Friday Night and No Gig

MarkMgibson · #1 02-08-2013, 05:45 AM

I don't know why this annoys me so much, but I can't stand not having a gig on a Friday night. A Saturday, well, that's not good either, but it doesn't ever bother me as much (unless I'm really short of money).

I did have a gig booked, but my drummer's wife decided to have a baby two weeks early. There was only a few hours notice, so I had to cancel. Personally, I think his priorities are messed up - he should have played the gig, but in these politically correct times, what can you say? I would have bought him a nice cigar if he'd done the gig. Selfish git.

fourstringdrums · #2 02-08-2013, 05:48 AM

I hope you're not serious...

Our guitarist's wife had a baby and we just played the gig without him.

MarkMgibson · #3 02-08-2013, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

I hope you're not serious...

Our guitarist's wife had a baby and we just played the gig without him.

No, of course I wasn't being serious. I'll be at the hospital in the morning (he's one my best friends). I'm just bored to death - Friday nights should be spent on stage.

And I already bought him a nice cigar.

DwaynieAD · #4 02-08-2013, 06:11 AM

OP made me laugh. personally I like gigging Saturday nights.

MarkMgibson · #5 02-08-2013, 06:32 AM

Every gig's a good one, but I detest not playing on Friday nights - I'm not sure why, maybe it's just because it's the start of the weekend, but it drives me mad. Damn fools having children, but what can you do? (besides bitch on a forum).

I just found out they had a girl, and called her Molly (good name).

BBox Bass · #6 02-08-2013, 07:17 AM

For the first time in few months, I don't have a gig tonight or tomorrow, but no biggie. I'll just go hear someone else play.

MarkMgibson · #7 02-08-2013, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBox Bass

For the first time in few months, I don't have a gig tonight or tomorrow, but no biggie. I'll just go hear someone else play.

That brings up a good question: for those that don't have family obligations, if you're not playing yourself, do you go out and see other bands? I usually do, but tonight there was nobody playing that I hadn't seen (and didn't much like). Usually I go a see a friend's band, or one of my brother's bands, or just a band I haven't seen before.

One of my band-mates just turned up with his keyboard and a bottle of scotch (fair play), but he's single as well, so we're trying to work out an old Osmosis song (She Didn't Even Remember My Name) It was a big hit here in early 70's, I think the band is from South Africa. Great song if we can pull it off. We have good harmonies, but this song is a real challenge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=7EmntlxTcPc

I doubt we'd attempt it if we were sober, but we've tried some great songs through inebriation. A couple of them have worked, so who knows?

jaywa · #8 02-08-2013, 07:58 AM

It seems like I'm playing a lot more Friday nights than Saturday nights... at least so far this year.

Personally I would rather play Saturday nights cause I have a Monday thru Friday day job and for me it's harder to get my head in the game when I'm playing a gig straight off a week of work than when I've had Saturday to chill around the house and get rested up a bit. OTOH if I've had a *really* crappy week of work, sometimes letting off steam on stage for a few hours Friday night is great therapy.

And around here anyway, the whole deal of playing both nights at the same venue is pretty much a thing of the past. Only a couple of clubs even hire a band for a full weekend anymore.

MarkMgibson · #9 02-08-2013, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

It seems like I'm playing a lot more Friday nights than Saturday nights... at least so far this year.

Personally I would rather play Saturday nights cause I have a Monday thru Friday day job and for me it's harder to get my head in the game when I'm playing a gig straight off a week of work than when I've had Saturday to chill around the house and get rested up a bit. OTOH if I've had a *really* crappy week of work, sometimes letting off steam on stage for a few hours Friday night is great therapy.

And around here anyway, the whole deal of playing both nights at the same venue is pretty much a thing of the past. Only a couple of clubs even hire a band for a full weekend anymore.

It's true here too, but in Australia, most of the venues are owned by a 2 or 3 big companies. Politics aside, it means we're often hired by one or two chains, and rotate though their different venues. It's quite rare that I don't play Friday and Saturday night with my band, and afternoon gigs with my duo. Once you get in good with the "area managers" (or whatever), it does work in your favour.

