Gotta getta gig. Gotta keep gigging. Had any good gigs lately?
The word “gig” has the same connotation as the word “job” for me. It’s something you do to get by, something you do just for the money, not because you love it or find meaning in it.
If you have a “job”, chances are you need to do something else in your free time to instill more meaning into your life. Conversely, if you’re in a “career” instead of a “job”, if you find joy and purpose in your work, you probably feel better about spending the largest portion of your day doing that work.
For a musician, a gig takes many shapes. Some of them include:
- Playing Jimmy Buffet covers all night at a beach-side bar during tourist season.
- Competitive open mics that last for hours and may or may not get you a weekend slot.
- Taking the stage at 1 am during a “battle of the bands” for a $50 bar tab.
- Coffee shop shows that pay a small amount, but no-one can hear you over the smoothie blender and steaming milk.
- Any show where anyone yells “Free Bird!” at you.
When you start out, it’s natural to take as many gigs as you can get. You want exposure, you just want to play and have people listen. You also hear lots of people tell you that you have to “pay your dues.” I think that’s fine, as long as you are still having fun. If it starts to feel like crap to get up every day and drag your stuff down to a smoky bar where they never remember your name and you have to beg the bartender to get your pay from the office…it might be time for a change.
I’ve set up a small system whereby I can decide whether or not to accept a performance at the drop of a hat, without feeling guilt or shame about it. (I am a recovering guilt-addict, which we can talk about another time.)
Christine Kane taught me about the Pro-active No, which is what I used to set up my system. It goes like this:
I only accept free shows under the following circumstances -
1. Is it for a charity that I respect, admire, and want to be part of?
2. Does it make up for the lack of pay in significant exposure and/or guaranteed merchandise sales?
3. Do I respect and admire the people involved with the event?
If a show does not meet two out of three of those requirements, it’s pretty easy for me to say no. If it meets all three, it’s probable that I will accept it.
I’ve also changed my language about performances. I hardly ever use the word “gig”, and I also speak about booking shows in terms of “accepting” them (as you may have noticed above) rather than “trying to get” them. I don’t “try to get gigs” anymore.
I won’t say that this has resulted in my phone and email box instantly blowing up with requests for me to play amazing paying performances every day, but you know what? Even though I have played fewer shows so far this year than I typically would if I were “trying to get gigs”, I’ve made significantly more money with my music, and I’ve had much, much more gratifying experiences.
In my next post, I want to talk to you about an absolutely lovely experience I had last weekend.
