Off Topic What it's like to be a gigging musician

[Rano Bass]

The real work is loading the PA, everything else is easy.
We use our own mixer and i set it, eq it, and send a line to the mains (most of the time the venues sound sistem), that really helps to make things quickly.
We are a four piece and for some songs use sequenced keyboards, not much cause we like to change things on the fly.
And we have one roadie to carry and connect the mixer, mics, cables, drums, etc. and he also takes it back to the storage place.
We have it pretty easy.

 

[maddog]

Wow Chuck.

Rock star, trophy husband, and bass model. What a life you lead.

tbone

You ever find yourself in Greensboro, ya gotta find time to hang with Chuck. So many stories to tell. I got to hear quite a few.

 

[tkarter]

Adoug is describing weekend warrior more so than gigging musician.

My weekend band is 7pc.

Once in awhile I play along with a whole CD and call it a gig. Usually something with horns so I have time to take a beer break


tk

 

[backagain1]

I know that some out there are not and have never been in a gigging band.

- At 2 am the bar closes. You're drenched in sweat, you're nursing blisters and you're about to collapse from exhaustion. After uttering the traditional "Where are the roadies?" line, you get to reverse the whole process, tearing down that same quarter- to half-ton of gear, carting it back outside and loading it into your vehicle. You pray you haven't forgotten anything. By the end of it all you're thinking you should call George Romero because you KNOW you'd make the perfect zombie.

- You're home by 4 am. Your spouse may very well be pissed off at you for being so late. Deal with it.

Wait a minute. You forgot the part about: "After you pack up, at 3 am, you realize that you haven't eaten anything since the light lunch that you managed to scarf down on the way to something or another. You decide that you are STARVING and, despite being exhausted, you just have to go out for "breakfast"."

Best wishes,

backagain1

 

[Russel]

you guys should spend some time in a marching band or an indoor drumline.

just a rough outline of the indoor setup:
a full complement of drumline drums for a marching-size battery
6-7 keyboards (4 marimbas, 2 vibes, a xylo, set of bells)
enough multi-percussion toys to make Portnoy's toy set look weak, 2 racks for them
2 synths, the carts they go on
2 concert bass drums, 2 tam-tams, racks for both
rackmount mixer and power amp, in an skb box lovingly dubbed "scooby"
2 115's with horns, 2 118's
5 things we call "flats" basically rolling stage props
and literally, the floor. It's a 500 pound tarp on a sam's cart, what we march on instead of the gym floor.

we have a semi. 5-6 people (who know what they're doing) are able to unload that mofo in 30 minutes, the other 30 people pick their noses and haul the gear to warm-up. I'm the only guy in the group that really knows how to use ratchet traps.

We get 90 seconds to set up to perform a 7 minute show. We don't set up in time, we get penalized. Everybody has a responsibility.

A very tired same 5-6 people load all the equipment back up into the semi, with limited help from the other 30. We go home, we unload. same thing.


I think I'm ready for the gigging world. Actually.. I think it'll be a breeze.
I do all this for free, by the way. Just because I love what I do.

 

[Russel]

oh. and we play in a gym that we've usually never seen before.

 

[tkarter]

Been there done that and yeah you are all set.

tk

 

[Russel]

Been there done that and yeah you are all set.

tk

sweet. that's good to know.

who did you play with?

 

[tkarter]

Monte Vista High School band. Only toured Colorado back when but that was the toughest gigs I ever had to get ready for.

Takes a great band leader to make all that happen. IMHO

tk

 

[Russel]

yeah it does. our directors are WICKED.

 

[maddog]

you guys should spend some time in a marching band or an indoor drumline.

been there, done that. plenty of fond memories but don't want to go back and do it again. Carried around 40 pounds of brass on my shoulder attached at the lips in anything from 0 to 110 F while wearing a wool uniform for 6 years of college. Played in the Carrier Dome, Rich Stadium, RFK, Raymond James, Joe Robbie, the Gator Bowl, the Independence Bowl, The Orange Bowl, and the Tidy Bowl . Got to meet Bruce Smith, watch Boomer Esiason and Jim McMahon play for the Cardinals, watch Antonio Freeman routinely dropping balls on punt returns long before he was catching passes from Brett Favre, meet a member of the Orange Bowl selection committee who was slurring words worse than I was. Lots of stories to tell that might end up in a book some day when I figure the litigation will be worth the effort. It was fun sweating my ass off for a 3 hour football game, getting my 15 minutes of minor fame doing the Hokie Pokie on a field in front of 55,000 drunk screaming fans then cramming myself on a bus with 39 other sweaty people peeling themselves out of their sweaty stinky wool uniforms. The one thing I found out from all that is that I didn't want to be a touring musician.

