Gig Gab - The Working Musicians' Podcast

Each week Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton come to you sharing their gigging experiences, tips and tricks learned, and interviews with other weekend warriors and pros. Wanna talk shop with your musical buddies? Look no further than GigGab!

  • 1 hour 20 minutes
    De-Feedback Plugin for Working Musicians: More Gain, Less Feedback with Devin Sheets
    De-Feedback plugin for working musicians – live sound feedback control with Devin Sheets - Gig Gab 524

    You’re invited into a legacy family audio business that refused to accept “good enough” on feedback control and instead chased the impossible: a truly zero‑latency, AI‑driven way to push your PA louder without squeals. You follow Devin Sheets from growing up on sound gigs to roaming European stages, then back home to build De‑Feedback plugin for working musicians, a live sound feedback plugin and on‑the‑fly impulse‑response generator that listens like a seasoned engineer: separating human voice, room reverb, background noise, and feedback in real time so you can grab at least 6 dB more gain before things start to howl. Along the way you see how NAMM sparked the idea, how inverse impulse responses and probability math beat old EQ and gate tricks, and how “homebrew AI” meant sneaking into every empty church at 3 a.m. just to teach the model what real rooms actually sound like.

    You also learn how to think like a modern working musician: using social media to find the right AI programmers across the world, leaning on LLMs to translate, collaborate, and even rate contractor work so you can move faster without losing control. You come away knowing you can drop a dedicated De‑Feedback box or plugin into almost any rig, from churches to touring consoles to tiny clubs, take it with you even when someone else is behind the board, and quietly stack the deck in your favor. In the end, it’s a roadmap for how you run your own gigs and career: stay curious, embrace new tools, protect your sound, and Always Be Performing.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 524 – Monday, March 9th, 2026
    • 00:02:12 Let’s Grow this Legacy Family Business
      • Grew up doing sound
      • Also a musician
      • Lived in Europe
      • Then came back and said, “let’s grow this family business!”
    • 00:03:44 We haven’t “just solved” this feedback problem
      • Went to NAMM for the first time, and was inspired
      • There are automated EQ-based or gate-based systems
      • PSE plugin from Waves
      • 5045 for feedback
    • 00:04:57 Why isn’t there a “balanced audio”-type solution for Feedback
      • Balanced Audio fixes hums and it just works.
    • 00:08:24 NAMM is a great inspiration…and it inspired Devin and his team to seek a feedback plugin solution
    • 00:12:35 Training the AI to listen for three things: human voice, reverb, and feedback
      • Created a de-reverb algorithm and went beyond that
      • A probability calculation does the math
    • 00:16:05 Truly zero latency for the plugin
      • Workflow latency remains
    • 00:19:32 I don’t have any coding or AI background, but I have a gut feeling AI will fix this feedback problem
      • Others: It’s harder than you think
      • Devin: I knew that it needed to happen
    • 00:20:58 Finding an AI programmer who was interested in doing
      • Experimented with some programmers, failed, learned some things!
    • 00:21:09 Social Media to the rescue!
      • Late 2023: Devin found a group of AI programmers who would be interested
      • Sending large amounts of money to China…it’s a risk!
    • 00:26:30 At 3am, a text message: I think I’ve done it.
      • Devin immediately started testing it himself
      • “It seemed to work.”
    • 00:27:17 Installing De-Feedback in Churches
    • Sponsors
    • 00:34:20 What is an impulse response?
      • Impulse Response: An audio picture of how the room sounds
      • Popping balloons in a room/environment and recording the sound is a common approach for creating impulse responses
    • 00:38:33 De-Feedback is an on-the-fly IR generator
      • …and analyzer that’s trained on the human voice, room reverb, background noise…and feedback
    • 00:41:55 Finding the right programmers was the key
      • …in addition to actually having the idea and the bullheaded persistence to make it happen.
    • 00:44:46 Mind-melding was necessary
      • And LLMs helped with translation!
    • 00:48:39 Using AI to make it possible to collaborate with other humans
    • 00:50:03 Using an LLM to rate the work of your contractors and employees
    • 00:51:54 How do we get De-Feedback into the hands of working musicians
      • US$499 for the De-Feedback plugin
      • VST3 or AU plugin
      • A higher-end Windows laptop can likely run it on its own
      • Apple’s Core Audio tech makes it difficult, but they’re working on it.
      • De-Feedback also sells a perfectly-tuned headless computer to do this
      • Alpha Labs tried tons of interfaces that the Focusrite Scarlett keeps glitches out of the mix
      • Waves SuperRack LiveBox
    • 01:01:37 Where do we expand?
    • 01:05:18 Homebrew AI!
      • Training EVERY room he could find
      • “Can you let me into your empty church at 3am?” – To record IR to then train the data set for De-Feeback
    • 01:07:25 Creating your own AI model
    • 01:08:13 What’s the future look like?
      • Acquisition? Demands for security? – Planning for it all
    • 01:09:26 You can get this and bring it with you to gigs where someone else is doing sound
    • 01:17:46 Gig Gab 524 Outtro

     

    The post De-Feedback Plugin for Working Musicians: More Gain, Less Feedback – Gig Gab 524 with Devin Sheets appeared first on Gig Gab.

