Introduction
You can plan for weeks, put in countless hours, and have everything mapped out to the finest detail. From organizing your setlist to lugging gear across town (or across the country), prepping for a live show is no small feat. But no matter how meticulous you are, there are always things that can go wrong, things you simply can’t control. And when they do, it can feel like all that hard work was for nothing.
In this article, I’ll break down my recent experience preparing for a live show that I poured more than four weeks of intense work into, only to have it fall apart in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
The Weeks Leading Up to the Show
The process began with weeks of intense but enjoyable composition and planning, carefully building the foundation of the performance piece by piece.
Even though I’m a shitty keyboard player, I spend a lot of time using one when working on a new set. Typically, I’m working out chord progressions, melodies, harmonies, basslines, and rhythms, almost like sketching. The immediate feedback I get from playing lets me experiment without commitment. Some days, I’ll sit and do this for hours. When I’m working with a sequencer, stepping away from it and trying ideas out on the keyboard helps me mess around more freely.
Next, I got down to the nitty-gritty of creating around 250 pattern presets on the Five12 Vector Sequencer MKII. The sequences span about eight voices that can be loosely categorized as kick, snare, percussion, hi-hats, bass, lead, harmony, and pads. Each sound was meticulously designed to sit in its own, mostly isolated frequency range. I added polish by dialing in articulation for each voice, so successive notes would sound slightly different from previous ones. Doing this also allows me to accent steps manually, creating dynamics based groove.
To glue it all together, I layered in effects and cross-modulation. A simple example would be using the kick as a sidechain trigger to duck the volume of the bass or reverb levels. My music can get pretty dense, so these little touches help make sense of the wall of sound and keeps it all from getting too muddy.
I mapped out a rough arrangement by creating intros, main sections with lots of variation, segues, and interludes. This fairly structured approach allows me the freedom to improvise during the performance, adjusting section lengths or feeding off the audience’s energy to decide whether to return to a previous parts. Just because there’s an arrangement doesn’t mean I have to stick to it.
Once most of the set was worked out, I dove into rehearsals, improvising with the arrangement of patterns and testing various ways to shape the sound in real time by adjusting parameters. I looked for good swells, tension, release, and shifts in energy. This wasn’t just a show; it was a complex performance with intricately woven sequences, layered modulation, and ton of sub-sequences. I wanted the set to flow effortlessly, so I rehearsed a lot and often went back into refine sounds and sequences.
Beyond the music itself, there was the logistical planning: organizing the trip, ensuring my gear was in top shape, and triple-checking cables, adapters, and backups.
Gig Bag Essentials: What to Pack for Every Show
Having a dedicated gig bag with all your essential items ready to go can save you from last-minute packing stress and ensure you’re prepared for anything a live performance might throw your way. This list is something I built over several years of performance. It covers most of the essentials, so you can focus on the music and leave the logistics to your well-stocked bag.
Modular Synth (or other instruments)
Modular Synth power
Instrument output backup cables
Patch cables (variety of lengths)
Cable adapters (to convert your outputs)
Spare batteries (if your gear uses them)
Power strip w/ long extension & USB
USB cables (variety of types: A to B, C to C, etc.)
Gaffer tape (to secure cables and prevent tripping)
Multi-tool (for any quick repairs)
Cleaning cloth (for gear maintenance)
Notepad and pen (for quick notes or patch ideas)
Earplugs (for personal ear protection during loud jams)
Portable charger (for any mobile devices)
Flashlight or headlamp (for dark spaces)
Traveling with your gear
Getting to venues is always a challenge, especially when you’re lugging gear on a plane. There’s absolutely no fucking way I’d let my modular synth out of my sight for even a second. Having a case small enough to fit in most overhead compartments but large enough for a 60-minute set is essential. If you play a minimal techno, you might get away with a 6U or 7U case, but for most setups, 9U or 12U at 104HP is the sweet spot.
