
Advertise on podcast: Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
555 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Dave Hamilton & FriendsExplicit
No
Date created
2015/03/23
Latest episode
2026/10/12
Average duration
74 min.
Release period
8 days
Description
Welcome to Gig Gab—the podcast sanctuary for working musicians and anyone fascinated by the vibrant, often unseen world behind every note played on stage. Whether you’re a musician, a member of the crew, or just someone who loves peeking behind the curtain to discover the secrets of live performances, you’ve found your tribe.
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Your Competition Is the Couch: Building Fans Through Theatrical Live Shows with Megan & Alan from Neonautica
2026/10/12
Megan Ihnen and Alan Theisen of Neonautica went from contemporary classical recitals to headlining dubstep parties in New Orleans, and they brought a theater kid’s discipline with them. You’ll hear how they split band duties so nobody has to wonder who’s handling what, why the only correct response to a note is thank you, and why there’s no such thing as a good or bad sound, only the sound you meant to make and the one you didn’t. They also explain why they wrote an hour-long set the way a composer writes a symphony, and what it means to control the room instead of just reading it.
Then it gets into the fun, nerdy stuff! You’ll learn why the decisions in a duo are unanimous or they don’t happen (a rule worth stealing for any band), why a Rick and Morty sample got its one word bleeped when both dads showed up, and how bass music meets Stop Making Sense became the Neonautica pitch. Live music is a visual art, so give your audience a way in on the joke, use a character to quiet your nerves, and remember that you’re not competing with other bands. You’re competing with the couch. Get them off it. Always Be Performing.
00:00:00 Gig Gab 555 – Monday, October 12, 2026
October 12th: National Pulled Pork Day
Guest co-hosts: Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen from Neonautica
00:02:42 Neonautica!
00:03:49 Dividing the labor in your band…clearly!
Communication is key
Classical Music and Theater
00:10:00 Hearing information
00:11:50 Learning to Take the note
00:14:36 Developing that self-awareness “objective remove”
00:15:38 There’s no such thing as good and bad sounds
There’s the sound you meant to make and the sound you didn’t mean to make
I’d rather be right in the future than have been right in the past
00:19:05 Maintaining humanity, fun, and flexibility…with tracks
What are the parameters of the show that are theatrical?
00:21:04 The flow of Neonautica’s hour-long original dubstep sets
Reading the room vs. controlling the room
Lights vs. Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’
00:26:34 Different genres in bass music set?
Gospel in Dubstep
00:27:57 SPONSOR: Tidal – Visit https://Tidal.com/GIGGAB to create an account and start uploading your music for free: zero platform fees on every sale. Your music, your earnings.
00:29:30 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
00:31:01 Working with your partner…and surprising and delighting each other
Shared ownership unlocks the creative freedom
(In a duo) The decisions are unanimous or they don’t happen
00:41:51 Should we bleep the word “dad”?
00:46:37 Getting people on your side…by getting people in on “the joke”
00:50:51 Recording your shows and gathering valuable information
Live music is a visual art!
Like Bass Music meets Stop Making Sense
00:59:32 The influence of being in a mime troupe in high school
Alleviating performance anxiety by adopting a character
The Alter Ego Effect
01:14:07 The importance of showing up for live music
01:17:11 Connecting with your audience
01:23:24 Gig Gab 555 Outtro
Contact Neonautica
IG: NeonauticaMusic
NeonauticaMusic.com
Contact Gig Gab!
@GigGabPodcast on Instagram
[email protected]
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The post Your Competition Is the Couch: Building Fans Through Theatrical Live Shows with Megan & Alan from Neonautica – Gig Gab 555 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Instagram Paid Him Tens of Dollars. It Also Got Him Into the Beach Boys: Social Media, Session Vocals, & Harmony Stacks with Chris Cron
2026/10/05
Chris Cron posted what he thought was a one-off video about how to sound like the Beach Boys, set his phone down, and came back to 10,000 views. A few days later it was near a million. A few years later, he’s a touring member of the actual Beach Boys. Chris joins Dave to show you what was underneath that “overnight” success: a full-time session vocalist gig since 2018, years of throwing content at the wall, and the social media lessons that made one video stick: Frame your post as a question, reply to every comment, and treat the haters as fodder for a lesson or a laugh. From there, the path runs through a John Stamos follow, a coffee with the band’s musical director, a one-off Post Malone fill-in, and a phone call you don’t say no to. When the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity shows up, you throw the door open wide.
