For those in a band it should be a much simpler process with each member bringing their own gear and (in theory) being responsible for their individual equipment. Serious musicians are usually [...]]]> You might not think it, but preparing for a gig is a logistical nightmare, especially if you are a solo artist.

For those in a band it should be a much simpler process with each member bringing their own gear and (in theory) being responsible for their individual equipment. Serious musicians are usually well organised and efficient at what they do but if you are talking about your average bunch of muso’s who get together every now and then to do a few gigs, then it don’t expect things to run smoothly unless someone takes charge.

You’ll notice with a lot of bands out there, there’s always one member of the group who’s got his head screwed on, organising things and making sure it all runs smoothly. Half the time the rest of the group don’t give a damn or are totally irresponsible anyway and couldn’t run a piss up in a brewery.

It’s the same with everything in life, if you want to do something right, you’ve got to do it yourself.

If something goes wrong in the middle of a gig, expecting the guitarist to have brought spare fuses for the PA or the bassist to have a pair of pliers handy when everyone’s got stinking hangovers is just not going to happen. Someone’s got to take charge of the essentials.

Being a solo musician, you’ve got no choice anyway and if something happens to your equipment, you only have yourself to blame if you are not properly prepared.

The more equipment you’ve got, the more spares you’re going to need incase something goes wrong.

You might think when practicing at home or in the studio that everything’s fine and your leads and equipment are in good nick, but when you take everything down, transport it across the county, set it all up again and fire up the system, you’d be surprised at how many things go wrong at the other end. Often it is without warning and for no reason at all.

If you are out gigging and something goes wrong at ten o’ clock at night, you aren’t going to be able to go out and buy spare leads and equipment to solve the problem, so you need to have thought of every potential issue that might occur and be prepared for it when it happens.

Hard Work

Below is a list of stuff including spares and other helpful items that I take to my gigs. If you can afford it and have the space, you can keep much of it pre packed which will save you a lot of time but for me, doing a gig is still a ten hour round trip from start to finish. It’s a real mission and partly my own fault for taking so much equipment but it’s also down to the place in which I live.

For most gigs I take three guitars (two electrics and an acoustic) and a full P.A system. It’s not the biggest but it’s still pretty hefty for a solo artist. Some guys take smaller compact P.A’s to their gigs which will just about cover a small pub. These are perfect for acoustic gigs but unfortunately my set mimics a full band set up playing stuff like the Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Nirvana etc. so it has to pack a bit more of a punch.

I also live in town and on the first floor, so most of the time when I do a gig, I have to :

Restring three guitars, take down and pack my equipment, take it all downstairs, load the van, drive to the gig, unload the van, set it all up, park the van which could be miles away if you’re gigging in town, tune up and sound check, play for two to three hours, take it all down again, get the van, load the van, drive home, unload the van, take it all upstairs and then park the van which by the time you get home on a weekend at one or two in the morning, there are no parking spaces left for miles around, especially in Summer. Also, if I haven’t got another gig for a while, I’ve got to set it all up again the next day so I can use my studio throughout the week.

Getting friends to help out seriously reduces the time it takes to complete the process but you can’t rely on friends forever so be prepared for some seriously hard work and to do it on your own.

Make no mistake – it’s hard work and yeah, I could make my life a lot simpler by only taking one guitar but that would limit the songs I could play. Some songs need an electric, other songs need a down tuned electric and my acoustic is essential.

Both my electric guitars have double locking trems and you can’t spend ten minutes re-tuning them in the middle of your set every time you change songs. My playlist also differs every time I gig so I can’t just take one electric and re-tune in the break. So for me, if I want to play at my full potential, three guitars are a must.

Keeping It Simple – More Pay – Easy Life

I used to take just one acoustic to my gigs and stamp on the distortion to play heavier tracks in my set. It worked well but using an acoustic this way poses obvious limitations regarding feedback, volumes, soloing and fx, so after a year or so I started taking my electric. I then made some more tracks and found I needed two electrics to play them all. Life was much easier then but I’ve only got myself to blame for trying to take on to much.

You don’t want to be lugging shed loads of equipment around unless you really have to.

Remember – The more complex your set is, the more practicing you will need to do and the more equipment you will need to take. This will ultimately result in longer practicing hours and take much longer to complete the round trip for the gig. This reduces the amount you’ll be getting paid per hour for your time.

Some artists get away with playing two halves of 45 minutes and take just one guitar and a small P.A. I play for 2.5 to 3 hrs with 3 guitars and a full P.A, so guess who’s life is more difficult.

Keeping it simple is often better than trying to strain yourself by gigging with everything you’ve got. If you keep it simple you’ll have a much easier ride, although you might not find it so satisfying at the end of the night.

