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40 Degrees....too cold to play outside?

#83
51PRI said:
Lots of good comments...thanks. A lot of questions I don't answers for, but some I do:
1. Money is not great. Right in the middle of "decent" IMO. But it is a new venue for bands and we're a new band and there really aren't very many places to play around here.
2. As this is their first Fall having bands I don't know if they are set up with heaters for customers (and the band) or not or if they are just figuring this out on the fly.
3. The venue is owned by a guy who two of the band, in their previous band, had played for before, before 2020.
4. I feel like I don't want to be the one to say no because of possible cold weather. I have some finger(tip)less gloves that I can wear.
5. The gig is from 8-11 so there's a good chance of it being cold.
6. We played last weekend outside and it was 80 but there was a briskness in the air. Fall is definitely here.
7. RIght now here, at 10:30 AM it's 57 degrees but it's overcast and there is a little wind. It would be uncomfortable playing outside...doable but uncomfortable.
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Consider potential damage to your gear as well. Gear loves to break with major temp fluctuations.
 
#85
During the pandemic we did a NYE ('21?) gig in a big tent attached to a bar even though everything was shut down. A lot of places in the suburbs did whatever they wanted. They did have a heater but you couldn't move in the place. Slammed.

It was 14 degrees outside.
 
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#89
pepj said:
I wouldn't do it...and I dont know any booker who would entertain it either.
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We don't use a booker and I don't think any other band here does, either. We just book ourselves.

I just found out that they have a band Friday night as well and it is if course Halloween weekend. Potrntial party time!
 
#90
Consider the booker is anyone involved in the booking. If anyone says to me the gig is outside, my first response is what is the weather contingency..and the only way you then wont know the situation is because information was withheld..not because you didn't ask.
 
#91
sean_on_bass said:
Consider potential damage to your gear as well. Gear loves to break with major temp fluctuations.
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Meh. All that gear is mass produced, and shipped in unheated truck trailers all over North America. If you live in Minnesota and you buy a piece of electronic equipment in March, it's pretty likely it was shipped from the port of LA in January or February, which means it was probably -40 in that trailer at some point.
 
#92
51PRI said:
I just found out that they have a band Friday night as well and it is if course Halloween weekend. Potrntial party time!
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Is this place close enough you can drop in Friday night and see how they handle the band and customers outside?

I'm astounded at how your band is just going to see what happens with this instead of being a little bit proactive.
 
#93
pepj said:
Consider the booker is anyone involved in the booking. If anyone says to me the gig is outside, my first response is what is the weather contingency..and the only way you then wont know the situation is because information was withheld..not because you didn't ask.
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Another factor has emerged...rain is now predicted for Saturday afternoon and we likely won't know for sure until then. I can imagine another cancellation at this venue because of rain.
gln1955 said:
Is this place close enough you can drop in Friday night and see how they handle the band and customers outside?

I'm astounded at how your band is just going to see what happens with this instead of being a little bit proactive.
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Yes, it is close enough for me to stop by but I likely won't. And our BL has been proactive about reaching out to the clubowner about what they want to do, and of course they wanted us to play right up until they realized that it was for sure going to rain. I expect the same thing this week. But, yes, he's been proactive, probably more than I would have been and maybe to the point of being a pain to the club owner as well.
 
#94
51PRI said:
Another factor has emerged...rain is now predicted for Saturday afternoon and we likely won't know for sure until then. I can imagine another cancellation at this venue because of rain.

Yes, it is close enough for me to stop by but I likely won't. And our BL has been proactive about reaching out to the clubowner about what they want to do, and of course they wanted us to play right up until they realized that it was for sure going to rain. I expect the same thing this week. But, yes, he's been proactive, probably more than I would have been and maybe to the point of being a pain to the club owner as well.
Click to expand...

An agreed, hard go/no-go time is something I won't go without with ANY venue, nor will any BL I work with. Once we're there, you're paying us for the night.
 
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#97
The coldest I've done was 18ºF by the time we ended and 16º during the load out. Folks in Telluride are not bothered by a little chill. It did take a couple days for me to completely warm up, though, as I was the only person outside the tent with heaters in the sometimes stiff breeze. Another year, we played in a blizzard there. Tomorrow, I'm playing outside the Pepsi Center before the Nuggets game and it will probably dip into the 40s.

A portable heater and fingerless gloves along with long underwear are a necessity.
 
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#98
In the Midwest we run in to all kinds of weather and it's often only a few days apart. Some years ago we played a weekend (Sat & Sun) gig for a local festival. We were outdoor and temperature was in the mid 90's, with dripping humidity. It was miserable. Two weeks later we played a concert in an unheated restored grainery;, inside temp was 45 degrees. Neither one was fun, but we did get paid.

After those two gigs we made the decision that going forward we would all agree on a yea or nay for taking such gigs. Of course, that sounds better than it really is because our weather is basically unpredictable in the Spring and Fall.

Thump on,

One_Dude
 
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#100
Well, we didn't play. It basically rained all afternoon and it was a dreary miserable day. Although it had actually quit raining by show time us and our equipment would have gotten soaked setting up. The dangers of booking outdoors in the Fall.
 

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