There are very few 12U cases I’d recommend, but the Amalgamod 12U/104HP Travel Case is exceptional. I’ve used it for years; it’s incredibly easy to set up at a show and opens and closes like a laptop, no muss, no fuss, just simple. It’s also light. Before switching to this case, I had an MDLR 12U/104HP travel case made of wood, tough as hell and built like a tank. Unfortunately, it weighed as much too. Switching my modules to the Amalgamod brought my total weight down to 23 lbs instead of 47 lbs—same size, same modules, half the weight.
For 9U cases, I’ll let you do your own research, but to get started, check out Honest & Thorough Eurorack Case Buying Guide I wrote a while back.
Getting through airport security with gear always makes me a bit anxious. I’m stopped more often than not, but usually, it’s a casual exchange with the TSA agents. Sometimes they swab it to check for explosives residue, but I’ve never had any major issues, and I’ve always been able to continue on my way after a short stop.
Getting my gear on the plane hasn’t been an issue either. I’m always prepared to argue if a flight attendant suggests gate-checking, but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet. I usually pay for an upgraded seat to board earlier, ensuring overhead space for my case.
Whenever I’m playing live, I leave enough time on the day of the show to run through the set, make any last adjustments, and then do a final full run-through.
All was going well…
When It All Fell Apart
Just when I thought everything was good to go, disaster struck. My SD card, holding the entire set I’d spent weeks programming, failed. Panic set in as I tried to recover it, but the damage was done—I lost everything.
My SD card, holding the entire set I’d spent weeks programming, failed.
I scrambled around the city looking for a new SD card and a USB A-to-B printer cable. After several frantic calls to Five12 (they are amazing), two trips out, and multiple store visits, I finally managed to install the firmware on a new card. I had backups of older sets, but unfortunately, not this one. I tried loading these older sets, hoping to salvage something, but after hours of reviewing, I realized they weren’t even close to performance-ready. Reworking them would’ve taken days.
With time running out, I attempted to write something new, but there simply wasn’t enough time to pull together the intricate patterns and modulations I rely on in my performances. I wouldn’t be able to play.
I accepted defeat.
Lessons Learned: What You Can and Can’t Control
No matter how well-prepared you are, some things are simply beyond your control. Gear failures, technical issues, and even the venue itself can derail weeks of hard work. But these setbacks don’t erase the effort you’ve put in, they’re part of the learning process.
Here’s what I took away from this experience:
- Have backups, and then backup your backups. Losing my SD card taught me to have multiple copies of my set saved across different devices.
- Accept that some things are out of your hands. You can’t predict everything, and you definitely can’t control everything. Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.
- Embrace the chaos. Performing live is unpredictable, and the unexpected can sometimes lead to new creative moments, even if they come from frustration.
- It’s not all for nothing. Even though the show didn’t go as planned, the experience I gained in the prep was invaluable.
Lessons from Past Performances
Beyond the recent challenges, there are plenty of other things that can go wrong during a live show. Over the years, I’ve encountered some unexpected mishaps that highlighted just how many variables are in play when you’re performing. Here are some additional pitfalls I’ve faced that are good to keep in mind, and prepare for, when planning your own set.
- Oscillators get knocked out of tune
- Can’t see because it is too dark
- Patch cables get pulled out
- Forgot power cables
- Forgot output cables
- Forgot power cables again
- Forgot external synth
- Signal was too hot for venue mixer
- Venue did not have a mixer
- Venue did not have available power outlets on stage
- Venue only had one working PA speaker
- Venue was a cement cube and sound was garbage
- Venue was locked up and closed
- Venue double booked our show with another
Planning for a live show is exhausting but rewarding. You can pour your heart and soul into it for weeks and still hit obstacles you couldn’t have prepared for. And when things do go wrong, it can feel like everything has been wasted. But that’s not the case, each show teaches something new, even if it’s how to handle the unexpected.
Have you ever had a show go sideways despite your best efforts? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your experiences and how you pushed through.
Ah man, sorry to hear. Did you not play? Seems like you could have done a noise and ambient set, and drop some 4 on the floor for flavor.
Trust me, I considered it, but I was so let down doing something less would’ve felt worse. Acceptance was the more healthy route.
Good thing, I do have a earlier recording of a run through of the set. It is a bit rough, but I think I can touch it up a bit and release it as a live EP.