like spending the rest of the night arguing money with the club. Also KNOW what gear is going to be there. No where near as much of a problem now (modern PAs are amazing). But, I once walked into a gig being told it was a intimate outdoor thing, we where a five piece acoustic folk band so no amplification needed, and it turned out to be a 300 plus town hall thing, they had a portable PA with 4 inputs and two mics… two of us ended the night on a table in the middle of the room playing acoustically as loud as we could. Now I pretty much want to know the models of equipment that’s waiting for me at gigs. 😂 gotta love it!

A multi tool, zip ties, duct tape. If you use wireless make sure there is no interference with your signal ( it happens) and keep a cable nearby just in case. Extra pics, extra slides if you use glass. Heck just have a backup for everything, Murphy will visit your gig at some point

@Damianblf

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and for leaving a comment full of great tips :)

Hi Damien - agree with all of your tips. All I'd add is, put the key of the number on the setlist.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

That's a great idea. I've done that many times. Thanks for sharing that tip :)

Loved the advice! I'm still curious about your fave delay pedal.

Lot of us play small gigs with set lists on electronic devices. Have a backup list or backup tabs on your phone too. If a device or app fails you can still play. Also if you have a guest play who needs something to reference it’s easy to hand him/her something. Also if you print set lists put the key next to the song name. Especially good for players sitting in when your regular band mate is out.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Good advice. Thank you for sharing :)

Put your name and contact information on your equipment and stuff

@NoWayOut55

11 ай бұрын

👍👍

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

That's some good advice. Thanks for sharing :)

I would add : At the gig, make the sound tech your best friend of the day : - Everyone is on stage and ready at the begining of the sound check. - Everyone stays until the end of the sound check. - Play only when he/she says. - Don't rehearse during sound check (or only if you dealed it before). - Ask for monitor mix changes in an ordered manner (not everyone at the same time ;-) ) It'll make a quick and easy sound check for a better show. If everything goes well, don't forget to thank him/her at the end.

Great advice! What amp do you use the most for your gigs?

Demais meu amigo: "somzeira!!!"

I enjoyed this gig rundown. I struggle getting that awesome rockabilly tone that you get. Do you run your tone and volumes on full on your guitar? Which pickup position do you use? I'm going round the twist trying to sound like you. Oh,I have a 6120. 🤝

Hey Damian, what do you do about bad venue grounding?

As an aging guitarist, cramp in the hands is a very real painful thing especially playing a lot of barre chords in a very hot environment. You lose a lot of water and electrolytes and if cramp hits your hands, make sure you have plenty of water and electrolyte tablets. They really work.

@Damianblf

3 ай бұрын

That's a great tip. Thanks for sharing :)

Tip, play stereo. Sounds nice and you always have a spare amp.

Hi Damian, I have the Gretsch, 6120 with Diarmond single coils but can’t seem to get that twangy sound. Must I have reverb or delay slap back; is that how they did it in the fifties? Thank you

Do you use pedals? I use three ... a delay, compressor and tuning pedal. I created a board using velcro so i can quickly take it iur ofy bag, plug the board into the amp and the guitar into the board. I also have a master power jaxk yhet the pedals plug onto on yhe board so i just plug one power cord into an outlet tbat pkwers thr whole boatd. Makes it auper fast

thank a lot

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching :)

Hope you are doing well after the storm

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you. I was one of the fortunate ones that had no loss of power and no damage. About 7 miles away from me closer to the shore, many homes were flooded from storm surge. The Tampa Bay area really lucked out this time. Sadly our neighbors to the north of us weren't so lucky.

I find that it's a good idea to leave the tube amps at home and bring a solid state amp. Much less can go wrong. Also if you amp uses fuses bring along a couple of spares. I also make sure I have a picture of my guitar's serial number in my phone just in case I need to prove it's mine.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Good advice. Thank you for sharing :)

I always have a bunch of fuses, a fuse holder cover (bass players amp lost the cap), alligator clips, banana to 1/4 adapters, xlr to 1/4. Random tools, a couple wood screws (saved when bass players strap holder fell out). Seems i am always saving the bass player. Lol

@Damianblf

8 ай бұрын

Good tips. Thanks for sharing :)

Damian Great Video. What model guitar is that you are using in this video?

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

Thank you. During the performance I was playing my Gretsch 6120SSU Brian Setzer and the guitar sitting on my lap during the video is a 1963 Gretsch 6186 Clipper

@garypannone7755

10 ай бұрын

Thank You I really like the Clipper. I never saw one. I like single pickup guitars.

