Keep it going! once you have that energy you don't want to let the audience down at all. Keep it going for as long as it takes. We've done sets up to 4.5 hours, not often but when it has to happen, it has to happen.
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Whaddaya do when the gig is going really great?
- Thread starter bassicmike
- Start date
Doesn't matter. Sometimes you have to feel these things out at the gig and call an audible if the audience is getting into it. If the client is adamant about you sticking to break times, then you stick to break times. If the client has a presentation scheduled, you break for the presentation. But there are times they just want music and more of it, and as long as you don't screw with anything your client wants to do, they pretty much leave it to the band. I've found very few conventions or weddings where people that are obviously enjoying the band object to long sets.
More often than bands wanting more breaks than they'd be due, I have found clients to take liberties and asking the band to play on.
So usually it would be the band I'd be concerned about.
That said...there'll obviously be some 'playing by ear' going on too.
Bingo. Haven't had surgery... yet... but I tell the band I need a break when I feel it coming on. Listen to your body. It knows stuff.
Eh, it won't kill you to work hard. Hell, warn me about the possibility of a very long set and I'll cut back my fluid intake so even I could get through a 3 hour set without peeing
It this point most of my gigs are 45-90 minute shows. No breaks, we get up, play our hearts out, then are done. We have a few breaks in the set list to talk to the crowd and get a quick drink, but it's mostly hammer down from the first note.
Eh, it won't kill you to work hard. Hell, warn me about the possibility of a very long set and I'll cut back my fluid intake so even I could get through a 3 hour set without peeing
haha... I would start cramping up from dehydration if I tried that...
As a musician one usually works hard. No?Eh, it won't kill you to work hard. Hell, warn me about the possibility of a very long set and I'll cut back my fluid intake so even I could get through a 3 hour set without peeing
Self exploitation is also rather common.
My guess is that bad technique got you carpal tunnel surgery.
Not a problem if you have a bladder that doesn't go off at 90 minute intervals.
For what decent convention and wedding gigs pay, I'll allow myself to be exploited.
...really bad idea in the long run, I'd say. -when musicians think they owe the client to go beyond what's agreed ,just because they have managed to negotiate a fair rate of pay for a gig.( not saying you belong to this category, but it does sound like it a little
)Not good for morale either. The client knows what they are getting when booking the band. No need to bend.
Of course one can always re-negotiate ,when it comes to it.
My band never breaks, ever.
Crowds tend to thin out when the music stops so if we play for 1 hour or 4 hours we never stop to break.
Crowds tend to thin out when the music stops so if we play for 1 hour or 4 hours we never stop to break.
wait, shows can go great..?
ride the energy. enjoy it. the next one may not be so great!
ride the energy. enjoy it. the next one may not be so great!
Keep it going! One of the worst things to do is to let a clueless member of the band pick the wrong tune to play next. It clears the floor every time.
I wish my band would do this. There have been several nights where the crowd was digging it and I wanted to keep going, but the rest of the band was like "time for a break". Drives me nuts.
I've got the utmost respect for bands with hundreds of songs in the repertoire that could adjust on the fly, they're the one that can keep a dance floor jammed and have that great gig. We just haven't gotten there. we're good at what we do... but playing weddings isn't it.
I'm not looking forward to a wedding gig in a couple days One group I'm in isn't a Dance or even close to being a wedding band but the couple specifically wanted us at their wedding. They were told, this is what we do, and insisted it would be great. We'll do our "show" and hope it will be good enough.
I'm not looking forward to a wedding gig in a couple days One group I'm in isn't a Dance or even close to being a wedding band but the couple specifically wanted us at their wedding. They were told, this is what we do, and insisted it would be great. We'll do our "show" and hope it will be good enough.
My guess is that bad technique got you carpal tunnel surgery.
You know nothing about my technique. You have no business opining about my technique.