    9 March 2026, 7:05 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees
    Musician hauling gear past a festival stage crowd, illustrating Gig Gab 523 about festival gigs and SXSW survival tips for musicians and attendees.

    You get dropped into a two-show day where you’re juggling festival chaos, a paramedic emergency during set change, and a mysteriously mudded-out bass that turns out to be a rogue low‑pass filter at 90 Hz, all while keeping the gig on the rails because you Always Be Performing.

    Then you pivot into first‑timer survival tactics for attending SXSW: locking in reservations weeks out, over‑planning so you can gleefully abandon those plans, and treating the whole thing as a marathon and a sprint while your calendar app becomes your best friend…and your worst enemy.

    Throughout it all, you’re thinking like a pro: dialing in efficient monitor setups for festival stages, dealing with sketchy solder joints on a microphone (or is that a mic cable issue?), staying sane amid SXSW security, and never underestimating the power of great brisket, BBQ, and a solid spot to reset your brain. You’ll also get the practical stuff no one tells you: what to wear, why you always keep your badge on you, and how finding a seasoned SXSW Sherpa can save your week (and your feet) before you ever hit your first line.

    ​From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Essential Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 523 – Monday, March 2nd, 2026
    • 00:01:41 Two Show Day for Dave
      • First gig, Bitter Pill – Festival
        • And there was a paramedic
      • Bitter Pill: It’s Rock and Roll… It’s Rockabilly… It’s Blues… I don’t know!
    • 00:10:43 Second gig – somehow the bass got a low-pass filter set at 90hZ!
      • Problem solved, gig a success!
    • 00:18:23 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at https://gusto.com/giggab
    • 00:20:00 Attending SXSW for the first time
    • 00:25:45 Learning how to manage SXSW
    • 00:27:30 SXXpress passes become Reservations
      • And now they’re 3-weeks out instead of 2 days!
    • 00:33:21 Reserving things in advance
    • 00:37:25 It’s all about planning in advance
      • And then throwing away your plans and making a series of Sophie’s Choices
    • 00:39:24 It’s a marathon…and a sprint
    • 00:39:42 Managing the Calendar
    • 00:43:39 With the App
    • 00:48:43 Managing your monitor needs with efficiency at festival gigs
    • 00:52:51 Security at SXSW
    • 00:58:15 Luke Warm Solder Joint on the Microphone
    • 00:58:57 Eat good food!
    • 01:01:11 What should I wear?
    • 01:06:36 Find a SXSW Sherpa!
    • 01:07:58 Finding your badge?
    • 01:08:59 Always have your badge with you
    • 01:11:38 Gig Gab 523 Outtro

     

    The post From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees — Gig Gab 523 with Lisa Hamilton appeared first on Gig Gab.

    2 March 2026, 8:05 am
  • 50 minutes 6 seconds
    From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz
    From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz – Gig Gab 522 episode image

    You’re riding along with Kaitlyn Raitz as she breaks down the real mechanics of touring at scale: staying human on a bus, finding tiny routines that keep you sane, and surviving the sleep math when you’re one of twelve buses on a massive run. Then it’s straight into the onstage reality of modern country arena production: 24 musicians, a full string quartet, choir, and horns, plus the challenge of making strings translate in a loud arena. You get the practical gear-and-tech layer too: DPA mics and pickups, dynamic EQ, managing cello loudness, and how tools like ToneDexter fit into keeping tone consistent when the room is working against you.

    You also get the career side, unfiltered: how the Eric Church gig happened through the Nashville relationship web, why being excellent and easy to be around matters, and why “Nashville is a ten-year town” if you want longevity. Kaitlyn’s stories span arranging and learning charts mid-tour from iPads, to the whiplash of getting a Grammy call with barely any runway, to recording in LA and wondering how anyone actually functions there. The episode closes with the mindset and performance skills that keep pros durable: protecting your brain and nervous system, flipping a stage persona on and off, and the practical win of transitioning to IEMs for a cellist when monitors are run well. Bottom line: this is how you keep your craft sharp, your head steady, and your show consistent night after night. Always Be Performing.​

