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Squeeze in one more song

What do you do when you know a setlist goes long as a warm up act

  • Never go over, You'll tick off the headliners, production, and event planners

    Votes: 161 77.4%

  • Start songs before gig end and end no more than 1-2 minutes late

    Votes: 26 12.5%

  • Have fun, one (3 minute) song after isn't an issue

    Votes: 16 7.7%

  • Give the BL a carrot and say you'll do whatever the poll results are

    Votes: 5 2.4%
  • Total voters
    208
  • Poll closed .
#81
There's been a handful of times where we've played festivals, stacked in middle or later time-slots, where bands playing before us have gone long and we've had to cut our set time to maintain a tight schedule. They screw it up for everybody and deserve ALL the disdain and contempt.

Unless there is a shared gear situation and the following band can jump directly on stage when you're done, don't ever do it.
There is nothing more amateur and inconsiderate than a supporting act going long because they feel the crowd "really needs to hear" those extra songs.
 
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#82
I remember about 25 years ago my covers band were playing at a pub - it was our first gig there and things were going great, the crowd were really into it and we kept playing.... past the 12am finishing time... the manager turned the lights on and off - presumably as a cue to get us to stop playing, but we did another song and were half way through when she came over and 'click'... turned the power off!
She looked at us and yelled 12am means 12am!!!!!
 
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#83
Have to say thanks. Good advice. Had a long talk with the BL. Agreed that we should do whatever the event planners asked. When we talked to them before the show they were wanting us to be flexible regarding the start and stop time. Again, we let them know we'd do exactly as they asked. If they wanted us to go long or short all they had to do was let us know via a quick hand signal. 5 minutes out they gave us a 5 signal, and the B/L asked if we could do one more... they said no.... We ended at EXACTLY the contracted time. Ended out not playing our best tune and ending on a weaker song, but we made the venue happy. (and the bass player)

By far my favorite place to play...
bb78ad34d2e263c756ef06b441bcb1c2_f3815.jpg
 
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#84
TheReceder said:
Have to say thanks. Good advice. Had a long talk with the BL. Agreed that we should do whatever the event planners asked. When we talked to them before the show they were wanting us to be flexible regarding the start and stop time. Again, we let them know we'd do exactly as they asked. If they wanted us to go long or short all they had to do was let us know via a quick hand signal. 5 minutes out they gave us a 5 signal, and the B/L asked if we could do one more... they said no.... We ended at EXACTLY the contracted time. Ended out not playing our best tune and ending on a weaker song, but we made the venue happy. (and the bass player)

By far my favorite place to play...View attachment 3133410
Click to expand...
Neat aerial view! I can see the event planner smiling from here :thumbsup:
 
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#87
Ender_rpm said:
Why didnt you just swap out tunes?

Either way, glad it went well.
Click to expand...

This. When you rehearse for a big show, try mixing it up some. On stage, you'll usually be behind the 8 ball and you can gain proficiency in rehearsal cutting a tune and then extending the one you really like to fit your set list into the schedule. Radio DJ's do this all the time with their banter during the intro phase to a tune. We used to call it talking it down. On stage, the trick is to make it look like your not doing that on purpose, of course. And next time, don't ask. Okay? Just follow the program. Way better.

Sounds like you averted a disaster. Well done. Any video of your set?
 
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#88
TheReceder said:
Have to say thanks. Good advice. Had a long talk with the BL. Agreed that we should do whatever the event planners asked. When we talked to them before the show they were wanting us to be flexible regarding the start and stop time. Again, we let them know we'd do exactly as they asked. If they wanted us to go long or short all they had to do was let us know via a quick hand signal. 5 minutes out they gave us a 5 signal, and the B/L asked if we could do one more... they said no.... We ended at EXACTLY the contracted time. Ended out not playing our best tune and ending on a weaker song, but we made the venue happy. (and the bass player)

By far my favorite place to play...
Click to expand...

:banghead: :rollno:

Nice venue! Glad it worked out well .. in spite of your thick-headed BL.
 
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#89
Ender_rpm said:
Why didnt you just swap out tunes?

Either way, glad it went well.
Click to expand...
The BL wrote an original that was about the specific event and they did want it played. The song was about 5 minutes long and it was during that song that they gave the 5 minute heave ho. The interesting thing, I had the show timed out, but at practice the BL timed the set and said we could fit one or maybe 2 songs in without a problem. I said if we played the gig under the set time I was fine with any additions... The BL added one in the middle of the set. It did cost us a strong closer. No heart burn here though.

In the end the BL learned something about the bass player, and about working with venues. We left a good impression, and according to the venue they want us back again next year.

Any wagers that I end out asking the same question in 12 months? ;)
 
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#90
A little info on the venue, when the built it, they brought in the production company they planned on hiring, prominent members from local bands, and a couple owners from local theatres to make sure that everything worked the best it could the first time the stage/facility was used... proud to brag that one of my bands was the first one to headline and it's been a great place to play from day one. All of it was done at a local park with funds donated by local businesses. Numbers at this last gig have been reported (at what I suspect is slightly inflated) 20,000 people. Hapy to say this is the first time I played there without nerves.

Admittedly I got a little unprofessional when the drummer invented a new game during sound check. He picked a random person in the audience and I had to get them to wave back to me... I actually connected with some people, and when the crowd started to catch on it almost turned into the equivalent of the kiss cam at a ball game.



A quick Before (2013) and after(2014) pic. Of the venue


before.jpg
After.jpg
 
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#91
Nevada Pete said:
This. When you rehearse for a big show, try mixing it up some. On stage, you'll usually be behind the 8 ball and you can gain proficiency in rehearsal cutting a tune and then extending the one you really like to fit your set list into the schedule. Radio DJ's do this all the time with their banter during the intro phase to a tune. We used to call it talking it down. On stage, the trick is to make it look like your not doing that on purpose, of course. And next time, don't ask. Okay? Just follow the program. Way better.

Sounds like you averted a disaster. Well done. Any video of your set?
Click to expand...

Video might be a while but I'll try to throw something up. Our tech guy is also the local high school IT guy and he promised me more after he gets his work stuff together. the Areal view is actually from our show from last year. But happy to say that the crowd was a couple thousand people bigger this year. Our band can only take credit for at least a couple hundred more people though. :)

Put simply the headliners rocked, and they draw huge crowds, and they're some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure to work with.
 
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