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Shift Work

What shift do you work

  • Day Shift

  • Night Shift

  • Week End Shift

  • Retired From Real Job

  • Full Time Musician is my Job

  • I Don't Play Out

Results are only viewable after voting.
juancaminos

juancaminos

May 30, 2003
4,167
6,760
71
USA, Heber-Overgaard, AZ
home.earthlink.net
#1
I've worked Swing and Graveyard shift for the last 9 years. Before that I worked Swing shift off and on for a large corporation while going to school and running a band. Looking back I don't know how in the world I did it.

Now I'm looking for other band opportunities but working nights means I can only rehearse on Sat or Sun. As a BL I can make that work but as a new band member with very little clout it puts a damper on opportunities.

So just curious how many of you work off shifts and how you deal with band things

EDIT: If you play out & have a regular job, what shift do you work in your regular job. If you work an off shift how do you make things work for gigs and band practice. If you don't play out then check that box, if you feel shift work is the reason for not playing out please explain.
 
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#2
Might want to make this a multi-vote poll.

I have a normal 9-5. The rest of my band though, they work weird hours. Nights, weekends, other music gigs. We don't rehearse. We play covers. Everyone knows their parts (mostly) when we play gigs.

We gig out a decent amount, but should really improve and gig out more. (Big thing though is we don't have an agent, and that's really the only reason we're not booked a ton.)

I'd say find good musicians and don't rehearse (if you're into covers). Originals, I can't speak to that. No interest in it.
 
#4
BassAndReeds said:
Might want to make this a multi-vote poll.

I have a normal 9-5. The rest of my band though, they work weird hours. Nights, weekends, other music gigs. We don't rehearse. We play covers. Everyone knows their parts (mostly) when we play gigs.

We gig out a decent amount, but should really improve and gig out more. (Big thing though is we don't have an agent, and that's really the only reason we're not booked a ton.)

I'd say find good musicians and don't rehearse (if you're into covers). Originals, I can't speak to that. No interest in it.
Click to expand...
Done, now multi vote, although originally I just wanted to hear from respondents only but I can see the significance of multi vote covering all members as long as someone explains things.
 
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#5
juancaminos said:
Done now multi vote although originally I just wanted to hear from respondents only, voting for other band members gets no comments for who they work things out. But I can see the significance of multi vote covering all members as long as someone explains things.
Click to expand...
Yea. I wouldn't have voted for my band. But, like Oddly, I'm sure others could work both nights and weekends. As well as, not playing out. But maybe you just wanted him to select "don't play out".
 
#7
I work straight nights (11:00-7:30) and have been for the most of the last 30 years. My work is very good about letting me come in late on gig nights. I only need to do this on Friday night gigs as I have Sat./Sun. nights off. Band practices on Wednesday evenings. I've gotten in the habit of going to bed shortly after I get home in the morning so my evenings are free. Although I'm not "at my best" for those evening rehearsals, it works well enough.
 
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#8
I have worked from 1:30AM to 10:00AM Monday - Friday for the last 15 years. I split my sleep 3-4 hours after work and at least 2 hours before.

Practice if ever on sundays or fridays. We don't rehearse to often because we are a tribute band and gig regularly.

I have been with the company for 29 years and chose to work these hours because my kids were small.

Now they are all adaults and I choose to work nights because of traffic and too many chiefs running around from 9-5.

Also like to add that I am the only one in my band who works off hours. It works and if it doesn't I make it.
 
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#9
Don't play out, it would take too much time away that I could be spending with my kids, which is a way bigger priority than a band right now, they're only small once. When they're older, I definitely plan on getting back out there.

When I did, I worked nights (11pm-7am) so that made it easy to plan things.
 
#10
I work four ten hour shifts nights (12:30-11am) Mon-Thurs. Drummer works rotating shifts, depending on what week it is. Makes it interesting to set up rehearsal to say the least. We try and cram in at least one rehearsal with all of us before a gig if it's doable. Otherwise, the other guys rehearse w/o me and record it for me.