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 522 – Monday, February 23rd, 2026
    • 00:01:55 Protein and Joy on the bus
    • 00:02:14 Passing the time productively on the bus…and on the tour
    • 00:05:53 Sleeping on the bus!
      • Twelve tour busses on this tour
    • 00:07:26 24 Musicians on stage
      • String Quartet
      • 8-Person Choir
      • Horn/Woodwind Quartet
    • 00:09:45 Micing a string quartet in an arena
      • DPA Mics AND pickups
      • Dynamic EQ
    • 00:14:47 Cellos and Loudness
    • 00:18:50 Writing, arranging and learning charts mid-tour!
      • Reading from iPads
      • Eleanor Denning, String Lead and Arranger on the Eric Church Tour
      • Bitter Pill has a cellist, too!
    • 00:21:33 Getting the Eric Church gig
      • Sub list for the Nashville Symphony
      • Everything in Nashville is relationship-based
      • Be good at what you do, and also be a pleasant person that people want to be around
      • Nashville is a ten-year town
    • 00:25:07 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB.
    • 00:26:55 You played on the Grammy’s?
      • Used to play with Brandy Clark, and occasionally gets a one-off gig call still.
      • AND, a week-and-a-half before the Grammy’s, the call came in
      • Do you want to play the Grammy’s with me?
      • Kaitlyn has questions for LA-denizens:
        • How do you live in LA?
        • Do you see people that you know?
        • Do you take public transportation?
      • Recorded at Sunset Sounds in LA
    • 00:33:05 Protecting your brain and nervous system
      • Take on a persona
        • “You are Kaitlyn Motherfucking Raitz”
        • “We are bad bitches, we have earned this”
        • Gary Cherone is the master of turning the stage persona on AND OFF
      • Let the lights blind you
    • 00:40:25 Transitioning to IEMs
      • It’s great for a cellist!
      • IEMs are better than having to use bone conduction
      • Kaitlyn’s IEM mix – she hears the band
      • It comes down to who’s running monitors
      • Ultimate Ears UE7 Pros IEMs
    • 00:47:06 Kaitlyn Raitz’s Music
    • 00:48:52 Gig Gab 522 Outtro

    The post From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz – Gig Gab 522 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    23 February 2026, 8:05 am
  • 53 minutes 18 seconds
    Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse
    Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse – Gig Gab 521

    You kick off this week with Dan Ray by reframing failure as a tool, not a verdict. Instead of obsessing over the “vanity listen” after a gig or rehearsal, you do the check-in listen and extract the lesson. You learn to fail fast the right way by making small bets that generate real data quickly, including testing demand before you invest rehearsal time. That mindset carries into band direction changes and the leadership realities that come with them: different people want different levels of ownership, and the job is to be a benevolent dictator who listens widely but decides cleanly. You also get practical about managing public perception and egos, taking cues from bands that protected the brand by being intentional about roles and visibility.

    Then you dig into Dan’s origin stories and the nuts-and-bolts that keep working musicians moving: starting a band young, landing monthly gigs, and learning obvious-in-hindsight lessons like not running a vocal mic through a guitar amp. You hear how scrappy tools like a Tascam 4-track can solve real problems, why running a PA from the stage demands discipline, and why the room you rehearse in changes what you think you’re hearing. From there it gets wonderfully nerdy with quick hits that matter in real life, like using low-pass filters aggressively and remembering that time alignment starts with where sound sources physically live. You close in the feels with theater life and the emotional punch of closing night, a reminder that the tech and the business serve the same goal: show up ready, stay present, and Always Be Performing.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 521 – Monday, February 16th, 2026
    • 00:02:08 Guest co-host: Dan Ray
    • 00:03:23 Having a productive relationship with failure
      • Failure can a lesson you lean into
      • After gigs or rehearsals: the check-in listen vs. the vanity listen
      • Fail fast the right way: “make a bet” by setting up something that you can quickly get data from
    • 00:08:47 Transitioning a band’s direction
      • Dan’s Big in the 80s band
    • 00:10:10 Test your market before committing too much
      • Book the gig before you rehearse the songs. Make sure there’s demand and interest. If not… move on! (You failed fast!)
      • Cover Band Confidential
    • 00:12:52 AI solves the blank page problem – use it often!
    • 00:14:28 Leading bands (and people)
      • Be ready for people who want to engage with different levels of ownership
      • Learning how to be a benevolent dictator… but also learn to be the leader, and the decision-maker, the ultimate arbiter. Don’t do it in a vacuum, but I’ll be the last word.
      • The Pork Tornadoes are a democracy-ish. But decision-makers are pre-decided by a healthy division of labor.
      • Learning to manage the public perception of your band (and your egos) like R.E.M. and RUSH did.
    • 00:22:37 Do you name your band after yourself?
    • My Thanks to Our Sponsors
      • 00:25:09 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today and get 50% off Claude Pro, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit Claude.ai/giggab
      • 00:26:50 SPONSOR: Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with flavorful and nutritious ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Visit FactorMeals.com/giggab50off and use code giggab50off for 50% off!
    • 00:28:38 First kid in high school to start a band
      • Grew out of the school-run rock band
      • Decided to play some originals and covers at home, and got a gig!
      • The school librarian booked them monthly!
      • Lesson: don’t put a vocal mic through the guitar amp
      • Tascam 4-Track cassette recorder to use as a mixer
    • 00:33:27 Dan Manages the PA from the stage
      • We rehearse in a 15×20 indoor, climate-controlled storage unit
    • 00:36:32 Quick Tip: Use Low Pass Filters on everything
    • 00:37:35 Time Alignment: A reminder that sound source locations matter
    • 00:40:36 Having theater kids
    • 00:43:05 The emotions during closing night in musical theater
    • 00:50:12 Gig Gab 522 Outtro

