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Outdoor Gigs: How cold is too cold?
- Thread starter lo_freq_geek
- Start date
For me personally, too cold it a good bit warmer than it was 10 years ago.
We've got a small, outdoor, private party gig scheduled for tomorrow and the forecast is for a high of 55F. Showtime is 7pm (well after sunset), which means it's likely to be in the 40s while we're playing. The organizer stated the gig is on regardless of how cold it gets. He said he already rented the port-a-potty so that means he's committed. He expects to have about 30 guests.
We had rehearsal last night and I brought up my concern about the cold temps. I think we can soldier through any discomfort with some proper planning but I think we're going to be playing to an audience of about 3 people.
We had rehearsal last night and I brought up my concern about the cold temps. I think we can soldier through any discomfort with some proper planning but I think we're going to be playing to an audience of about 3 people.
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Bass Pro Shop has these 4,000-9,000 BTU portable heaters on sale for $60, reconditioned. I've used one next to my floor monitor for outdoor gigs in 40F weather for years and it does surprisingly well. Burns through a single mini-propane tank in about 5 hours on the high setting.
Funny. I played a very cold outside gig a few years ago. Somewhere around 40. We had one song on the list that was in G#. Amazing how cold those notes were LOL.
We were offered a slot in a festival up on the shores of Lake Superior this weekend, two slots actually. But we already have a gig scheduled tonight so playing up there just wasn't logistically possible. Temps predicted in the high 40's and along that lake with a breeze that will be a cold couple hours in a gazebo.
It's a great festival we got to be included in last year but maybe missing this year worked out ok.
It's a great festival we got to be included in last year but maybe missing this year worked out ok.
Gonna find out soon. I was just informed that one of my bands is playing an outdoor Halloween show in Northern WI on October 29!
Flashbacks to high school marching band in the American heartland. We would consider 48F balmy some of those late autumn Friday nights.
Some of us really enjoy sleeping outside (camping). A good personal standard is nothing below 48F for tent camping. Why would I want to perform music outside when it's way too cold for sleep?
They do exist now, plastic mp on an aluminum shank for mi!itary players or other pros.
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Amazingly, 50 people showed up and everybody has a great time. When we finished playing at 9:00 the temperature was in the mid 40s.
I was dressed in multiple layers and stayed warm - except for my fingers. We planned to play 2 one hour sets, and by break time my fingers were numb and I was making mistakes. I got my fingers a bit warmed up but we only lasted 20 minutes into the 2nd set before we called it quits. Guitarist and I were playing so sloppy because of cold fingers that we just couldn't continue.
But the guests all had a great time and about a dozen girls were dancing through most of the show. Most of the crowd stayed to hang out around the two campfires eating and drinking and socializing until around 11pm, at which time it was about 38F.
This was my 1st live show in about 5 years. It felt good and I was very glad we didn't cancel it.
As a Texan I've often been surprised by how tender Yankees are to cold temps
For playing outdoors I'd be uncomfortable below 55 or so. I would probably not make a fuss till 32 F. You have these things called wool sweaters, gloves, and hats. As the backpackers used to say. "There's no unsuitable weather, only unsuitable clothing."
For playing outdoors I'd be uncomfortable below 55 or so. I would probably not make a fuss till 32 F. You have these things called wool sweaters, gloves, and hats. As the backpackers used to say. "There's no unsuitable weather, only unsuitable clothing."
Having played several shows in temperatures from the 50s down to the 40s, I can say that the problem is not about staying warm and comfortable with proper clothing, it's entirely about your bare fingers being in constant contact with a bass neck and strings that are 50F colder than your body temperature.
There's truly nothing you can do to prevent your fingers from becoming numb and sluggish, which will eventually result in sloppy playing with more and more mistakes.
Some people are more resistant to cold numbed fingers, while others, including many older geezers (like me), are more susceptible.
We're scheduled to play a bike-a-thon thing on Sunday. Overnight low is looking like 34F but it should be a balmy 50F by showtime at 11:00.
Can't wait
Yesterday morning I scraped frost from the car windows at 7:00 AM and drove three hours to the gig. By set-up it was in the 40's and 52 at show time. No problems whatever and we were peeling off layers by the third set.
Glad you had a good show and now have a good story to tell.
I'm contemplating what the "conversion factor" might be for a dozen gals dancing in 40s temps vs a few dozen in normal summer attire.
We played Friday night 10/7, 7-11 pm, at a local venue we've played many times and have more bookings at. I'd chalk this up to a mistake on the venue owner's part.
There is an attached "party garage" next to the bar. I say attached because there's a roof, 2 full walls, one wide open and one with an outside bar. By 9:30 pm the temp was 34 degrees F, we had a decent crowd despite the temps but it was very cold.
There is an attached "party garage" next to the bar. I say attached because there's a roof, 2 full walls, one wide open and one with an outside bar. By 9:30 pm the temp was 34 degrees F, we had a decent crowd despite the temps but it was very cold.
Back when I was young, my band played a benefit in January and it was 29 degrees F when we started and go colder as it went. Windy too, on flatbed like you are talking about.
I was miserable. Tuning was frequent.
I would just not do it unless it was Times Square on New Years Eve and I was being televised. LOL
We've got a benefit gig this coming Saturday that's been on the books for a few weeks, but there were no details posted on our calendar. At our last gig I asked if there were any updates, and the BL casually mentions that it's an outdoor gig from 7-10pm. It's supposed to be somewhere around 50°. Not terrible but definitely not ideal either.
Wind has been the main factor in comfort vs negative impact on playing at cold, outdoor gigs for me. With no wind, I've played as low as 40f out in the open in comfort with a small portable propane tent heater on the floor in front of me. Mild breeze wasn't enough to take away from the radiator effect, though a steady strong wind pretty much wiped it out.
And there was an outdoor beer garden venue we played well into the north Texas winter. It had a 6' wood fence like a back yard on three sides with a big, 2 story, repurposed 1920's house on one, and heavy tree cover above. It had those outdoor propane space heaters on poles for the table areas. Supplementing with the portable tent heater always did the trick there, even into the upper 30's.
Bass gloves can also be helpful, or so I'm told.
And there was an outdoor beer garden venue we played well into the north Texas winter. It had a 6' wood fence like a back yard on three sides with a big, 2 story, repurposed 1920's house on one, and heavy tree cover above. It had those outdoor propane space heaters on poles for the table areas. Supplementing with the portable tent heater always did the trick there, even into the upper 30's.
Bass gloves can also be helpful, or so I'm told.
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