 

[tkarter]

There is no sleeping in when you are in a marching band. You live on a bus.

The least fun thing there is to do is be in a traveling band.

The weekend warrior gig is much more fun.


People don't pay much for music now days.

They rock out when they hear a good band.

just sayin

tk

 

[Caca de Kick]

Being in the originals music scene means the bands don't lug PA gear around since all the clubs have house systems already.
But also doing originals also means you don't get paid much.

It's not bad at all....both me and the singer own full size pickup trucks, so we take turns driving to the gig. It's nice having the band and all the gear in one vehicle. Me and the boys have been together 9yrs now, and are still passionate about it like a bunch of teenagers. We even hang out alot when nothing music-wise is going on.

 

[Russel]

Carried around 40 pounds of brass on my shoulder attached at the lips in anything from 0 to 110 F while wearing a wool uniform for 6 years of college.

You were a tuba, eh? me too.

the biggest thing I can claim was marching with Petal in the inaguration.
Greatest senior year moment ever. To top it off, it was my 18th birthday that day. Wasn't an Obama supporter but hey; what an honor!

Much as I love it, I don't want it for college. Alas, the money that comes from it is making that gig look really attractive.... jazz studies does not pay much in terms of tuition.

Indoor percussion is a different game entirely, though... whew.

 

[kayneex]

And every venue is different - particularly when it comes to sound. You get everything dialed in during sound check, only to have the gitard (oops, did I say that out loud?) turn up his volume and start a chain reaction. Vocals feedback, you can't hear the keys, and you trust everyone is right where they should be. Then you look out at the crowd and you know all is right in the world.

tbone

Sooooooo true... Perfect picture of an average gig..You nailed it

 

[adouglas]

Adoug is describing weekend warrior more so than gigging musician.
tk

Yes, exactly right. I'm definitely there... in the "good enough to get paid, but don't quit your day job" category.

I was thinking of the many people who do this strictly as a hobby, playing at home, in basements or garages, and have not had the opportunity (or desire) to go out on a real, paying gig.

 

[LoEnd]

Who is Jager?

Jagermeister, We picked up this endoesement a while ago, being a "jager band" really helps too in getting shows I love it

 

[rhythmCity944]

Being in the originals music scene means the bands don't lug PA gear around since all the clubs have house systems already.
But also doing originals also means you don't get paid much.

It's not bad at all....both me and the singer own full size pickup trucks, so we take turns driving to the gig. It's nice having the band and all the gear in one vehicle. Me and the boys have been together 9yrs now, and are still passionate about it like a bunch of teenagers. We even hang out alot when nothing music-wise is going on.

I have to agree, most venues around the south already have the PA and sound guy in place and we just bring the amps, drums and guitars. Much less stress on the back and the gig. Just one less thing to set up. We do have a full PA if needed and the trucks or trailer to haul everything. The band even hangs out just cause sometimes because of our friendship. We don't get paid a lot but it is worth it for the fun especially when our crowd is in full force just loving what we are doing and singing our songs...Half of the band is under 20 and the other half in the mid 20s and right now we just want to perform and travel as much as we can since life allows it.

 

[rhythmCity944]

Yes, exactly right. I'm definitely there... in the "good enough to get paid, but don't quit your day job" category.

I was thinking of the many people who do this strictly as a hobby, playing at home, in basements or garages, and have not had the opportunity (or desire) to go out on a real, paying gig.

I think you nailed the experience give or take...with my country group we do have friends(roadies) that tag along so I guess it makes it easier plus we play so often, I think we have that load, unload, setup, perform, reload, unload routine down

 

[RobW]

- The next day you feel like you've been in a rugby match, even if you weren't drinking the night before.

It really is amazing how sore one can get from "just playing music"...