Gig Equipment List

This list is only a basic guide for you to work from but should contain most things a solo artist will need to get playing and a few other items that could help in an emergency. For a full band, just add each individual members’ gear and spares.

Extras

You can add extras like fags, medication, contact lenses, food etc. depending on your own individual needs and don’t forget beer for after the gig. As you can see I’ve got pain killers listed to keep recurring back pain under control if I hurt myself lugging equipment around. If you wear glasses or contacts, you need to realise that if you lose one or both, you may not be able to see anything and this could seriously affect they way you operate throughout the gig. Be prepared and don’t get caught out.

Weather Conditions

Spare clothing is really useful if you get soaked moving your equipment around in bad weather. Just because it’s hammering it down you can’t sit around waiting for the rain to stop, you still have to get there on time and do your job. In winter you can guarantee it’s going to be chucking it down every time you go out and do a gig.

If you haven’t got cases, you’ll need something to throw over the top of your stuff to protect your gear in wet weather.

I use an iPod and remote controls to play my home made accompaniment but also take a spare cd player in case it goes wrong. Spare remote batteries and connectors ensure that if anything suddenly stops working, I’ve got alternatives to back me up.

Flea forgot his slacks !

The simplest thing like forgetting your guitar strap can completely ruin your night and if you’ve traveled 40 miles to your gig you can’t exactly nip home and get it. Although a lot of these things seem blatantly obvious, it does help to list them and check you’ve got everything before you go. It will make your life a lot easier and could get you out of some sticky situations.

Other Posts of Interest

How to Get Gigs
From Home to Stage
Good Gigs – Bad Gigs
Busking

It can be quite soul destroying to ask a number of landlords for a gig and then get turned down by [...]]]> There are lots of things you can do to get yourself booked for a gig but by far the best way is to simply walk into a local pub and ask.

It can be quite soul destroying to ask a number of landlords for a gig and then get turned down by most of them as they’re often only interested in booking established musicians with a following. It always helps if you’ve got a few loyal fans or a load of mates who’ll turn up and buy drinks all night as the pubs like to know they’ll cover their expenses if no one else turns up to watch.

If you haven’t got much of a following or you can’t guarantee a few people will turn up, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to get yourself a good few gigs but you might have to try a little harder.

It’s the classic chicken and the egg problem. How can you develop a following when no one will give you a chance in the first place ? You’ve just got to keep plugging away and hassle as many venues and people as you can until you get a break.

You might feel the urge to offer to play for nothing to get your foot in the door at your first few gigs. It sounds like a good idea but whatever you do, do not offer your services for free or dirt cheap. In doing this you undermine your own position as a musician and also undermine every other musician out there trying to make a living out of their playing.

There are thousands of new bands and musicians out there and if every new act offered their first few gigs for free, there wouldn’t be any point in paying for musicians at all.

Charging for your music proves that you consider yourself to be worth the money you are being paid. If you perform a gig for half price or just a few measly pounds, the venue might not be so happy to pay you the next time you play. The owner gets a free nights entertainment and gains the profit from your efforts while you struggle to achieve your goals. Imagine the next guy turning up and playing for free as well. It seems like a good idea but playing for peanuts puts the livelihoods of all musicians at risk, unless it’s for charity or mates of course, then it’s always good.

I thought of playing for very little or nothing in a few pubs when I first started out, then I spoke to a few experienced musicians who put me straight. Just think about it a bit before you consider this option.

If a landlord doesn’t know how good you are you might be required to drop your asking price by ten or twenty pounds but make it known that you are doing this as a one off and the next one will be full price.

Don’t Get Disillusioned

You will probably be turned down in 8 about out of 10 pubs you visit to try and get a gig. The chances are the landlord will have most of his entertainment for the year booked up already with tried and tested acts. If you’re lucky, he or she may have had a cancellation or have a few dates left in the book available for you so keep your calendar clear and take whatever date you can get. Generally, if you are worth your salt they will like you and have you back for repeat bookings once you’ve got your foot through the door.

Best Time Of Year

The best time to go out and get bookings is early on in the year, around about mid February. In January, after the expense of Christmas and New Year, everybody is totally skint and the pubs and clubs are pretty much empty for a good few weeks. Everybody is still reeling from the shock of it all and most people need a wage packet or two to repair the damage before they can venture out again.

Come mid February there’s plenty of gigs for the taking as landlords start to to fill up their entertainment bookings for the year. They’re also looking for new talent and are more likely to give new artists a try.

Be quick and get in as many bookings as you can as venues will fill their books fast. Loads of new acts spring up at this time of year and you’ll also be competing with many bands reforming and getting back on the scene as they try and live up to their New Years resolutions.

February is probably the one time of year you need to be ready to go for it and commit yourself to gigs months in advance.

