Outdoor Gigs: How cold is too cold?

[bbarras85]

We play in the summer in South Louisiana and It can get to 115F with the heat index. Just horrific, dehydrated drummers, etc. The coldest I have played in was around 28F. It gets difficult especially with guitars to keep things in tune.

 

[DJ Bebop]

"I'm happy for my new lightweight Subway gear,
now it's only one trip from the parking lot!"

 

[BCRich100]

Just played a gig Saturday that was outdoors and about 47 degrees Fahrenheit when we hit the stage. This was at 8:30 pm. Took about 3 songs to get the blood flowing then the rest of the set was fine. We played for about an hour and 20 minutes in that temperature. Wasn’t horrible but definitely a bit more challenging than I had expected.

 

[Joe Bluggett]

Depends on who's in the audience...

 

[Low End Scum]

For me at least, it'd be at whatever point my hands were cold enough to have diminished effectiveness. I do well in cold, but at the point of losing precision and speed significantly I'd either need to really research gloves that aren't bulky, but are effective, or bow out entirely

 

[Jefenator]

I did more than my fair share of outdoor winter gigs a couple years ago, when the pandemic lockdown was easing but folks were still a little reluctant to gather indoors.
I prize my insulated sport jacket. With that thing over a sweater and some long underwear, I could manage anything down to the freezing point.

 

[Pocket Dave]

Second "cool" outdoor gig of the season coming up Saturday in Denison, Texas. Low 60's.

Light jacket, TEXAS RANGERS WORLD SERIES CHAMPION ball cap.

That's right.

Gone be alright.

 

[turf3]

-40 is definitely too cold.

 

[Marko 1]

No outdoor gigs for me 'till next Spring...

Dangit, 'cause I got two new larger cabs in the past couple months, and want to get them out!

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Anything under 50 fahrenheit. I'm old and I've lived in the South for almost a decade.

 

[Marko 1]

Pretty much, if my fingers don't function smoothly.

It happened only once, but I don't remember what the temp was.

 

[74hc]

I use the same gloves that Scott uses on his Youtube channel. Works great.

 

[Thummel]

I’m fine with cold weather, but, if I’m playing a gig the 50’s are my limit. Once you get down to the 40’s wooden instruments start going out of tune. I have played in the 30’s and you couldn’t fret a note due to the strings laying on the first three frets. If you want music in the cold use a blue tooth speaker and your phone!

 

[gln1955]

I played last night under the most beautiful conditions one could hope for in Ohio in November. It was 73 F during load out. Just a couple days ago it would have been in the low 40s. Sometimes you just luck out.