Click Tracks, Tribute Acts, and $20 Hacks: Gig Smarts with Corey Manske

You’re not alone if you’re running a click track on stage—more and more musicians are embracing it, and for good reason. This week on Gig Gab, Corey Manske joins Dave Hamilton to unpack how using a click can reduce stress, keep your band tight, and help you Always Be Performing. From essential stage gear like chapstick and a tape measure (you’ll get it), to the magic of “coopetition” among musicians, you’ll walk away with practical tools and mindset shifts. Corey shares how watching other players—and sometimes borrowing a rubber mallet—can lead to big breakthroughs.

But that’s just the beginning. You’ll hear how launching a Third Eye Blind tribute band taught Corey the power of planning, from finding the perfect frontman to handling contracts, stage plots, and backing tracks like a pro. Learn why tribute bands are dominating the venue scene and what it really means to “wear a disguise” on stage. You’ll also get into the nitty-gritty of tech setups—which apps might replace SoundCue, how to prep your tracks for any venue, and why slipping your sound engineer a $20 bill is a move worth making.

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 487 – Monday, June 23rd, 2025
  • June 9th: National Detroit-Style Pizza Day
  • Guest co-host: Corey Manske
• 00:01:39 Everyone’s using a click (some of the time)
• 00:08:02 Taking the stress off by using a click live
  • Kill Switch
• 00:14:51 Always be performing means always putting on a show!
• 00:17:00 Important gear to have on stage
  • Tape measure (drummer thing)
  • Chapstick
• 00:19:53 The value of Coopetition
• 00:22:15 Learning parts from other people
  • Mike Cosgrove at a NAMM party
  • SS Recognize
  • Rubber Mallet
• 00:26:31 Playing the parts your way…and comfortably
• 00:29:32 “Just don’t confuse the strippers, man”
  • Music is a shared art form…band, performers, audience
• 00:31:05 SPONSOR: Bzigo Iris, your smart home mosquito detector. Stop losing sleep over mosquitoes. Take back your nights with Bzigo. Go to bzigo.com/discount/BUZZ10 and save 10% off.
• 00:32:27 The experience of starting a Third Eye Blind Tribute Band
  • Started a year ago
  • The demographic is 50/50 M/F
  • Find the right singer, and the right band
  • Cover band is playing dress-up, being in a tribute band is wearing a disguise
  • Previously subbed in a Smashing Pumpkins tribute for 4.5 years, which gave some information and contacts
  • Venues figured out that Tribute bands are where the money is
  • Developing the backing tracks
  • Corey became the manager
• 00:38:02 Becoming comfortable with doing the paperwork
  • Contracts
  • Hospitality Riders
  • Stage Plots
  • Details matter!
• 00:40:16 Using an iPad to trigger tracks, clicks, and more
  • SoundCue for iPad (non-existent)
  • Replacement option: ShowOne for iPad
  • Other replacement options
  • We just need an audio player in a cart format!
• 00:52:09 The pre-production work so you can have the tracks live
  • Frst, decide what needs to be there
  • Decide the tempo
  • Center the (mono) mix on where the backing vocal is. That way FOH can set the backing vocals and, boom, the tracks work in every venue
  • Make a track for soundcheck, too!
  • Also, give the sound engineer a $20 bill before sound check
• 00:59:34 Embrace technology
  • Also, we really need an iPad app that not only triggers the sounds, but also the videos.
• 01:05:12 Gig Gab 487 Outtro
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