Book Them All At Once

Check out the local venues in your area on Google and print out a list. There is bound to be a local web site or pub guide listing on the net and be prepared to go way out of your way to find gigs. Many musicians regularly travel long distances to get an audience.

Take your list and visit all the pubs, clubs and bars in the area over a couple of days. This will make your search more efficient and you’ll waste much less time and effort than trying to cover just two or three every time you venture out. Make a day of it and visit at least fifteen or twenty venues to start with. You’re bound to comeback with at least one or two bookings by the end of the day. Over a few days you should end up with some good results.

Don’t Forget The Clubs

Don’t forget to try the private clubs, hotels and local holiday camps. These places tend to have captive audiences and can often afford to pay more than local pubs. Be aware that these venues are usually played by experienced musicians and if you end up gigging in a large holiday camp or posh hotel, you’ll be expected to be professional and play at a reasonably high standard. You could also try tackling the more rougher social and working clubs. They are not quite so fussy and can be rough at times but they are fun and often pay quite well.

Local Working Mens Club !

Do I Need a Demo CD ?

People often assume a demo cd is a must for getting yourself gigs. It can help but this also works both ways. Listening to a roughly recorded home made demo may not capture the dynamics of your live performance and the listener might not like the choice of song you have recorded, so in some instances having a demo cd could work against you.

The chances are you won’t have spent a lot of money on a professional cd and mixed it down with state of the art equipment like the cd’s you buy in the shops, but nowadays you can make perfectly adequate recordings and demo cd’s from home on your own pc using programs like Cubase and Sonar. If you do have a well recorded demo that represents you well, it’s always a bonus but if you haven’t got the means to produce something that sounds good, you might be better off without one.

You will almost always be asked if you have some kind of material to listen to but if you don’t have a demo then there are other ways of showing how good you are.

Take Your Acoustic

Taking your acoustic guitar into the pub and offering a live demonstration can be a great way to get yourself booked. If you can pull out a good song there and then in front of daytime customers then you should be home and dry. Don’t ask for an opinion or booking straight after your performance as you don’t want to be putting pressure on the landlord and make them feel uncomfortable. If you don’t get a ‘yes’ straight away, just tell them to think about it and you will call later.

Come and have a go or jam nights are also a good way of promoting yourself to the management. It may take a few sessions but if you play well over a couple of nights and inform the boss that you have a full set and are interested in doing proper gigs, you have a good chance of getting in.

Talk To Other Musicians

A lot of musicians or professional entertainers who have been in the business for a while end up acting as agents which helps supplement their income alongside their music. They’ll have been round the circuit many times and will have built friendships with owners and management. This allows them recruit talent and recommend new artists to these venues. Depending on their circumstances, they may charge you a percentage of your fee to do this or they might just help you out for free as a favour from one musician to another.

Most musicians or entertainers have been in the same boat at some point in their lives and if you approach them and enquire about getting a few gigs, the chances are they’ll will be able to help you out in some way or at least point you in the right direction.

Get A Professional Agent

The easiest way of getting yourself gigs is to get a professional agent. Look in the local directories or on line and you are bound to find one in your area. You may have to audition to prove your ability and will most certainly have to pay around 15-20% of your fees for every gig you are booked for. A good agent will be able to get you as many gigs as you want and will have contacts all over the country as well as abroad. An agent will save you a lot of time and hassle but it’s not so great when you have to pay them a large percentage out of your hard earned cash for the privilege.

A lot of musicians have big problems paying out to an agent every time they perform and although you might not mind at first, after a while it becomes a bit of a sore point shelling out time and time again when all they’ve essentially done was get you that initial gig. If you constantly play different venues then it’s not so bad and it’s probably worth the fee, but if you are paying out over and over again for playing at the same place, it’s money for nothing for the agent when you could have easily introduced yourself and saved yourself a lot of cash.

If you are prepared to go the extra distance and be your own agent you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a year.

If you choose an agent, ask around and speak to other musicians about them before you get too involved. Not all agents are good and some are downright useless or even crooked. I have heard many stories about agents ripping off their clients or having a detrimental effect on their careers. When I began my career, my agent was so useless I ended up sacking him and spent more time helping him out than he did me.

Just like anything in life, some agents are brilliant and will enhance your career no end while others are useless and will bring you down.

Golden Handcuffs

One last piece of advise whilst you are out there trying to find your feet.

You may encounter one or two particularly controlling landlords who reel off a list of conditions about where you are aloud to play around town once you have agreed to perform in their venue on a regular basis. Be careful here because depending on what they propose, their restrictions might be quite acceptable or they could be way out of order.