     

    The post Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse – Gig Gab 521 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    16 February 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story
    Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story – Gig Gab 520 episode image

    You jump into this episode balancing the reality of working gigs with the mindset that keeps musicians moving forward. From Dave’s recent experiences playing atypical rooms with Bitter Pill to cramming new material for Casual Gravity, you’re reminded that momentum matters even when the crowd is small. Always Be Performing is not about scale, it’s about consistency. That theme carries straight into the conversation with Laura Whitmore, whose career has been shaped by connecting people, creating opportunities, and knowing when to pull back just enough to build a sustainable life alongside the work.

    As Laura walks you through the birth and growth of the She Rocks Awards, you hear what it actually takes to build something lasting. It started small, grew through trust and partnerships, and evolved by treating the event like a show, with pacing, flow, and intention. You dig into what real visibility looks like, how to define success on your own terms, and why borrowed platforms are never enough to build a career. The takeaway is practical and clear: start with a big vision, set measurable goals, build community deliberately, and own your audience.

    This episode is a reminder that longevity comes from intention, preparation, and showing up with purpose, gig after gig.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 520 – Monday, February 9th, 2026
    • 00:01:00 Dave’s Gig Updates
      • Playing atypical venues with Bitter Pill
      • Learning new songs with Casual Gravity
      • Always Be Performing…even for the small crowds!
    • 00:17:10 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB.
    • 00:18:34 Guest co-host: Laura Whitmore
    • 00:22:20 The love of connecting people and making things happen
    • 00:23:08 Pulling back a little…to have a life
    • 00:26:28 The green room at The She Rocks Awards is the ultimate networking event!
    • 00:29:33 The Birth of the She Rocks Awards
      • Writing a women-in-music blog at Guitar World, realizing the women in music didn’t know each other… yet!
      • Started as a breakfast (with sponsors…the cheapest meal of the day!). Orianthi performed, serendipitously.
      • After two successful years, NAMM invited She Rocks into the event officially, and The Bangles performed.
      • “You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’re challenged and take that leap of faith.” – Laura Whitmore
    • 2026 was the 14th year of She Rocks Awards.
      • 170 She Rocks Awards have been presented in the last 14 years.
    • 00:34:51 “Is this ever going to come together?” is scary
      • Reframe it with “how is this ever going to come together?”
      • It takes a village, folks!
    • 00:38:12 Having good partners helps
    • 00:38:59 Create the event for yourself as an audience member
      • That way you’ve got a stake in how it “feels” to attend, which means the audience is represented
    • 00:41:16 Assembling the featured women
      • Nominations at TheWimn.com
      • Crafting the arc of the night by slotting the right people at the right spot. It’s a show!
    • 00:43:49 Managing the flow of the night
    • 00:46:58 People whose names became known after they were on She Rocks
      • Queen Herby (as Amy Heidemann)
      • Beaches
      • PRS Guitars brings in the opening act, with a fantastic Artist Relations team
    • 00:49:40 Defining valuable visibility
      • What’s your end goal?
      • What are your metrics? What defines success?
      • For your band, those might be:
        • Did I get contact information?
        • Did I build on success that I had before?
        • Did this exposure opportunity help me grow to a new place/level?
        • Start with big vision, small goals
    • 00:54:16 You don’t own social media platforms, so don’t leave your audience there.
      • Facebook used to let you message all your followers. Used to!
      • If your audience is a subset of Facebook’s audience, that’s not your audience. Give them a reason to give you their email address.
      • Gather those email addresses.
      • Keep those pieces of paper – scan them! Spam laws might require you to prove it!
    • 01:00:18 Gear Gab!
    • 01:07:36 Designing high-quality technology for a market with a budget
    • 01:13:02 Gig Gab 520 Outtro
    • Follow Laura Whitmore
    • Contact Gig Gab!

    The post Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story – Gig Gab 520 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    9 February 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026
    Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519 episode image

    You walk into NAMM 2026 thinking you will just wander and see what grabs you. You leave reminded that wandering works best when paired with a plan and a willingness to torch a few sacred cows along the way. This episode is a fast-moving field report from the floor, where the real takeaway is not just gear but mindset. You hear why talking with people matters more than chasing booths, why listening beats pitching, and how staying flexible turns a chaotic show into a productive one. NAMM rewards curiosity, but only if you stay intentional and remember that Always Be Performing is not about being loud, it is about being present.