Then Chris pulls back the curtain on harmony stacks, and it’s less mystical than you think. Learn the melody first, figure out the chord, and your harmonies are what’s left. Knowing every lane on the highway is how you stay in yours. You’ll hear what it’s like learning new parts on bass, guitar, and keys for the same songs in different bands, getting corrected on lyrics by the guys who were in the room when they were written, and turning the whole skill set into Harmony Build, his remote vocal and arranging business.
The big takeaway: Chris landed his dream gig in his forties, after construction jobs and eight-dollar-an-hour shifts. Humility is a superpower, the long game is the only game, and the job is to keep doing the thing. Always Be Performing.
00:00:00 Gig Gab 554 – Monday, October 5, 2026
October 5th: National Be Nice Day (Wouldn’t It Be Nice? Day(?))
Guest co-host: Chris Cron
00:01:43 Posting to instagram…and a million views!
Session Vocalist since 2018
Simply Sing
When someone comments on your instagram post…reply!
Frame your video as a question (“How to sound like the Beach Boys?”)
00:09:53 Haters are fodder for a lesson or laugh
Come hang out
00:15:09 Learning the economy of songwriting
Chris Cron in Mêlée
00:17:24 Thanking John Stamos for the follow
Chris Cron, “Don’t Be Afraid”
Coffee with Brian Eichenberger
00:22:43 Post Malone asks Chris Cron to fill-in on background vocals for one show
00:27:49 Saying Yes to EVERY Once In a Lifetime Opportunity When It Shows Up
00:31:16 Learning all the different parts to play…same songs, different bands!
Bass for Pet Sound Live tribute band
34:37 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.
00:36:03 The stage as your classroom
Learn as much as you can
00:40:19 Finding your home in the vocal stacks
00:42:27 De-mystifying harmony stacks
Learn the melody first
Then the chord
And your harmonies are what’s left!
Focus training
00:51:29 Chris Cron’s Harmony Build
Learning things wrong…and then
00:52:35 Playing music for the fans!
00:55:44 Learning the Beach Boys…from the Beach Boys
“Surf Route, Surfin’ Safari”
00:59:59 Harmony Build from Chris Cron
AirGigs
SoundBetter
01:06:24 Humility is a superpower
01:13:58 Gig Gab 554 Outtro
Contact Chris Cron
Email on Linktree
IG: @chriscronmusic
Contact Gig Gab!
@GigGabPodcast on Instagram
[email protected]
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The post Instagram Paid Him Tens of Dollars. It Also Got Him Into the Beach Boys: Social Media, Session Vocals, & Harmony Stacks with Chris Cron – Gig Gab 554 appeared first on Gig Gab.
How Every Club Sounds Great: Running SXSW Stages & Changeovers with Nate Cross
2026/09/28
Every club at SXSW sounds good, every night, all week, and we’ve often wondered how they maintain that consistency. This week Dave finally gets the answer from Nate Cross, SXSW’s Director of Production, who went from intern to Assistant Production Manager to running the whole show. You’ll hear how his team builds out 55 to 60 venues (down from 100+ before the pandemic), why they mic everything even when it looks like overkill, and how 20-minute changeovers actually run on time with bands who’ve never met. Then there’s the backline story: trading the free band beer for a drum kit and amps at every venue, which enhanced everything.
Want to be the band every festival wants back? Show up on time, keep it simple, and put your current input list first, since it matters more than your stage plot. Add one sentence describing what your band should sound like so the engineer isn’t guessing. Nate also explains how SXSW went from a flat “no” on in-ear monitors to welcoming your split snake, and shares how his two-drummer, nine-piece band Water Damage turned one showcase into a challenge accepted. Whether you’re under the lights or behind the scenes, Always Be Performing.
00:00:00 Gig Gab 553 – Monday, September 28, 2026
September 28th: Ask a Stupid Question Day
Guest co-hosts: Nate Cross from SXSW
00:01:16 Arrived in Austin 2003, interned with SXSW in 2006
Finally in 2012 the phone rings…Assistant Production Manager
00:07:33 Learning the SXSW flow
00:11:20 Dozens of Venues, 5-6 bands per night per venue
00:12:40 Building out stages and PAs
00:15:01 Setting up the stages for success
Everyone coming to that stage wants it to sound as good as possible…and so do we!