Most landlords will not want you to play in their pub on a Friday night and then at the pub next door on the same weekend or even within a couple of weeks of you playing there. This is reasonably acceptable as local drinkers often frequent pubs within range of each other and if they know you are playing at the next pub in a weeks time or tomorrow night, they might not bother coming out to see you tonight. This means the venue loses potential customers so they can be excused for asking you to steer clear of the immediate area for a couple of weeks after gigging there, but be careful of landlords asking you for complete exclusivity to their venue or giving you wide areas or lengthy time limits to avoid playing in the vicinity just for the right to play in their venue.

I was once asked for exclusive rights to play in one venue in a street of seven bars on the edge of town. I didn’t mind so much as I was just starting out and was glad of the opportunity to play, but a while later the golden handcuffs were extended to another 5 pubs within a few hundred yards. I didn’t mind because there were still shed loads of other pubs in town so I agreed at first. I was then asked by some people to gig in three of these particular venues but because of my previous agreement I had to turn them down.

That really bugged me. All of a sudden I felt like a prisoner and had lost my freedom as a musician. Within a few days of turning these new gigs down I jacked in my verbal contract with my regular venue and spread my wings again. I appreciated the opportunity the original pub had given me but felt much better once I’d broken the handcuffs. I lost the original gig but gained the freedom to play in about 12 other pubs…none of which had the same stipulations.

It just goes to show the lengths some people are willing to go to to make their establishments exclusive and pull in customers.

There is something to be said for exclusivity and in some ways it can help your career. You don’t want to overdo your exposure by gigging the hell out of an area until everyone is sick of you. On the other hand, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin either. Try and achieve a balance that will benefit both you and the establishments you play in.

Get Yourself Out There

The more you put yourself out there in the public view the more chance you have of someone booking you. I’ve been booked for gigs in all sorts of places, when out busking, at jam nights, at my own gigs, practicing in weird places, even over the internet. You never really know when the next one is coming until someone asks you.

Think of yourself or your band as a product that needs to be marketed. Get yourself a website, advertise, perform for charity and make yourself known at any and every opportunity you can. Once people start to know you and word of mouth gets round, you’ll find it much easier to get bookings and develop a strong following. Then hopefully, if you are good enough, the gigs will come to you.

Posted 22.09.09

Other Posts of Interest

Gigging Preparation
From Home to Stage
Good Gigs – Bad Gigs
Busking

Back Home

This is a good question to answer and depends greatly on a few main factors.

1. The size and type of gig you are looking to provide [...]]]> I’m often asked the best ways of powering your equipment when out busking or gigging at outdoor events where power is an issue.

This is a good question to answer and depends greatly on a few main factors.

1. The size and type of gig you are looking to provide sound for.

Are you looking to provide an acoustic set for a beach party of 20 – 30 people, a full metal or rock gig in the middle of nowhere for 200, power for you and a couple of band mates in the middle of town or just for a small busking set up for yourself. It all depends on the equipment you need to provide power for and how electronically sensitive it is.

2. Budget.

How much money do you have to spend on the set up. If you have the cash then there are plenty of options available to you. A tighter budget lessens your options, but you can still build yourself a really effective power system without spending too much.

3. Usage and future requirements.

How long do you need to play for and how often are you going to use it ? If the gig is a one off, you can get away with a less robust system or think about hiring a generator, but if your daily income relies on it, it has to function effectively and efficiently for years to come.

4. Your technical capabilities and logistics.

Do you have the ability to safely install and carry your power equipment to and from your intended locations ? Installing generators, earth rods and lugging batteries around can be heavy work and technically demanding. If you get it wrong, you could end up frying half your band.

Small Systems and Lightweight Outdoor Power Applications

If all you’ve got to cope with is a guitar, a couple of battery powered fx units and a mic, then all you need is a decent battery powered busking amp with a couple of inputs. Get yourself a charger and you can easily power your equipment with ordinary shop bought Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries and you should get a good 4 to 8 hours playing time or more depending on the volumes you play at, the rating of the batteries (A/h) and the age of the rechargeables.

Busker Hadar Manor – 2008’s Queen of the London Underground with her portable busking set up.

The two types of consumer rechargeable batteries generally available are Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium) and Ni-Mh (Nickel metal hydride)

Take a look at my guide on which batteries to choose and why.

Ni-Cd or Ni-Mh ?

I go for the Ni-Mh.

Heavier Duty Power Supplies

If your equipment doesn’t have the facility to run off normal batteries or you want a heavier duty rig that is going to provide a much greater output and be capable of powering bigger speaker systems, P.A s and band set ups – then you could be looking at purchasing or renting a portable or stand alone generator or if your power consumption is not too substantial then you could also consider a set up along the lines of 12v Deep Cycle or Marine batteries, combined with a power inverter and a multi stage charger to run your equipment.

Read my battery guide and posts on inverters and battery calculations to get you up to speed with these.

Generators and battery systems each have their advantages and disadvantages. Once you have worked out how much power you need for your system, and how much cash you have to spend, you should be able to choose one of the options below to suit your needs.

