Blog Entry - Preparing for a Gig

As a class it is our job to prepare for a gig at O'neils, there are several things to think about, the first being that this is a professional event and so we need to think of ourselves as part of a working company, and find the most effectient way of executing the gig preparations.

It's fair to say as a class we have fundamental communication issues that are currently slowing down progress, for example people are continuously playing their instruments over each other whilst we have discussions. There is also inconsistency in attendance from group members which causes complications as to who plays what part and who decides on changes to songs (e.g changes to structure, instrumentation, dynamics etc).

These challenges are real and effect the group's work ethic dramatically, as it is clear we lose sight of the bigger picture more often than not. We as a unit need to have a common understanding of our goal (essentially to organise a successful gig) and devise a method to achieve it that everyone can be invested in.

After various group discussions during the week (some more successful than others), we have come to the consensus agreement that electing a 'leader' to overlook and direct the progress is a realistic and promising method for successful execution.

On a personal level, I feel it is not the lack of 'leaders' that is causing the group's issues, more the fact that the work ethic and general respect amongst the group is poor, and certainly some of the musicians are being unrealistic in the choice of instruments they are playing - meaning if you cannot keep a basic drum beat without slowing down, you should know not to play it for the gig (albeit it is difficult when the person in question doesn't seem to notice it themselves).

Focusing on negatives is never pleasant, but it seems there is a silent divide amongst our group - those who are committed, and those who essentially fuck around (pardon my French). What's frustrating is how seemingly contagious this behaviour is, and how inevitable it is that someone will initiate a personal 'jam' in which they will start continously strumming a guitar or hitting a drum as if they are undetectable to the rest of us - it is fair to say being a 'free spirit' only gets you so far with group tasks.
The fact that we needed to elect a leader just to shut everyone up for ten minutes is frankly disappointing, and shows the need for a huge shift in the attitudes of the group. We need to stop seeing practice sessions as a personal activity and instead as a group activity, which seems obvious enough for a group-performance based course but what can you do.

In other news, a newly resurrected 'announcement board' in the common room allows us to see changes to set lists, chord sheets, lyrics, song structures etc.
This is ideal as it visualises the brief, and breaks down the details providing well needed clarity to the task ahead.