- Thread starter Mobay45
- Start date
shamus63
Well-known member
Hotel gigs can be a real pain-in-the-ass!
Short version: Basically, you take an elevator ride from the overcrowded loading dock to the labyrinth of hallways leading to...an exit or the kitchen.
Usually with a load-in and sound check deadline, too.
Reverse everything at the end of the gig, when you're dead-tired and hungry.
Think Spinal Tap.
Short version: Basically, you take an elevator ride from the overcrowded loading dock to the labyrinth of hallways leading to...an exit or the kitchen.
Usually with a load-in and sound check deadline, too.
Reverse everything at the end of the gig, when you're dead-tired and hungry.
Think Spinal Tap.
Colin
Well-known member
those experience's will be funny to you in a few years...
Straight UP
Well-known member
GIG Peeves
Well I have to jump in here..
The part I dislike about most gigging is the Load out.
We are a six piece band and we travell in a convoy usually 5 vehicles (mini vans) full of gear.
The load in is ok cause were fresh. The preforming part we can hardly wait for after all that is what it is all about .
It's the load out after you have spent just about all your energy, that gets me..
The drive home I think is great usually on deserted roads at 4 am in the morning. I usually always find myself looking for some place to get a meal.. Some times Were lucky and get food other times every thing is closed up.
Another pet peeev
Don't you just love the gigs you do that have an agenda to follow. Rarly are they on time and you get you gig cut short.. I guess better short than not at all..
And yes I consider the part were paid for is the gear moving and transportation required.
Yet another!!
One thing some of the bars expect around my parts is that the band drink all their profits and pay a bar tab besides. Can you beleive it.... We do not drink untill after our gig is done..Then just one beer is all we take..We work hard for 20 odd hours per gig and feel we should take out earnings with us not leave them plus at the bar.. BUT there are some bands that do just what the bar likes..I just cannot imagine playing in a drunk band.. shed the thought.. (I'm actually glad we rarely play bars)
Any way this is getting to be a book so I will stop here for now..
Well I have to jump in here..
The part I dislike about most gigging is the Load out.
We are a six piece band and we travell in a convoy usually 5 vehicles (mini vans) full of gear.
The load in is ok cause were fresh. The preforming part we can hardly wait for after all that is what it is all about .
It's the load out after you have spent just about all your energy, that gets me..
The drive home I think is great usually on deserted roads at 4 am in the morning. I usually always find myself looking for some place to get a meal.. Some times Were lucky and get food other times every thing is closed up.
Another pet peeev
Don't you just love the gigs you do that have an agenda to follow. Rarly are they on time and you get you gig cut short.. I guess better short than not at all..
And yes I consider the part were paid for is the gear moving and transportation required.
Yet another!!
One thing some of the bars expect around my parts is that the band drink all their profits and pay a bar tab besides. Can you beleive it.... We do not drink untill after our gig is done..Then just one beer is all we take..We work hard for 20 odd hours per gig and feel we should take out earnings with us not leave them plus at the bar.. BUT there are some bands that do just what the bar likes..I just cannot imagine playing in a drunk band.. shed the thought.. (I'm actually glad we rarely play bars)
Any way this is getting to be a book so I will stop here for now..
silverburst
Well-known member
We did a gig in Vegas, and showed up to find out there were two rooms with their own bars in the club (big club). And it turned out we had the small one in the back, and a local band with a following was in the front room. Of course our bar did not do well, and our share turned out to be $50 each. For a 5-hour drive each way, etc. etc. etc.
Bill
Well-known member
I agree! If I have a gig that's a little ways away from my house (say, 50 or 60 miles or so...anything that involves at least an hour's drive), I've always enjoyed the late-night ride home. I LOVE driving when there's almost nobody else on the road. I also enjoy the late-night food run after a gig. Same thing here...most things around town are closed, but sometimes I'll find something open.The drive home I think is great usually on deserted roads at 4 am in the morning. I usually always find myself looking for some place to get a meal.. Some times Were lucky and get food other times every thing is closed up.
Another pet peeev
mrpackerguy
Well-known member
Last Saturday night, we played in a bar we'd not played in before. Actually the bar was the center of the complex, a ballroom to the left (which we had played in last year) and a supper club to the right with only one access door...right where the band sets up.
So we were supposed to play 9:30-1:30. It's 9:00 and there are still folks eating in the supper club. Meanwhile a pool tournament is going on in the ballroom, 24 teams of 6 (nice crowd, though). We hauled all our gear in, plugged in as much as possible, could only get one light stand in the corner all five us played in. So finally the onwer says "just go ahead and finish setting up" and the last 10 people or so eating had to exit outside through the kitchen rather than through the complex.
It ended up being a fun gig, though with a nice dancing-all-night-kinda-crowd and the last few songs of the night, the two bartenders were dancing on the bar. We even got flashed once. So all in all, while a pain in the but initially, turned out fine. And paid in cash, too.