Generators

Generator technology has come a long way over the last few years, and nowadays there are many companies out there making top notch noiseless and fumeless generators designed specifically for the entertainment and leisure market.

Years ago, having a generator powering your set up was a noisy and brutal affair. Having a generator chugging away in the back ground, spitting out gas and fumes everywhere meant you had to be staging your own mini Glastonbury just to be able to hear your own tunes over the noise.

Nowadays you can spark up a noiseless portable generator, stand next to it and barely hear the thing running from more than a couple of feet away.

Honda have always been the market leaders in portable generator technology and have made a name for themselves creating some of the quietest and most reliable equipment in the market.

You will often see professional buskers and musicians with grand set ups in the street blaring their music over the whole town or at outdoor events and you will almost always see the trademark red casing of a Honda generator slaving away in the background.

Honda EU2000i Noiseless Generator

The problem with portable generators is that they can be seriously expensive ranging from a few hundred pounds to anything up to a couple of thousand. Their output also ranges from a few hundred watts to many kilowatts depending on the price you pay.

If you’re lucky, you might be able to pick your self up a bargain second hand generator for anything between £150 and £300 (a quick Ebay search revealed a few weeks ago), but then you never really know what you are getting for your money or how long it’s going to last.

In my opinion, a second hand generator is a gamble, so if you have a lot riding on your set up and want guaranteed results, it is always better to rent or buy new.

If you can’t afford to buy one yourself, get your band mates to chip in. A few gigs or busking sessions and it will soon pay for itself.

Using Leisure/Marine – Deep Cycle Batteries And Inverters

If you can’t afford a generator, another reliable and cost effective method would be to determine the power output you are going to require and put together a heavy duty battery and inverter set up.

See my post on batteries for more information.

Deep cycle batteries provide a large power output and an almost endless supply of replenishable energy. When used in conjunction with a sine wave inverter, a clean supply can be achieved to power almost any electrical or electronic system with confidence.

When connected in parallel, deep cycle batteries can be stacked up to almost unlimited potential and if looked after in the correct manner they can last for years.

Deep Cycle Battery

See my post on battery connections for more information.

Depending on your requirements, you will more than likely need some form of sine wave inverter (either a pure SWI or a modified SWI to convert the dc output from the battery terminals into ac for use with your equipment.

See my post on sine wave inverters for more information.

A decent multi stage battery charger is also a must if you are considering this type of set up. As I’ve explained in my batteries page, battery life and capacity can be seriously compromised if they are not charged, discharged and stored in the correct manner. To get the best out of your batteries you will need to take care of them, or you’ll end up wasting your money.

Take a look at my guide on batteries to get an idea and see my guide on battery calculations to work out what you might need.

Using Standard Car Batteries to Power Your Busk

Powering your set up with an average car starter battery may work well for a while, but is not really advised they are not designed to be constantly charged and discharged without being permanently topped up by a charging alternator.

Standard car batteries generally loose their ability to hold charge effectively after a few deep discharges but may suffice if all you need to power is a little busking amp and it’s kept in a good state of charge when not in use. It is generally the way you care for your battery that effects it’s longevity and effectiveness, so even if you are using a crap battery, it will last much longer if you look after it.

I have met quite a few buskers and market traders who do use bog standard car batteries to power small busking and stereo set ups, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a long term solution. The efficiency of the set up will most likely become an issue in the long run.

Running Car Amplifiers From A Battery

Although car amplifiers are not designed to mimic the specific traits of traditional guitar amps and high powered P.A systems, many audiophiles do use them in outdoor situations in conjunction with deep cycle batteries to produce very effective and efficient sound systems capable of producing reasonably loud outputs with low power consumption.

An advantage of using a car amplifier is that it is designed to run straight off a 12v car battery, so you don’t incur losses from the inefficient conversion of dc to ac through an inverter, then back to dc through an amps power supply unit.

Conventional stereo amps and speakers designed for music respond differently than guitar amps due to the nature of frequency filtering that goes on inside each unit. If you play your guitar through a stereo amp, it might not sound great, but if you can eq it to sound good for your application such as an acoustic or busking gig in the street, you may achieve good results.

Using the car amp and speaker set up as sound reinforcement in conjunction with your other guitar amps and equipment could be a cheap alternative to buying an expensive high rated inverter and running everything off that. Purchasing a lower rated pure sine wave inverter to run the sensitive stuff and a running a car amp separately might save you some cash.

Bigger Events – Hiring Your Equipment

If you are looking to power a larger set up needing anything from five thousand to hundreds of thousands of watts you’d be better off renting a commercial generator from a hire company.

Commercial stand alone generators range from wheel barrow size to a huge great things brought in on the back of trucks. Any noise or fume pollution is kept to a minimum as they are normally set up a good distance away from the entertainment areas.

