Gigging hypnosis

[nboyer941]

I just started up in my first working band about a month ago. For my skill level, I'm being paid very well and we're playing out about 10 times per month. It's dance/variety cover stuff.

A typical gig is 9-1 and we play 4 sets with a couple songs as an encore as needed.

I've noticed that about half way through the fourth set I start to get a little uneasy. It is like highway hypnosis on the bass.

The frets start blending together, I'm rocking back and fourth in a way that I can't even feel, the dancers are jumping up and down all in a way that seems very strange, the lights are in my face, and worse of all my brain stops working well and I can't think like normal.

Its like a crazy acid trip. My fingers seem to work properly, but its not a comforting feeling.

Anybody know what I'm talking about, or am I nuts? Maybe its an endurance thing.... I've done about 10 shows with them and I'm trying to prevent this fourth set craziness.

 

[TobyBass55]

Could it be a low blood sugar thing?? Do you eat anything during breaks?

What about dehydration as a possible cause?

 

[tZer]

Could it be a low blood sugar thing?? Do you eat anything during breaks?

What about dehydration as a possible cause?

That was my thought. Don't underestimate how depleted you are at 12:30 am after a full day of everyday life + a gig.

Eat something and keep yourself hydrated.

 

[NKBassman]

Too much beer?

 

[FeuerFrei]

So there's a couple of things I'm looking at here

First off, you're probably on an adrenaline high for that first part, eventually though your body will quit putting that stuff out, especially if you're not feeding it correctly, and when you come down, you're going to crash like you hit the wall.

Secondly, part of it is stamina, but take a self evaluation, I realized during a couple of sets I was holding my breath, no reason why, and make a conscious effort to make sure I'm breathing, it may not be the same for you, but do look for this.

So, here are a couple of things I suggest for the next gig

No alcohol, this dehydrates as well as all the other reasons I will not repeat

Juice, have a glass of OJ between your sets, it's a fast blood sugar replenishment, enters the blood stream quickly, and gets you going

Food, eat something, apple, banana, something to keep going after the oj kicks in

And take a break my man, relax and sit down for a few, find a small slice of inner calm and relax.


Try these steps above, you should find that you're not going to hit that swoon, I play in a cover band as well, we're on stage for 4 hours with a set schedule of breaks, while I will have a beer or two, I also have water and juice on the side of the stage, and I always have a snack of some sort during the breaks.

 

[M0ses]

That could get serious REAL fast. The above is sound advice. DO IT.

 

[Chowowbus]

I remember going into shock on stage once...Halfway through the set, I could barely take the noise from my cabs and the room swooned...just as you described, like an acid trip.
Freaked me the hell out..

 

[Ric5]

Too much beer?

+1

Actually the blood sugar explanation is a better one for your symptoms.

You might look into a diet change. avoid trans fat, and take chromium and vanadium supplements

 

[tangentmusic]

Thats a long day. If you've been at your day job all day, then playing till 1AM, I can see how you'd have this problem. Take all the above advice.

 

[bassophil]

All very good advices concerning water and sugar household. I just wanted to point out what someone said before: stamina! Build up some stamina by doing sports. That will help a lot to go through a long gig.

 

[shawn-o]

I had a show on new years where i had to work 7-4pm, drive 1 hour to the show, setup, soundcheck and then we played until 2am.

I was drinking beer, but found that i really needed to have water to replenish some of that hydration/balance out the beer intake. Also.. playing on an empty stomache is never fun.

I always pack multiple granola bars, and breakfast bars as snacks during set breaks. If there's food avil at the venue- awesome.. but these are quick and easy. Like FeuerFrei, I also throw in a powerade or acouple bottles of juice. It definitely gets some sugars into the body quickly.

Do you get "hot" on stage (overheated). I find i move around alot and in some places, work up quite a sweat. When i get overheated, i start to get alittle dizzy and feel that swoon you're talking about.

I picked up one of these::

Link Removed

and run it off my pedalboard (put it to the side angled upwards). Works great and was like 15 bucks at target. Definitely a good buy IMO. It moves a TON of air.

 

[Skitch it!]

As a matter of interest how long are you actually playing for in stage time and how long are bands in the U.S expected to play as far as sets go for pubs/clubs? I wondered what is expected for the 'circuit' so to speak with you guys?

 

[scottbass]

As a matter of interest how long are you actually playing for in stage time and how long are bands in the U.S expected to play as far as sets go for pubs/clubs? I wondered what is expected for the 'circuit' so to speak with you guys?

Typically three hours of music in a four-hour period. If they're playing four equal sets, that would be 45-minute sets with three 20-minute breaks in between.

We used to play four sets in a four-hours gig as I described above, but on the advice of another band we switched to three one-hour sets with two 30-minute breaks. What a difference!

I noticed when we were playing four 45-minute sets that the first set always seemed like it ended too soon. It seemed like we just got started and it was already time for our first break. And by the end of the evening, I was dog tired after the third break and could not play the fourth set with the energy I wanted to have. Both of these situations seemed to improve dramatically when we switched to a three-set schedule.

