Get your gear on and off stage promptly. Tip the bartender even when you are using drink tickets. Always find something positive to say about the other acts. Keep your stage volume under control and appropriate for the venue. Be polite to the person running sound and don't make their life more complicated than it needs to be with your setup.

Don't get too intoxicated should be added as I've seen (and been guilty of) this far too often.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was "if you want people to think you're an actual musician, dress like one."

"Don't Talk too much" - then Baxter goes off on a long tangent about the band Luna. ; )

Never ever let unknown players sit in.

Gigging in three rules: show up on time, be ready, don't be a dick. 😁

I have a gig bag, in it, I keep extra tubes, strings, fuses for my amp, tubes, tools, flashlight, extra cables etc. Don't forget to bring an extra cable and powerstrip for your bass player, they will forget theirs.

Here's one, don't shame a fellow bandmate in front of others!

Capo shaming is a real issue that deserves its own video.

My list is along the lines of: Don't noodle (I'm usually good at not noodling during shows, but not durinng practice sessions), don't be too loud, be at least 10 minutes early; have extra cables, strings, straps; make sure your guitar is set up well, intonation is important; TUNE YOUR GUITAR; practice the material.

I think it would be a good idea for a shop to have an after hours vending machine stocked with strings, picks, cables, and sticks etc. It’d be nice to know you can get the small essentials at any time.

Phil Lesh in shorts , I think in 87 , was one of the most upsetting things I’ve ever seen.

Dont accidentally decapitate your singer or bassist with your pointy headstock Unless deathmetal is your whole thing

11. Be nice to the sound person 12. Play your three best songs in this order: 3rd best first, 2nd best midway through, and best last 13. Not just no shorts, but dark clothes in general 13.1.0 Drummers get a pass on no shorts and sometimes being shirtless 13.1.1 DO NOT BE THE ONE PERSON IN THE BAND THAT DRESSES TOTALLY OFF BRAND FROM THE GROUP AESTHETIC. 14. Don't wear goofy footwear, including sandals 15. No sunglasses on stage, unless you're playing outdoors, and the sun is shining 16. If another musician needs to borrow something, and you have it, offer it 17. No jokes into the mic 18. Stop playing if someone gets trampled in a pit 19. Be cool to the other bands, even if they suck, or you just don't care for their music 20. Say thank you at the end

Love this show. Some great points. The only time I think shorts are appropriate for a gig is if you are playing a beach party or on a boat where that is the vibe. I played a yacht gig once and the one band member wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans and boots actually looked out of place with everyone else in tank tops and board shorts. Keep up the good work fellas 🤘🎸

Great advice guys! I will stop referring to "being on tour" when I am just going to jam at my buddy's place. I tone it down to "going on the road".

#9 - be on time. When doing a 9PM-1AM Show, our first set was often just a few folks; at start. Convinced the band to play some of our top flight stuff on first set - and then replay it on last set. It worked out well.

While you may think dressing in a nice black shirt and slacks looks cool, you will likely be mistaken for a member of the wait staff.

Ugh, you guys brought back many memories, both good and bad. Great Top Ten.

If you treat it like a job, you'll be fine. Show up ready to setup, help anyone else get setup and be ready to play. Also if you aren't drunk at work, don't get drunk to play. Be cool, be supportive, be prepared for the worst, and do your best. It's so simple, and most people get it, but the one's who don't are just the worst.

But I gotta wear shorts for my 2000's pop punk tribute act, it's part of the uniform haha

When I saw Dylan in Winston back in ‘91, the only thing he said to the audience was “there’s something about this town that makes me wanna smoke.”

Don't play along with "the Jukebox" or whatever music they are piping in before and between sets. Also, don't pre-play the next song alone. If you don't know the solo by now, you better fake it good. When your time is done and there is another band after you, GET OFF THE STAGE! Don't stand there taking 3 minutes to roll up your cord as you talk (or hope to) to people who walk to the stage. Keep things positive! I had a singer who would tell everyone about the friend who wrote the next song for her and how he died. The set died at that moment, too. Be aware of the time. I had a guy who would always yell "How's everybody doing tonight!!??" at a 2PM weekend gig. NEVER look in the general direction of a guy sitting at the Bar playing a Harmonica during your set. If you look anywhere near where he is (without reprimanding him), he's gonna point to himself, mouth the words "Me? SURE!", and walk up to a mic.

I have a hot-rodded MIJ ‘87 Pink Paisley Fender RI of Burton’s famous ‘68 Tele & I told this kid who was looking for a good guitar one was one on eBay for $700. He looks at me & says; “There’s a certain kind of good you have to be to play a guitar like your’s and get away with it. You are; I’m not...”

