Just offering up some ideas that I've been pondering lately. Apologies in advance to those who don't relate to Guitar players.

I am thinking about how to package my show and the way that I can present it to an audience, to a venue, to a producer, to other musicians. This leads to ideas about how to produce the show, promote and sell it, and eventually influences how the show is run.

These simple ideas are building blocks. The references to 'in a box' are from my original idea sketches. The boxes are entities that I imagine plugging into a venue or dropping onto a stage.

I don't think there is anything new here, but just an opportunity to think about things in different ways.

I have put each major idea in a separate post to make it easier for you to quote an individual post if you want to comment.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

1. Solo

You are a solo artist and want to travel light. You hope that the venue will provide some kind of sound system or that venue is suitable for unamplified performances.

2. Solo + Your Sound

You are a solo artist and want to control your own sound. Essentially you are taking your sound environment with you. You plug it into the venue.

3. Solo + Your Sound + Band


This is how I first used my L1® with my band. This is also how I do my hired-gun gigs. It's me, my L1® and whoever else is there.

This works fine if you are the featured artist in the band. But if someone else is the talent or the band is a collaboration of equals then you have to be careful not to upstage anyone.

A fellow with whom I play regularly does *not* take his L1® to some of his hired-gun gigs because he has to be so careful that his harmonies to do not overshadow the lead singer.

I suggested that he let the lead singer run a line into the L1®, but that complicates things in a different way.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

4. Solo + Your Sound + Band + Their Sound

This is an ideal situation for a band. It can be a challenge to get everyone on board.

5. Band Sound in a Box


In an ideal world (my ideal world) venues would have stage setups that include L1®s. You walk in with your instruments, microphones and T1®s. Plug in and play.

6. Providing Sound for the Band
Until the Venues start installing L1®s for visiting shows, we have to bring the L1®s with us. Ideally, every performer is responsible for his/her own instruments, equipment and of course, the L1.

Some of us have not yet found like minded individuals who have their own L1®s so we bring L1®s for the entire band.



or



So we carry our sound and the sound for the band.

Regardless of who owns the L1®s let's look back at this ...

6a. Band with L1®s




This can be an attractive model for a Venue. They provide a bare stage and we bring in our sound.

An L1® band should be able to do this in less time, without a lengthy sound check, put on a great show at reasonable volume, and get out quickly at the end of the night.

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7. Duo Sharing an L1®


This seems to be a really popular setup, a duo sharing an L1®.

You can improve on this if each member of the duo has control over his/her sound with a separate T1®. If you are using an L1® Classic or Model I, then one member of the Duo can use the R1 Remote from the Model I and the other can use a T1®.

8. Duo with Two L1®s - my favourite setup for a Duo


This is wonderful setup for a duo. Each performer has complete control over his/her sound. Monitoring is much better when each performer can hear him/herself separately in the mix.

This also allows the audience to experience the cocktail party effect and to be able to fully comprehend what each performer is contributing to the whole.

9. Solo + Guest + Sound in a box
Sometimes to get to ideal state above, you have to carry gear for two.

I have always seen my gigs as shows, well productions really. Up until lately, usually someone else was producing the show and I was part of the ensemble.

Lately I have been more likely to take the role of the producer of the show. This changes everything.

Hi ST!

Well, now that you are in charge of your stage productions, I hope you haven't neglected the need to illuminate yourself! From time to time, we find ourselves needing to provide everything from amplification to lighting. I'm sure you've given this some thought. Do you have a default setup for lighting? If so, what are you using? Do you need to worry about this in the venues you play? Some venues we play, don't have formal stages and usually have nothing in the way of stage lighting. We use this simple setup. It provides a nice ambience for our gigs!

It's not sophisticated, and is simply a minimum attempt of not playing in the dark! HA! Anyway, I'm sure the DJs/KJs will have a good chuckle seeing this feeble attempt of lighting, but it seems to work for us and is very easy to transport and use. A full-fledged lighting setup would be beyond the scope of most gigs we play.

As you think about packaging yourself, I think adding some lighting would add a professional touch.... Your thoughts, or what you're currently doing?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JohnNell,

Hi John,

Thanks for the thought.

quote:

Do you have a default setup for lighting?

No, not yet

quote:

If so, what are you using?

