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.

AI in the Arts (part two)

(ed note: The following was originally published at Skinny Devil Universe)


In Part One, I drew some lines in the sand and delivered a history of technology to demonstrate that, while disruptive, AI is just another technological step - an extension of the mind of man.
For clarification, it should be said that early technology (up to the industrial revolution) was focused primarily on amplifying the BODY of man, while 20th & 21st century technology has shifted focus to extending the MIND of man.

That caveat aside, I decided (even though I had already sketched out the foundation of this article) to feed the entirety of Part One into Google's AI Gemini and see what it had to say. But not what it had to say in support of my thesis, but instead with explicit instructions to challenge EVERYTHING.

"Tear it all down" were my specific words.

While it praised both the historical & philosophical rigor as well as the writing style (it seems machine minds dig my musical sense of symmetry and repetition - hahaha!), it hit back HARD.

If this topic concerns you, prepare to get even more anxiety and depression.

"Look Back" 1976: Aerosmith's "Rocks"

The year was 1976.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw KISS have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, top Grammy honors were Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Album of the Year), Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" wins Record of the Year, and Judy Collins' version of "Send in the Clowns" wins Song of the Year...Queen played the biggest show in Europe that year at Hyde Park (200,000 people) while Yes and Peter Frampton played to 130,000 in Philly....chart topping songs like "Tonight's the Night" (Rod Stewart), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John & Kiki Dee), "Silly Love Songs" (Paul McCartney), "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor), "December, 1963" (Four Seasons), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Paul Simon) ruled the charts, as well as one hit wonders like the incredible Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight"....the year we lost legends like blues legend Howlin' Wolf, jazz giant Vince Guaraldi, songwriting great Johnny Mercer, classical composer & theorist Walter Piston, guitar icons Freddie King and Tommy Bolin, and future legends were born like Melanie C (real name Melanie Chisholm), country singer Blake Shelton, rapper Ja Rule, vocalist Chester Bennington (Linkin Park),and singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus). We saw the birth of bands like U2, Foreigner, The Cure, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and The Clash, and the death of bands Deep Purple, Ike & Tina Turner, The Band, Three Dog Night, and Steppenwolf.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1976 and I hope to have time to write about many, including Boston's debut self-titled release, Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", TWO albums by The Eagles ("Greatest Hits" as well as "Hotel California"), the legendary "2112" by Rush, and of course, "Frampton Comes Alive" by Peter Frampton!

Today, however, we'll look at the groundbreaking album by Aerosmith, "Rocks".

Sonic Sorcery: "1000 Times" by Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles has a way of writing highly emotional, painfully beautiful lyrics, and the musical wizardry is stunning, deep, and like walking on a constantly shifting surface.

Songs like "She Used to Be Mine" and "Gravity" and "Still Crying " can just break your heart, and her covers (like "Chandelier" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him") are nothing short of epic.

Today, let's look at her song "1000 Times".

It was never released as a single, but is certainly a fan favorite in concert. "1000 Times" is from the album "The Blessed Unrest", which was positively received by critics and fans alike, debuted at #2 on the Billboard album charts (her fourth consecutive top 10 album), saw the lead single, "Brave", receive a Grammy nomination, and was certified Gold.

Let's get into it!

"Look Back" 1976: "2112" by RUSH

The year was 1976.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw KISS have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, top Grammy honors were Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Album of the Year), Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" wins Record of the Year, and Judy Collins' version of "Send in the Clowns" wins Song of the Year...Queen played the biggest show in Europe that year at Hyde Park (200,000 people) while Yes and Peter Frampton played to 130,000 in Philly....chart topping songs like "Tonight's the Night" (Rod Stewart), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John & Kiki Dee), "Silly Love Songs" (Paul McCartney), "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor), "December, 1963" (Four Seasons), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Paul Simon) ruled the charts, as well as one hit wonders like the incredible Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight"....the year we lost legends like blues legend Howlin' Wolf, jazz giant Vince Guaraldi, songwriting great Johnny Mercer, classical composer & theorist Walter Piston, guitar icons Freddie King and Tommy Bolin, and future legends were born like Melanie C (real name Melanie Chisholm), country singer Blake Shelton, rapper Ja Rule, vocalist Chester Bennington (Linkin Park),and singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus). We saw the birth of bands like U2, Foreigner, The Cure, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and The Clash, and the death of bands Deep Purple, Ike & Tina Turner, The Band, Three Dog Night, and Steppenwolf.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1976 and I hope to have time to write about many, including Boston's debut self-titled release, Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", TWO albums by The Eagles ("Greatest Hits" as well as "Hotel California"), the legendary "Rocks" by Aerosmith, and of course, "Frampton Comes Alive" by Peter Frampton!

Today, however, we'll look at the groundbreaking album by RUSH, "2112"!

AI in the Arts (part one)

Art created by Gemini for this article...just for the irony!

(ed note: The following was originally published at Skinny Devil Universe)

AI in music....and AI in the arts in general.

Before we leap in, one thing worth remembering - and it's highly likely to anger everyone reading this right now - is that most of the public discourse on this topic (at least by musicians and industry folk) has been of a legal or philosophical nature, while usually taking a brief moment to mention how "fake" AI sounds as composer or performer (or poet or essayist or visual artist).

If that's your view, you need to swallow a bitter pill: The market disagrees with you, and (by any metrics you yourself would apply to a fellow human) you are wrong.

Sienna Rose, The Velvet Sundown, Nick Hustles, Xania Monet, FN Meka, Yona, Breaking Rust, Eddie Dalton, and more....including the 100% AI driven (no human intervention) creation Anna Indiana - all streaming millions to hungry listeners. Listeners who largely don't care about any of the issues we're about to get into - they care only about if they like the music.

Admittedly, this pisses me off a little, too.

At any rate, ponder that for a moment and then we'll leap in.

While I've thought extensively about this topic (and have for longer than I care to say, as I've been an avid fan of the works of Raymond Kurzweil for a long time, starting with his 1990 book "The Age of Intelligent Machines", and, as an irrelevant aside, still own my Kurzweil K-2000 keyboard), it's usually fragmented based on specifics. I've never really coalesced these thoughts into a single, specific policy position.

So let's explore "both sides" of this issue and see where we land.

Worthy of note: It should be obvious that the history given below (on both sides of the issue) is greatly abbreviated and oversimplified for brevity and ease of discussion. But the major pillars remain.

Let's get into it!

"Look Back" 1986: Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomtown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", "the debut DLR album "Eat 'Em and Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look at the amazing follow-up to Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" album, the incredible "Whiplash Smile".

"Look Back" 1986: David Lee Roth "Eat 'Em and Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomstown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look back at the classic debut album from David Lee Roth, "Eat 'Em and Smile"!

Look Back (1975): "Toys in the Attic" by Aerosmith

1975 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)...the year that saw chart topping songs like "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "I'm Sorry/Calypso", "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Shining Star", "Feelings" and "Fire"....the year we lost legends like T-Bone Walker and Dave Alexander (of The Stooges), and future legends were born like Big Boi and Wes Borland and Lauryn Hill....the birth of bands like Iron Maiden and Sex Pistols and the mighty Motorhead, and the death of bands the Amboy Dukes (launching the career of Ted Nugent) and Alice Cooper Band (launching the solo career of Alice Cooper) ...the year of "Journey to Love" by Stanley Clarke, Heart's debut album. "Dreamboat Annie", "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, "A Night at the Opera" by Queen, "Physical Graffiti" by Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" dominated the charts....the year of debut albums from Journey and Manhattan Transfer and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the classic Aerosmith album, "Toys in the Attic"!