Musician's Gig List!

(edit note: This article originally published at Skinny Devil Universe, July 2022)

I'm gearing this checklist towards guitar players (so I won't mention extra drum sticks and drum heads, for example), especially of the singer-songwriter sort, but its easy to modify this to your personal needs.

Now, whether you're brand new to gigging or been doing it a long time, its good to have your checklist either at the forefront of your mind or physically written down to look at before you drive to the gig. And as a bonus.....This same list - with mild modification - can be used for your recording studio checklist (though you can subtract the merch & stage announcement stuffs).

Let's jump right in with a Baker's Dozen:

Beyond the Spotlight: A Practical Safety Guide for Performers

David "Skinny Devil" McLean, author, guitarist, teacher.

If you're reading this, I probably don't have to scare you first with stories about the murders of Christina Grimmie or John Lennon or Mia Zapata or Dimebag Darrell....or the less than lethal but still horrible stories about Connie Francis or Sarah McLaughlin, or Frank Zappa or Eminem. Or the "long game" victimization of Kesha or members of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC....and too many others like them.

If you're reading this, you are likely a performer and already concerned about personal safety.

But just for the record, let it be said (not that I should have to say it after the examples above) that both women and men are the targets of stalkers, crazed fans, and others, including their own management and label and production partners....and the often violent way they express themselves. If the readers feel I need to include statistics, I'm more than happy to edit this article to add the data, but for now, let's forge ahead.

If you're reading this, you might be wondering "at what level of success do I need to start worrying about this stuff?". The answer is, probably right now. If you've stepped foot on a stage, you are already in the game. I've known people (yes, women and men) who have only played a few gigs at the local level who have run into problems. Problems with audience members, problems with venue employees, and problems with industry pro (prospective managers, producers, booking agents, and the like).

By far, the best resources I ever saw on the topic was Sage Harrington's 2014 interview with the incredible Tonya Kay. The piece is titled "Burning Questions for Tonya Kay" and I used to post it for students several times a year and still recommend it. Tonya's career has covered more ground than most, from a touring dancer to stunt work & danger arts to film & television (on both sides of the camera) and more, and her experience makes for an incredible and incredibly actionable read. 

However, I've been asked for a more bullet point style approach as well as an updated list that includes newer technological options (and new technological concerns), so we'll attempt to do exactly that.

Full disclosure: I will be leaning heavily on examples and experiences from the music industry, but ANY type of public figure or performer should be able to utilize the information herein. Additionally, my hope is that venue owners/managers and management folk will read and utilize these suggestions as well, so the weight is not just on the shoulders of performers.

What I won't really get into is home security, as there are area experts and plenty of online resources to tell you about ring camera placement, alarm systems, and so forth.

Enough introductions - The title says "practical guide" so let's get practical, folks.