China was the worst. Well, to be fair, not necessarily the worst. But, of all the countries I performed in when I was touring, it was definitely my least favourite. Frankly, the sole redeeming feature of my 6-month Chinese experience was that I met Carrie and her husband, Joe, on my first night there and we’ve been friends ever since. After three years performing on the hotel circuit, I already knew Carrie by reputation. Entertainment agents and management of venues referenced her band, and her, personally, as the gold standard of top-tier performances, professionalism, consistency: someone who brought in business and who audiences adored. Guests had regularly been mistaking me for her on gigs, but I was the other Canadian singer, another brown girl with big curly golden-brown hair, a willingness to rap, a husband in the band, and a love of cargo pants. When I told excited patrons, sorry, you’re mistaken, I’m not Carrie, I’d see their covert (or overt!) look of disappointment. They, too, were sorry. It was all pretty intimidating. I made up my mind that if ever I got to meet this “Carrie” person, I would make a point not to like her. So when we walked in to Galleon Bar, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shenzhen, to see Carrie and her band Master Plan absolutely devouring the stage on their final night, I was pretty overwhelmed. They were amazing. She was everything I’d been told she would be. When she came offstage, I steeled myself, expecting a full-blown haughty diva-esque attitude to accompany her legendary status, which I was planning to counter with chilly, one-word replies, but she was friendly, and welcoming, and helpful, and just… normal. She owed me nothing - we would likely never meet again - but without hesitation she invited me into her world. In doing so she immediately overturned my preconceptions about what it meant to be a professional in this industry. And over the fifteen plus years that we’ve been friends, Carrie continues to challenge and inspire me. She is a singer, a songwriter, a storyteller, and a coach, but she is most quintessentially, a performer. She has a lifetime of stage experience, and is an absolute treasury of guidance and advice on how to make every performance come alive, how to set audiences on fire, and how to keep doing the thing night after night, without losing your spark. Just as she did on the night I met her, Carrie continues to share her wisdom with an open heart. This conversation will challenge your definition of “diva”, and will prove how the world is a better place when we lift each other up. Carrie Gibson is, indeed, the real deal. 00:00:00 – Introducing Carrie Gibson00:03:47 – Interview 01:03:07 – Lightning Round01:11:39 – Live music: Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers)01:18:05 – Credits I’m Lady J (onstage) and in the two decades that I’ve been a full-time gigging musician I’ve played nearly 3000 shows with my husband-slash-guitarist-slash-business partner. We live in Dubai with our two kids, and we continue to perform hundreds of shows per year. I firmly believe that there is nothing like being in the room with the person making the music that moves you. Live music matters. Whether you’re hoping to get your first gig, looking to get more gigs, or looking to make your gigging more fulfilling and financially rewarding, this is a place to get insights and practical advice from people who believe live music matters. I’m happy you’re here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ladyjmusic.substack.com
