Based in Manchester, UK, Folk/Americana singer-songwriter Chloe Jones gives us the inside scoop on the equpiment and the little odds and ends she brings to her gigs.
“My gig bag is similar to Mary Poppins’ handbag!”
I have all sorts of bits and bobs in there ‘just in case’ such as spare lipstick, guitar cleaning products, and even the cliché crumpled up napkin with a lyric idea scribbled onto it. Besides all of these little odds and ends I always make sure I’ve packed the essential items before I head out to perform. This would include the obvious equipment such as microphones, speakers, mixing desk, cables etc, but I also like to make sure I have the following items with me too:
iPad/Tablet Device – I like to take my iPad along with me for any gigs where I may need to play a lot of cover songs. I use an app called Setlist where I can access a list of all of my repertoire along with any prompts I may need, it really comes in handy for lengthy gigs that require a lot of material. It can also help if you want to look up how to play any requests from the audience.
Lightbox – I always like to take a battery powered lightbox with me to gigs and on this I would usually put my social media handles so that anyone who doesn’t know me, and who likes what they are hearing, can go ahead and follow me on social media.
Merchandise – I always have CDs and business cards with me and try to keep them stocked up in my gig bag. There’s nothing worse than doing a gig and having someone ask for your information for a possible future booking and you don’t have any cards to hand.
I also try and keep a few CDs in my car just in case I don’t have enough in my gig bag, this way I can pop out to get a spare!
Spares – I find it crucial to have spares of anything of importance in my gig bag, often things can break or suddenly stop working, so it’s always best to have a back up so that you can resolve any problems quickly.
“For my live stream gigs I usually use a similar set up.”
I find that this gives it more excitement both for me and the listener, as it feels more like a real gig! The only additions would be using my phone in landscape mode to film it, plus a tripod to hold the phone. I try to keep things as basic as possible and so far that has worked well for me.
Chloe Jones is a singer-songwriter from Greater Manchester, UK. Her style can be described as a blend of folk, country and Americana. She is influenced by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, First Aid Kit, Tracy Chapman, Lissie and Courtney-Marie Andrews. Chloe has been featured regularly on BBC Radio Manchester, which led her to perform for two years running at the Lowry Theatre in Salford for Mike Sweeney’s Christmas Extravaganza amongst a star studded line up. In 2019, Chloe was featured on BBC’s The Voice UK. Chloe has played at festivals such as Buckles and Boots and Country on the Clyde, and has performed for the Campsite Takeovers at Geronimo Festival and The Good Life Experience. Her EP ‘Meet You There’ was released in 2016 and features a selection of songs inspired by Chloe’s travels to the USA, with a spotlight on tales of romance, friendship and most of all, wanderlust. Continuously inspired by travelling far and wide Chloe has an abundance of original material waiting to be heard and is currently in the studio working on her next EP. Chloe performs in live music venues across Manchester and beyond and is available to perform at weddings, private parties and events.
