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Kill a whole day playing a bar gig?

#81
My drummer and I were just talking about this last night. With our main band, we like to keep things as simple as possible. We set up, get some basic levels, play, adjust levels as we go, play and done.

We have a gig tomorrow with another band that has their own sound guy and he would like us to show up at least 2 hours early, sound check every player separately, sound check everyone together.... For a simple country-rock band playing a block party? It drives me crazy and the guy will probably screw it up anyway.
 
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#82
I agree whole heartedly with the OP. And, in the past have experienced some frustration/friction with other members (mostly BLs) over this. I say "in the past" because I just won't do it anymore. Absolute tedium! Plus, I've seen more than one guitar player start drinking at set up...and wind up pretty much wasted by show time. Exceptions are: Really good money at a "high profile" event, or possibly a venue with a complicated or taxing load-in.
 
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#86
My band hires out sound for 95% of what we do. Typical shows for us are 9pm-1am. Our rule is 1 1/2 before so 7:30ish (but flexible) and we are known for the fastest teardown around. If the set ends at 1 I am usually bothering the bar to get paid at 1:20-1:30 and that is typically everything loaded on our end. So 100/man is usually 16.6667 per hour for us. If we're traveling more than an hour one way we always up the price to cover unless it's a coveted gig for whatever reason
 
#87
two fingers said:
You do you.
Click to expand...
both:
- play bass only = 30-45 minutes before count-off, 60-75 minutes if it's a 'new' place for me, +/- whether or not i eat there.
- if i'm doing the production, depending on the size of the event = could be all day

i like the bass only gigs, especially the jazz gigs. but the PA gigs are nice. :)
 
#88
When I was touring constantly, we would get loaded in as early as possible, then try to get out into the town/city to see some things and grab some food...IF the venue was conducive to this! Some shady places/neighborhoods, we'd have someone with eyes on the gear at all times.

That downtime was what made us a family, beyond the stage/rehearsal time and travel time. It was a nice shared experience that was, for the most part, stress-free, as most of our obligations had been fulfilled for at least a few hours. The stress of driving, making decent time, loading in, was all over.
 
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#89
Depends on the bar. We get a lot of repeat gigs by having someone (on rotation) showing up kinda early, hanging out, and generally getting to know the staff and patrons before the show, then maybe hanging around for one (1) after tear down. Bars are generally more likely to call you back if they like you or make a connection of some kind. If I've got no other gigs that morning and it's the kind of place I'd go anyway, it's no big deal to hang out at a bar for a while. Hell, the patrons are all paying for the privilege.

TLDR - bar gigs are easier if you like bars.
 
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#90
I'm with you on this. I get there no more than an hour and a half before we hit if we supply the PA, no more than an hour (usually 45 minutes) if PA is supplied. The only exception would be if it is a festival, or some sort of "event" that I'll want to check out before and/or after.

But yeah - I got too many other things I'd rather be doing with my time than sitting around.

I think it was Charlie Watts that said in some movie when the Stones "turned" 25, that it was like 5 years of playing, and 20 years of waiting around.
 
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#91
To a degree it depends on how much we/I are like at that particular bar. In a much younger day I would show 2hrs before start and hang until thrown out. Those instances always had some women to chat up a bit.

In another band (that rotated Guit and Bass every 6 months to a year), we were not necessarily like most places we played. The BL was not friendly to wit staff, bartenders or owners, and lacked the capability to judge a crowd. . In those instances I was like a thief in the night and tried to be as invisible as possible. The rhythm guit and I split and formed a band. I took it as a personal challenge to go back to everyone of the bars we failed at and see if the new band could be successful. hehehehe, generally worked well.
 
#93
we load in about 2 hrs prior to start time if we haul our own PA.
our PA is a digital rig with memory so once it's connected I just turn it on and it springs to life ready to rock with the last settings of that room in the memory, including IEM settings. Sound check takes about 5 min. We're usually set up and ready to go with about 30 min to spare...enough time to clean up, change shirts, make a trip to the bar for a shot of Patron, or get a bite to eat if they have a kitchen.
3 sets later the tear down and load out takes about 45 min and I'm on the road
for In & Out Burger.
 
#96
I play festivals, casinos and larger venues. I haven't done bar gigs in years but when I did, we typically arrived at about 7 PM, went on at 9 PM and did three sets 45 minutes to 1 hour each depending on the bar's closing time.
 
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#97
two fingers said:
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.
Click to expand...
We setup 1 hr before and done and out 1 hour after.
No drinking etc on the job.
The key is giving professional service.
 
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#99
Anybody who takes all damn day to do a $100 a man bar gig is nuts, but I've seen plenty of bands do it. It simply shouldn't take that long, and anybody who is taking that extreme length of time isn't as "pro level" as they think they are, or they are playing rock star. It's usually a combination of both.

Show up a little early to set up the stuff and have a window of time between finishing setup and starting the gig. Play gig. Tear down, get paid, leave. This all applies even if you have to bring your own PA.

Of course, festivals, large shows, multi-band bills, or instances where you're opening for a major artist may require longer lead times, but hopefully the compensation will make it worth it. But not at a corner watering hole. There is absolutely no club owner out there that would give up the entirety of his or her day to do something for you for a hundred bucks, so why return the favor?
 
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#100
I know people like that, but not this guy,
If it is a local gig, I might drop off my gear earlier in the day and show up about an hour before set time.

If we are on tour, then we have all day to do this stuff anyway, so sometimes yes, sometimes no, depends on the venue and the proximity of the hotel room.

These days though, most of my gigs are pretty easy so I can show up 30 - 45 min ahead of set time and be good with it. It's either a small combo amp I bring or I am using whatever cabinet that is on stage with my pedalboard and Shuttle 9.0.
 

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