The Opening Act
Chapter from my now published book To The Performer: A Singer-Songwriter's Guidebook
To The Performer: A Singer-Songwriter’s Guidebook is now for sale, both on my website (and from me directly - amy@amyspeace.com) or on Amazon. Here’s an excerpt from the chapter about doing Opening gigs. I learned it all the hard way.
THE OPENING ACT
The rite of passage for all aspiring singer-songwriters is to be invited to be the opener to a headliner at a club or a house concert. This could be a great opportunity to make new fans, to be heard by the club/house concert so that someday you’ll get the headlining gig yourself, and to be heard by the headliner so that maybe they’ll take you out on the road with them. Most house concerts won’t even book you until you’ve passed through as an opener a few times.
However, the golden rule to remember is THIS IS NOT YOUR GIG. It is the headliner’s gig and your job is to warm up the room for the headliner. You are borrowing their stage and their audience and you must act with grace and a modicum of deference at all times. And believe me, I’ve screwed up most of these ‘rules’, which is how I figured it out. And it was not the artist who kindly and gently let me know. Once it was the tour manager, who told me if I didn’t come in UNDER my 30-minute time the following night (for a major artist), I would not be allowed back. Take it from me. You want to learn this stuff.
Things which make the difference between getting this chance once and never again and making a relationship that may turn into a lucky break:
1. You sound check AFTER the headliner, so never load in your gear onstage until it has been made clear that the headliner is done by either the headliner or the sound person. You may arrive earlier than the headliner. You sit and wait your turn, unless someone gives you the go ahead (like the headliner is running late and it may be more time effective for you to soundcheck first). I’ve seen openers set up their pedals and gear onstage off to the side while the headliner is soundchecking, or worse, sit in the audience noodling on their guitars, tuning, changing strings, basically making noise during soundcheck. Not only will they never get the gig again, they most likely will not get the gig with anyone that headliner (or their agent or their manager) know.
2. If we’re talking about the Folk/Americana world, unless told otherwise, play solo acoustic or at least in a configuration that takes up the least amount of space and means very little stage changeover. If you prefer performing as a duo or trio or full band, always ask whomever it is has booked you and get an ok before you go hiring the full enchilada. When I perform, whether I’m solo or duo or full band, I want a solo artist to open for me. More than one person takes up too much room and time. Also, I don’t want something louder than me to go on before me. I have been invited to open for large bands in huge theaters and I’ve performed with a full band, but only after asking if that’s appropriate. If you are performing with a full band to open for a major act, ask if there will be someone doing your sound or should you bring your own soundperson. Most major bands travel with their own sound/lighting people and won’t be doing your sound. Don’t get stuck. Ask.
3. Stay under your allotted time. If you have been given 30 minutes, play 25. Do not, under any circumstances, go to 35 or 40. This is the most egregious error. It really pisses off everyone involved. You will not be invited back.
4. Don’t talk too much. You will exhaust the audience that is there to see the headliner and most likely will be thinking “why won’t this guy shut up and play the song.” If you are opening for a songwriter, play only one cover song, at most, if any. The audience is geared to wanting to hear original songs. Too many covers bores the audience. Plus, you want to sell your CD, right? Time your set with your banter to be sure you come in on time.
5. If you are sharing the merch table with the headliner, wait until they set up their own display and take up as little room as possible. Again: it’s their show. Set up one (maybe two) CD, one t shirt and your mailing list. Do not put out your catalogue of five CDs, and EP, a poster, four T Shirts and your keychains and tote bags and special home-made jewelry and knitted hats. It’s. Their. Show.
6. Thank the headliner from the stage. Even if they are nowhere to be seen. It’s gracious. And should be obvious but I’ve seen the blunders.
7. Never take an encore, UNLESS the headliner gives you permission. Like when the audience is wildly applauding and the headliner is listening from the wings and waves you to take an encore. Then go for it. Otherwise, let the audience stomp on the floor in a rousing standing ovation while you, generously and graciously, bow and leave the stage for the headliner and make it clear that you are done. That is egoless and that is behavior that will be rewarded with another gig. And after such a rousing ovation, you’d better head straight to that merch table and collect your $2,000 in 20 minutes. That happened to me opening for Nanci Griffith at Town Hall in New York City. I played about 25 minutes. She listened to me from the wings. Talk about a generous headliner.
8. Assume the headliner isn’t even going to listen to you and do not take it personally when they don’t. They’re touring. You are most likely local. They’ve been sleeping in motels for a month straight, just drove 6 hours and did 2 radio interviews and they are exhausted. That half hour in the green room to meditate or go over their set list or eat dinner while you’re playing is a rare gift for them. But if you do see them after your set or after their own, do not ask “Did you see my set?” just thank them for having you and give them their space. Don’t be a gurm.
9. Learn a few of the headliner’s songs. Find out what they usually close the show with or what their encore songs are. Learn their hit. Learn the harmony. Learn the guitar part. They may just invite you up to sing with them. Be prepared if they do. Know the lyrics. I’ve been invited up so many times. I’m glad I learned my lesson only once, but it was a hard lesson to learn because at at a sold out show of 900 people, Nanci Griffith invited me up to sing “Flyer” with her and I was stupid and didn’t know it. Duh. Opportunity lost.
10. If you are invited to share a dressing room with the headliner, never ever take up much room in the room. Never eat the food from their food tray without their permission – that might be their dinner. And never invite your buddies or parents to come hang out and eat from the food tray if it is not your own dressing room. Again: Not. Your. Show.
11. Send thank you notes/emails to anyone involved with the show. The headliner. Their manager and/or agent. The club owner/promoter/booker. Then troll their sites and see if there are any other dates that do not have openers announced and ask the manager/booking person/artist directly if they’d consider you for thosedates.
Lastly, a point about money. I’ve had opening slots that paid me $700 and I’ve had opening slots that paid me nothing. I’ve had opening slots that I had to pay for (paying into the Major Artist’s tour’s advertising budget for my name on the poster). The usual for a singer-songwriter is zero dollars to $100 with $50 being the most likely. If you are good and well-matched with the headliner, you will sell CD’s as to the audience you will be a discovery. When I opened for Nanci Griffith, playing to 900 people who’d probably paid almost $50 a ticket. I was offered nothing for the show. I took it. I did an opening tour for Ian Hunter on his UK Acoustic Tour in 2009 for nothing. I lost a lot of money on that tour, as I had to pay my own flight, travel, hotel. I sold CD’s, and I sold a lot. And Ian would invite me up at the end of the night to join the band in “All The Young Dudes” (not bad for a folk singer) and he ended up singing on a record of mine and has become a bit of a mentor for me. But even more than that, every time I go back to the UK to play, a handful of huge Ian Hunter fans come to my shows. I keep getting dividends from that money-losing tour so many years ago.
© 2024 Amy Speace / To The Performer (Windbone Books)
I used to love openers. Play twenty minutes for people who have never heard you and go sell out of merch. Amazing experiences. John McCutcheon sat in the front row and listened to the whole set.