    From there, you get a tight rundown of what actually stood out. You hear about clever mic and monitoring solutions, portable PA ideas that punch above their weight, smart tools for managing stage volume and feedback, and electronic drums and keyboards that feel less like compromises and more like real instruments. There is a clear throughline here: gear is getting smaller, smarter, and more musician-centric, solving real problems instead of adding features for the spec sheet. By the end, you are not just caught up on what Dave saw at NAMM 2026, you are thinking differently about how to approach shows, stages, and decisions long after the badges come off.

    The post Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    2 February 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path
    Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path — Gig Gab 518 episode image

    Dave’s back from NAMM 2026 and has a little something to share about that. Actually three little somethings, so that’s where we start. But there’s more to say about that, and it’s not yet time, so we’ll extend the NAMM discussions into next week (and beyond?).

    For today, well, you don’t become the Sauce Boss by chasing a gimmick. You hear how Bill Wharton built a real, working-musician career by leaning hard into what felt natural to him, starting with a Datil pepper, a pot of gumbo, and a simple idea: turn the gig into a gathering. From cooking onstage on New Year’s Eve 1989 to feeding hundreds of people at festivals and never charging a dime for the food, Bill shows how blending music and food transformed shows from transactions into shared experiences. By creating a kitchen onstage, he stopped entertaining people just long enough to take their money and run, and instead built something with a life of its own, something that keeps audiences leaning in and coming back.

    As the conversation unfolds, you trace Bill’s path from top-40 bar gigs to one-man-band independence, full-band firepower, and stages as far-flung as Saudi Arabia. You hear why learning your strengths and ruthlessly discarding what doesn’t matter is not selfish, it’s survival. From dynamics, gear choices, and in-ear monitors to the lessons behind Blind Boy Billy, Bill makes the case that longevity comes from clarity, connection, and doing your thing without apology. The message for working musicians is direct and empowering: build the show you want to play, build the life that supports it, and keep showing up ready to give. Always Be Performing.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 518 – Monday, January 26th, 2026
    • NAMM Coverage Sponsors
    • 00:14:31 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB.
    • 00:16:21 Guest co-host: Bill Wharton
    • 00:18:41 How to become a sauce boss magnate…while also being a musician
      • Bill found the Datil pepper. Spicy and flavorful.
      • People would eat all the sauce at his house
      • So he made Liquid Summer hot sauce
      • But he wanted to sell hot sauce at gigs.
      • December 31, 1989 – made a pot of gumbo on stage to demo the hot sauce
        • No one would ever have to pay for for my gumbo… 240,000 bowls later, here we are!
    • 00:23:26 Blending music and food.
      • It’s better than entertaining people, taking the money, and run!
    • 00:25:12 Food and music are good together
      • Every good party has everyone hanging out in the kitchen
      • Bill creates the kitchen on stage
    • 00:26:33 That first Sauce Boss gig
    • 00:28:16 It has a life of its own and takes care of itself
      • It took 3.5 hours to know that this was going to work long-term
    • 00:30:38 Bill: “Always looking for something distinctively mine…something unique”
      • It’s hard to do your own thing.
    • 00:33:15 The typical sauce boss gig means cooking for 100 (or more) people
      • 400 people at a festival (it took TWO pots of gumbo)
    • 00:35:07 From Florida to Saudi Arabia
      • Sauce Boss plays/cooks at an Air Force base in Saudi Arabia
    • 00:37:09 A soul-shouting picnic of Rock and Roll Brotherhood
      • One or two 75-minute sets
      • The show never ends
    • 00:40:16 Learn, and then KNOW your strengths
      • Started playing top-40 gigs as a kid
      • …and then realized that’s a rat trap. Bill made a point of putting only the stuff that matters to him in his day…and his show.
      • Being “greedy” about putting my thing out there.
      • If I can do this, you can do this
      • Discard the things you don’t enjoy, embrace the things you do.
      • Story Time, it turns out!
    • 00:43:23 Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about the Sauce Boss – “I Will Play For Gumbo”
      • Playing a gig at Jimmy Buffett’s club in New Orleans… and Jimmy was there!
      • “This is the best (bar) band I’ve seen in a long time.”
    • 00:47:13 Where did “Sauce Boss” come from?
    • 00:49:47 Bread and Butter is the One Man Band
      • “But I have a music problem, and I like jammin’ with my buds!”
      • There’s something that happens when you have a little more firepower of a full band
    • 00:53:13 Bill is his own funky one-man band with a kick drum, hi-hat, and a guitar
    • 00:55:16 Dynamics are everything in terms of keeping a crowd
    • 00:57:09 Bill’s thoughts on in-ear monitors
    • 01:02:17 Gear Gab: Create a portable screen/keyboard/mouse for your home studio
    • 01:06:24 The Life and Times of Blind Boy Billy
      • A songbook, a recipe book, and Bill’s memoir.
    • 01:09:29 Gig Gab 519 Outtro

