Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Terrible gig
- Thread starter BasementWarrior
- Start date
I never ever drink on a gig. Just effs up everything.
lol even just two beers when your dog tired can be disastrous, but if you truly are well rehearsed and know the song inside-out, like riding a bike you never forget imo.... Working all those hrs, lack of sleep etc. food booze, will def knock you on yo' azz
, i'm in my late 50's...i know
, i'm in my late 50's...i know
Semi-related great read/listen: "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. Having recently ended up in Urgent Care for what ended up being a stress-/sleeplessness-caused chest pains, all I can say is to remember this experience and take care of your brain. You never know how compromised you are until it gets critical. Be healthy!
Ha! Well, I'm sure no one here on TB has forked up a gig because of similar situations.
Get a good night's (or two) rest and put it behind you.
Lesson learned (or prepare for a repeat)!
Get a good night's (or two) rest and put it behind you.
Lesson learned (or prepare for a repeat)!
You are already aware of the sub-par performance; remember, we're all our own worst critic. Still, you know you'll do better from now on. Don't beat yourself up over it. It's only a problem if you're in denial. Most of the audience wouldn't have noticed anything was off.
Been there done that. When I started taking naps in my truck between sets I knew it was time to hang it up. This was a busy cover/wedding band that played 2 to 3 times a week and I work full-time and on Saturdays. (Letter Carrier)
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,123
- 16,797
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
When you're gonna crash, you're gonna crash, though. Coffee can't help at that point. But at least it won't put you out like booze.
I'm certainly not making any value judgment, and everyone handles their booze/drugs differently and as you may have experienced, contingent upon different conditions.
That being said, I have musical compadres who drink and get high at just about every gig. Some of the old pros seem to do so with no discernible effect, and other old pros seem to get louder, looser, and sloppier as the night goes on.
I'm old, but not a pro, and figure that I owe it to my mates to have my $#!+ wired tight, so I won't drink anything when I'm going to be on stage, and I don't do anything else, but as I stated above, I find that my playing suffers significantly when exhausted although there are situations beyond your reasonable control when we can't get adequate sleep.
I'm thinking that if we strive to act in a professional manner any time we're in the "entertainment" business, we've done our job.
I bet everyone who's read this thread has had less than optimal performances. . . Even the pros. You'll prolly live. It really bugs me when I lay a clam, but mostly the audience doesn't seem to notice, so we got that going for us . . . Which is nice.
But writing this brings to mind a recent open jam when I got to play with the Hostess. We break into Long Train Running and I'm playing it in the original key (G, I think), but she sings it in A. We had to start it over and I was red-faced and a bit flustered so I had to suck it up and keep it a bit simpler than usual. But I can laugh about it now and have played with all the cats since, in various iterations to much better effect.
Nobody is going to shoot at us if we're imperfect except for this one club . . .
That being said, I have musical compadres who drink and get high at just about every gig. Some of the old pros seem to do so with no discernible effect, and other old pros seem to get louder, looser, and sloppier as the night goes on.
I'm old, but not a pro, and figure that I owe it to my mates to have my $#!+ wired tight, so I won't drink anything when I'm going to be on stage, and I don't do anything else, but as I stated above, I find that my playing suffers significantly when exhausted although there are situations beyond your reasonable control when we can't get adequate sleep.
I'm thinking that if we strive to act in a professional manner any time we're in the "entertainment" business, we've done our job.
I bet everyone who's read this thread has had less than optimal performances. . . Even the pros. You'll prolly live. It really bugs me when I lay a clam, but mostly the audience doesn't seem to notice, so we got that going for us . . . Which is nice.
But writing this brings to mind a recent open jam when I got to play with the Hostess. We break into Long Train Running and I'm playing it in the original key (G, I think), but she sings it in A. We had to start it over and I was red-faced and a bit flustered so I had to suck it up and keep it a bit simpler than usual. But I can laugh about it now and have played with all the cats since, in various iterations to much better effect.
Nobody is going to shoot at us if we're imperfect except for this one club . . .
I don't think the reasons for the bad gig are a mystery here. Prioritize rest and recuperation and get back on the horse and you'll be just fine.
It happens. To me this is NOT a science. I could take the day off, get 9 hours of sleep and a nap, do 30 minutes of light calisthenics, eat a dinner of brown rice and vegetables and tea, and have a crap gig. I could also sleep 3 hours, drink too much, and rush to the gig without dinner and have the best gig of my life. And vice versa. It's definitely about mental/physical state/energy, but I've yet to discover a magic formula. Odds are probably better with the first approach above though ;-)
I try not to play gigs on working days. It's just too much stress. Even if I don't always realise it, things keep piling up during the day and I can't be relaxed or focused during the gig.
Anyway your next gig will be better, cheer up !
Anyway your next gig will be better, cheer up !
Last edited:
Glad you made it home safely. Similar thing happened to me years ago. Had a studio time at 6 a.m. an hour and a half from home after working nights all week and coming home exhausted. At least your gig wasn't recorded for posterity forcing you to relive the torture over and over and over again.
Good on you for owning it. You're already ahead of the game compared to every other dope who had a night like this and blamed someone else.
I feel for you. I've certainly had those nights. I forwarn the group in that case, in private, and let them know I'll be doing my best to focus and play well, but I will also be leaning on them where I normally don't, and will need to be nudged for the changes if I look like I'm grooving away and lost in my mind a bit.
The best part is that you are self aware enough to know you weren't at your best.
However... don't forget that we're normally much harder on ourselves than others are. Unless you're the bassist for PJ Harvey... but I digress ;-)
Knowing you're struggling is honest, and you duked it out and fought your way through anyway.
Sorry it was such a rough night though for you!
I hope the pay for the gig was worth it!
I'm very picky about the gigs I'll accept these days. It's never about the money, but whether I'll be in a state to enjoy doing the gig.
Oe the upside, the chances are that 1% of the audience noticed your mistakes and, unless they are very good, your bandmates probably only heard 50%or less of your mistakes.
I'm very picky about the gigs I'll accept these days. It's never about the money, but whether I'll be in a state to enjoy doing the gig.
Oe the upside, the chances are that 1% of the audience noticed your mistakes and, unless they are very good, your bandmates probably only heard 50%or less of your mistakes.
