What Else You Need At The Gig

If any of you have ever been on a gig and had a problem come up, then this post will be for you. I can't count the times that I have either had to piggy back on the other guitar players rig, or even worse had to play straight into the PA just because I didn't have something that I needed for the gig. I don't know if I ever really got smarter or just finally realized that I needed a back up plan just in case something didn't go right. In this post, I will explore the various things that you might need (Just In Case)

First of all, you will need an adult beverage of some kind. I personally recommend Yuengling. I hope my spelling is right on that, point is, it's a relatively cheap beer that tastes great. As you guys probably know by now, Guru 2 and myself are all about saving the precious and almighty dollar without sacrificing quality, tone, and in this case taste. Now, on to the list.

• One Backpack - You will need this to carry all of your goodies. It does not have to be fancy, but I do recommend that it is black in color. Black tends not to show up as much when it is sitting behind your amp in a smoke filled bar. Of course you can get a bright orange, pink, yellow, or whatever color floats you boat. Keep in mind that this will stand out like a turd in a punch bowl if you know what I mean.
• 1 Small Flashlight - This is probably the most important thing you will undoubtedly need. I like the little mag lights that you can hook on you key chain. I usually clip it to the zipper of my backpack. I definitely would not get anything too huge, you don't want to blind your audience, you just want to be able to see the problem.
• 3 Sets of Strings - This should be a no brainer. Guitar players break strings. One cool idea that I use is an old CD case for this. You can use each CD holder to carry a different gauge of string, and instead of fumbling through a pack to find what you need, you can simply flip through the CD case instead. This has saved me an enormous amount of time.
• 1 Set of Wire Pliers / Cutters - Nothing looks worse than a guy who changes a string in between songs and leaves a foot of guitar string hanging off the end of the head stock. It takes one second to cut the string. This will also give the lead singer time to look even cooler in front of the crowd. If he/she is like the lead singers that I have worked with, they will love the extra attention and you will still look like a pro.
• 1 Extra Set of Tubes - If you have a tube amp, this is something that is a must have. I have been in several situations where if I had just had some extra power tubes, I would have been able to continue on my own rig.
• Screw Drivers - I usually carry #1, #2, #3 size standard head and the same thing in the flat head variety. Trust me you will use all of them at some point, so just keep them in the bag and you will always have them.
• Extra Cables - This is another must have. I would carry 2 of each kind of cable that you might need. Guitar cables, short patch cables for your pedals, and of course an extension cord. Get one that is at least 25 feet long. This will help insure that your rig is running on a different circuit than the PA. This helps with ground loops as well.
• Batteries - Most of your pedals probably run on 9 volt batteries, so keep 1 extra for every pedal that you use.
• Mic for Your Amp - Some clubs provide sound, and that is great, and some do not. Also, some that do provide sound, don't provide mics. I like to carry a Shure 57 and a 30 ft mic cable. That way I'm covered either way.
• Line 6 Pod - This is not a must have by any means, but it is a nice thing to have around. The reason being is because let's say worst case scenario, everything and every base that you have tried to cover goes wrong at the gig. Having this little thing in you arsenal will allow you to plug straight into the PA and still achieve a decent tone that will get you through the night.

Most of the things in this list are pretty basic common sense kind of things that believe it or not will come in quite handy when the need arises. I wish that someone had told me before I made several of these mistakes on my own. I hope these tips and tricks help you out and make for a more relaxing and enjoyable gig. Also, remember to drink plenty of fluids while playing, it can get pretty hot on stage. Yes, beer counts as a fluid.

**If you have any questions about the tips in this blog, or would like to see a post about something we haven't covered, please email us at: guitarguruguys@gmail.com