We play covers, and it's mostly older classic country stuff, so nothing real fancy as far as bass lines go. I'm pretty good at just "winging it" when I need to, and I do practice the lines on my own. As such, the other band members have decided that I'm better than them, and don't need to rehearse as much. I don't necessarily agree with that and it completely scares me when it comes to gig night, but so far, no train wrecks.
 
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#11
When I worked nights (3:30 to Midnight) years ago the band I was in didn't rehearse, we played out a lot. My boss would let me take off to play for Friday gigs. Sat/Sun were not a problem because they were off days.

The last job was 5:30pm to 5:30am Sun - Tue / Sun - Wed so I had Thursday thru Saturday to do what I want. This was with my own band and the days off worked perfectly

Where I am now is 3:30pm to 2:00am Mon - Thurs, Fri I get off at midnight. I have to work every other Sunday Noon to 6pm. We don't play much anymore but I can play or rehearse any Saturday night. I will take a vacation day for any Friday gig that I deem worth it.
 
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#12
juancaminos said:
I've worked Swing and Graveyard shift for the last 9 years. Before that I worked Swing shift off and on for a large corporation while going to school and running a band. Looking back I don't know how in the world I did it.

Now I'm looking for other band opportunities but working nights means I can only rehearse on Sat or Sun. As a BL I can make that work but as a new band member with very little clout it puts a damper on opportunities.

So just curious how many of you work off shifts and how you deal with band things

EDIT: If you play out & have a regular job, what shift do you work in your regular job. If you work an off shift how do you make things work for gigs and band practice. If you don't play out then check that box, if you feel shift work is the reason for not playing out please explain.
Click to expand...



I work first shift (salaried employee) and the band Im in has just recently gotten into the habit of booking stuff mid-week :rollno:. Which is outside of the agreed upon schedule that was discussed when they first approached me about playing and it's causing me a fair amount of stress as I don't really have any weight to pull with these guys yet, and the gigs they get are fairly decent so I really don't want to make too many waves yet.

Fortunately I've got a boatload of vacation and personal days (basically almost six weeks) at my disposal so I can schedule a day off or a work from home day the following day but this is still something Im going to have to address with them sooner rather than later.
 
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#13
Rotating shifts here. 7 days swing, 7 days grave, 7 days day shift... rinse and repeat. Unfortunately, I have to be very selective when I play with anyone. I had to put myself on active fill-in. The good part is each year I get my schedule for the entire year so I can look ahead and let a band know if I can do it or not.
 
#14
Im a first shifter but my job on any given day can go from 8 hours to 16 hours long (I'm salaried).
They're good about getting me out early for Friday gigs, which is once or twice a month, but we normally rehearse on Monday nights so it's always a crap shoot.
 
#16
I used to work an augmented 2nd shift. Went in at 2pm and worked until done. Usually around 2 or 3am. Had a deal that I could leave early on Friday to gig, but come in on Sunday to do the work needed to start the warehouse off on Sunday 3rd shift. We could only do Friday and Saturday shows, but it worked.

My last band, I was working an early first shift. Go in at 6am, and work until done. This was actually harder to gig with. The reason was that we gigged on any day, so with a cover band that meant getting home only a couple hours or so before my normal wake-up time. If had to work the next day, the band would allow me to leave before load-out was complete. Friday and Saturday gigs meant I was miserable the next day. I have a weird internal clock, and I will wake up at 5am. It is a curse.
 
#17
I was on night shift basically 2005 until the end of 2016, and now finally I'm on day shift. Much, much better, though my particular shift starts very early at 6am. Makes for a short night after a gig. But I will say. Between music-ing full time and day job/gigs, I'll take job. Better pay, benefits, and retirement, and I only play gigs I want. When i was full time musician i got burned out after a year or 2. Now I'm always fresh, improving, and enjoying it. More money for gear, too!
 
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#18
I have my own business and work out of a home office. The great advantage of this is that it gives me almost total flexibility over my schedule, so rehearsals and gigs are generally not a problem (the rest of my band mates are in 9-5 jobs). Over the years, I've had opportunities to go back to a regular corporate job (the type I held for 20+ years) and I've often said to myself: "that could be interesting, but it might really screw up the band." Haven't seen a better work opportunity yet that would make me do that.
 

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