Thrown together shows. Love 'em or hate 'em?

two fingers · #1 02-07-2013, 08:57 PM

I went back and forth as to whether this belongs in Band Management, Humor and Gig Stories, or here. So if it doesn't belong here, please move. Thanks!

So, oddly enough, I LOVE to play last minute, thrown together shows. Somebody calls me and says, "Hey man, I just heard that the Scuzzy Sisters canceled their show at the Mud Bucket Friday night. Whataya say we get some guys together and go play? I can bring my drummer, and you find somebody for guitar and maybe keys."

It sounds crazy, but those are some of my absolute FAVORITE gigs. They are a BLAST. You get to hand-pick your favorite players (if they are available). No rehearsals. Just show up and play. Set lists? We don't need no stinking set lists! And we take requests too! We may not know the song, but we'll play it anyway (or at least part of it). I have one of those shows Saturday night. All good friends that I have played with in the past in one project or another. But never this lineup on stage before. Gonna be fun!

What about you? Do you like flying by the seat of your pants?

**baba** · #2 02-08-2013, 07:14 AM

These are hands down my favorite gigs. Missed one for tonight by 15 minutes! Someone responded quicker.

RedMoses · #3 02-08-2013, 07:56 AM

With the right line up a totally imporved set can be more exciting than one thats has been practiced to the point that it feels stale. However, in most cases this is a recipe for disaister, it takes good musicians to pull it off.

Yango · #4 02-08-2013, 08:11 AM

I've done a couple, and hated 'em both.

It could have been fun, but the guitar players at both shows just didn't know any of the songs that they said they did. It was embarrassing.

I suppose the only positive was that everyone in the club was so blasted that I don't think they even noticed...

BryanM · #5 02-08-2013, 09:31 AM

I love playing every chance I get. Once I was called at 5:30PM on a Saturday afternoon to play a gig that started at 7PM on the other side of town and I was without a vehicle at the time. The venue has house equipment including an SVT and 8x10 so I threw my bass on my back and hopped a bus. I made it at 6:45, plugged in and went. It was a blast.

funkingroovin · #6 02-08-2013, 10:28 AM

I also love those impromptu 'gigs'..true,there's a lot of potential for a trainwreck,but for me,the fun-factor wins in the end..

Lo-E · #7 02-08-2013, 10:32 AM

They can really be a blast once in a while. (They can also be completely catastrophic.)

More often than not, they're a lot of fun, but as a way of life? No thanks. Once in a while is more than enough for me.

klejst · #8 02-08-2013, 10:50 AM

They can be fun and stage experience/exposure. I have always been in loud rock bands, but we have locally shared the stage on shows where you think "who the he** arranged this show or this lineup?" There is us and then a pop band, a country band and a hardcore screamo band all on the same gig. With a gig like that the trick is playing second or third because you usually get the best amount crowd wise. It depends though, as others have said it can be fun, especially if all the bands just have fun with it, or it can be a total catastrophe.