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Longest Set you've played

iriegnome

iriegnome

Bassstar style
Supporting Member
Nov 23, 2001
11,262
5,574
61
Kenosha, WI 53140
#1
Title says it all... What is the longest set you've played? I think I want to add what is the Longest show you've played as well?
I am in a jam band. We don't stop between songs, we don't talk at anytime during a show, and we don't take breaks. This last summer is my answer for both of the questions. Our opening band's bassist got called away for an emergency at the last minute, so I sat in with them for their 2 hour set. Then there was a 30 minute change over to my band. We started at 10pm. We finished at 3am. At the end of the show, my hands were swollen and it was difficult to move my wrists. If our drummers weren't so worn out, we probably would have continued to play...
So there it is.. My longest set was 5 hours. My longest show was 7 hours..
 
#2
My longest set was about 3 hours. My longest show is kind of difficult. When I play outdoor festivals such as Bike Week in Sturgis, Daytona, etc. Its not uncommon to play for a couple of hours in the afternoon and then play another 3 hours later at night. I've played as many as 15 shows in 10 days. I also played in a 4th of July parade and then played again that night. It made for a very long day.
 
#3
Longest show and set were all the same gig for me, as far as play time is concerned; 5 hours. I was playing trumpet in a jazz ensemble that the high-school band director had put together for the community. No pay involved. It actually cost us money and time to play. One time we played the Nimitz Museum ball room for a WWII surviving benefit and didn't realize that we were to basically be a jukebox on low volume, all night. Thank the gods for Real Book!

All night we had people coming asking us to play some really old stuff. Super obscure Glen Miller songs, well known songs but done in specific styles; some strange stuff. Had a woman, very old, ask if we could play Over the Rainbow but, "The way Louie would do it." Having us a few hardcore Armstrong fans in the band, we said yes ma'am. Her and her husband danced to that song, smiling the whole time. It was something I won't forget.

By the end of that night I couldn't feel my face and my hands were stiff as hell. All worth it for that one song and dance. :)
 
#4
now we have played 3 shows in 3 different locations in one single day. Noon (1-1/2 hours) 3pm (1-1/2 hours) and at 9pm (3-1/2 hours).. 3 seperate gigs, maybe 10 to 15 miles apart each, all in different cities all in the same day.. That was a blast too
 
#6
Longest set was 2 hours. Longest gig 8 or 9 hours.

Most of those gigs where "playing by ear". No idea what we would play. I found that ear fatigue set in before physical fatigue. It would be a relief to play a song I actually knew just to have a break.
 
#8
Nothing heroic here, we do two 1.5 hour improv jazz sets when the flow is special. Otherwise 3/4 hr and two breaks.

Biggest rock set about 1.5 hr too, that was "headliners spot" at a friend's 50th birthday bash. We went over because it was so much damn fun.
 
#9
The cover band I'm currently in has a nasty habit of not taking breaks and playing past the agreed time. So I gig that should be 9-1 turns into a 9-2:30 show with no breaks. There has been many times I have ran to the bathroom still playing. My wireless is a life saver some nights.

Longest gig over all was a two gig day, first show was 3 hours second show was 4 hours and I had to play with a broken arm/shoulder that was only healing for a week and a half. That was a long day
 
#11
2 hour 45 minutes is the longest set I've played without a break. My band regularly has days where we play a 3 hour show in the early afternoon (2-5 Fort Myers Beach), then schlep about 90 miles for a 9:30PM to 2AM show in Sarasota. Those are long days, but fun, as the night gig is a real blast. Later this month we're doing 10PM to 2AM Friday night/Saturday morning in Sarasota, then 2PM to 5PM Saturday afternoon 90 miles south (Fort Myers Beach again), followed by 9:30PM to 2AM in Sarasota again Saturday night/Sunday morning. That will be a good dose of playing :)
 
#12
Coming from a different place than the 'original music' or club guys, I have played dozens of long 'continuous' gigs (not so much anymore, but 20+ years ago, the country club party thing was crazy). Often, 5 hours continuous music (continuous means a quick 5 minute bathroom break for different band members every hour or two). I've also done gigs longer than 8 hours, counting the old 'cocktail sets, and then dance sets that would go to 2 or 3 o'clock... hour after hour of overtime.

Different world now, but that stuff will make a man out of you:p
 
#13
KJung said:
Coming from a different place than the 'original music' or club guys, I have played dozens of long 'continuous' gigs (not so much anymore, but 20+ years ago, the country club party thing was crazy). Often, 5 hours continuous music (continuous means a quick 5 minute bathroom break for different band members every hour or two). I've also done gigs longer than 8 hours, counting the old 'cocktail sets, and then dance sets that would go to 2 or 3 o'clock... hour after hour of overtime.

Different world now, but that stuff will make a man out of you:p
Click to expand...

Intense!!! :)
 
#14
The longest set I ever played was at a private festival that was deep in the middle of the woods. I was 19 years old and I had been released from the county jail earlier that day. I was arrested on some bogus pot charges, and as a result I was kept away from my bass and my band. The show was a joyous reunion.
It was the first time I got to play the bass in two months, and I can't even begin to describe how fantastic it felt! We started around 9:00PM and then played until the sun began to rise around 5:00AM. We played only one set, and it was around 8 hours long. The only reason we stopped is because the cops came. Good times.
 
#15
I'm not really sure....but the longest "song" I've ever done would have to be a cross between "Down by the River" Neil Young or "Inagadadavida" Iron Butterfly....

Playing a club one night, a couple of guitar player friends came by and sat in.....we started in on "Down by the River' and nearly an hour later, finished it. God, I hate that damn song.......:bawl:

Fortunately, there weren't many patrons there who really gave a damn.....actually, most sort of got into it...
 

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