Sleep is Important

[Gaolee]

I blanked a couple times during a show last night. I don't think the audience noticed, but the band sure did. These are songs that I know. Worse, they are songs I suggested. I was supposed to take a bass solo, and just dumbly kept playing the song like the rest of the time. Ouch! With hindsight, I have been running on far less sleep than I need. It's likely to be a common problem around here among those of us with day jobs that start early. But, there it is. I got bit in the butt by it last night. The band was very forgiving, because they are all in the same situation and have had similar things happen to them since we have been playing together. But, it still is embarrassing.

There, I feel better. The power of confession! Shoulda been a Catholic, I guess.

 

[b-rock]

I too have gigged for many years while holding down a day job. Friday night gigs at the end of my work week have always been a struggle. Especially the 10pm-2am set. I never drink too much during my gigs, except the one time I tried to fight exhaustion by drinking red bull vodkas.... The band drinks free, and the waitress just kept refilling them onto my bass cab. I didn't realize how drunk I was getting until I just don't remember. My GF (now wife) must have packed up all my gear and drove me home at the end of the night. I woke up the next day still in my gig clothes, with a bunch of cash in my pockets. The band leader must have just shoved cash in my pockets at the end of the night. No reports of bad playing. Thank goodness for muscle memory in my bass playing. Learned my lesson there, thankfully at a no pressure dive bar gig...

 

[Basstardus]

yesterday night, band practice, it was almost midnight, we have been playing almost 3 hours, I have had no sleep night before, we're playing Bruno Mars's Treasure, pretty simple thing, I'm grooving and every time I forget to play the "brigde part" (I guess we can call it that way)
I know the song by heart, I suggested it, I'm the only one in the band who even listens to Bruno Mars, know to play most of his songs, and this simple one I fail because I'm too tired to think and listen and focus... and it was the third night in a row on a late night band practice because of the day jobs we have, tomorrow is our first show of the tour, and I intend to sleep insted of party tonight when we get there.