    The post Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path — Gig Gab 518 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    26 January 2026, 9:05 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida
    The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida — Gig Gab 517 episode image

    You’ve done gigs where nothing goes according to plan, but this episode reminds you that chaos is often the classroom. From sleeping on road cases at the Puerto Rican Day Parade to riding a flatbed packed with servo-driven subs that overwhelmed even earplugs and shooting cans, you hear how real-world pressure forges real skills. Mike deAlmeida walks you through learning to roll with it, figuring out systems on the fly before tools like Smaart were common, and walking into unknown gigs where the unknown singer/songwriter turns out to be Shawn Colvin. The lesson is clear: when you don’t know the band, communication is everything. Ask how they sound, listen closely, and remember that for that moment, you are part of the band. You’re playing the “mixing keyboard” today, so Always Be Performing.

    As the night wears on, the room changes and so must you. Heat, humidity, and ear fatigue quietly shift the mix, especially in the highs and high-mids, and Mike explains why gradual adjustments beat drastic moves every time. You’re reminded to watch the show, not just the meters, and to listen first before using tools like Smaart to confirm what your ears already know. From sweating out microphones and treating them like EQ devices to protecting your hearing with custom molds, active earplugs, and smart exposure management, this episode ties craft, tech, and longevity together. Layer in legendary Celebrity Week stories, the Van Halen M&Ms lesson, and Beach Boys theatrics, and you’re left with one guiding principle: mix a good show, every time, because that’s how careers last.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 517 – Monday, January 19th, 2026
    • 00:01:50 Puerto Rican Day Parade
      • Sleeping on road cases overnight
      • An insane number of speakers
      • Earplugs + Shooting cans STILL were too loud
      • Servo drives – highly efficient, but not fast. They have motors in them.
      • Security wouldn’t let us off the truck.
    • 00:06:43 Gig learning vs. classroom learning
      • Learning to roll with it
    • 00:08:52 When you don’t know the band
      • A little jazz band…as wallpaper
      • Sussed out the system manually (before the Smaart Live days!)
      • And a singer/songwriter… who turned out to be Shawn Colvin
    • 00:12:52 Communicating with a band you’ve never seen
      • Very helpful tips:
      • “Here’s how our band sounds.”
      • Guitar players who manage their levels between rhythm and solos
      • As an engineer, you are a member of the band (for that moment)
      • “You play mixing keyboard today”
    • 00:20:37 Teaching the foundation in class, students often seek practical experience on their own
      • Finding practical applications WHILE you’re in class is gold. You learn so much.
      • It all comes back to communication skills
      • For FOH engineers, watch the show! Pay attention to the band members
    • 00:24:30 Sound changes throughout the night
      • Heat and humidity will cause ebbs and flows (especially outdoors, but even inside)
      • Watch the highs and high-mids
      • Sound travels faster through a thick medium
      • Gradual adjustments so it sounds better
      • Increasing the mains throughout the show to keep the perceived level due to ear fatigue
      • Smaart Live for tweaking live sound
      • Listen first, then use the gear to confirm what you’re hearing
    • 00:31:35 When I mix, I want to hear a good show
      • So I tell the sound guy (me) to mix a good show
    • 00:32:57 Using the tech to isolate live to find (and fix) problems
    • 00:33:48 Learning the nuances of problems
    • 00:35:24 Hot lights to add to the sun!
      • Sweating out microphones… heat shrink tubing plus medical tape solves it
      • Microphones are EQ devices – Matt from Roswell Audio
    • 00:39:38 Mixing with earplugs?
    • 00:44:39 AirPods Pro “active earplugs” (aka Hearing Protection)
    • 00:52:25 Stories from Celebrity Week at North Shore Music Theatre
      • Almost got into a rumble with Al Martino
      • Face the wall when Wynona Judd walks by
      • Gallagher (or his brother!)
      • The Beach Boys
      • Weird Al
    • 00:56:04 The Van Halen M&Ms story
    • 00:57:37 The Beach Boys surfing on the revolving stage
    • 00:59:41 Gig Gab 519 Outtro

    The post The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida — Gig Gab 517 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    19 January 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    Be Prepared and Predictable: How Richie Castellano Stays Gig-Ready
    Be Prepared and Predictable: How Richie Castellano Stays Gig-Ready — Gig Gab 516 episode image

    You jump straight into the deep end with Richie Castellano as you explore what happens when preparation collides with opportunity. You follow his path from mixing weddings to standing behind massive analog rigs, wrangling six guitar channels, chasing down mysterious hums, and learning fast that the gremlins always show up when you least expect them. When the call comes to go from being Blue Oyster Cult’s sub sound engineer to bass player in four days with 21 songs to learn, the lesson is clear: play something you know, rehearse smart, and build a Just In Case bag that saves the gig. Success is not luck. It is preparation meeting the moment, and you are either ready or you are not. In order to Always Be Performing you need to Always Be Preparing!

