Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast Podcast By Dave Hamilton & Friends cover art

Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

By: Dave Hamilton & Friends
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Welcome to Gig Gab—the podcast sanctuary for working musicians and anyone fascinated by the vibrant, often unseen world behind every note played on stage. Whether you’re a musician, a member of the crew, or just someone who loves peeking behind the curtain to discover the secrets of live performances, you’ve found your tribe.BackBeat Media, LLC 2026 Music
Episodes
  • 50 Years of Rush: Howard Ungerleider on Lighting the Lighted Stage

    50 Years of Rush: Howard Ungerleider on Lighting the Lighted Stage
    Apr 20 2026
    Step inside five decades of rock history with lighting legend Howard Ungerleider, the man who’s been designing and directing Rush’s light shows since 1974. Hear how a $75-a-week mailroom gig at American Talent International — where he pulled off a rogue booking of Fleetwood Mac before he was even an agent — turned into a lifetime behind the console. Get the story of Howard landing in Toronto to babysit “a club band called Rush,” sleeping on the floor at the manager’s house with a St. Bernard, freezing his hand to a car door at -40 in Cochrane, Ontario, and later jamming with Neil Peart at his house to Genesis and Supertramp records. Howard also talks designing Roll The Bones (the one Rush tour he couldn’t operate), embedding at See Factor to build custom gear nobody else could get, and how Blue Öyster Cult first put him in front of a laser: the same craft he now brings to Foo Fighters, Tool, and Janet Jackson. Then the conversation turns to the upcoming Rush Fifty Something tour — a four-piece now with Anika Nilles on drums and Loren Gold on keys, freeing Geddy to focus on bass and vocals. Learn why Howard still “plays” the lighting console live with two boards and thousands of touch cues, how robotic spots are quietly changing the craft, and why he and Phish’s Chris Kuroda will be swapping rigs at Madison Square Garden. You’ll also hear the Paul McCartney moment in the Taylor Hawkins tribute dressing room that may have sparked the whole tour, and why Howard insists this is a rejuvenation, a celebration, and proof that no matter the rig, the room, or the era, you’ve gotta ALWAYS BE PERFORMING. Because it’s what we do. Press play and enjoy, folks. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 530 – Monday, April 20th, 2026 April 20th: Pizza Delivery Driver Appreciation DayGuest co-host: Howard Ungerleider 00:02:18 Walked into a NYC office to get a recording contract for his band “You need to learn about this industry before you come knocking on people’s doors.”Introduced him to Action Talent (which became American Talent International) 00:06:21 For $75/week delivering coffee and working in the mailroom After a year and a half he got booted from Monmouth University, then became the ATI gopher 00:08:17 Hey, do you want Fleetwood Mac to play here?00:11:44 Booking agent00:13:17 Can you fill in for a week as Blue Oyster Cult’s tour00:14:51 Howard and Rush were surprised to have Howard working there “I need ten grand” – “no, you can sleep on the floor instead” 00:18:11 Howard had to show Geddy that New York pizza was better than Toronto pizza00:19:01 Howard learns about Canadian cold Howard’s driving, Geddy’s riding shotgun, Neil’s reading, Alex is smoking a joint 00:20:42 Geddy says, “get out and take a breath of fresh air”00:22:05 John Rutsey had opted out of touring, Howard moves to Toronto while they’re auditioning drummers “Eventually Neil [Peart] walked in…and that was it.” 00:23:32 Howard and Neil used to jam at Neil’s house Genesis and Supertramp 00:24:19 Road life’s not so bad 200 gigs a year on the road 00:26:09 Rush took a break, Howard did Queensryche and Tesla Howard designed Roll The Bones, but it’s the only tour he couldn’t operate 00:27:51 Howard tour-managed and lighting designed and operated every tour up through Presto, after which he dropped tour-managing00:28:41 Dave realizes he met Howard on the Presto tour00:31:43 Don’t put up with crap00:32:03 Howard’s been doing Rush’s lights since 197400:33:05 Moving from clubs and theaters to arenas Howard embedded himself into See Factor, the lighting company.Lots of custom gear 00:34:54 SPONSOR: Warby Parker – Right now, buy one prescription pair and get 20% off any additional prescription pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/GIGGAB00:36:40 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit https://Claude.ai/giggab00:38:10 Howard first saw lasers with Blue Oyster Cult Dr. David Infante, Blue Oyster Cult’s laser operatorHoward’s lasers on on the road with Foo Fighters, Tool, Janet Jackson and more 00:40:37 RUSH Fifty Something Something completely different than Howard has ever doneOther dimensions 00:42:04 Mixing the Juno awards Howard says Neil would approve of Anika. 00:44:51 Hey Howard, surprise! RUSH is going to tour again00:47:03 Howard did lights for RUSH at Taylor Hawkins tribute00:48:46 Howard prefers mixing live He “plays” the lighting console liveRemote spot locations 00:52:07 RUSH Fifty Something… it’s band of FOUR. Geddy is happy… playing less keyboards, more bass and vocal focus 00:54:42 Howard: “I create lighting choreography” This tour is (currently) 2.5 hours (things can change, folks!)“I try to enhance the show with lighting that can trigger your emotions. I approach it as an audience member.”Loren Gold’s harmonies sound great 00:58:28 Phish and Rush alternating at ...
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • The Crowd Is the Star: Piano Bar Secrets for Entertaining Any Room with Cliff & Susan Prowse