If necessary I have access to a couple of tall floor stands with four coloured lights on a bar each.

quote:

Do you need to worry about this in the venues you play?

The places that are dark have lights - a least a single bar with 4 lights.

quote:

Some venues we play, don't have formal stages and usually have nothing in the way of stage lighting.

Me too, but it hasn't been issue yet. I haven't found myself in the dark. I usually pre-field a new location. (link is to an article about scouting out a location). If it sounds like lights will be necessary, I will drag some along.

It hasn't happened often enough for me to want to go and buy some. I have been listening in on some of the DJ threads about some of the newer light systems. Smaller, lighter, draw less power, cooler. All sounds good to me.

Where I was going with this discussion - was to think of the stage as a place where you plug-in a show. So the show becomes somewhat modular.

John just added the lights to the module.

A show module is largely self-contained requiring only power and a certain amount of square feet of stage area in which to work.

Stepping back from the picture, I see the stage as a module in a venue, and the venue as a module in the ecology of live music.

Other parts of that ecology are:

People who listen to live music.
People who don't participate or attend live music.

People who listen to recorded music.
People who don't listen to recorded music.

Show producers.

Booking Agents.

Venues (already mentioned).

Venue management (chains of venues).
Franchises

Municipal governments (organizations that can create legislation that affects where and when we can play)

Licensing Boards (liquor licenses for example).

Performing Rights organizations (e.g. ASCAP , BMI )

Communities of Practice (includes this message board and others where musicians talk about being musicians)

Communities (like The Villages - mentioned by Joelheck, or smaller communities within larger ones)

Community supported music organizations.

Ticketing agencies.

iTunes

Social Networking sites (e.g. MySpace, YouTube)

Our individual web sites.

Our venues' web sites.

... That's enough from me. Can you think of other parts of the music ecosystem ecology?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

ST,

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around all of this. I like how you're thinking though.

Tom

Hi ST,

The visual aspect of a production is very important.

• Lighting as John mentioned
  
• Wardrobe
  
• Stage setup
  
• Competing visual movement
  
• Promotional material

Lighting:
Lighting a production should be matched to the needs and take into account the setting. I've noticed that the audience is more likely to engage in loud conversation during a performance in rooms that are illuminated by fluorescent lights or where the performance area is equally or less illuminated than the performance area.

The colour of the lighting, either basic colour temperature or the use of vivid accent colouring, can greatly enhance or detract from the desired ambiance or mood.

Lighting design can range from a basic stage wash to highlighting specific performers. In An inappropriate lighting setup can also have this effect.

Wardrobe
The way a performer dresses provides a substantial visual cue to the audience. This should become part of the production planning process. Optimal attire can vary widely for the different types of production. Again using 3. Solo + Your Sound + Band as an example

quote:

A fellow with whom I play regularly does *not* take his L1® to some of his hired-gun gigs because he has to be so careful that his harmonies to do not overshadow the lead singer.

wearing an Elvis sequenced jump suit might draw attention away from the lead...

Stage setup
A clean well organized stage gives a different visual cue than one that is cluttered with tangled cables or road cases and soft bags strewn about. Whether one uses music stands as discussed in another thread.

Use of:

• Banner or backdrop
  
• Decorative set pieces
  
• Flowers
  
• Drinking vessel (foam cup, water bottle, beer can, fancy glass)
  
• Strategic masking to hide unsightly gear
  
• Cleanly routing and dressing cables

Competing visual movement
What is located near the stage can compete with the production. Arcade machines, dart boards, bar, a window with a horrible view... It can be more distracting when movement is included: flashing/chasing lights, people engaged in sporting activities, television sets...

Promotional material
Professional promotional material can help set expectations. This could add value to the "package" you want to sell.

• Posters of your production
  
• Mini posters that can be placed on tables if the venue is a cafe
  
• CD which could be played in the days leading up to the event (cafe type venues)

Had a hired-gun show last night. It wasn't my gig, so it didn't seem appropriate for me to be cruising the crowd. Instead I jotted down a couple of thoughts.

1. Empty Boxes
The Venue contains the Stage onto which The Producer drops The Show.

2. Lights and Visuals
The Producer ensures that we have lights (thanks John) and all the visuals that Mark (Le5) mentioned in his post two above. Thanks Mark!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

3. Sound
The Producer ensures that there is great sound, or the potential for it anyway.

4. Musicians