Here is one, don’t take to long to set-up and tear down... here’s another one don’t go over your set time. The other bands wanna play and get their full sets too!

Man, I wish someone would tell the club *owners* about that whole "start on time" thing.

This directed to the audience and is tied in with tear down. Realize the band can't just walk off the stage and smooze after they finish playing. Either stick around for 15 minutes and then talk to us or come up to us while were packing up and say, "Sorry I can't stick around, you were great, good bye."

If you are in a rock and roll band, no music stands on stage.

Also don't start playing the song before the band is actually going to play the song! It sounds like you're practicing or trying to remember the chords, and the rolling start means nobody comes in at the same time.

Hey! You can wear shorts if you're in a surf band playing at the beach!

I caught myself shaking my head in agreement to this entire list. My absolutely favorite: NO SHORTS!!! for me, it's black skinny jeans 100%

"One chord is fine. Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz"- Lou Reed. Great list, fellas...I once starting jamming with this pretty decent songwriter...went to his home a few times to rehearse and he was always in cutoffs and flipflops...no biggie, we're just jamming...we get a gig at a local brewery, he shows up in same outfit and while playing our set, talks for 10 mins between each 3-5 min song... needless to say it was my last gig with him

I remember going to a jam and I took my beat up Tele, a Dr. Z Carman Ghia head, closed back Traynor 1x12, cables and a tuner. There was another dude who had a pedal board and it kept crapping out. He was good, but the next jam he wasn’t there and they asked me to join the band. Also, remember to bring an extra speaker cable (not the same as an instrument cable). LOVE Luna....”23 Minutes in Brussels”

SORRY WE'RE FUCKING LATE GUYS! We're glad to be playing Marc's Coffee shop here in Fancy town. We've got our shorts, sandals and an acoustic Vietnamese Classical Death Metal set coming right up once we find a guitar cable that works. EVERYONE. WE ARE ABORTION CLINIC DUMPSTER FIRE!

I played a gig at a county fair in NE Ohio in the middle of summer. We were small time and they had us playing in the afternoon under an easy-up. We went through a case of water and ran out. It was miserable. After that escapade, I decided to wear me some shorts next time I played outside in the middle of the day. I have no regrets. I do believe you should have a backup of everything, though. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to loan someone a pick or a cable or a strap.

All of these can be trumped by kicking ass musically😂🎵

fresh batteries!

Still enjoy that (vintage) Hagstrom over Baxter's right shoulder. Would love to hear him demo that one with those old pickups.

Clapton was wearing shorts at one of his Crossroads shows...I became almost violently upset, sitting in my house by myself. "You are effing Eric Clapton...where's your pride?" (I know, he left it somewhere in the 70's)

Here’s one I get.. Don’t amp-shame! I get hell from tube-amp snobs all the time. BUT I got sick of having to constantly maintain my trusty (Leo made) Fender Twins. Since the 80s I’ve used Peavey solid state “twins” they travel well they don’t break down & sound great... Also I agree with extra cables I travel with 3 extra high quality cables, because it’s just guitar-cable-amp as my step-up... ps: I really enjoy your videos ✌️🎸🇺🇸

Thank you for the shorts, battle of the bands and talking advice. Dead on. I might add a powerstrip, extension cable, and spare guitar strap(for yourself or others) to the backup gear list.

Colored strings😱ashamed to say as a guitar builder the first custom strat build I made I stupidly put them on and proudly showed off to everyone how great a job I did. Live and learn. 🎸😌

Aaaagghhh. I can’t stop thinking about the Soft Boys band. You could use them as a PSA of what not to do. And I would totally buy a Soft Boys “Ryan’s Steakhouse Tour, June 2nd and 3rd 2021” T-Shirt. Like the shirts Stillwater, in Almost Famous, made, except everyone is fuzzy but you can still see shorts, flip flops, and yellow belts. Hell, I’d buy one for my wife as well. Lol.

Another one that always bugged the hell out of me: An audience member approaches the stage and asks if you know a certain song. If you say yes, then they announce that they have their (insert instrument here) in the car. Can they get up on stage and jam with you? This never works out! I had one gig where the singer let this guy on stage and then we couldn't get him off. Hijacked our entire show!

Recently played a show, four band lineup. Headliners showed up late, and took their ever loving sweet time setting up they literally seemed oblivious to the other cats there waiting to stack their gear in front. There was only time for them to do their Soundcheck, because they were ass clowning around, there was no time for anyone else. And yes, no shorts !

I like that they don’t like shorts, but Baxter’s haircut somehow passes the cool-guy inspection criteria.

Don't ask to borrow someone else's gear. Here's one for the audience: don't be that guy who yells "Freebird!"

*Whispers* "Worlds colliiiiide..." HAHAHAHA!! Awesome...