If you can do it, I highly recommend switching to three one-hour sets for a few shows and see if that suits you better. If not, you can always change back.

The biggest drawback of the three-set format is the perception of the bar-owner/manager that you are somehow cheating him because you are taking half-hour breaks. They are also afraid they will "lose the crowd" if the band isn't up and playing after twenty minutes of down-time. We were fortunate that every owner/manager we work with understood that (a) we were still giving them three hours of music in a four-hour period, and (b) we were actually giving them an overall better show and doing a better job of KEEPING the crowd during the last set because we had more energy.

Do the other stuff too, like managing your food & beverage intake to keep you performing your best.

We're in southern/metro Minnesota, just like you, so I'm pretty sure you can do this if you let the bar owners/managers know in advance. Give it a try! It worked for us. (YMMV, of course)

 

[nboyer941]

4 50 minute sets.
We are not allowed to drink. Its a very professional minded cover band. I go through about a half of bottle of water per set. I eat before we start the night and I drink pop before the last set for a boost. Doesn't seem to help.

And no, I have no control over how many sets we play. I'm just the bass player.

 

[Skitch it!]

Thank you, going by the playing time expected there thats a lot of material.....the long term working band I've been with here and across the board in London really was:
Pubs....two 45's....about 22 songs give/take.
Clubs...two 1 hour sets about 35 songs give/take.

All functions weddings/parties...same as the clubs

Longest I've played is 3 hours at millennium new years eve, my girlfriend at the time was a music teacher....Piano/Singing/Bass/Violin astounding Reader...one of those.... anyway, the band singer lost her voice so my girlfrend got up for the last hour.....she got paid $512 for an hours work after the split

Back on topic....I'd agree with blood sugar levels, concentration and adrenaline eats that stuff up, and if your playing for extended times IME I've found that because I'm so familiar with the set I'm playing, brain switches onto automatic and I come back round thinking 'first chorus I'm playing here or 2nd?.........as posters have mentioned above, prep your food/water/whatever intake before and during the gig IME

 

[mongo2]

I've noticed that about half way through the fourth set I start to get a little uneasy. It is like highway hypnosis on the bass.

The frets start blending together, I'm rocking back and fourth in a way that I can't even feel, the dancers are jumping up and down all in a way that seems very strange, the lights are in my face, and worse of all my brain stops working well and I can't think like normal.

Its like a crazy acid trip. My fingers seem to work properly, but its not a comforting feeling.

Anybody know what I'm talking about, or am I nuts? Maybe its an endurance thing.... I've done about 10 shows with them and I'm trying to prevent this fourth set craziness.

I had similar effects from being too loud for too long...earplugs cured it.

 

[FeuerFrei]

4 50 minute sets.
We are not allowed to drink. Its a very professional minded cover band. I go through about a half of bottle of water per set. I eat before we start the night and I drink pop before the last set for a boost. Doesn't seem to help.

And no, I have no control over how many sets we play. I'm just the bass player.

In my opinion, that's not enough fuel, you need to get your spots between sets and keep the motor running, and try not to go with caffeine as it dehydrates, juice or gatorade and try to have a snack during your breaks.

Good that you don't drink, our band is professional as well, it's a three drink max for us all night long, which none of us have ever hit, over a 4 hour night I'll have two beers and that's enough for me, and being 6'5" and 3 bills I can put away a whole lot more than that if I felt the urge

 

[Rocks]

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum on this. We play 3 one hour sets and when we are done I have so much energy built up I would happily play more. I get home and I can't sleep for a couple days because of all the adrenaline or whatever it is. I have a thread on TB about not being able to sleep after gigs or practices. I eat before I play, munch on something during breaks and drink Gatorade or water during shows and practices. Our last gig was Saturday, today is Tuesday and I've had a total of about 6 hours sleep since the gig, not good.

 

[4-stringB]

I'm currently playing with the "Low Slow Lameass Band". I have a hard time staying awake half the time.Ya'know, most bands play, 1 slow, 3 fast, etc...we (they) play 3 slow, 1 fast. I've been known to fall asleep during some of the more insipid songs (even if I had a solo). However, we've played places (private parties, weddings, etc...) that the crowd was really into our act, and we should keep rocking to boost our name, the guitard takes off his axe, and says, "the three hours is over, let's go home". Have any of you guys had to deal with this crap too??

 

[Rocks]

I'm currently playing with the "Low Slow Lameass Band". I have a hard time staying awake half the time.Ya'know, most bands play, 1 slow, 3 fast, etc...we (they) play 3 slow, 1 fast. I've been known to fall asleep during some of the more insipid songs (even if I had a solo). However, we've played places (private parties, weddings, etc...) that the crowd was really into our act, and we should keep rocking to boost our name, the guitard takes off his axe, and says, "the three hours is over, let's go home". Have any of you guys had to deal with this crap too??

Sounds to me like someone needed to yell FREEBIRD!!!!!!!!