How flexible is your set?

In a recent post on my site which deals mostly with live electronic music and DJing, I talked about how performance is everything. I’ve also given some tips for preparing a live set too. But today I want to ask some questions that can help you reach more listeners.

If you had to walk to a gig, could you do it?

I’m not saying you should strip your setup down so that you can walk around with it, but do you have a mini-version? If you’re an upright bass player, are you willing to take around an electric bass should you have to play at a venue where your large bass won’t fit through the door? To think that your music can only exist on certain types of instruments with various effects pedals can be problematic.

Do you only play for a certain demographic?

Have you ever caught yourself saying that you can’t play at a certain event because the crowd is too young or too old? That’s a big problem! A good performer can play in front of almost any crowd (granted that they enjoy music).

If you had a weekly residency, what would you play?

Same venue, same crowd week after week. Would your set be the same every time, or would people look forward to checking it out every week? Maybe you have to start covering songs, or come up with a set of gimmicks to keep people excited? Creating a live performance that has unexpected qualities to it, helps build your reputation as someone crowds will want to see every time you show up.

These are just a few things to think about, do you know of any more qualities that help you build a flexible set?