If it has not happened to you already, it will definitely happen one day. One moment you are having a great time and the show is going well and then all of a sudden… everything falls apart and it is all ruined. What happened? Why? Can you fix the situation quickly, or do you need to call an end to the show?
In this blog post, we will discuss a few common things that go wrong and how you can prepare or mitigate the issues. Although it is inevitable, there is no need to take unnecessary risks!
Your Guitar
The most common issue you are bound to face with your guitar is breaking a string. With practice you can learn to change a string quickly, but in the middle of a set it may not always be possible. You may be able to finish a song, and if you’re a seasoned professional like BB King was, you could even change the string without missing a beat (see this in action here). The problem is tenfold, however, if you are using a guitar with a floating tremolo system like a Floyd Rose. The tension of the strings is a delicate balance with the springs in the system itself, and if a string breaks then everything becomes unbalanced; if this happens, all of your strings go out of tune!
An easy fix here is to keep a spare guitar ready, or at the very least you could make sure your strings are new and the guitar is in tip top condition. In the case of my experience touring live but on a budget, myself and the other guitarist were confident that our guitars would hold up during the show. However, we kept one spare that either of us could pick up and use as and when we needed.
Sound Issues - Not With Your Guitar!
I have had amplifiers malfunction on me in the past, though not in any spectacular fashion unfortunately! Luckily, although I was unprepared on those occasions, the issues happened at the very end of the set, and the amp was quickly repaired by a technician the next day.
I have since remedied the situation by having my Line 6 HX Stomp as a small backup to go directly into the PA - this was the best solution for me though other options are available.
If your sound has a buzzing that renders performance impossible, or the sound cuts off completely, you need to be able to check methodically and isolate the issue. Is everything turned on, off standby mode and volumes turned up? If you use a pedalboard, try plugging directly into the amp, if there is sound then the issue is somewhere on the board - you will have to judge the scenario and see if it would be a good idea to start stripping away one pedal at a time.
Some good fixes would be:
Keeping some spare cables to hand in case the issue lies there (the picture below is one of my cables, try to see if you can figure out why it will not work!),
Having a multi-fx board to mitigate issues with patch cables and power supplies,
Using a power conditioner, or something to that effect, to clean up any issues relating to power from the venue.
On the subject of power issues in a venue, your safety is paramount. I once played at a venue in London and, although my band’s set was fine, the headline band that had invited us to play called the show to an abrupt end shortly after beginning. I had not noticed the sorry state of the electronics surrounding the stage, with power sockets hanging from the walls and wires everywhere. However, the main reason they chose to stop was that the electronics had started smoking due to the power being drawn from the band equipment - just think of how badly that could have gone if there was a fire!
Illness or Absence
Becoming ill, either suddenly or drawn out over a long period, is a part of life. The universe can sometimes be cruel, and the ultimate show you have been planning for a long time, the event of the year you were most looking forward to can be taken away in an instant.
I do not recommend it, but I have done a show in Spain with a bucket next to me on stage after falling extremely ill on the morning of the show with what I could only assume was food poisoning. Thankfully things went without a hitch but I was determined to soldier through; sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.
If a band member becomes ill and cannot, or should not perform, it might be a good idea to have a contingency plan in place. This is of course if everyone is in agreement, but it could be playing the show as normal but with less members (a trio instead of quartet for example). Some people like to have a select group of musicians who can be used to substitute for the missing player at short notice.
The same advice can be applied to unexpected absences that could result from family emergencies, travel disruptions and a multitude of other reasons. Many years ago, I was in Milton Keynes watching a well-known band that had asked some local talent to support them. One of the support bands was only playing covers, and it turned out their singer had decided, only the day before, that he did not want to do the show for no reason. I believe he was summarily removed from the band and the drummer stepped up to the plate and sang the whole show - they were great!
Forgetting the Song
First rule here, never… ever… just stop. That is possibly the worst thing you can do. If you draw a blank and you suddenly can’t remember what you are supposed to play, you should at least be able to get back into the music and having a solid band will allow you to do that. If another member makes a mistake, it is only human after all, then you should be with the band, giving them a solid foundation to jump back in when they can.
How can you prevent this from happening? Learn the music. Do not simply learn the song, but really internalize the music as if you live and breathe it. Know the structure and the bar numbers, and do not rely on the singer. Certain stages, especially festivals, can have unreliable sound and you may not be able to hear anyone else but yourself (in this instance, you have to trust that the sound engineer knows what they are doing).
One useful tip is to always follow the singer, if your music has lyrics, chances are the majority of attention will be on the singer. You could also appoint a musical director, someone whose job it is to point the music in the right direction . Failing that, sometimes you just have to take charge and shout out an instruction - starting again from a verse or chorus is usually a safe bet.
Do. Not. Stop.
Final Thoughts
When you take driving lessons, they teach you to pass your test and the real learning begins when you take to the road by yourself. There are so many issues you might face on the road that you do not come across in your driving test. The same is true for performing live - sometimes you just have to be dropped in at the deep end and figure it out. On rare occasions you may have to admit defeat, but there is no shame in that - everything is an opportunity to learn and develop your skills and you can never account for everything. What is most important is that you try to fix things, know when to stop and that your health and wellbeing, as well as that of the band and the audience, is of paramount importance.
All of the tutors at the American Guitar Academy have a wealth of experience under their belts, and each could probably write a book telling you all of the stories and silly mistakes they have made along the way - I certainly could! I would recommend getting in touch with them, or even asking your current teacher about their experiences and how they would prepare for the inevitable.
Alex
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