EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET GIG‑READY

It’s been a long time coming, but live music is beginning to return. Rehearsal rooms are open for business and ‘real’ gigs are gradually on the rise. With our fingers firmly crossed that this trend continues, we present Everything You Need To Get Gig-ready. Our tips feature will help you plan your next set and get your gear ready for action, and our bespoke practice plan is designed to hone the skills you’ll need to play live.

In addition, two of the UK’S best live bands, The Darkness and

Manic Street Preachers, speak to us from their rehearsal spaces as they prepare to tour again – offering tips on everything from warm-up exercises to plectrum-flicking tricks.

We also join rising stars Squid, one of the few bands who have been able to play live in recent weeks, at an intimate gig in the West Country. And what Squid’s guitarist/vocalist Louis Borlase says about their return to the stage will resonate with countless musicians in the UK, and countless music fans.

“It’s been long enough that you’ve forgotten exactly what it is you miss,” Louis says. “When we played the first show we were a little bit lost for words. We just felt very emotional and felt very lucky, and I think we felt a certain relationship between the five of us on stage that we hadn’t felt in such a long time.”

So, take your guitars out of their cases, plug in your pedalboard and crank your amp up to 11 as TG’S tips, lessons and star interviews get you primed to play live again.