After Gig ramp down

[JimmyM]

It's a common occurrence with me. Takes me a good 3-4 hours to calm down usually.

 

[40Hz]

Once I cleared 58 or so I started feeling more tired than cranked up after a gig. But before that when I was still in my "salad" days? Sure. Especially if we were playing two nights back to back. I'd be up for two days straight many of those times.

About the only time I still get cranked is if I'm composing or recording. If it's all coming together and happening with either of those, I'll keep going until I'm either finished or I crash. Flow state is too important to let go to waste on sleep.

 

[red_rhino]

Played out for the first time in a few years last night. I don't drink when I play, but when I get home, the usual routine is a glass of wine (or gin & tonic), something light to eat, and TV or a video game to take my mental focus off of the gig. We have a large queue of boring documentaries on streaming solely for the purpose if inducing sleep. Add alcohol, and I can be out in 15 minutes.

 

[rtslinger]

by the way this is my Pup that hangs out with me after the gigs

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

For the bar gigs I am currently doing, usually playing for three hours and starting at around 10:30PM, by the time everything is packed up and I am home, I am pretty pooped.

I generally try and unload all my stuff and have a snack and watch some TV. That usually takes about an hour after I have arrived at home.

 

[rtslinger]

Oh and she is one of us ha ha ha

 

[neo 7]

Yes. And I have to work at 7am.

 

[Meyatch]

almost all my gigs are an hour or more away. No trouble sleeping as soon as I walk through the door.

 

[HolmeBass]

I'm 53 and still often need some time to wind down after a gig, unless I am just completely exhausted. I play some playstation gaming, that helps me blow off some steam and settle down, maybe a light snack.

 

[QweziRider]

...and you are all ramped up from the gig and just cannot sleep??

Every time. Fortunately, most of my gigs are a 7-9 hour drive home after the last night. All that post gig adrenaline gets me halfway home, massive coffee at the gas stop gets me the rest of the way.

 

[electracoyote]

58 years young here, been doing this since my early 20's, and I still want to hit Waffle House, drink a beer, and watch a movie after an evening gig. The only thing that has changed is my afterparty groupie for the night is always my wife now.

 

[bassliner50]

I listen to my wife snore, and read.

 

[Sixgunn]

I guess my long drive home (from anywhere!!) could be a blessing even though sometimes it's a challenge to not fall asleep at the the wheel.

 

[DirtDog]

You, or the wife?

Well....me, for sure. Don't know about the wife, 'cuz I'm asleep!

 

[Smogcity]

Drink only water at the show and find a healthy meal choice sometime in the evening even if its just a fast food salad.

If you are still feeling amped up when you get home, .5 mg of xanax will cure that 15 minutes after taking it. I find that it's healthier to take something like xanax on the rare instances that I can't sleep than deal with being a zombie the next day from lack of sleep. YMMV, talk to your doctor, etc.

 

[CarpeBasso]

Most shows, getting to sleep before 3 am isn't an option. This past show, the bartender bought the band a round of rum and cokes (or rum and soda for my US pals), just before the last set, and it was the stiffest R&C I've ever had. I think it had just enough coke to change the colour.

Long story short, I had no problem falling asleep...was out cold just after the second song.

We call it rum & coke down here in Texas too, Captain Captain!

 

[Roland GR 88]

This used to work for me.

 

[BurnOut]

I know exactly that feeling, was just talking to a friend about this today. I'll come home feeling wiped out but to amped up to fall asleep. I quit playing video games cause they would do the same thing. It's just a curse of our profession. Been reading a lot of famous musician's books, they all talk about this very problem. That's how things start to go bad for many of them.
I feel your pain.

 

[delta7fred]

I know exactly that feeling, was just talking to a friend about this today. I'll come home feeling wiped out but to amped up to fall asleep.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I was like this. I would be so tired I could hardly drive home from a gig then get to bed and stare at the ceiling for 2 hours.

The being tired was not caused by playing gigs but from being young and burning the candle at both ends. Out drinking/ chasing girls every night then up for work at 06:00.

Oh to be young again, or maybe not.

 

[Max Blasto]

Happens everytime.
I'm continually astonished that i can drive all the way home and unload my gear from the car without a sweat.

Glass of tequila and something fun on the headphones and I'll eventually wander to bed after an hour or so.