    As the conversation deepens, you learn how adaptability gets and keeps gigs, from joining the culture of a band to solving problems so painlessly you become indispensable. Richie breaks down the craft of learning, teaching, and arranging vocal harmonies, including Yes music at the highest level, where not nailing the vocals means the whole thing falls apart. You hear why simplifying is sometimes the smart move, how spreadsheets can ease rehearsals, and why blending matters more than showing off. The episode closes with practical wisdom on collaboration with front of house, constant communication inside the band, and surrounding yourself with people on the same mission. This is a masterclass in being prepared, predictable, drama-free, and trusted when it counts.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 516 – Monday, January 12th, 2026
    • 00:01:40 From mixing weddings to arenas overnight
      • Called to sub as Blue Oyster Cult’s sound engineer
      • Steve “Woody” La Cerra
      • “Make them sound like a big bad rock band”
    • 00:06:53 The differences doing sound in a big room?
      • Six channels of guitar for 3 guitar players!
      • Where’s the cowbell?!?
    • 00:10:28 Arriving ten minutes before downbeat with the biggest system of my life
      • And it’s analog!
      • What’s that low hum
    • 00:12:49 The Gremlins That Run Around On Stage When You’re Not Looking
      • Play something you know
    • 00:17:46 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB.
    • 00:19:10 From sound to…playing bass in four days!
      • Here’s 18 songs… I mean 21 songs. Be ready to play this by Friday
      • Success is when preparation meets opportunity. Here’s the opportunity. Now you have to prepare for it!
      • Buck Dharma on Gig Gab
      • First gig was canceled… But that led to a rehearsal
      • Time to talk about the JustInCase…aka the Idiot Bag!
      • Plugged into the TV to rehearse
    • 00:22:39 “If you can do this five times in a row, this will be your gig.”
    • 00:25:02 Do you just want me to join the band?
      • If you solve a problem for someone painlessly, you’re not likely to be replaced.
      • Be Prepared and Predictable
      • And No Drama
    • 00:28:41 Joining the culture of a band
      • Matt Beck on guitar for the recent Jon Anderson tour fit perfectly
      • Being adaptable gets and keeps gigs
    • 00:33:22 Learning and teaching harmonies
      • Learning how to soften and blend
      • 40th Anniversary of Agents of Fortune
      • A trick: learn how to do impressions. “Sing this like Peter Gabriel”, “Sing this like Michael McDonald”
    • 00:39:51 Arranging Harmonies for Yes music
      • Don’t be afraid to simplify, folks
      • Use a spreadsheet!
      • Get it to “the best WE can do it”
      • Then ask “how can we make this blend better?”
    • 00:45:13 If we don’t nail the vocals, we suck!
    • 00:48:29 The collaboration between band and front of house
      • Ask front of house engineer: What do you need from me to sound good?
      • End sound check with an a capella vocal moment
    • 00:52:24 Talk to your bandmates and continually tweak things
      • “Why does your snare drum sound different today?”
    • 00:54:11 Surround yourself with bandmates who are on the same mission
    • 00:59:58 When bands write vocal harmonies
    • 01:04:18 Gig Gab 514 Outtro

    The post Be Prepared and Predictable: How Richie Castellano Stays Gig-Ready — Gig Gab 516 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    12 January 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 32 minutes
    Mixing Legends Live: Robert Scovill at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    Mixing Legends Live: Robert Scovill at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Gig Gab 515 episode image

    You step into the pressure cooker of elite live sound, where Robert Scovill shows you why chaos is often the best teacher. From mixing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions with zero margin for error to handling full-band changeovers on the fly, you learn that perfection is worth chasing but dangerous to demand. You hear why live mixing beats the studio for him. It is about capturing ensemble moments, not polishing parts. Even when the doubt creeps in before showtime, the lights come up, the band hits, and the moment reminds you why you do this. This is the mindset of Always Be Performing.

    You also get practical, battle-tested tactics for surviving high-stakes gigs. Learn how to study a band fast, who sings, who solos, and when, using recordings and YouTube as prep tools. You hear what it takes to mix legendary harmony vocals, why artists like Def Leppard insist on singing live, and how those expectations shape your approach.

