GOING LIVE GOING SOLO Anyone with a degree of musical Busker Beginnings talent can perform live You don't One popular way for solo performers to get need to be the best musician in experience is to go out busking This is when people play on street corners or in the world you just need to know subway stations performing short sets of enough chords riffs or solos to songs or instrumentals to passing members get by along with a little stage of the public Buskers can be found showcasing presence Some of the world's their talents in many towns and cities If people like what they hear they sometimes donate best known musicians started out loose change to the musician as a way of this way playing low key gigs showing their appreciation The Road to Stardom Many famous singers and musicians have started their musical careers as weekend buskers British singer songwriter James Morrison first performed as a teenage busker in Cornwall while Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies busked for years before being offered their first recording contract TEHRy Like many musicians James Morrison had to work hard for stardom working his way up from singing on the streets to headlining massive music
YE Free Bon Jovi US rock legend Jon Bon Jovi is a big fan of solo street performances Even though he is now world famous he loves performing surprise shows on street corners On one famous occasion he brought London's Covent Garden to a standstill by playing his hits Open Mic Step It Up Another good way for solo performers to begin is to get a spot at an open mic night These are concerts held at small venues designed to showcase new and inexperienced musicians Anyone can sign up and do a 10 or 15 minute live performance regardless of whether they've played live before After gaining experience on the open mic circuit good solo performers may start to pick up bookings to play at other venues in their town or local music festivals As they gain publicity they may even get asked to play at more widespread locations On the Up Many small venues have a designated open mic night every week There s no limit to how many times you can perform so many musicians return to the same venue on a regular basis If they impress the audience the venue manager might book them to play their own small concert The Scoop us singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw spent years perfecting his performance skills at open mic nights and acoustic music clubs in New York City In 2002 he was discovered by music industry executive Clive Davis and offered a recording contract A year later his debut album Chariot topped the charts Performing at small open mic nights is one way to gain stage experience in front of an
GOING LIVE BAND PERFORMERS Not everyone wants to perform alone For many people being in a band offers a more attractive route into live performance You still get to play music live but you're with a group of friends You share the highs and lows making it a less lonely experience IQ Good chemistry between members is vital to the success of any band Band Basics Because a band is a group of musicians there's room for people who play different instruments But for a band to be successful everyone has to play an equal part The ability to make different voices and instruments sound great together is what separates the bands who make it from those who never will Fighting it out Ambitious bands that write their own music have to follow a similar path as solo performers Many get their first break at battle of the bands competitions which are the band equivalent of open mic nights If they impress the crowd and the judges they will usually be offered other performance slots at the same venue RO Many bands have enjoyed international success after being discovered at local battle of the bands competitions 10
Get in the Van After dominating their local scene many bands will pick up bookings outside their town They might even get enough bookngs to go on tour a series of concerts around the country To save money many bands will drive from gig to gig in a van taking their equipment with them Some will even sleep in the van The Scoop Stagecraft Many musicians Compare the time logged on their local music scene to serving an apprenticeship It can take years of playing small local venues for a band to build up a loyal following Playing this many gigs allows bands to improve their performance skills before playing bigger and better venues later in their careers With time not only will their musical skills be razor sharp their stage presence and audience interactions will have improved as well In 2011 a Canadian boogie rock band called The Sheepdogs won an international battle of the bands competition with a twist Readers of the famous US music magazine Rolling Stone were asked to give an unknown band a break in a contest to choose the cover The Sheepdogs prize included a contract with Atlantic Records as well as being the first unsigned band ever to grace the magazine's front cover 11