YUP. Agree. Be on time. Be courteous. Start on time. DO NOT noodle around between songs (don't play a riff of some other song you're not going to play, don't play parts of solos, parts of anything, do not TUNE with volume up...good lord). Transition between songs FAST (for example: FAST). Keep the stage patter to a minimum (one spokesperson...singer). Always, ALWAYS interact with other members, look for changes, look like you are having the time of your lives, smile (people are spending their Saturday night with you and could be anywhere else).

Loved Galaxie 500..I met Dean backstage at a Luna show in DC..super nice.....

Drummers yelling somebody is too effin loud into a live mike - you know who you are

Dont get political! I went to John Mellencamp concert and he started to preach to the Audience about how The American farmer was getting screwed and about the price of milk being four dollars a gallon I didn’t go to the concert to listen To him Ramble on about the price of milk as I looked down at my ticket and realized I paid $100 to get in to listen to this LOL

My number one rule is, don’t do it for free. I don’t care if you’re a come-as-you-are band of friends that’s just happy to be there. If you’re not getting paid, you’re doing all the rest of us dirty. Either you’re good enough to get paid something, or you need to stay home and practice more. And you know what? You’re probably good enough to get paid something. Maybe not a lot, but something. And something means money. Not exposure.

I remember when being on tour meant at least a few months, or 6, or an entire year. Now I’ll just be glad we can have audiences again, standing next to eachother

Ironically last evening I was watching Clapton's Crossroads concert (2004 maybe). Carlos Santana on stage - on comes Eric Clapton in shorts. I remember thinking that just looks ...not good, just wasn't doing it for me. So - big star? Sure. Good move? No. In terms of gear you mentioned: I play very differently than most electric guitar players in that I use a Bose column to mic my Deluxe and pedals. The reason is 1. I get great sustain and thick sound with the amp at 2.5. I mic it through a mixer to the Bose because it makes a small sound ...sound big. 2. I'll be shot for this but I can't handle guitarists that turn up to ten to capture "that sound" ...meanwhile blowing the ears off everyone in the place. Loud does not equate to good! It's painful and grotesque in many instances. Being a medical person I strongly feel you can sound real good without having to wreck nerves & eardrums. So - no shorts - yes...don't blow the hell out of your audience ...yes as well.

Wow never thought I’d hear a Luna shout out! Pup Tent is a phenomenal album

This is another great list and makes some excellent points and a few good laughs.. But I flipping LOVE that TP shirt Jonathan is rocking!!

I played at a "battle of the bands"- but the "winning" band was the one who brought in the most people, regardless of anyone's playing. We didn't win, of course, but we got heard and complimented by most of the other bands who were there.

One that a bandmate ALWAYS did which was BAAAD.... if someone made even a tiny mistake the dude would glare at them like they farted in his mouth... up on stage in front of everyone. It's like DUDE! No one would have noticed or cared if you woulda maintained normal composure! LMAO.

Coffee black, cigarette, start this day like all the rest...Don Williams

Buy a pedal tuner. No one rocks with a snark tuner on top of their guitar at a gig.

Great list apart from #6 every gig I play is a tour, sometimes my practice at home is a tour!😁

Shorts are a no go, and I have a closet full of black Levi's, concert tees, and black dragonfly shirts. Bunches of beaded bracelets and a pinky ring. This has worked for me for the last 25 years playing classic rock in just about every bar, pub, and pickup gig in ga. One idea you didn't mention, never ever, piss off the person who's paying you, and this one i broke over and over again. Never let your bar tab outweigh your pay. In bars I was bad about this one but, what I lost in money I gained in stories and awesome times. I never let it affect my playing, maybe a few times during the last set, but my bandmates never complained about it and we were a really good band.

I comically always have cable issues, I will buy a new and expensive cable or use cables that never gave me problems until the last 2 songs of a show. They will cut or ground out, out of nowhere. One of the bands that I'm in, we are funny and really insulting and abusive to each other, but we never go overboard. We get close but never off the edge, we have it down to an art at this point. its really entertaining and we've been doing it for years and they (they've been around since the 90's before I joined). It definitely adds to the "show" when done right and people appreciate it. Its 1/2 comedy routine 1/2 blazing punk. Know that you are being entertaining.

The shorts thing is so true

I played bass in a few hard rock/ thrash/ metal bands. I wore shorts (past the knees) and Doc Martens, and usually some obnoxious metallic-threaded shirts (talking early- to mid- 2000s)... I moved around a lot. So whats worse than shorts? Blowing out the crotch of one's jeans early in the set...

Don't bring a Twin to a Champ-sized gig.

Lol shorts was the first thing I was thinking when I clicked on this. Glad I'm not the only one. :)

Takes me back to my days in a cover band. The singer had a huge Taylor acoustic, an amp for that, a harmonica mic, and an amp for that, a tray attached to his mic stand as well as a drink holder. I used to call it “The Wall of Brad.”

Thanks for a great video! p.s. If Robert Smith's hair needs a stand-in,...Baxter's hair should be on call for a fly date!

I always bring two guitars. Nobody wants to wait on a string change.

Whatsup guys Joe Frye here, I totally agree on pretty much everything, ESPECIALLY THE NO SHORTS!! lol The only thing I’d push back on is we do use in-ears but not at real small coffee shop gigs, but we use them to not only get out of having to lug monitors on stage & so the audience can see every bit of us. And with in-ears we can hear vocals & everything a lot clearer. And as for the battle of the bands I totally agree with you guys however I will admit we did one not too long ago but to be honest we were dying to play a gig didn’t matter what it was 😂

Why is it that in every one of their videos, Jonathan appears in sharp, high-definition relief, but everything about Baxter is always low resolution, like we need to run a high-pass filter over him, or something?

I always look forward to y'alls videos! True story...I saw Def Leppard in a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio.

My brother had T-shirts made for the 3/4 mile tour when he played like 5 shows over the summer at three communities in a row on the same stretch of state road. It was great.

Audience engagement is huge. Hearing a brief story from a rock legend between songs adds so much to the music, I think. I've been to shows where the artist doesn't say a damn word to the audience for two hours and they just come off as a di*k. Also, great story about Luna. Now I love their music even more. Great vid as always guys!

# Make sure you have Freebird and Born to be Wild in your repertoire for when the Hell's Angels walk in.

I love that #1 is no shorts. Shorts on stage drive me crazy. Do you want me to not take you seriously? Wear shorts.

LOL I was well entertained thanks guys

Got to get good enough to be able to repeat my mistakes...lol.

have a backup 9V battery for effects and guitars, plus don't leave them plugged in between sets or while waiting to start because it drains the battery. Scott Grove once said a band shouldn't go out for burritos before a show or else the audience will say the band literally stinks

Don’t solo over the singer (unless you’re jerry Garcia playing over bob weir), and don’t pause too long between songs.

Thanks Casino ⚓️ Jan ‘23 … second time thru … still funny 🤩

No new/untested gear....1st rule of the live gig. It will crap out/not work right 100% of the time

Our band played a battle of the bands in a couple towns over We ended up actually coming in 3rd out of 15 bands

All great things guysm well done ..RE: capos - I dont need no stinkin capo, but if the other guitarist does , and the strings are dead - no way that the chords will intonate properly if the strings are dented underneath- drives me nuts - change your strings if the D string feels bumpy underneath- also PLEASE no smoking on-stage!

The most famous short wearing guitarist in my opinion is Angus Young!

Thank you for saving me from public humiliation. I think I have violated every one of these at some point…. But never all of them at same show

Props to the Tom Petty shirt!

When you hit the stage, be ready to hit the first chord immediately. Do your prep work before starting the gig. And NO SHORTS.

if im playing a patio, an open air festival or venue and its 104 degrees like it was here in Texas this summer EVERY DAY FOR THREE MONTHS. i will wear shorts, AND SO WILL EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE VACINITY.

Be the energy level of the music

I got another one. If you're playing with other bands on the bill, don't walk into the venue and try to take over especially if you didn't set the show up. That happened to my band last month. I just met the leader of the the band that was scheduled (by me as I set the gig up) to go on after us and he wanted to go on before us (we were first). Our bass player got hung up and was running a few minutes behind and this guy told me if we didn't start right 7 his band would bail. He walked away and I looked at the drummer told him I didn't give a shit one way or the other if they played. The thing is, they were boring and only moderatly talented.

The exact two shows that dissapointed me because there was zero chatter was Dylan and Neil Young. Honestly they could have been impersonators

I always wear shorts..granted I play punk and they are more like Jean capri cut offs then shorts. I refuse to wear jeans, I run hot, and I’ve got ink to show off 😂

Angus Young I believe is the #1 shorts guy.

Best not to criticize your performance with a band mate while people are around. They might’ve thought the show was amazing, but hearing anything negative from the band could ruin the magic they experienced. Along the same lines, accept compliments graciously even if you think you played like crap.

these guys are such experts at gigging that they work in a store...

The shorts thing absolutely! I say it all the time, I hate it when I see a bunch of "dads" playing their monthly gig at the bar dressed like they're hanging in the back yard. If you're a musician, dress like it when you perform.

10:48....Neil Diamond sings....you got a friend in me ?!?!?! Hey on a another point. I want to see Baxter play Paul Stanley in a Kiss tribute band..... hehehe !