Day job and gigging, how do you do it?

von buck · #1 12-17-2008, 05:06 PM

After nearly 30 plus years of only gigging, i just started my first day job ever (been playing professionally since high school)
I decided I was tired of only getting by and worried about cancellations and all the other fun things. so I went back to school and became a librarian.
I'm working 8.30 to 5 pm five days a week, and I'm exhusted doing that and tring to keep my gig schedual. i8 just turned down a gig for this Thursday night because I knew I'd be tired to give it 100%
So what do you guys do? Coffee? Red Bulls? ...
i'm still doing my weekend gigs and one steady jam that at this point is more playing for/with friends.
But I'm dead tired!
BTW, i'm finding library work to be as enjoyable as playing bass, only with 3 times the mohney!!

Andy

thehurlatron · #2 12-17-2008, 05:43 PM

It's rough!

I was working 7:30am-5:30pm M-F, and the band I was with was doing regular bar/club gigs on Wed, and Friday, and maybe every third or so Saturday as well. I did this for about a year, then had to can that gig. It was literally killing me. Not enough sleep, and way too busy. I was getting to the point of dreading going to gigs, and that's not a good place to be. It was either ditch the band, or quit my day job. Well, the day gig payed 10x more a week, so you can imagine how hard that choice was.

Now I gig maybe once a month. I look forward to the gig, and get to stay sane and rested. Now that I'm married with kids, gigging 2-3 times a week, plus a day job is no interest to me. I don't rely on the cash from gigs anymore, and I have no want to become a touring rockstar anymore.

Steve · #3 12-17-2008, 05:56 PM

You can eventually get used to the pace but, it's REAL work and not a lot of fun.

The after work nap is critical. Gigs that don't allow for that are no goes.

It's easier for me to work a heavy schedule of both and get used to the grind or just work weekends. The occaisional mid weekers will kill you.

Man when I was young, I worked construction every day, played 4-5 night's a week and chased cocktail waitresses in between and was pretty good at all of it if I do say so myself. Those days are O-V-E-R.

sobie18 · #4 12-17-2008, 05:58 PM

Naps are cool. I recommend exercising to give yourself the energy bosst you need. Sounds weird but it helps. You should try working 12+ hrs and then gigging....

tycobb73 · #5 12-18-2008, 10:55 AM

Add to this that my kids always wake me up at 7:00. I can go on almost no sleep for a couple of nights ina row as long as I can catch up at some point.

Morfman6 · #6 12-18-2008, 12:12 PM

+1 on exercise. Naps prior to gigs however leave me groggy and sluggish. Friday nights are the ones that hurt me.....usually due to getting to work early so that I can get out a bit early. By the time I am loaded out and on the way home I have been up for 22+ hours and my eyes start to fail on me. Here are a few guidelines I try to follow:

Don't drink energy drinks or coffee after 3 PM.
Stretch out before and after gigs.
If the gig is more than 1.5 hours away get a motel room.
Easy on the alcohol.
After parties are nogo.
Keep the post gig meals small.
Get up as early as you are able on Sunday and stay up until at least 9:30PM.
Drink lots of water.

These seem to help however some shows are just going to hurt. If that is the case, I eat a Gu and do 2 tequila shots....everything seems ok after that

Jehos · #7 12-18-2008, 12:22 PM

I work 10 hour days, 8-6 M-F. Rehearsals are about a 1/2 drive away.

What works for me is to rehearse once a week normally on a weekday and I have to be out by 11:30pm. Gigs are strictly weekend deals, usually Saturday nights so there's no leaving work and going to a gig. It works out well for me and the band never pushes to do more because we've all got day jobs.

von buck · #8 12-20-2008, 09:15 AM

Well besides being tired, I just found out the real draw back to working days.
It's still snowing Sat. morning here and southern N.E., and the school I'm working at is open because of finals.
So instead of going back to sleep, I just drove in ( a two hour drive, ordinarily 45 minutes) and now I'm sitting in an empty library posting to Talk Bass.
Oh well, my gigs this weekend got cancelled, so I'll have this money in two weeks.

