Longest you've ever played in one day?

jaywa · #1 08-07-2008, 08:45 AM

Just curious, what is the longest "day" you have put in on a live gig? (Not figuratively, but in terms of actual hours). Also, have any of you ever played a festival or other multi-band event where you were part of two or more bands on the same bill?

Practice time doesn't count, so all you 12-hour a day bedroom heroes can stay out of this one

blockhd · #2 08-07-2008, 08:49 AM

My gigs last for 6 hours ... Longest gig ever was 11 hours ... 7pm to 6 am next day. I was dead for 2 days

von buck · #3 08-07-2008, 08:49 AM

Last Memorial Day I played a zydeco festival where I was thew house bass player. My band played for 2 hours, then I backed up the next two accordian players, each for a two hour set. There was an hour dinner break, then each group did another hour and a half.
Sunday it started all over again, only this time each band did only one two hour set and there were a few bass players who showed up and wanted to sit in.

Andy

51m0n · #4 08-07-2008, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blockhd

My gigs last for 6 hours ... Longest gig ever was 11 hours ... 7pm to 6 am next day. I was dead for 2 days

What kind of a gig is that!??!

GreyBeard · #5 08-07-2008, 08:57 AM

When I was 19 I went on the road in the summer with a local band that always did a summer tour. We had only been gigging on the wk ends for 3-4 hr gigs. Our first gig was in Rock Island at a place called the Yankee Clipper. We started at 9:00 pm and ended at 3:00 pm (6 hrs) which wasn't that big a deal but, it was for 6 days straight. 3 day in the lead singer lost his voice and we had to struggle through with the backups. My fingers were so sore I had to use a pick, which I had never done. The lead guitar players left hand was raw, the trumpet players lip looked like a piece of raw meat. etc. etc.

sevenyearsdown · #6 08-07-2008, 09:05 AM

Opened the Warp Tour in Buffalo back in '97. The set itself wasn't long, but we had to get there at 8:00am.....get our passes and all that, then sit for hours before we went on. We only had about 8 more hours to go after we played. Plus it rained half the day. Long sloppy day walking around in soaking wet blue jeans. There were no booze around either.

dukaruk · #7 08-07-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 51m0n

What kind of a gig is that!??!

seriously... it that you, mike gordon?

jaywa · #8 08-07-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreyBeard

We started at 9:00 pm and ended at 3:00 pm (6 hrs) which wasn't that big a deal but, it was for 6 days straight. 3 day in the lead singer lost his voice and we had to struggle through with the backups. My fingers were so sore I had to use a pick, which I had never done. The lead guitar players left hand was raw, the trumpet players lip looked like a piece of raw meat. etc. etc.

I can't even imagine being a horn player on a gig like that...

rockambo · #9 08-07-2008, 09:08 AM

A few years ago on St. Paddy's day, we played two shows at two different venues in the suburbs and then played two full sets that evening. We were set to play longer, but the bar shut us down. The floor was shaking so badly that the management was afraid it would collapse. I don't know what the total playing time was, but I was on call from 10:30 am until 1:00 am. The nice thing was that we didn't have to break down the equipment until the next morning (before they started serving brunch that is).

Mr. E Bassist · #10 08-07-2008, 09:10 AM

I think my longest was only about 4 hours. I was playing with a jazz combo touring honduras just here back in may, and we were playing at the club in San Pedro Sula, and they just wouldn't let us quit, so we played from 10-2. I don't think i've ever sweat that much in my life, it was like 95 degrees (at night) we were in a cramped little bar, my double bass was pissed at me, but it was a great time.

lonote · #11 08-07-2008, 09:13 AM

The agent for my old band often booked us for 3 separate shows on St. Patrick's Day (a big deal in St. Paul). That meant 3 set-ups and tear downs. Usually, we would have an early afternoon show something like 1:00 - 3:00, a later show like 5:00 - 7:00 (both in downtown St. Paul) and a 9:00 - 1:00 in the suburbs. I eventually came to hate St. Patrick's Day!

sevenyearsdown · #12 08-07-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonote

The agent for my old band often booked us for 3 separate shows on St. Patrick's Day (a big deal in St. Paul). That meant 3 set-ups and tear downs. Usually, we would have an early afternoon show something like 1:00 - 3:00, a later show like 5:00 - 7:00 (both in downtown St. Paul) and a 9:00 - 1:00 in the suburbs. I eventually came to hate St. Patrick's Day!

My back would be killing me!

rockambo · #13 08-07-2008, 09:28 AM

As the evening wears on the alcohol definitely numbs the pain. The worst thing for me is always moving equipment, I always strain, scrape, or jam something in the process.

mikezimmerman · #14 08-07-2008, 09:28 AM

Not sure exactly how to count the hours on this one, but a few years ago, my band and another band of our friends were hired to do an outdoor show at a bar in association with the start of RAGBRAI, a big bike race/party that starts on the western edge of Iowa and goes across the state. The streets were going to be closed off, so we arrived before 10am to set up. We weren't set to play until 6pm, but with 10 musicians who loved playing together and all their gear set up waiting to go, by 1:30pm we just couldn't resist any more. The two bands swapped off sets--and members--until about 1am, when the bar finally had to shut things down.

Mike

chicago_mike · #15 08-07-2008, 09:51 AM

I played both stages of Kingston Mines...this is almost common..

every hour on the hour I hop to the other stage. From 9:30pm to 3:30am, 4:30 am on Saturdaynight/Sunday morning. =)

Its actually a lot of fun...well..at least when we start calling up guests I can get my corona fix.

jaywa · #16 08-07-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikezimmerman

Not sure exactly how to count the hours on this one, but a few years ago, my band and another band of our friends were hired to do an outdoor show at a bar in association with the start of RAGBRAI, a big bike race/party that starts on the western edge of Iowa and goes across the state. The streets were going to be closed off, so we arrived before 10am to set up. We weren't set to play until 6pm, but with 10 musicians who loved playing together and all their gear set up waiting to go, by 1:30pm we just couldn't resist any more. The two bands swapped off sets--and members--until about 1am, when the bar finally had to shut things down.

Mike

That sounds like a blast. I'm familiar with RAGBRAI, living where I do and had an uncle who rode in it for a few years. Was it hot enough for you?

jaywa · #17 08-07-2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicago_mike

I played both stages of Kingston Mines...this is almost common..

every hour on the hour I hop to the other stage. From 9:30pm to 3:30am, 4:30 am on Saturdaynight/Sunday morning. =)

So, do you have a rig set up on each stage then, or what?

mikezimmerman · #18 08-07-2008, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

That sounds like a blast. I'm familiar with RAGBRAI, living where I do and had an uncle who rode in it for a few years. Was it hot enough for you?

I recall it being pretty hot and sunny, so we all drank a lot of beer to make up for it (as did the 3000+ people who were there watching us, judging by the number of runs the beer delivery guy made and the mass of beer cans left at the end of the night...)

It was a good time!
Mike

chicago_mike · #19 08-07-2008, 09:59 AM

Yep. If I sub for a cat, then his rig will be on that stage that I wasnt supposed to play on. Happened just a couple weeks ago. Its funny when I hear people comment on seeing the bass player scatter from stage to stage.

I Havent gotten burned out from it, But when I sleep I sleep good.

jaywa · #20 08-07-2008, 10:03 AM

One reason I'm asking is, I'm scheduled to be on a festival with my "main" band, but also on the bill is another band I sub for pretty regularly. I'm pretty sure their regular bassist will be on that gig but with those guys they sometimes don't know till the last minute. There's an outside chance I could wind up playing twice.