One thing you have to be sure of when dealing with larger power demands is that your generating equipment and mains boards are properly earthed. If you are out in the middle of no where this can mean driving an earth rod or number of rods deep into the ground to ensure good earthing is achieved. It may even be necessary to water the ground in the vicinity of the earth rods to ensure better conductivity and less ground resistance if the area is dry.

The safety and speed of your trip switches and circuit breakers rely on good earthing practices and infinitely low ground resistance values which can be tested via specialised equipment. If you are not comfortable with the situation, get a qualified electrician to ensure all safety precautions are adhered to.

If you are hiring from a respectable company they should have qualified people able to train you how to install and rig up the generator safely. You should also be able to get them to deliver it, set it up and take it away, all as part of a hire package. It’s not worth the worry and risk of frying a few of your mates, just to save a few quid and do it your self.

Generator Load

When the demand on your generator drops from high load to practically zero between song breaks and silent periods in your gig, it will have difficulty supplying the tiny amount of power needed to keep the electronic gear on stage functioning correctly, and may start to ‘hunt’ for power i.e ‘revving high and low’.

To keep the generator producing a constant supply of power and avoid fluctuations, a constant load of 200 or 300 w should be placed on the generator at all times. This keeps the sensitive electronics supplied with a constant current source and can be achieved by simply a plugging in couple of lights as a permanent load through out the duration of the event.

Public Events – Contacting The Council

If you are thinking of setting up a gig in town or in a public location, you may find contacting the local council and organising a mini event could solve your problems. There are always certain places in town where power can be made available to merchants and traders for markets and street events etc. Give the local authority a call and they might be able to supply you with power for a few hours.

These power outlets are often hidden from public view at height, above shops, on ledges or in armoured boxes at street level. You wouldn’t notice them unless you were looking for them, but they are there. As an ex-electrician, we were always being contracted to connect up power supplies for street events like Christmas lights and carnivals etc. using these hidden sources.

If you choose to do a gig on the beach or in a park or bandstand, there will always be power available somewhere in the vicinity, just contact the area’s caretaker.

The only thing you might have to watch out for is if you do end up organising or sorting out any type of event involving the local council, even if it is just a one off street gig, you will probably have to secure some sort of public liability insurance covering you for around 5 million pounds. Councils are always pretty hot on health and safety issues.

Go Acoustic

At the end of the day, if it’s all too much hassle, just consider going acoustic. If you’re intent on performing in town, most people don’t want to be blown away by a bloody great rock gig anyway, and you’ll probably make just as much money busking with an acoustic set up as you would any other way. It’ll also save you a lot of effort and lugging your equipment around.

Other Posts of Interest

Battery Guide
Battery Calculations
Battery Connections
Inverters

Posted 01.06.09

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Batteries can be connected in two ways, series or parallel.

Connecting two batteries of the same voltage together in series effectively converts them into one bigger battery [...]]]> Powering equipment via batteries often means connecting them together in a battery bank to gain a higher voltage or amp hour rating.

Batteries can be connected in two ways, series or parallel.

Series

Connecting two batteries of the same voltage together in series effectively converts them into one bigger battery doubling the voltage rating of the battery bank, but keeping the same amp hour rating.

e.g. Connecting two 6 volt 30 Ah batteries together in series, will give you one big 12 v battery with a 30 Ah rating.

Connecting three together in series will give you an 18 volt battery with a 30 Ah rating.

Below is an example using 3 x 12 volt batteries with 100 Ah ratings.

Connecting In Parallel

When connecting batteries of the same voltage and amp hour rating together in parallel, the amp hour ratings of the batteries are added together, and the voltage across them stays the same as an individual battery.

e.g Three 12 volt 100 amp hour batteries connected in parallel would give us one large battery bank of 12 volts and 300 amp hours.

As you can see, both circuits still kick out the same amount of power – 3600 w.

As the equation for power P = VI shows, connecting in series or parallel affects the voltage and current ratings across each circuit. They are inversely proportional to each other.

Be aware when connecting batteries together in packs. It is always advised to connect batteries with the same voltage and amp hour ratings together so as to keep their voltages and rates of discharge as even as possible. This avoids voltage drops across one battery affecting the others, prevents strain on the pack, improves battery life and and keeps the system balanced.

Other Posts of Interest

Batteries
Battery Calculations
Busking & Gigging Power – Outdoors
Inverters

Posted 29.05.09

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If you are intent on buying a marine or deep cycle battery at some point as part of an inverter, battery and charger system to provide power for your equipment outdoors, then there are a few things you need to be aware of when calculating [...]]]> for use with

Inverters & Portable Power Systems

If you are intent on buying a marine or deep cycle battery at some point as part of an inverter, battery and charger system to provide power for your equipment outdoors, then there are a few things you need to be aware of when calculating battery life, capacity, losses and discharge rates etc.