Micing everything
00:17:18 Changeover
00:18:10 Keeping the schedule running on time
Managing the 20-minute changeover
00:22:44 How many production staff assigned per venue?
FOH engineer
Stage manager
Student Production Crewmember
Plus 2-3 stage crew
00:24:05 Adding backline to every venue in 2026
00:27:22 Setting Your Band Up For Success at a Festival
Punctuality
Communication
Simple Is (usually) best
00:31:04 Advancing with Success
Stage Plot is truly for space allocation. Make sure your layout is up-to-date and correct.
Input List is the most important aspect
Update your Stage Plot and Input List once per year
00:35:08 Put that “what my band sounds like” sentence on your input list
00:41:21 IEMs, Split Snakes
Pre-pandemic the answer to IEMs at SXSW was “no”
00:49:40 “My band doesn’t use monitors”
00:51:27 Water Damage, Nate’s band
Water Damage Instagram – @wwwaterdamage
00:54:05 The Thread of Serendipity That Runs Through SXSW
Dave says get a Platinum Badge!
01:02:14 Gig Gab 553 Outtro
Contact Gig Gab!
@GigGabPodcast on Instagram
[email protected]
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The post How Every Club Sounds Great: Running SXSW Stages & Changeovers with Nate Cross – Gig Gab 553 appeared first on Gig Gab.
The Opener Sets the Tone: Set List Strategy, AI vs. the Artist & The Craft of Fronting a Band
2026/09/21
Skylar Hamilton is back by popular demand for round two of your questions, recorded across an Airbnb kitchen table in New York City where a roll of paper towels doubles as a mic stand, because it’s the right height and it kills table rumble.
Set lists first: your opener sets the tone, and the tone is yours to set. Easing a dining room into rock-band mode calls for something catchy and upper-mid-tempo with room to breathe; a room that came to see a band wants to know right away what kind of show they walked into. Start cold off a click in your ears instead of a count-off if you want crisp. Put the across-the-board crowd-pleaser second, not first. And treat the night as an exchange of energy: it’s great when the audience offers first, but you can’t plan on that, so you make the first offering. Always Be Performing, right from note one.
From there you get a genuine on-air disagreement about AI and episode artwork, and where the line sits between using a tool and removing the human creator. The audience for your art is other humans, whatever you used to make it. Then stage etiquette, with Rush handing you both answers on one tour: Anika Nilles quietly fixing a wardrobe malfunction mid-song while the show rolls on, and Geddy Lee stopping 2112 to get a dead bass sorted. The call is yours in a split second: if you’re the focal point and the problem has you distracted, name it and bring the crowd in; otherwise let it go and keep playing.
Crowd work closes it out: banter is a skill you learn to summon on demand, not a personality you’re born with. Pick one person or an avatar and talk to them, build a stage character the way Billie Joe Armstrong is already St. Jimmy every night, treat what you wear as a costume your audience assumes you chose on purpose, borrow the bits you love from the front people who inspire you, and then watch yourself back a few days later…alone, and generous enough to find one good moment for every three you’d fix.
00:00:00 Gig Gab 552 – Monday, September 21, 2026
September 21st: National Pecan Cookie Day
Guest co-host: Skylar Hamilton
00:02:28 Use a paper towel roll
Keep Rolling With It
00:04:45 Setlist Management
Starting Songs
00:18:33 How do we continue using AI to maximize efficiency without removing the artists?
Waves NS1
00:31:51 [email protected]
00:32:09 Stage Etiquette: What happens when something goes wrong?
The Alter Ego Effect
00:43:13 Crowd Management: Being a front-person
01:03:01 Gig Gab 552 Outtro
Contact Gig Gab!