Andy

The Golden Boy · #9 12-20-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thehurlatron

Now I gig maybe once a month. I look forward to the gig, and get to stay sane and rested. Now that I'm married with kids, gigging 2-3 times a week, plus a day job is no interest to me. I don't rely on the cash from gigs anymore, and I have no want to become a touring rockstar anymore.

That's me.

Between work and family, I barely have time to practice, not to mention play.

Once it starts getting so busy that I'm not spending enough time with the wife and kids and not getting any "me" time- the music stuff becomes an "I have to" sort of thing, and that's not what it has been for me for the past 30 years.

von buck · #10 12-20-2008, 10:20 AM

I shouldn't complain about having to go to work in this weather, I'm getting paid. If I didn't have a regular job, I'd be panicking about making rent with three cancellations.

Andy

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #11 12-20-2008, 12:10 PM

For me, it's all about balance. One gig feeds the family, and the other feeds the soul (actually, both do a bit of both, but I hope you know what I mean...). Once I had a full time day gig, playing 150-180 nights a year didn't make a lot of sense any more. The day gig pays the bills, which leaves you less time to play, but also allows more freedom to pick and choose when you want to play and who you want to play with. Learning when to say "no" is important, even when you'd like to play the gig. I have a short list of players/groups that I'll play with with any regularity, and I limit the gigs to between 80 and 110 a year. The quantity goes down, but the quality goes up, which is a nice compromise.

bucephylus · #12 12-20-2008, 02:39 PM

This is a really good topic for this board, because it probably addresses an issue that many TB'ers have.

My last two gigs were good gigs, but I was ultimately discharged because I could not play at the pace that the band wanted to work at. My limit is 3-4 nights a month with full time work.

Admittedly, my job, until recently was 7:30AM until 6 or 7PM with some travel; and that is pretty heavy.

I am not sure there really is an answer. And the really frustrating thing is that as hard as it is to locate gigs with good chemistry, if you have some talent, this factor really creates a nightmare; because any band with a reasonable amount of capability is going to want to gig on a regular basis. They all do.

Best solution is to take one day at a time, take naps, and do your best.

To quote Mose Allison, "I don't worry 'bout a thing, cause I know nuthin's going to be all right."

RockNRollAl · #13 12-27-2008, 03:15 AM

It's my 6 figure job that allows me to buy more gear for gigging.

CamMcIntyre · #14 12-28-2008, 10:57 PM

During my heaviest phase with my day job, it's 10-5 4-5 days a week. I'm only part time, so lately it's been closer to 3-4 days a week. A few summers ago, I worked full time as a member of the grounds crew while playing in a band. That summer, it was work 7-3PM, shower, dinner, rehearsal 6-10ish. I like my schedule much better now.

I play theater and jazz on the weekends. My current gig is Friday-Sunday and typically 2 Sundays a month, I do an evening Jazz/Poetry gig. So my busiest days are Friday and Sunday. Friday I go from work to theater gig and Sunday I go from theater to Poetry Slam Gig.....and hope that the CTA isn't delayed too much.

Every so often I'll do a week day gig-if it's a late night gig, I know that I'll need Redbull in the morning.

Beyond that, keep the post gig meal small if you need to wake up before noon the next day. Wake up a consistent time to avoid screwing up your internal clock. Drink lots of water.

Limit the amount of partying you do. I've found that even though I'm young [22] that when I party too hard, I'm off my game for a few days. For me, being extremely sleep deprived is worse than being hung over. Hung over means I'll have a head ache and will be moving slow. Extremely sleep deprived and I don't function well at all.

The biggest thing that I'm looking forward to is when i can quit my day job and support myself via music.

Jefenator · #15 12-29-2008, 12:50 AM

You very smart man. Enjoy your new freedom from lame gigs!

I thought I might be joining you but my day job is 1) also in a creative i.e. not-remunerative field and 2) is cutting back from 5 to 4 to (gulp) 1 day a week to survive the winter.

So if you'd rather not do that Carpenters revue... I'll take it!