Kill a whole day playing a bar gig?

[two fingers]

A recent thread about renting vs. owning a PA got me to thinking.

How may of you guys kill most of the day playing a bar gig? I fill in with a few bands that do this. They show up mid afternoon OR EARLIER to set up. They take a reeeeeeeeally long time to set up. They do a reeeeeeeally long sound check. Then they grab something to eat. Then play the gig. Then they take a reeeeeeally long time to tear down and drive home. If the show is an hour drive from the house, they will spend literally FOURTEEN HOURS or so playing a bar gig. (If you're making a hundred bucks you're at around $7.00 an hour.)

Not this guy. I prefer to get to the gig an hour or so before we start. Set up my rig. Grab a burger and get to playing. Even if I am working with a band that brings a PA, I like to get there 7:00 p.m. at the earliest (for a 10:00 p.m. set). Do the dang thing then tear it down and roll out. With an hour drive on each end that's still NINE HOURS. Plenty, if you ask me.

How about you? Are you an all day gig kind of player? Do you just LOVE it so much that you would rather leave for the gig around lunch time? Does the staff have to kick you out at 3 a.m.? Would you rather just hang out all day doing a gig? Or are you more of a hit and run kind of guy (like me)?

I'm not berating you if you like the long day approach. It's more of a curiosity than anything. Reading back through I can see where it looks as though I'm putting you down if you like the all day thing. I couldn't think of a way to word it that eliminates that. But that's not my intent. Just offering up what works for me. You do you.

 

[silky smoove]

I used to play in a group where the two singers and I wanted to show up and just get it done, but the guitarist and drummer wanted to spend unreasonable amounts of time before the gig at the venue. Even when using the house PA they'd show up several hours in advance and just hang out. The singers and I would roll in with sufficient time to setup, soundcheck, grab a pre-gig bite of food, change and then get to it. The other guys would then complain about having to waste an entire day! I've never understood the hang around forever before a gig mentality.

 

[okcrum]

It'd be a little hard to play 1 or 2 other gigs the same day, farting around like that.

 

[elgecko]

I treat gigging like a jewel heist. I want to get in and out in the shortest amount of time possible!

EDIT: Tomorrow, I'm subbing for a couple who own a backline company. Drums and PA are always set up long before I get there but watching them tear down afterwards is a masterclass in efficiency. It seems like I put my bass away, turn around, and the PA and drums are in pieces.

 

[Callused Finger]

In and out so I could get to In-N-Out.

 

[pjbassist]

I often kid my wife, "When I leave the house, I make $$$. When you leave the house, you spend it!"
I love music, and I enjoy "the hang"...but I am there to make $$$, so I too like the jewel heist ^^ approach.

"The only time that seems too short, is the time that we get to play" - Jackson Browne

 

[guy n. cognito]

Bar gigs? As little time as possible. Typically 1 hour before and 45 min after.

 

[pwhalen]

I'm in charge of setting up the PA. Generally speaking that means I'll get to a gig 2.5 to 3 hours ahead. I'll spend more or less an hour unloading, setting up the PA, my rig, a couple of wireless systems , etc. and then check levels through the mains and however many monitor mixes we will be using that day. Then I'll set instrument mics (or DI's, etc) for bandmates while they are setting up and then run a soundcheck.

I always try to be soundchecked one hour before downbeat, so I'm actually there 1.5 to 2 hours ahead of that and I usually have half an hour or so of downtime while others are loading in/setting up. Now that said I will rarely take a gig that's more than a 30 minute drive (and most are 20 min or less), so I get some of that time back in the shorter commute.

Occasionally we will do an "acoustic" set in smaller places and run the vocals through a Bose L1 and just run stage volume amps and no monitors. In those cases I'm fine getting there 30 minutes before downbeat as there is no real reason to soundcheck with that simple of a setup.

 

[SteveC]

Sometimes a venue will dictate load in so you're at their mercy. Generally, we like enough time to get set and have 30 minutes before we start. I hate running the last cable and then 30 seconds later it's go time.

 

[elgecko]

In and out so I could get to In-N-Out.

Even better is when you can get home before Saturday Night Live starts with In-N-Out in tow!

 

[InhumanResource]

We load in about 2 hours before start time just to be comfortable. Gives us plenty of time to set up the PA, mic up amps and sax, sound check and grab a beer.

Though I do completely understand making a day long escape out of it, that's just not part of my world right now.

I do have an old timey barber gotten the street that I can make an all morning affair out of, shave haircut, beers and laughs all at once.

 

[eriky4003]

We're playing a gig tomorrow night with a location that supplies sound & lights. Generally there by 7:00pm and ensure all is loaded out by about 2:30. I have talked to other bands that play there and for professionalism they get there way earlier, set-up and soundcheck before the dinner crowd arrives. That sounds like at least a 10 hr day.

