I play most gigs at small venues, where I only use one or two 10 or 12 inch speakers (db), but I'm always finding it struggle to get myself a good mix (I play with a violinist), but at the same time hearing what the audience hears, and at the same time giving the audience a good sound.

Usually I try to put a speaker which is for the audience behind me, so that I hear exactly what they hear very well, but it doesn't always work. I've seen someone using earphones, but I would never do that because it looks outright weird...

Is it worth bringing a dedicated monitor for such a small venue?

Zalmi