@GigGabPodcast on Instagram
[email protected]
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The post The Opener Sets the Tone: Set List Strategy, AI vs. the Artist & The Craft of Fronting a Band – Gig Gab 552 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Play the Fill: Stage Confidence, Filling an Empty Room & Booking Gigs
2026/09/14
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]
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The post Play the Fill: Stage Confidence, Filling an Empty Room & Booking Gigs – Gig Gab 551 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Re-Impressing the Room All Night: The Realities of Nashville's Lower Broadway with Tyson Hanes & Adam Barber
2026/09/07
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
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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.
Ask for the Gig You Want: Kevin Glendinning on SNL, Super Bowls, and 25 Years on the Road
2026/08/31
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
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[email protected]
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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.
From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week...with Victor Carrillo Tracey
2026/08/24
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
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The post From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week – Gig Gab 548 with Victor Carrillo Tracey appeared first on Gig Gab.
Matt Beck on Matchbox Twenty, The Outsiders, Hot Cocoa and a Green Tartan Suit
2026/08/17
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
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IG: mattbecktwenty
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Hired From an 11-View Video: Sean Mullaney on Opportunity and Owning the Stage
2026/08/11
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
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The post Hired From an 11-View Video: Sean Mullaney on Opportunity and Owning the Stage – Gig Gab 546 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Nobody Bought a Ticket to Watch Load-In
2026/08/04
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!
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The post Nobody Bought a Ticket to Watch Load-In – Gig Gab 545 appeared first on Gig Gab.
When Your Worlds Collide...and the Drummer Becomes the Sound Guy – Gig Gab 544 with Dan East
2026/07/27
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
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The post When Your Worlds Collide…and the Drummer Becomes the Sound Guy – Gig Gab 544 with Dan East appeared first on Gig Gab.
The Wrong Audience Is Still an Audience: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on the Gigging Life
2026/07/20
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
Follow NUGEN
@nugenaudio
Follow Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe:
@loudnesswardraftdodger
@fsvc____
@thankleeds
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The post The Wrong Audience Is Still an Audience: Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on the Gigging Life – Gig Gab 543 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Growing Up Statler: Wilson Fairchild on Harmony, Hustle, and the Working Musician's Life
2026/07/13
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
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The post Growing Up Statler: Wilson Fairchild on Harmony, Hustle, and the Working Musician’s Life – Gig Gab 542 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Ryan Goldbacher on Touring with Tom Keifer, Mixing FOH (and Monitors), and AI
2026/07/06
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
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[email protected]
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The post Ryan Goldbacher on Touring with Tom Keifer, Mixing FOH (and Monitors), and AI – Gig Gab 541 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Podcast reviews
Read Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast podcast reviews
macsrcool 2024/10/14
So much good how-to info, great stories and fun!
This is the show for working musicians of all types and at any level, anywhere. Cool gear, lots of tips and tricks and just the best stories about gig...
The Robonzo 2023/03/15
Consummate pros with great advice and stories
I’ve known Dave and Paul for a number of years and remember when Paul came to me to ask what I thought of the idea he and Dave had for this podcast. B...
ConfusedBreakfastPodcast 2022/01/11
Yep
The only thing better than movies, is music. This is one of our favorite music podcasts, full of great conversations and content.
Sertshark 2021/10/17
Best Band Show
I’ve been listening to these two for a few years, and when I first found them I marathoner all the older shows. It’s the best podcast out there about...
RealityStop 2020/12/22
Must-listen for working musicians
Paul and Dave, been listening for a long time. I appreciate what you do, and your thoughtfulness about the impact of the pandemic on all of us who lo...
=Mr Kelly= 2020/02/26
Awesome guys. Good content. To the point.
Listening to this each week helps me with my fictional writing project about bands and other industry folks. Thanks so much.
bplath 2019/11/12
Long time listener
I’ve been listening to the show for many years and always look forward to the conversation each week. It’s insightful getting to hear other weekend wa...
pfinch 2018/03/13
Excellent tips and band conversions!
Love this podcast and look forward to their Band conversations every week !
Thanks guys !
PG prog 2017/04/27
Addictive for Weekend Warriors
I play drums and percussion and sing in my wife's original/cover band, Groovy Judy. She told me about the Kenny Aronoff episode, which I loved. I star...
seenoevil20 2017/03/22
Essential Listening for the Working Musician
There are plenty of podcasts that talk about music, but very few (that I've found) that really dive into the nuts and bolts of being a working musicia...
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Life is Short with Justin Long
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10 to Life
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