 

[Robroy]

A recent thread about renting vs. owning a PA got me to thinking.

How may of you guys kill most of the day playing a bar gig? I fill in with a few bands that do this. They show up mid afternoon OR EARLIER to set up. They take a reeeeeeeeally long time to set up. They do a reeeeeeeally long sound check. Then they grab something to eat. Then play the gig. Then they take a reeeeeeally long time to tear down and drive home. If the show is an hour drive from the house, they will spend literally FOURTEEN HOURS or so playing a bar gig. (If you're making a hundred bucks you're at around $7.00 an hour.)

Not this guy. I prefer to get to the gig an hour or so before we start. Set up my rig. Grab a burger and get to playing. Even if I am working with a band that brings a PA, I like to get there 7:00 p.m. at the earliest (for a 10:00 p.m. set). Do the dang thing then tear it down and roll out. With an hour drive on each end that's still NINE HOURS. Plenty, if you ask me.

How about you? Are you an all day gig kind of player? Do you just LOVE it so much that you would rather leave for the gig around lunch time? Does the staff have to kick you out at 3 a.m.? Would you rather just hang out all day doing a gig? Or are you more of a hit and run kind of guy (like me)?

I'm not berating you if you like the long day approach. It's more of a curiosity than anything. Reading back through I can see where it looks as though I'm putting you down if you like the all day thing. I couldn't think of a way to word it that eliminates that. But that's not my intent. Just offering up what works for me. You do you.

Don't get me started.

All the bands I've been in have their own PA. I believe an hour before gig time is more than enough time. 90 minutes if you are paranoid about stuff happening. It's been a point of contention in a couple of bands. Some people think that if you don't show up three hours early you are not a team player. BS. When you have the necessary backup gear for failure and YOU KNOW WHAT THE HE** YOU ARE DOING, it takes very little time to set up and sound check, even for a six piece.

Now, if my cut for a gig was at least $300 I'd feel differently. But I've got lawns to mow and cars to wash on Saturdays. Not to mention some really pithy posts to Talkbass.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

That's why on bar or cover band gigs I like being the perpetual sub. I show up with my rig, plug in, play, and I'm usually loaded out before the money is even ready. Jazz gigs, 15-30 minutes before, leave immediately after. I even count the tips now so we can be able to leave sooner.

 

[pbass62]

I used the drive thru approach back then time is $$

 

[Robroy]

Bar gigs? As little time as possible. Typically 1 hour before and 45 min after.

I've been at gigs where I've got my bass rig packed up and stowed in my car and have helped tear down the PA and it's about loaded in the van/trailer and the guitar player is still rolling up his cords.

I've actually had to tell people to stop talking to me because I'm "on the clock" while packing up. Only a couple of times, and I think I was diplomatic, though there are only so many ways you can sugar coat "get lost, I'm busy here".

 

[Robroy]

I often kid my wife, "When I leave the house, I make $$$. When you leave the house, you spend it!"
I love music, and I enjoy "the hang"...but I am there to make $$$, so I too like the jewel heist ^^ approach.

Does it bother you that your misandrist wife sees you as an income object?

JUST KIDDING!

 

[lfmn16]

My main band likes to set up in late afternoon after production sets up, then do a sound check, go home and get back just as the opening act is quitting. It makes for a long day, but I knew that going in so I roll with it.

My other bands, it's set up and tear down as quickly as possible.

 

[HotelX]

Bar gigs? As little time as possible. Typically 1 hour before and 45 min after.

This

 

[p-lo]

If we are bringing PA to a bar gig it is just a couple mains and monitors, bass and drums are not in the PA (maybe kick gets a mic depending on the bar). If anything more than that is needed sound is getting subbed out. We shoot for 1.5 hrs before downbeat but make sure we are there an hour before. My personal set-up takes less than 10 minutes and I help BL with the PA. 3 vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keys are normally in PA/Monitors as they all run tiny/no amps. If we get there an hour early we normally have at least 15 minutes to spare.

One place we play monthly we can't set up until they are done using the space for dinner guests. We get there an hour early and sit around talking to the staff having a beer and many times don't get to start setting up until 15 minutes or a half hour before the scheduled start. They are flexible with when we start in those instances as they know it is a PITA for us, but we just embrace it and see how quick we can be ready. Under 25 minutes on 9/1 was a new record.

Soundcheck? What's a soundcheck? We make sure we have levels out on everything but we normally don't have the opportunity for a real soundcheck. We try to start with a song I can sit out or come in late on so I can walk around the room and make any necessary adjustments. Beyond that I just hope that there is someone in the room that night who's ear I trust. It may be time to go wireless.