How to Not Look Like an Opening Band Even Though You Most Definitely Are an Opening Band

I had my parents drive us in their mini-van to our first show. I was equipped with a faux hawk slopped in temporary red hair dye and a matching wristband. We were opening for two touring bands and not only did I think we would get noticed, but there had to be a large chance we would get signed and asked to go on tour. Alas, my band had no such fortune on that first, unforgettable night. A few years later, we looked back at ourselves and realized, “Holy shit. we would have never taken that band on tour.” We were such a local opener band. After years of touring and witnessing this display of youth, hope and blink-182 covers on a daily basis, I felt the need to help out my fellow musicians.

I know you’re excited and whether you’re on a bill with bands from your area or have a shot to open for a big national headliner, you need to play it cool. It’s the same with meeting a celebrity. You shouldn’t fanboy/fangirl and freak out. You need to let the other bands know that you’re on their level. They’ll respect you. There’s nothing wrong with networking and getting to know who you’re playing with, but don’t intrude if you think it would be an awkward situation. Casually talking to bands about their gear or what they’ve been up to is a nice ice breaker. If they’re in a group of friends or on the phone with their significant other, lay off. Your job is to get people pumped for the other bands and still pay attention to you. Make sure they remember the good things about you.

If you’re on stage, I highly suggest you play your songs and talk as little as possible. Make sure people hear your band name a few times, but other than that, there’s no need to let the crowd in on your inside jokes. Whether they’re funny or not, people rarely connect to that sort of thing unless they’re familiar with you. Don’t sing "Happy Birthday" to your friend Steve in the crowd. You don’t need to introduce your individual band members. Don’t give out some obnoxiously long website URL for people to find your music. Keep it short and simple. If you need to kill dead space between songs, play samples or have your guys jam a bit. After all, you’re probably playing music on the album and not doing standup comedy.

Billy broke a guitar string on the second song. WHAT DO YOU DO?! The easiest solution would be bringing a spare guitar to swap out, preferably one that’s already tuned, and continue the set. The second best solution would be to borrow someone else’s guitar in one of the other bands, even if you awkwardly have to ask from the stage. This is why getting to know the bands before you play helps make borrowing gear much easier. The worst solution is to try and change the string yourself between songs without attempting the first two options I suggested. The longer you take between songs in this awkward technical difficulty situation, the more unprofessional your band will appear. If you let people know you’re vulnerable, they’ll take advantage of it. If something happens to the drummer, have your vocalist talk to the crowd. If something happens to the vocalist, have the guys jam a cool interlude until they’re ready to play again. Don’t freeze up like Garth in Wayne’s World and freak out. Go over these scenarios in practice. Come up with solutions and cool ways to cover up these mishaps. Bring cables, drum sticks, and any necessary thing that may need to be swapped out and keep them within reach.

If you’re opening the show, remember to stay within your allotted set time. Standard opening slots will be 20 to 30 minutes tops. The crowd wants to see what you’re all about for a few songs then they just get restless waiting for their favorite band. If you even play LESS than your set time and blow them away, you’ll leave them wanting more. Do this every time. If you play longer than you should, you’re disrespecting the show and the other bands. You’re taking away from their set as well as cutting the changeover time. No one wants to rush load all of their gear on and off stage. We all just want to be relaxed and have fun. When the sound engineer says you have one more song, I highly suggest you only play one more song. Don’t piss this person off because they’re in control and if they want to, they can make you sound terrible.

Try to have at least five original songs before playing a show. That’s usually around 20 minutes if you write a standard length song. By doing this, you’re jumpstarting the process of establishing your sound which is a huge thing. You want to stick out and be your own band, so if you do choose to play a cover song, choose wisely. Either go with a song you know will go over well based on the show or do something so different it gets everyone’s attention. We’ve played a show where two bands in a row covered, “Cute Without The E” from Taking Back Sunday. How is that even possible? New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy, and blink-182 are the cover songs I’ve heard most on tour and it’s always the same songs over and over. Sometimes they go over well, but most times people don’t even react. Try out something cool that inspired you or that’s completely out of character. I see people try to cover big pop songs after hearing other bands cover those big pop songs already. Get creative. If you’re just starting out, you have a clean slate and most people would kill for that. If you’re able to eliminate the covers from your set completely, I highly suggest it.

There you go. If you follow these simple steps, your band is already closer to getting to the next level. Try to look as professional as you can. Follow the venue or promoter’s simple guidelines and earn the respect of everyone playing and running the show. Brand yourself with your songs and your visual identity. Give away stickers or burned CDs and spread the word instead of trying to make money at first. The more people that like your potentially great music, the more will come to shows and the more shirts, albums and tickets you’ll eventually sell. Play music, stick out, and be the best you can be. Whether you’re 12 years old or 50, you have the opportunity to establish yourself as a force to be reckoned with.

Jonathan Diener is the drummer of the Swellers and if you touch any items on his rider or make eye contact with him, he will have your band's set canceled. Follow him on Twitter - @jonodiener

Also check out:

What It's Like to Be in a Cover Band

How to Be a Band in a Van