This weekend I had 2 very challenging gigs. The first (Friday night) I was filling in for the Incredible Cucumbers; a band that my brother Richard plays drums for. The second (Saturday night) was a corporate function for my band, Red Alert.
Fill in gigs are a great way to keep you on your toes. As a musician, there is no other time you rely as much on communication within the band before, between and during songs. Playing guitar, there is little room for error. If you place your hand 1cm to the left or right of where it is supposed to be, it sounds completely wrong. For example, if I was to get 90% of the notes correct (still an “A” or high distinction by exam standards), that is 1 in 10 notes wrong. Imagine a simple melody like “Mary had a little lamb” or “Twinkle twinkle little star” and how much missing every 10th note can completely ruin the over-all tune. Not to mention it is all that you remember from the song; like when a juggler drops a ball.
This gig was a great gauge for me to see how far my “electric” chops have come over the last couple of years. I was often quite surprised what I could come up with on a moments notice. I could easily follow the charts I had written and I was happy with most of my solos. It seems no matter how much I practice at home there is no substitute for extensive on-stage experience.
The following night put my singing to the test. I covered nearly half the night on lead vocals and it proved to be a challenge both for voice stamina and lyrics recall. Once again I was pleasantly surprised. I do every Red Alert show “off book” and completely from memory. This was difficult in the beginning but seems to have gotten easier along the way. Most people compare memory to a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets. I agree. I can now memorise and recall chords and lyrics with a lot less effort these days.
I am lucky to work with awesome musicians and always want to be the least talented in every band. That way, I am constantly forced to keep lifting my game.
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