    The Crowd Is the Star: Piano Bar Secrets for Entertaining Any Room with Cliff & Susan Prowse
    Apr 13 2026
    You don’t need a traditional path to build a thriving music career! Just ask Cliff and Susan Prowse, who turned classical piano chops and play-by-ear instincts into a full-blown lifestyle business. Whether you learned to read music first or figured out theory after the fact, what matters is training your ear to hear intervals, stacking up reps, and putting in the practice until harmony feels like second nature. Use your DAW to sharpen your pitch, but don’t psych yourself or your bandmates out: true tone deafness is rare, and confidence is currency on stage. The bottom line: making a real living in music is absolutely possible when you treat your craft like a skill you never stop sharpening. Once you hit the stage, remember that the crowd is the star and you’re the emcee who just happens to sing and play. Take your audience on a journey: open at mid-energy, build it up, let it breathe, then hit them again. Mix genres, swap instruments, toss in some comedy, and never leave dead air between songs; keep every second purposeful. Think of your set like a video game where you’re always leveling up the room. Manage your breaks with music that matches the vibe so the party never stalls. Playing covers isn’t just a gig — it’s a masterclass in entertainment, and entertainment is its own art form. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 529 – Monday, April 13th, 2026 April 13th: National Silly Earring DayGuest co-hosts: Susan Erwin Prowse & Cliff Prowse 00:03:02 The Ultimate Lifestyle Business00:03:33 Starting with a Pure Mathematics Degree to Piano Bars Classical Piano at the base of it all 00:05:04 Bumble Boogie piqued Susan’s ears Make sure your kids see that inspiration 00:07:16 Cliff started with music from the day he was born Always treated instruments delicately, even as a toddlerLearned to play by ear, but never learned to read 00:09:44 Reading vs. hearing and Music Theory School band director thought he was reading music, when Cliff was just playing by ear and remembering what the band directorSusan learned to hear intervalsCliff decided to learn theory after-the-fact 00:14:28 Learning to play before you learn WHY the notes work00:18:18 Breaking down vocal harmonies Both Susan and Cliff picks out harmony by earSinging harmonies with the mixolydian scale with the flat 7Really, just practice. Repetition is the key to it all! 00:27:20 Using your DAW to help improve your singing Being actually tone deaf is rareBeware of shaking your bandmates’ confidence…or your own 00:33:21 Making a living in the music business is possible!00:34:26 The science of the show: Piano Bar strategies Top 40, any genre, any decadeLearning the skills of doing the singalong conceptSusan and Cliff met on-stage at Willy D’s piano bar in Little RockFrom piano bars in Little Rock to Los Angeles to Las Vegas and beyond 00:38:31 Taking the crowd on a journey When you’re there to entertain and throw the partyThe crowd is the star, you AREN’TYou’re the emcee, the DJ, you just happen to know how to sing and play pianoKeep it interesting by changing the genre, the groove, the styleIt’s like playing a video game!Mid energy, at first, then bring it up, then let it ease, then maybe repeatAdd variety: different instruments, different singers, different stylesAdd a little comedy to give them a break from the music 00:45:44 Manage your breaks One school: NEVER stop playingHave good break music, make sure the energy matches 00:49:48 Managing your dead air Don’t allow breaks between songs. Always avoid dead air.“Purposeful Talking” 00:52:44 Entertainers Academy 5-Day Gig Amplifier ChallengeSusan and Cliff love to teach! 00:56:44 Being in a cover band is a masterclass of learning entertainment skills Entertaining is an art in and of itself 01:00:17 Gig Gab 528 Outtro Follow Cliff & Susan Facebook & Instagram Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagramfeedback@giggabpodcast.comSign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post The Crowd Is the Star: Piano Bar Secrets for Entertaining Any Room – Gig Gab Podcast 529 with Cliff & Susan Prowse appeared first on Gig Gab.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Monitoring the Artists' Monitors: IEM Wisdom from Kevin Glendinning

