It’s very important when playing live music to have someone on your side. If you are attending a jam where you don’t know anyone make friends with the sound guy. He is your helper and it’s a good idea to get on his good side. Buy him a beer or a soda. Make friends. Another good idea is having a “spotter” to help you out. It can be someone you know in the audience, or a friend or spouse you brought with you. They can help give you signals from the audience letting you know crucial information you might not realize or are unable to hear. They can signal to you if your harp is too loud or soft, vocals are not coming through, or anything else that might not be right. It can save you a ton of heartache to have a friend in the audience. If you are all anyone or in a strange place or new town make a friend with someone there and let them be your spotter. Asking nicely or offering to buy them a drink usually works. Having someone to let you know how you sound out in the crowd is really extremely helpful.
I’ve got my wife as my spotter and critic. Her dad was a musician she grew up touring on the road with bands. If she says I messed up I messed up.
Fantastic, They can help you in the moment as well!
And she kicks my butt too
Yeah one of my dear friends is a guy name Brandon Busch. A sound engineer who has been Lee Oskar’s recording, mixing, and mastering engineer forever.
He moved to the Big Island a few years ago. Every time I seem him walk into one of my gigs I’m so excited because I know I can look at him and he’ll give me some kinda hand signal how my level is compared to the band. (And I always check in with him on set breaks to get his opinion on the sound.)
Most local gigs on the island these days don’t even have sound guys, and since I’m also a sound engineer, it usually falls to me to be going over and tweaking things as necessary, lol. I hate to have to wear so many hats, but that’s the world we live in.