I've been thinking about it for a while as there seems to be loads of gigs about for duo's locally. I'd like only having 1 person to organise stuff with and we'd be able to practice at someone's house etc so it'd be more convenient than doing another band (currently in two). Anyway, an opportunity has come along to do a due. Me on acoustic guitar (I don't sing) and a really talented singer with plenty of gigging experience (she owns a PA too!).
What sort of stuff should I be considering? Setlists, fees, bookings? What standard of acoustic player are people expecting? (I passed Grade 8 classical guitar as a youngster but haven't played too much fingerstyle stuff) Acoustic stuff isn't really my bag tbh, but I'd really like to work with said vocalist, and music is my living so extra income from gigs is much appreciated.
Any tales of experiences at all would be good as I've never done a duo gig, all of my gigs have been in bands!
Comments
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
You can put forward a couple of nice instrumental pieces that can be dropped in as required to suit the occasion or give the singer a break.
Don't be afraid to consider working to tracks despite the abhorrence of the idea, it will give you pace and dance-ability and therefore more opportunities for gigs.
If the singer has a PA and tracks and their own gigs, consider what it is that you are bringing to the party and then reinforce that. Try to keep the set/identity different to what else either of you do so it is marketable.
It's quite fun and satisfying to do so go for it.
I am in exactly this situation only our 1st gig is this saturday!
Its me and the singer from my main band and we (stupidly) thought that we could just knock up a rough set of songs based on acoustic versions of our main bands setlist
Oh how wrong we were - we are going into the gig poorly rehearsed, with a set of songs that are just me strumming chords - is that boring for an audience? We havent had time to properly work out the harmonies and in rehersals i dont think we have managed to get to the end of more than 5 of the 30 or songs without getting lost somewhere
we have a final rehersal on thursday - if its shit, im pulling the plug
Try to play with more dynamics than you usually would on an electric too, that will make it sound like you're a lot more competent than you are and that the songs actually have structures. (Works for me, anyway .)
Don't, you'll get by. It's only daunting the first time .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
has she a young infant or child? if so she will constantly mess you about in arranging rehearsals, and is likely not to turn up even when a rehearsal time is agreed. she may even attempt to blow gigs out if the kid sneezes or she cant get a babysitter
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Seriously?!
Manchester based original indie band Random White:
https://www.facebook.com/RandomWhite
https://twitter.com/randomwhite1
Yes. I've had more of my time wasted by people like this than any other kind. And no I'm not a troll, I'm a founder member. tbh I quite like the idea of female vocal + 2 acoustic guitars (if she plays as well, or one if she doesn't), it works and there's deffo a market for it, but them with small kids always have another agenda which pre-empts the music. They don't get the idea that if there's a gig, you play it: and to that end you need to rehearse.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Fingers crossed !
Manchester based original indie band Random White:
https://www.facebook.com/RandomWhite
https://twitter.com/randomwhite1
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Don't overlay your experience with a feckless hobbyist onto those of us who do it for a living with dedicated professionals of both sexes.
To someone who's asking advice on how to get a paid acoustic duo off the ground, that's utterly irrelevant at best, and trolling at worst.