So we were supposed to play 9:30-1:30. It's 9:00 and there are still folks eating in the supper club. Meanwhile a pool tournament is going on in the ballroom, 24 teams of 6 (nice crowd, though). We hauled all our gear in, plugged in as much as possible, could only get one light stand in the corner all five us played in. So finally the onwer says "just go ahead and finish setting up" and the last 10 people or so eating had to exit outside through the kitchen rather than through the complex.
It ended up being a fun gig, though with a nice dancing-all-night-kinda-crowd and the last few songs of the night, the two bartenders were dancing on the bar. We even got flashed once. So all in all, while a pain in the but initially, turned out fine. And paid in cash, too.
Straight UP
Well-known member
Ahh ..
You have to love the paid in cash gig's...
They are the best espesially after you play an out door festival in 40degree C. heat.. For 3 sets ..Get the money and try to think straight enough to count it..
That really did happen a couple years back..
But yeh cash is the best..
Checks take a little longer to divide ..
You have to love the paid in cash gig's...
They are the best espesially after you play an out door festival in 40degree C. heat.. For 3 sets ..Get the money and try to think straight enough to count it..
That really did happen a couple years back..
But yeh cash is the best..
Checks take a little longer to divide ..
AtomicPunk
Well-known member
My band played a New Years Eve show, started at 9:30, ended at 3:15, while we played it had snowed 10-12", so the loadout was a completely different experience than the load-in, which was DRY. I was totally drained from the show and had no energy left to load out.
Then the drive for an hour and a half at 5 am thru the snow, to get home and beach the car in the driveway because I can't get it up the drive.
Woke up in the morning and shoveled the drive and got the car dug out.
It was fun.
Then the drive for an hour and a half at 5 am thru the snow, to get home and beach the car in the driveway because I can't get it up the drive.
Woke up in the morning and shoveled the drive and got the car dug out.
It was fun.
Ohh the stories I could tell - and Tommy could top them all!!
My favorite load out? Up a 12 foot cliff (there was a ramp) after a wedding reception. As the band is 3 women and Tommy, we ladies started carrying gear up the ramp only to be quickly aided by gentlemen wedding guests. With all of that extra help, we were done in less than 30 minutes, even with the cliff! (yes, Tommy carried plenty of gear, too, and did the whole set up by himself as well!!)
My worst nightmare was driving home after a gig at 1:30 AM in a hurricane. Loading out wasn't too bad, the full storm hadn't quite hit yet, but on the way home I had to cross a stream in the middle of nowhere on a small bridge with the overflow rushing around my wheel axles. I only tried it beacuse I knew the water was only about 6 inches deep by the yellow lines still visible through the rushing water. As I was crossing the creek, I could picture myself being pulled out of my submerged truck by helicopter on the evening news, but I made it, OK - scary, though!
My favorite load out? Up a 12 foot cliff (there was a ramp) after a wedding reception. As the band is 3 women and Tommy, we ladies started carrying gear up the ramp only to be quickly aided by gentlemen wedding guests. With all of that extra help, we were done in less than 30 minutes, even with the cliff! (yes, Tommy carried plenty of gear, too, and did the whole set up by himself as well!!
)My worst nightmare was driving home after a gig at 1:30 AM in a hurricane. Loading out wasn't too bad, the full storm hadn't quite hit yet, but on the way home I had to cross a stream in the middle of nowhere on a small bridge with the overflow rushing around my wheel axles. I only tried it beacuse I knew the water was only about 6 inches deep by the yellow lines still visible through the rushing water. As I was crossing the creek, I could picture myself being pulled out of my submerged truck by helicopter on the evening news, but I made it, OK - scary, though!
Smallmouth_Bass
Well-known member
This week it has been around - 20*C and I literally have 6 foot snow banks in front of my house. I'm a little glad I have no gigs right now!
SteveB
Well-known member
My favorite gig was a New Year's Eve party at a campground in the middle of hick town, USA. They had 500 paying guests, tons of food and even more drink. By the end of the night, a brawl had erupted in the rear of the hall, a few people were put through windows.. I can't tell you how quickly we (and the 2 other bands) loaded out that night.. hahaha. On the way home in the wee hours, my cousin's trace elliot amp somehow fell out of the truck it was in while driving down the interstate.. the gig was over an hour drive.. etc. etc.
Good times.
Good times.
oli@bass
Well-known member
we play gigs it rains.....it like a law here !! in the summer time the rain is just slightly warmer than winter time....
i just love giging.......from the load to the carry to the set up to the playing ect ....i just love it.its all about having a bit of fun while you do it.
i dont like the rain much mind you!!
i just love giging.......from the load to the carry to the set up to the playing ect ....i just love it.its all about having a bit of fun while you do it.
i dont like the rain much mind you!!