I always bring ear plugs and extra picks.

I'd add, find out how long you are expected to play and finish within your allotted time. Particularly true if you are on a multi-band bill. Don't overstay your welcome. Also, (this is maybe just a Chicago small-scale punk rock thing) if you're the local act, try to give a portion of your door money to the touring band. They can always use some gas money.

@NoWayOut55

11 ай бұрын

Best show a Band can put on is unloading and loading gear. Get your shit together. Not posing for the girlies.

@NoWayOut55

11 ай бұрын

Damn! Another great part of your comment! Hell yea! Pay the door. They know what comes and goes. And handle it appropriately.

Incredible

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Thank you. Keep on rockin' my friend :)

@5150show

11 ай бұрын

@@Damianblf I would love to interview you live on our channel

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

@@5150show That sounds really fun. Send me a message through my website and we can figure out a date to set that up.

Epic KREATOR shirt \m/\m/

I practice at home with the TV and sometimes ALSO the radio on. If you can play with all that distraction then the distractions at the show will be easy.

@Damianblf

10 ай бұрын

I like that. Thanks for sharing :)

Is that a coffin shaped ⚰️ flight case for your guitar?? Or is it for something else? It looks kinda thick for a guitar case. I guess if it's for hallow bodys.

You left out the most important thing! Always get paid! Back in the 70's we had "our guy" collect the money before the lights dimmed out. If it looked sketchey, we would get paid before the sound check. Second most important thing in a new building is to find the main breaker panel and determine if you have enough power. I have pulled out old fuses and replaced them with copper tubing just to keep the lights on. If things were funky we would set up and turn on every amp, all the lights etc during the sound check to see if all the circuits held the load.

Have you used wireless, they can be affordable lately, but are they reliable!?

@bluesybruce

11 ай бұрын

I have used wireless with no real problems - just remember to keep them charged up though; and I leave a guitar lead near the amp in case a problem does happen. A belt and braces approach.

@kennyg63

11 ай бұрын

I was going to ask the same question. Seems like a good thing as long as you have a regular cable as a backup.😂

@tomdyll2728

11 ай бұрын

Stay away from bluetooth and 2.4 GHZ wireless for live events. They use shared frequencies and can get interfered with easily. Even the pro equipment can have issues and require attention. End of the day a simple cable keeps things simple and reliable.

@kennyg63

11 ай бұрын

@@tomdyll2728 Makes sense since I see so many performers not using wireless.

"Input jack"? Nothing goes 'in" there. That would be an output Jack.

Don't argue with other band members on stage. Especially drummers.

Don’t forget an extra set of sticks for the drummer who left their stick bag on top their car when they left for the gig. An extra strap never hurts as well, for the forgetful bassist or guitarist.🎸

Bananas and nuts! Take some food.

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

Good idea. Thanks for watching :)

@orlandoguitarist

11 ай бұрын

Yes .... and water!

the time your band mate was really late you should have just played without them......that really impresses people/club owners when you can and do adapt to problems......with rockabilly music especially you can and they did play it without a drummer......if it was the bassist that was late the guitarist if he's really good could make up for it on guitar.......

@NoWayOut55

11 ай бұрын

Been there with those Dumbasses

@Damianblf

11 ай бұрын

For sure I agree and I did play guitar for the audience a bit without the band. Trying to do whatever I could to kill time. But our late band member had the mics and mic stands with him. So I couldn't do any vocals. And I gotta admit I was stressing out because I didn't know when the member of the band was coming because he wasn't answering his texts and having the manager breathing down my neck didn't help my nerves any lol. It was a venue that I wanted to get us into for a long time so it was a bummer that it ended the way it did. But you live and learn and life goes on. :)

@tomdyll2728

11 ай бұрын

I am the guy with the PA, monitors and other gear for my band. I do my best to be the first guy at every gig. It really helps with my sanity not to be rushed setting up gear. If your band’s designated sound guy can’t be the most reliable person in the band have someone else’s do it.

Duct Tape!!!

@Damianblf

5 ай бұрын

Yes, that's a great idea. Thanks for watching :)

Hi Damian, thank you for the informative video with great tips. I have tinnitus and was wondering if you have any recommendations for special earplugs to use during gigs? I would appreciate your thoughts on this.🦻🎸

Extra promo kits for other club owners/promotes who may just happen to be in the audience.

Great advice.

@Damianblf

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching :)