The Art of Heckling

In honour of the upcoming festival season we feel its important to inform you festival-goers on how to be a good audience. Don't worry we're not giving you instructions here. But what we advise might surprise you. Sure the normal thoughts are to be respectful to artists when they perform and perhaps trying not to yawn during the gig.

However lets be honest crowd engagement is what musicians truly thrive on. Forget standing around like a mannequin all set! Bands want you to give a response to their material and their performance. This is where our one slightly controversial piece of advice comes in. Get heckling.

Now bearing in my mind any heckle in good jest is totally acceptable but let's not get too involved in the other side of the spectrum. To give you all a good insight into the lost art of heckling we've compiled a list of do's and don'ts to ensure your one liners hit the mark.

DO - Be witty not cutting.
Finding a way to make a joke about the band without being offensive can be tricky. Add a crowd who are most likely huge fans and it gets even more difficult. Always remember to steer away from anything personal, it will most likely end in trouble that way and it will ultimately reflect badly on you. Anything light-hearted or witty will always get attention and will make for some fun interaction between you and the band.

DON'T - Shout random expletives at the band. 
As the old adage goes if you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it at all. Only heckle if it's in good humour and isn't just an insult. The novelty of swearing wears off fast and provides nothing engaging for you or the artist. So make sure you formulate what you're going to say before you go off on a loud sweary rant as it doesn't benefit anyone!

DO - Time your heckles well.
Timing is key to landing that perfect one liner. Make sure you wait for the right moment to heckle otherwise it will end up sounding like a half garbled shout whilst the lead singer is mid-speech. If you want to be heard find where a gap will be in the conversation or set. Wait for the right opportunity then go for it.

DON'T - Keep accosting the band throughout the set.
You have to remember the band have come to perform a show. There's nothing wrong with a little interaction during the set. But if you end up heckling throughout the whole concert chances are you'll be thrown out. Don't ruin the experience for everyone else just because you want to squeeze in a few more laughs. Be respectful to the artist and let them do what they came here to do. Just remember one or two is fine anything more is overboard.

And remember, if you can't think of anything witty to say, show your appreciation by dancing your socks off!

Some of our favourite memorable heckles in the office are:
-"Play one the drummer knows!"
-(From a blind man) "Get off the stage!" shortly after he asked "Has he gone yet?"
-Bono's infamous "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies" "Well stop f***ing clapping then!"

To find out more about the history of heckling click here for more information.

8 Things to Know When Performing at a Festival

1. Always plan ahead
Festivals are notorious for being incredibly hectic. To save yourself from getting caught up in the madness make you sure you plan accordingly before you arrive. This includes sorting directions ahead of the trip in order to give you plenty of time to get there. Arriving early is key as you'll have to navigate separate entrances for artists, signing in and picking up passes all before you even step foot into the festival! You may even be asked to transport your equipment to the stage so leaving enough time to sort all of this out prior to your gig is incredibly important.

2. Contact the festival with your technical rider
This may sound demanding but a rider is simply a list of equipment that you will need for your performance. However make sure it doesn't come off as pompous, you may be playing there but they can take you off the bill if you're demands are too outlandish. Bearing in mind most smaller festivals will ask you to supply your own, it is worthwhile to see what the festival can already supply you with. This will save you from lugging expensive equipment all the way over to the site only to find out they already have most of what you need.

3. Always consider what you can do to help
When engineers are working around the clock, change overs between bands are short and sound checks are limited festivals can be quite stressful behind-the-scenes. In order to help consider what you can do to make things easier. A simple way to achieve this is by making sure your set is portable and quick to plug in. This will ensure that your soundcheck is effective and efficient. Not only that but it will make your band look polished, professional and hopefully it will make a good impression on the people involved.

4. Meet other bands at the festival
Networking is key for musicians so don't miss out on arguably one of the biggest opportunities out there. Where else will you find bands so diverse in genres and styles then at a festival? Now is the time to engage with as many people as possible. Who knows, that guy who's about to open up that tiny stage in the corner just happens to know the organiser of the event. Don't waste this chance to make connections and share contacts. Even better you may even end up invited onstage for someone else's set. You'll never know unless you try!

5. Look like you want to be there
As much as you feel like your rock band doesn't belong in this predominately country line-up doesn't mean you have to be glum onstage about it. You just have to remember that you were chosen to perform at this festival for a reason. Don't squander it! Sure the crowd may need a little more convincing but if you really put out a positive energetic vibe whilst performing your music will sound so much more inviting to the skeptics.

6. Perfect your stage talk
When you're on such a big platform it can be difficult to hold a diverse crowds attention. But if you have the right stage talk it will make the set flow so much easier. Make a joke, point out something about the festival or just simply introduce the members of your band to the audience. Just steer clear of the age old comments like "How are you doing tonight?" or simply screaming where you are to the crowd. It's pretty predictable and the most you'll get is a half hearted scream or two. Try to make your set entertaining in all aspects not just the actual performance. If you're engaging chances are people will stay around that much longer to hear you out.

7. Play a cover song
Now when it comes to festivals it's a common occurrence that you feel like the underdog of the lineup. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you use this to your advantage. The best way to achieve this is to include one recognisable classic into your set and make it your own. There has been some brilliant results from doing this. Just take Jay Z covering Wonderwall for example at Glastonbury he turned that song into something completely different and it got people talking long after the set had ended. So create a moment for this audience to remember you by. Once you've performed your cover you'll have so much more of the their attention and you might have gained a few fans in the process.

8. Give out free merchandise

You know what always goes down well? Free stuff. It's very rare to hear anyone complain about free things so why not capitalise on that? At the end of your set or when you're out and about at the festival be sure to hand out something that has your band on it. The most popular item seems to be bracelets as it's a handy way of spreading your social media contact details but in a fun and creative form. It's great for brand extension and it will get the people talking about you and your music so grab a few bracelets and spread the word!

By Melissa Tucker

10 Tips to Record Efficiently at a Studio

1. Visit the studio beforehand
Not many musicians take the time to come visit prior to their recording. We couldn't recommend this enough. It will help you get your bearings knowing exactly where everything is especially if it's your first time recording. It will also do wonders for pre-recording jitters as you'll feel more relaxed after understanding the surroundings of a professional recording studio.

2. There is no substitute for being well-rehearsed
In the run up to your recording session it is vital to use your time wisely. Make sure you and your band are clear as to what tracks you will be recording prior to your arrival. But more importantly rehearse like your life depends on it. Ensure your performance is clean and that you are in synch with one another. It will do wonders for your performance in the studio and it will make a great professional impression on the people who are recording with you. Besides you'll be able to make the most of your time in the booth which is both cost and time effective for you and incredibly helpful to the engineers too.

3. Record your most recent performance
Recording is not a forgiving process, just because your 45 minute set sounded good in the pub doesn't mean it will fully translate onto an album. A great idea to help improve your sound before entering the studios is to record one of your performances. This could be a rehearsal in your garage or a full on festival appearance. Just make sure you get the whole set not just a few select songs. Once you have your live recording bring it in to your session. It's a fantastic way to discover what areas you need to improve on instead of wasting time discovering that for yourself in front of the engineers. Sometimes you don't even realise yourself what you may be doing wrong. Whether you subconsciously increase the tempo or perhaps start to sing some flat notes, this can all be brought to your attention prior to anything being set in stone.

4. Rest well before a recording session
Now this sounds like a no-brainer I'm sure but you can't imagine the amount of over-stressed and highly sleep deprived artists that walk through the doors. The mere thought of recording sends some people into bouts of anxiety. The simplest advice is not to panic but to try to look forward to your session. That positivity will lead to a great night's sleep which is much needed for your vocal chords. If you're not singing the advice still applies. It will massively help with concentration levels and overall contribute to you playing to the best of your abilities when recording in the studio.

5. Warm up your vocals prior to recording
Remember to get up early enough to wake up your vocal chords as well as your brain, most people need a good hour or two in the morning before they start to sing. Just remember to do a few scales before you go to record. Waking up the vocal chords is essential for a professional take. The warm up will increase your expressive capabilities as well as opening up your range and will further improve your consistency. It will also help save valuable time so that you can get the best out of the session so don't forget!

6. Get to know the engineers
These guys are the masterminds behind your songs. They will be there every step of the recording process, therefore it would be wise to get to know them prior to getting into the recording booth. Sit down with them and discuss what kind of direction you would like your song to go in. Ask questions about the recording process. The more you discuss ideas and directions the more of chance they will be on the same page as you musically and creatively. This will in turn help produce an even better sounding song/album.

7. Plan what you want out of a session
Now that you've discussed your ideas with the engineer it's now time to put that into a plan. Write out exactly want you want to get out of that session and how you're going to go about achieving it. Knowing how you're going to spend your time is crucial. Everyone will benefit from understanding exactly what you want to achieve, especially a producer or engineer as they will be able to push your sound and music in the direction you have envisioned. The reality is a perfect end product is hard to come by so the clearer you are from the get-go the closer to a fully realised project you will get by the end of the recording process.

8. Be realistic to what you can achieve
We often have people coming in thinking they can achieve a polished to perfection album in only a half day session. Let's be honest here that's not going to happen. Don't come in expecting everything to magically come to fruition. Recording is a hard and arduous process that requires effort from both parties. Therefore if you're serious about creating an album always book an appropriate amount of time for it. Many musicians neglect to factor in mixing and mastering into the process let alone just being able to record everything. So allow plenty of time in order to produce the best overall product you can.

9. Seek advice and use the expertise of the engineers
It can be quite intimidating to record in front of engineers, but they're only there to help! If you think a track is missing something just ask. Because of their vast experience they can provide the best insight into what works and what doesn't. Never be scared to ask questions even if you think it's silly. Chances are they've heard them all before regardless. They are there to guide you so make the most of their knowledge while you can.

10. Perform as if you were in front of an 
audience
This sounds slightly strange but just picture it. A packed out audience before you all looking towards you with expectant eyes. If you picture this instead of the microphone in front of you you are guaranteed to put more into your take. This will ultimately translate into an emotive and expressive performance. Don't be afraid to mess up, the more you put into the recording the more you will get out of it. Just focus on trying to reach and connect with the listener as it will really bring an authentic feel to your recording.

By Melissa Tucker

5 Steps to Improve Your Chances of Being Booked for Gigs

1. Do your research

When it comes to planning gigs research is essential. It's not likely you'll be taken on at church if you're a death metal band so find venues that suit your style of music. Also check if the venue has any specific requirements e.g. bringing your own PA or a minimum of 50 attendees.

Make your approach personal. If you just include the venue in a batch email don't expect to be hearing from them any time soon. Don’t make people work hard to hear your stuff. Either send a link direct to your music, an MP3 or soundcloud link, or better still send a hard copy cd. If you send a cd take off the cello wrap, there is nothing more frustrating than spending ages trying to get the packaging undone. For someone who receives hundreds of cds a week, if it is difficult to access they might just not bother. You have to be sure that you can deliver all that they require of a band. If they want someone to play a 1 1/2  hour set and you only have 45 minutes of material then try elsewhere. 

2. Have a decent demo

Demo's can really make or break your band. It's like an audible business card, it establishes who you are as an artist/band and should accurately sum up your style. First impressions certainly count, especially in the music industry so choose tracks wisely. Labels, reviewers and radio stations are inundated with hundreds CD's every day. Therefore you need to impress and get their attention. Artwork can make your cd stand out, a photo or use of colour that reflects your image and style works best. 

How can I achieve this I hear you ask? Make sure you invest in your demo. A lot can be achieved by home recording, but unless you have good equipment and know how to mix well then get a professional job done. It may not be as expensive as you think, and is well worth the investment. Recoup your costs by having a small run of physical cds made, and sell them to friends, family and at gigs as well as sending them out to prospective venues and festivals.  

Recording studios can be a great help to you so don't be afraid to approach them with your demo ideas. Choose your studio wisely, check out recordings they have done in a similar genre to get an idea of what they can do for your music. Find out what you get for the price they quote- does it include VAT, will you have to pay extra for the engineer? If they are a good studio they can offer loads of advice and support, for no extra cost. They may also offer ongoing support by promoting your music through their networks, (we do at Ragged Moon). This can really add value to what you walk away with. Try to get some photos and video (filming on your phone can be good enough) whilst you are in the studio, they can be good for publicity.

3. Create a professional image

Let's be honest no venue is going to want you if you rock up in a onesie. Your image is crucial to securing gigs. Think about it, if a potential customer hears two bands of equal calibre they are then going to look at which band aligns to their style more. In order to create this image think about styling yourselves so that you look like a cohesive unit if you are a band, whether it’s ostentatious like the next Lady Gaga or something a little more understated, think of what impression you want to give to your potential investors and listeners. In the end if your music is good and you look professional you will be well on your way to to your next big concert.

4. Maintain a professional image 

Your image is only half the battle. Keeping up said image is the real challenge. In order to achieve this you must build up a presence. The majority of this can be achieved online through social media accounts and a separate website that is solely dedicated to the band. You must be willing to engage with people online as it will give you that approachable and engaging connection that fans love to feel. 

Once you have created these accounts it's all about updating and maintaining your image. Keep writing about what interests you and what you're currently working on as well as talking to your newly found followers. Not only will your online presence make it easier for people to find out who you are as band it will give off an air of professionalism to any industry execs or potential employers that may be scrolling through. Remember it’s not all about you- if all you promote is your next gig, talk about your next recording project or ask for likes and shares you can give the impression of being self obsessed. Talk about other artists (hopefully in a positive way), things in the news and new music that you are interested in. This helps to give your fans a sense of who you are. 

5. Network with other musicians and promoters

Word of mouth is a powerful thing in the entertainment business so use it to your advantage. Next time you're at a gig make a conscious effort to talk to the musicians afterwards. If you express an honest interest in performing live they're more than likely to try and help you out. Who better to give you advice than someone who has been in your position before?

Besides they may even share their contacts with you or ask for you to support them on future tours. It's cheaper and easier for them and it'll help you get your name out there, it's beneficial for both parties involved. Don't stop there however, keep contacting artists and promoters online as eventually your persistence will pay off.

By Melissa Tucker