It used to be different - I remember when your nearly always got hired for Friday and Saturday nights at a single venue, often for 2 or 3 weeks at a time - that was standard in the 80's. That just doesn't happen these days.

jaywa · #10 02-08-2013, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

It used to be different - I remember when your nearly always got hired for Friday and Saturday nights at a single venue, often for 2 or 3 weeks at a time - that was standard in the 80's. That just doesn't happen these days.

Indeed... and I have friends just a few years older than me who were in bands that would actually get hired at a venue for a week at a time (i.e. Tuesday or Wed thru Saturday inclusive, 4-hour shows every night). That was back in the late 70s to mid 80s which was really the golden era for live "local/regional" bands in this part of the world anyway.

Times have definitely changed.

aguacateojos · #11 02-08-2013, 08:42 AM

Had a gig scheduled for tonight in CT but the promoter cancelled due to the blizzard we're supposed to get... no snow so far.

jaywa · #12 02-08-2013, 09:01 AM

I think there's gonna be a lot of gigs getting cancelled in the Northeast this weekend.

Hopefully they all get made up somehow.

**Astreaux** · #13 02-08-2013, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

Indeed... and I have friends just a few years older than me who were in bands that would actually get hired at a venue for a week at a time (i.e. Tuesday or Wed thru Saturday inclusive, 4-hour shows every night). That was back in the late 70s to mid 80s which was really the golden era for live "local/regional" bands in this part of the world anyway.

Times have definitely changed.

+1 Indeed!

MatticusMania · #14 02-08-2013, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

I just found out they had a girl, and called her Molly (good name).

Tonight my friend is having a Rave Themed Birthday party.
Ive never been to a rave, myself so Im not sure what to wear.
Everyone keeps talking about this girl Molly thats supposed to be there, I think she might be a DJ.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

That brings up a good question: for those that don't have family obligations, if you're not playing yourself, do you go out and see other bands?

Sometimes, though tonight I'll be playing with glowsticks and pacifiers.

Ziltoid · #15 02-08-2013, 09:25 AM

The title of my thread would be "Life - no gig". Calbodago would be proud of me.

P. Aaron · #16 02-08-2013, 12:21 PM

Playing at a church tonite. A benefit for some volunteers. I always chide one of our cute female singers (also married) about how many Commandments we could break.

MarkMgibson · #17 02-08-2013, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

Indeed... and I have friends just a few years older than me who were in bands that would actually get hired at a venue for a week at a time (i.e. Tuesday or Wed thru Saturday inclusive, 4-hour shows every night). That was back in the late 70s to mid 80s which was really the golden era for live "local/regional" bands in this part of the world anyway.

Times have definitely changed.

Yeah, I was in a house band in one pub for months when I was about 18. We'd play Wed to Saturday, sometimes as a support act to bigger bands on the weekend, but still, that's a rarity these days. Duos and solo performers sometimes get hired that way now, but not bands. Mid-week gigs for bands are very rare these days.

jaywa · #18 02-08-2013, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Yeah, I was in a house band in one pub for months when I was about 18. We'd play Wed to Saturday, sometimes as a support act to bigger bands on the weekend, but still, that's a rarity these days.

That would have been a blast. I missed out on all that by a few years but my older musician friends have all kinds of great tales to tell from that era.

Or at least, what they can remember of it anyway.

MarkMgibson · #19 02-09-2013, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

That would have been a blast. I missed out on all that by a few years but my older musician friends have all kinds of great tales to tell from that era.

Or at least, what they can remember of it anyway.

You're right, those times were a blast. Even the club managers had a lot of respect for musicians. If you could pull in a crowd, they'd treat you very well indeed.

It's a lot tougher for musos these days, no doubt about it. I know some good young bands (better than we were) who are always struggling. In the early 80's, if your band was good, you could always get gigs. If you had any sort of following, you could negotiate your rates, or door percentages. Going out and seeing live music was sort of the standard form of entertainment then; how times have changed, all for the worse.

TOOL460002 · #20 02-10-2013, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Tonight my friend is having a Rave Themed Birthday party.
Ive never been to a rave, myself so Im not sure what to wear.
Everyone keeps talking about this girl Molly thats supposed to be there, I think she might be a DJ.

Sometimes, though tonight I'll be playing with glowsticks and pacifiers.

I fully approve. No gig. Birthday. Music. And that DJ... Have fun!