    Monitoring the Artists' Monitors: IEM Wisdom from Kevin Glendinning
    Apr 6 2026
    In this episode of Gig Gab, you get the full story of how Kevin “KG” Glendinning cold-emailed his way from a Chicago suburb into a 25-year career mixing monitors for Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and more. You hear how a kid sweeping floors at dB Sound ended up on a Metallica tour bus with one piece of advice ringing in his ears: ask questions, stay late, and get a second job because you’re gonna need it. Kevin walks you through migrating artists to in-ear monitors, managing talkback culture for everyone from Eddie Vedder wanting baseball scores to Lorde’s tight production team, and what it takes to help reluctant guitar players finally ditch the wedges. If you’ve ever wondered what separates a good monitor engineer from a great one, this conversation lays it out. You also dive deep into the art and science of making IEMs sound right in every room, every night. Kevin shares his process of minimal reduction: fixing a bad mix by figuring out what to take away, not what to add, and explains why tuning for in-ears is just as critical as tuning a PA. You learn why he flies 4,700 miles for a single gig, why the best mixes sometimes come from a throw-and-go, and how setting up dummy channels lets you experiment without wrecking the artist’s mix. He and Dave talk hearing health, audiograms, the DPA capsule as the only open mic on the Lorde stage, and why knowing your own ears matters more than knowing your gear. Whether you’re mixing monitors at an arena or running sound at a club gig, this episode is packed with wisdom you can use tonight. Always Be Performing, folks! 00:00:00 Gig Gab 528 – Monday, April 6th, 2026 April 6th: National Siamese Cat DayGuest co-host: Kevin Glendinning 00:02:25 Hotmailing his way into a career Watched the credits of a Metallica documentary, realized DB Sound was near the house, emailed Harry… “Hi, I’m Kevin, and I’m interested in audio…” and the rest is history! 00:07:58 Got put on the road as an audio team assistant Trial by fireAdvice from the team: Here’s what to doHere’s what not to doAsk questions, stay late, and get a second job because you’re gonna need it 00:11:22 Learning the personal touch parts of being on tour00:12:52 Being the stage left PA tech, Kevin gravitated towards monitors00:13:50 Talkback Culture Eddie Vedder wanted baseball scores in his talkbackSOMBR for Coachella 2026 (Chris Rabold at FOH) 00:16:18 Managing multiple talkback channels00:18:08 LORDE on Talkback Phil Harvey on FOHSarah Parker is LD 00:19:00 Talkback stories Jaret Reddick’s use of talkback mics in Bowling For Soup 00:20:51 Migrating to in-ears IEMs can preserve your hearing, if done rightFuture Sonics uses dynamic drivers 00:25:09 Helping guitar players to IEMs Mike Dias on Gig GabSensaphonics 3MAX IEMs on LORDE tour 00:32:08 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at https://gusto.com/giggab00:33:44 Back to helping guitar players with IEMs Problem: when a vocal mic is downstage from a guitar ampIan Beveridge with Foo FightersPaul Simon prefers wedgesAlways be learningFirst: Learn the human being you’re going to be mixing for 00:41:27 The differences between mixing monitors for Miley Cyrus and Ella LORDE00:42:48 Monitoring the Artists Monitors TX1 Wireless TransmittersREMI with Brad Madix on Gig Gab 00:47:50 Different rooms sound different on IEMs AFAS Live (formerly Heineken Music Hall) in Amsterdam sounds greatDave says Alamodome in San Antonio is one of the worst-soundingTo fix IEMs in a bad-sounding room: what can we reduce to make it sound better?Last night it was a bongo mic that was making the drumset sound too washy in the IEM mix“The process of minimal reduction”Ella’s DPA capsule is the only open mic on-stage on the LORDE tourTune for the IEMs, too: listen to something you know, and EQ itTuning the podcast for JH Audio Laylas 01:04:06 Learn your own ears (not your IEMs, your human ears) first Take a hearing test with your phone if you canKevin and Alicia Keys would go and get their hearing tested together, getting audiograms to compare 01:07:09 IEMs are the most personal audio interaction You have to be psychic! 01:09:46 Flying 4,700 miles to save the day Sometimes the throw-and-go results in the best mix because you’re not overthinking itTip from Kevin: set up dummy channels to experiment without messing with the actual mix for the IEMs 01:15:57 Gig Gab 528 Outtro Follow Kevin Glendinning IG: @kev_chitownLinkedIn: Kevin ‘KG’ Glendinning Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagramfeedback@giggabpodcast.comSign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Monitoring the Artists’ Monitors: IEM Wisdom from Kevin Glendinning – Gig Gab 528 appeared first on Gig Gab.
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    1 hr and 19 mins
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