    Then it gets nerdy in the best way, with the evolution of De-Feedback, real-world use at the Rock Hall, and how tools like reverse impulse responses can clean up wedges, vocals, and even IEMs. The takeaway is clear. Preparation, adaptability, and relentless curiosity are what keep you in the game.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 515 – Monday, January 5th, 2026
    • 00:01:25 Mixing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
      • 10+ Acts… with full changeovers
      • Trial by fire, with no time!
    • 00:07:27 The enjoyment of the pressure of mixing live
      • Perfection is a great thing to strive for, a terrible thing to achieve
    • 00:09:00 Giving up on the studio in favor of live
      • Way more interested in recording ensemble moments
    • 00:10:10 Started in live sound in the 1970s
    • 00:12:04 Full circle moments at Rock Hall
      • Mixing the Joe Cocker induction with Tedeschi Trucks
      • Mixing Peter Frampton…a throwback moment
    • 00:17:34 That thought creeps in: “I don’t know if I can keep doing this”
      • And then the show happens…with all of its moments!
    • 00:22:34 Learning a band quickly
      • Who’s singing? When?
      • Who plays the guitar solos (and when)?
      • Give them a recording in advance
      • Find them on YouTube
    • 00:25:53 Dolly Parton and Rob Halford sing Jolene
    • 00:28:23 Mixing Def Leppard harmony vocals
      • Def Leppard is a great example: they wanted to sing live
      • They worked hard to deliver what they expected (and what people expected)
    • 00:34:50 Mixing Prince at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    • 00:38:20 Always Be Recording…and here’s why: Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks
    • 00:43:04 Alpha Labs De-Feedback
    • 00:48:42 De-Feedback started to “make churches sound better”
    • 00:57:28 De-Feedback at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
      • Elton John (because of his loud monitor wedges)
      • Cyndi Lauper
    • 01:02:02 Comparing De-Feedback to a Neve 5045
    • 01:10:19 A live De-Feedback demo and some nerdy details!
    • 01:26:24 Fixing IEMs with De-Feedback
      • Think about eliminating drum bleed from vocal mics, for one.
    • 01:28:47 Gig Gab 515 Outtro

     

    The post Mixing Legends Live: Robert Scovill at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Gig Gab 515 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    5 January 2026, 8:05 am
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    The Hidden Work of Fun: Systems for Working Musicians with Richard Page
    The Hidden Work of Fun: Systems for Working Musicians with Richard Page episode image

    You love the music, but being a working musician comes with friction, and this episode tackles it head-on. You dig into the real difference between tribute bands and celebration projects, how to prep when multiple gigs stack up fast, and why anxiety creeps in when preparation gets sloppy. You explore how much rehearsal is enough, when studio versions help versus live recordings, and why fun disappears when expectations are unclear. The big takeaway is simple: intention matters. When you walk into rehearsal with a plan, a personal worklist, and shared expectations, you protect your energy and stay focused on what matters most. That focus is how you keep growing while Always Be Performing.

    From rehearsals to gig day, you learn how systems save your sanity. You hear why rehearsal recordings only work if someone is actually assigned to listen, how shared calendars prevent chaos, and why group texts quietly sabotage bands. You break down practical tools for managing gigs, promotion, and communication, from punchlist spreadsheets to task masters who own the details. You even get into tech expectations for bandmates and why alignment matters more than gear. The message is clear: externalize the details, reduce decision fatigue, and free your head to show up present, prepared, and confident on stage.

    • 00:00:00 Gig Gab 514 – Monday, December 29th, 2025
    • 00:02:03 Richard’s got some tribute shows happening
    • 00:06:07 Dave’s got three different shows to learn and play in 2 weeks
      • The anxiety of preparing for too many gigs at once
      • When prepping celebration shows, do you do all studio? Some live?
    • 00:24:33 SPONSOR: Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at rula.com/giggab #rulapod
    • 00:26:19 NAMM coming up!
    • 00:26:55 Being a working musician comes with a lot of friction to have fun
    • 00:28:48 Setting rehearsal intention
      • Have a plan!
      • Be careful of repeating songs and consuming time
      • Set expectations. Ensure everyone arrives on the same page.
      • Keep a “personal worklist” note going on your phone during rehearsals
    • 00:33:41 Maximizing rehearsal recordings
      • Rotate between band-members for listening to rehearsal recordings
      • You inspect what you expect!
    • 00:38:49 Scheduling rehearsals
    • 00:42:36 Inter-band communication
      • Group Messages…SUCK (especially now with RCS, that was supposed to fix it)
      • You’ve gotta have a task-master!
      • WheresTheGig.com
      • BandHelper
    • 00:50:46 Creating a Spreadsheet punchlist for gigs
    • 00:55:55 Tech requirements for new band members
      • Green Bubble Prejudice!
    • 01:02:12 Three iPads
    • 01:10:17 Gig Gab 514 Outtro

    The post The Hidden Work of Fun: Systems for Working Musicians — Gig Gab 514 with Richard Page appeared first on Gig Gab.

    29 December 2025, 8:05 am
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