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Kill a whole day playing a bar gig?

#101
I dunno, I guess it depends on how 'pro' you are.

A lot of people work a full time job and play music because they enjoy it. The ambiance of a show is part of the thing they enjoy. I understand it, and I've felt it a few times when my band was touring. We'd show up early because there was literally nowhere else for us to go, hang around the van, load in if we could. It's kinda nice. I wouldn't do that in a one off show, but I totally get a 9-5 wanting to take a whole day for a show because it's a special event and ought to be enjoyed!
 
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#103
ArtechnikA said:
I prefer to be methodical and hate being rushed setting up the PA, because it takes twice as long finding and fixing a problem if you overlooked something - and it seems like 4 times as long because everybody is waiting, staring, and asking "why isn't it working?..."
I can do it all in hour but it feels rushed, 1.5 for everything is good, and 2 is luxurious. (The PA is a little more complicated than it could be, with 3 1kW powered towers, mixer, and 4 powered monitors in its full 'big room' glory, which we rarely use.) Breakdown is fast because I just stuff all the cables in a big bin and sort and wrap them the next day.
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Wow, I hate the stuff n sort. All the cables seem to mate if they're not well wrapped.
 
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#105
Two Fingers- Sounds like this 'all day bar gig' band just don't want the gig to be over. 45 minutes should be plenty of set-up time. If it takes more that, or the gig is so big that you want to spend more time than that... you need to hire a pro sound system with someone to run it.
Be careful of wedding/event gigs that agree to a price and then call later to tell you that you've got to be set-up 4 hours before the gig starts... so you don't disturb the guests as they arrive.
 
#108
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.
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We play 4 hr gigs. Get there 2.5-3 hrs before and set up the sound and lights. Takes about an hour to tear down and pack up. So 8 hrs is about right for us.
 
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#109
As little time as possible. I get there a little early and try to load in / out as fast as humanly possibly. I love the amp on castors, gig bag, micro-head, bag o- cables/ mics, mic stand and that's it. I play a lot of small clubs and usually the PA and lights are set up in advance. Nobody is as fast as me leaving a gig I think. Hit it and quit it baby.
 
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#110
It's the day after that's the rub. ... I'm old and get up early. ... Trust me you'll all do the same if you're lucky enough to get old. ... On a local jazz gig I'm the first there and sometimes the last out with the guitar player. ... It ends about 12 so I'm in bed at 1:30 am and up at 6 am. ... Regardless how you do the math I'm taking a nap that day.
 
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#111
If it's a ways out of town, I'll hang around the venue a while, try the chow, doublecheck my end of the setup and tune my basses, get to know the folks who work there, let them know we're all on the same side-- just simple good politics. The trick is not to drink too much in the process. Don't ask how I learned that one (or how long it took).
 
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#113
Our band is very much "hit and run". We (sadly) don't have the luxury of taking the entire day to do a gig: There's 8 of us in the band and we all have good day jobs, so the probability of the entire band being able to take a day off simultaneously is just about zero. We play locally only (we're lucky in the sense that we live in a big city and there are several good venues here), and the venues where we play all have a PA already set up and a sound guy.

Usually we show up one or two hours before the doors open, and already fed. We set up, do a quick sound check (prob. 20 min total), then chill and have a beer while the patrons come in. As soon as we're done (we usually do 2 sets) and the lights go back on, we start tearing down - because we all work in the morning!
 
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#114
Seanto said:
There's a venue in town with strict rules, requiring you to be there for sound check at like 4 pm for an 8 pm start. They say they don't want the musicians hanging around the room when the audience is coming in(this is a sort listening room bar restaurant.) Makes it a real drag to play there because by start time your energy is drained from sitting around with your bands mates trying to make conversation for multiple hours. Torture to me.
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That's what I find tough about long gig days. I'm not good at small talk, and trying to shout small talk over a noisy bar crowd/other bands is painful.
I like to arrive early to have a cushion for traffic etc. When I can, I'll load in and then go for a walk or something.
 
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#115
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.
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I usually like to give myself an hour to get set up and sound check. Once the show is done, it's pack and go baby!
 
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#117
p-lo said:
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.
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Wireless is the way to go.
 
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#118
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.
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You would make more money working the same hours at a fast food place
 
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#119
Simply solution if your status is an independent contractor in the band. Tell the owner that your gig fee is for a maximum number of hours, and any overage is paid using your standard hourly fee of $x.

You have to also address rounding up or down. I usually round up to the nearest quarter hour, and if I have to invoice overage, then it's a minimum of 1 hour. Thus, there is a one hour minimum, and any minutes over are rounded up to the nearest quarter hour. In my line of work, that is actually generous to the client.
 
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#120
74hc said:
Simply solution if your status is an independent contractor in the band. Tell the owner that your gig fee is for a maximum number of hours, and any overage is paid using your standard hourly fee of $x.

You have to also address rounding up or down. I usually round up to the nearest quarter hour, and if I have to invoice overage, then it's a minimum of 1 hour. Thus, there is a one hour minimum, and any minutes over are rounded up to the nearest quarter hour. In my line of work, that is actually generous to the client.
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IME, this will work only with the most popular, well-established high draw bands in a given area, and even then it would ruffle feathers. Anybody else will either be told to find another place to play, or if they do play, it will be their last time playing for the club owner that hears this. Frankly speaking, booking your own band at a bar simply does not work in the same way as if you were a building contractor, lawyer, or a consultant brought in under a 1099 employment arrangement.

Bar bands simply don't have this sort of bargaining power. There's no arbitration or union with any clout, and there's always a dozen other bands willing to play for free. It's also easier for bars to get a DJ than having to hear bands threaten to invoice for overage.
 
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