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Who do you hang out with on set breaks?

#61
I don't know what a set break is. We wait for other other bands to play, play our 30-45 minutes, and then maybe stick around for another band but usually leave.

During the waiting I'll chat with whoever. I get along well with all my band mates. If anyone I know came to watch, I'll go talk to them. Waiting for your time to play really sucks because you really just want to play.
 
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#63
Eli_Kyiv said:
I mostly hang out with the keyboard player. Maybe the fact that I'm married to her has something to do with it.
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;)

If we have family and/or friends, they usually get first dibs. I'll mingle and ask those in the audience (who seem approachable) how do we sound, which is always a great conversation starter. I'll chat up our guitarist quite a bit, too. Drummer and I have been friends since 6th grade, so...
 
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#64
I’ll go and do the quick thank you for coming out thingy. I like people and enjoy meeting new folks but, I do keep it short and sweet before the patrons try to tell me stories of blah, blah and more . My wife in the duo is motor of the long conversationalist. Lucky me.
 
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#65
I don't think I have a set pattern I follow on breaks. Sometimes I'm at the band table with whichever of us is there (almost always our keys player, he sits there doing crossword puzzles on almost every break). Sometimes I'm talking to any of "my people" who came out. If I go to the bar to get a drink or order food I might talk to people at the bar. I'm relatively new to playing out, some sometimes our LS/BL introduces me to musician friends of hers and the band's who've come out to see us. If I hit my overload point, I might even go out to my car for a few minutes of isolation.
 
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#66
Al Rivera said:
Unfortunately I feel obligated to go mingle during set breaks. If I had my way ,I would sit in my truck alone and burn one on break....
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I’m just like you… except I don’t feel obligated to mingle. ;)

I honestly just try to use the restroom, get a drink, and find a place to sit down if I can (sometimes in my car if the venue is packed). That means I’ll hang out with whoever is around. Sometimes it’s different band members. Sometimes audience. There’s no “regular” with whom I interact or hang out with on set breaks.
 
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#67
Mingle with patrons, bar staff, catch up with band members’ spouses if they’re around, have a few minutes with Ms Thumpenstein and whomever she brought along. If there are people I’ve invited to the gig, I’ll head over to see them first to thank them for coming.

Dual reasons are that I’m a people person and it’s good for the band to mingle and make friends. Win-win, really. Our spouses are friendly and often they’ll share a table or two, so I’ll end up, mingling with bandmates and their spouses, too.
 
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#70
E Joe said:
I usually end up hanging out the drummer in most of the bands I play with. Just such a close musical relationship between the 2 instruments I guess.

I brought this up to my guitarist brother and he suggested that drummers and bassists hang out together because no one else will :(
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Back in the 60s, it would be with any of the ladies that looked lonely...today, I would probably be sitting alone ;).
 
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#77
Two issue for me about who i "hang with" between set breaks.

1. I used to drink A LOT. When i first quit, I couldnt really even be in a bar unless I was playing. Being around friends who were raging was beyond difficult at first. Its been 8 years and i've overcome that. Mingling with drunks has gotten much easier. My wife likes the sauce so my patience is constantly being tested :roflmao:, but that prepares me for the rest of the world.

2. I have some mean claustrophobia. Onstage, no issues at all. The place can be overflowing, people on the stage, etc.. once I get off that stage and into the crowd, then the tunnel vision starts. I usually get outside as fast as possible, burn one to chill out and then i'm good. Can say hi, mingle, etc.. then get back up and play. Im way more comfortable on the stage than off of it.
 
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#79
DrThumpenstein said:
I’m a people person
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I'm actually not a people person but I learned a long time ago that it's going to happen whether I want it to or not, so I sort of adopt a more extroverted personality while I'm in a club that accepts whoever and whatever comes my way, and that has always served me well.

Later on I can go home and recharge my batteries but for the duration of the gig I am there to serve the audience and venue in whatever ways come up (within reason, obviously, no one has ever asked me to wash dishes). So I just kind of hand that time over to the gods of extroversion and hope for the best.

This became easier as I got older because I stopped being self-conscious about things or carrying around the assumption that people wouldn't care for my company. When I was younger it was more difficult because I assumed people didn't want me around.
 
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