These issues are mostly covered in my sections on inverters, batteries and busking power, so have a read through them to get a better understanding of the different variables involved. You might then want to do a few calculations and see if this sort of set up is the right option for you.

In this section we’ll go through the basic things you need to consider and then work through some simple calculations to help you get an idea of how to go about choosing your system.

Here are some units of measurement you might need to know before you start.

Battery Capacity in Amp hour (Ah)
Current drawn in Amps (I)
Time taken in Hours (H)
Voltage of power source in Volts (V)
Power in Watts (W)

Battery Ratings, Variables and Losses

An approximate measurement of a battery’s ability to provide energy i.e it’s charge capacity, is it’s rating in ampere hours (Ah) or amp hours.

So a 100 Ah battery will produce 100 amps for 1 hour.

This capacity can be divided up any way you choose.

100 Ah could produce 1 amp for 100 hours, or 50 amps for 2 hours, 4 amps for 25 hours or 25 amps for 4 hours etc.

Battery capacity (Ah) = Current drawn (I) x Time (H)

or you could cross multiply and get..

Time = Battery capacity / Current drawn

Current drawn = Battery capacity / Time

So when choosing a battery for your set up, you need to know how many amps you will be drawing and for how long.

There are other things that also need to be taken into consideration when calculating a battery’s useable capacity.

When you discharge a battery by consuming the power stored in it, you should never discharge it beyond a certain point, otherwise you risk damaging it’s future storage capacity.

The maximum discharge level depends on the type and quality of the battery.

A true deep cycle battery from an RV, golf cart or forklift truck etc. can be expensive but should have a discharge capacity of up to 80%. Leisure batteries and marine batteries will be much less at around 50%, but no matter how good the battery is, if you want it to last and not pack up after a few months of use, it is generally accepted that you should never discharge a battery by more than 50% of it’s capacity.

You must also take into account, the battery’s listed ‘amp hour rating time’ when you buy it, and the speed that you intend to drain the battery when you use it. These two factors can dramatically affect the battery’s capacity. These are covered in my page on batteries.

Inverter losses also come into the equation when selecting batteries. This is also covered in my section on inverters and worked through in our calculations below.

Batteries are usually sold in voltages of 6v, 12v or 24v

To work out how much power you can get out of a battery you can use the equation..

P = V I

Power (Watts) = Voltage of battery (V) x Current drawn in amps (I)

The world’s first manned plane powered by 160 AA conventional dry-cell batteries. Produced by Japan’s Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.

Worked Example

Say we were in need of a power set up for a small outdoor gig and we needed enough power to enable us to play for at least 4 hours.

Firstly we work out how much power we will be using at our gig by adding together the power consumption used by each piece of equipment.

I have given an example of how to do this in my inverters guide.

Say the power consumption of all our gear put together is 400 watts rms (per hour)

Batteries become less efficient as they get older and the level of inefficiency really depends on the way you look after them. If you choose to take this into account you can always add an extra percentage (15 – 35 %) to your power consumption needs for a future buffer.

In this example we won’t worry about that too much, purely for the reason that we are not going to be drawing 400w constantly for the whole 4 hour event. As we are dealing with live music, the power consumption will vary greatly with volumes and song breaks etc. and as our batteries will be newly purchased, they should perform well.

As stated previously, for longevity it is unwise to discharge any battery to below 50% of its full capacity, even if it is a deep cycle battery capable of being discharged by up to 80%

So if we need to get 400 w of power using only half of our battery’s stored energy, it means the full capability of our battery bank should be able to supply at least 800 watts an hour over that 4 hour period. This would leave us with half a tank by the end of the event.

Needing 800 watts capacity to run our gear, and using a battery – inverter set up, we must also to take into consideration the inefficiencies of the inverter, this is explained in my inverter calculations guide.

Allowing for inverter efficiency of 90%, therefore using an inefficiency factor of 1.1 we would need to put

800 x 1.1 = 880 w

into the inverter to get 800 w out the other side.

So all in all, we need to buy a battery that can deliver 880 watts per hour for 4 hours. This will allow us to compensate for inverter losses and to only have to discharge the battery to 50% every time we use it to power our gig rig.

If we purchase 12 volt batteries and need 880 watts for 4 hours, then we can work out the Ah rating of the batteries we need to buy.

Battery Capacity (Ah) = Current in Amps (I) x Time (H)

We need to establish the current drawn (I) by our system.

P = V I

Power (watts) = Voltage (V) x Current drawn in Amps (I)

I = P/V

880/12 = 73.333 amps

So our battery capacity in Ah would need to be

Battery Capacity (Ah) = Current drawn (A) x Time (H)

4 x 73.33 = 293 Ah

In this instance, you would need to have around 300 Ah of battery power to do the job, cover losses and take care of your battery life.

