EXTRAS
HINTS AND TIPS
Don't read this if you know everything about getting up and playing live, mic technique etc. Don't read this if you're going to e-mail me and tell me you disagree with what I'm saying. It is intented for people who wish to improve, and is particually in relation to performing at Open Mic. If you're interested in brushing up on technique, or learning from scratch, then read on.........

MIC TECHNIQUE
1. Playing live is not the same as in the studio, or like you see on TV. Don't cup your hands around the mic. If you're holding the mic, don't bring your fist around the head of the mic........ let it 'breathe'. If you cover up the mic with your hands, it's more likely to feedback (when it squeals loudly and everyone puts there hands over their ears, and the artist usually stares accusingly at the soundman!).

2. Get in on the mic. Even if you feel you've got a strong voice, the majority of your singing should be about 3 cm away from the mic. Naturally, if there is a particually loud part of the song, then pull back from the mic (probably maximum of 40cm), and if there is a quiet bit, then come into it (eat it!). The 'average' volume for each act will be adjusted by the soundman (me). The worst possible thing to do is to sing your song with an average distance from the mike being way back. This means the gain (volume) will have to be turned up, which will increase not only your voice, but the other noise on stage going to the mike - and this will include the sound of the mike itself in the monitor and front of house (what the audience hears). This results in FEEDBACK!!!!....... which is not good. Basically, eat the mic!

3. Keep the mic away from the speakers. Don't point it at the monitor (if there is one), and definately don't walk infront of the line of the front of house speakers. Stay in the 'stage' area. Where there are monitors, the best position for the mic, in general, is firing at you, away from the direction of the monitor. All of this is to avoid feedback.

GUITARS ETC.
4. If you have a pick up in your guitar, then set the EQ flat, and the volume at 75%. You cannot hear what is going out front, whereas the sound man can, so giving him a flat signal allows him (or her) to ajust it accordingly.

5. If using a passive guitar, you probably won't get a good sound, even when fed through the wonderful Ashdown Acoustic Amp. Your best bet is to use the house guitar, unless there is a reason you cannot do that (ie. if you're left handed)

6. If you have no pick-up in your guitar, then as far as sound wise goes, you are at the bottom of the pile. Open Mic nights are very noisy occasions. The crowd isn't paying to see you, and many of them are there cos it's a cool night for socialising. The live music makes it cool.... If you have a beautiful hand crafted £12,000 guitar with no pick-up in, it may sound out of this world in the studio, or your bedroom, but the chances are, that sound will be lost at an open mic night. The mics we use are all rounder SM58's, and will not do your quality axe justice. The sound may come through in a quite jazz club, Ronnie Scotts style, but usually, the soundman just cannot boost the level of your guitar up loud enough. And you most probably will have to sacrifice hearing the guitar through the monitors - to cut back on feedback (there are no eq's on the monitors - this is open mic we are talking about). There are exceptions though. Some venues isolate the sound on stage, and have less off stage spill (hence less feedback). One example was at Pews Bar, when a stunning flamenco player showed up and played. It did help that the entire venue shut up and listened. The soundman (me) wil do his best, but be prepared do play the most exceptional quality music that will remain unheard by you and most of the audience in the venue........ (if you have no pick up, then the mic is aimed about 10cm away at the last few frets before the sound hole, towards the centre strings. If you move it towards the soundhole, the volume will increase, but you will more likely get feedback, and it will become 'boomy'.)

7. Bass. Plug in and give the sound man your loudest level (the hardest you will play) with the volume up max. This means you won't blow the speakers when you're digging in for that Chilli Peppers solo......

8. Harmonica. Don't cup your hands around the mic. This is okay if you have a gig with a mic specifically setup for the harmonica, but with openmic, the mic is set for general vocals. You will usually be using the mic for vocals also, so the level will be appropriately set. Get close in, cuping (if that's your style) right up to the mic itself. Or you could bring your own Bullet Mic, which could solve the problem alltogether.

9. Percussion. For bongos and dujumbays (don't how to say it or spell it) the mic should be aimed towards the outer edge of the skin, about 10-20cm away, at a 45 degree angle down. If you point the mic at the centre of the drum, it will sound too boomy, and you will loose the definition and high end. For dujumbays???? you usually don't need to mic it up, unless you are being sensitive with what you are playing ( see Will and Jonty solo stuff, it's well cool).

10. Tuning. Whenever possible, try to tune, with an electric tuner, before you come up on stage. It's the most simple thing, but with the cost of electric tuners these days, there is absolutely no excuse for NOT being in tune. If you are out of tune, then the audience will only hear noise. You may be playing the best music ever, but when you are out of tune, it will sound sh**e. It's a real shame. I've seen people get up and play very cool sets, but because they are out of tune, it sounds bad, and they lose the audience. Worse still, if the guitar is out of tune, it will put the vocal out of tune.

AVOID....
11. .....telling the audience to shut up. I sympathise with anyone onstage having to play over a talking crowd. However, the crowd has not paid to come in, they are not there to see one person play, and in general, they see the night as entertainment, not education. The crowd is more likely to talk louder if someone bitches off at them from the stage. Plus when you have a go at the audience, you are having a go at the people who ARE actually listening, aswell as the ones that aren't. It is only open mic. Use the night to experiment, to try out new stuff. If you can shut up a crowd at an Open Mic night through playing alone, then it will be a breeze when you play one of those other nights (the ones where people pay to go and listen to music). Don't always try the up tempo songs......... try chilled out ones too. Like I say, it's only open mic....... you can do what you want onstage. My point is, it's just not wise to slag off the audience.

12...... having a go at the soundman. I've done it myself, though hopefully don't do it anymore. Believe it or not, the soundman wants the best sound out front, and onstage. Any f**k ups are not intentional! Just because it sounds bad onstage, doesn't mean it is bad out front. Everyone on the night is using the same setup, so we're all working under the same good - or bad - conditions. If you think it sound crap onstage, don't let it "affect your performance" (Spinal Tap). Work with it, 'cos the majority of the time, it sounds fine out front.