You could achieve this with 3 x 100 Ah 12v batteries connected in parallel, giving you 300 Ah at 12v.

See my page on connecting batteries in series and parallel to find out how.

You might find in reality this gives you a much greater capacity than you actually need as we’ve originally calculated for a constant supply of 400w. The noise levels and power used in a live music situation is going to vary greatly over time so your average draw is probably going to be less than you have designed for.

In a live situation though, having a greater battery capacity than you need is never a bad thing.

More Compensations to Watch Out For

One thing you may have to watch out for is your ‘amp hour rating time’. This subject has been covered on my batteries page. We will assume the capacity figures we are given for the batteries we buy will be rated under the 8 hour amp rating time and not the 100 hour rating time. This means our batteries’ labeled capacities are accurate for our needs as they were tested and rated in similar circumstances to how we intend to use them.

(Had they been rated under the 100 hour amp rating and not the 8 hour time, then we might have had to compensate our final capacity by up to 20 %)

Also, as our batteries are to be drained to half their capacity over a 4 hour period (simulating an 8 hour full discharge) we don’t have to compensate for an excessive or quick current drain. Peukert’s law suggests that consuming a battery’s charge at very high current rates (i.e draining the whole cell in 1 hour) can reduce the capability of a battery by anything up to 50%.

In our case, none of the above conditions need to be considered. As long as you are aware of them, you can take steps to compensate if they arise in future.

The Easy Method

Let’s not forget the easy method of doing things. Using a clamp on ammeter, which you should be able to get for around £20, set your equipment up in your own home and measure the current draw on a normal household supply. Use the results and a few power equations to calculate the correct sized batteries for your needs.

Now you know what sort of battery bank you’ll need, go and check out my inverter page. You’ll also need to find a good charger to keep your batteries topped up.

If you need to step up your power requirements to greater levels, then increase the amount of batteries you use or if you’ve got the cash, go out and buy your self a honda gas generator.

By the end of my power guides, you should have a good idea of what will best suit your needs.

Other Posts of Interest

Batteries
Busking & Gigging Power – Outdoors
Battery Connections
Inverters

Posted 29.05.09

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How to Make the Change

If you’re bored with playing at home and want to take your music to a different level and get out there and do some gigs, there are a few steps you can take to bridge the gap without having to throw yourself to lions in one big step.

It can be really stressful stepping out on stage for the first time so my advice would be to break yourself in slowly and get some stage experience in a not so hostile environment.

Jam Nights

Come and have a go jam nights at your local bar or pub are great way of building your confidence as a musician. Amateur musicians of all skill levels come to these nights to test themselves in the spotlight. You will probably find a lot of regular players turn up and many of them will be great musicians but there will also be other players who will be complete beginners like yourself and have never performed publicly.

Being surrounded by other musicians is a great way of motivating yourself and you will generally find a supportive atmosphere. If you screw up, people won’t really mind and you won’t get booed off the stage. You also don’t have to have learn hundreds of songs to get you up there as you will probably be given 10 or 15 minutes to play two or three songs if you go down well.

In a bar on a Saturday night when you are the main entertainment for the night, it doesn’t matter how good you are, you will still have to put up with people giving you grief one way or another, so unless you are confident in your playing and are used to the limelight, you might find getting some stage experience first is a wise idea.

Busking

Busking in the street is really putting yourself in the thick of it.

Essentially, you are laying yourself open to criticism from the general public by forcing them to listen to your music in the street. If you are reasonably good, the chances are, people will let you know, and if you are pretty bad, they will definitely let you know.

While you are playing, people will shout at you, make comments, stand right in your face, talk to you while you are in the middle of a song, offer you stuff, come on to you and generally do just about anything they can to distract you from playing whether intentionally or not. It takes a thick skin to get through a days busking and with the added distractions of everything else that goes on in the street on a Saturday afternoon, you will soon become pretty good at playing through just about anything the general public can throw at you. This is really good training for your future performance in a pub as being surrounded by a bunch of drunk people trying to distract you or grab the mike and mess with your equipment also takes a lot of getting used to.

So get out there, go to a couple of jam nights and do a bit of busking, and you will will have given your self a crash course in dealing with your nerves, distractions and crowd control. Hopefully this experience will serve you well.

By the time you have built up your song itinerary to be able to fill a set of two halves of a least 45 minutes each, have played at a few different jam nights and gone busking a few times, you will probably be ready to book yourself a gig and have the confidence to pull it off without crashing and burning live on stage.

Good luck.

Take a look some of my related posts

How to Get Gigs
Gigging Preparation
Good Gigs – Bad Gigs
Busking

Posted 22.08.08
Technorati Tags:gigs, gigging, jam nights, busking, stage

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