Gigs - the day after

[Plank_Spanker]

A recurring them with me:

I prep very carefully for a gig - carefully wrapping all cords, making sure I have everything ready to go, etc.

Post gig - most bar owners want to get out as fast as they can, so the band is rushed tearing down and loading out. I tend to rush things and at times just wad cords up to sort out for later.

We played last night and it was a beyond jungle humid night - you almost had to swim through the air. I also sweat like a horse when I play, so when I pulled the guitars from the cases this morning, they were still wet. Needless to say, I'm doing some cleaning today.

Insult to injury - I'm not a young buck anymore and I suffer from ARSS - Aging Rock Star Syndrome. The day after I'm a bit slow and stiff...............but the memory of a well played gig still ringing in my ears...

Why is it the gear doubles it weight from load in to load out?

[ibanezjunkie]

i get what'ya means about the last part, as the day goes on thew guitars allllll get heavier.

lugging a 4x12 around suddenly becomes too much, eventhough i did it without problem earlier in the day.

atleast you shaved some weight of your rack rig eh?

[Plank_Spanker]

i get what'ya means about the last part, as the day goes on thew guitars allllll get heavier.

lugging a 4x12 around suddenly becomes too much, eventhough i did it without problem earlier in the day.

atleast you shaved some weight of your rack rig eh?

My 4x12 isn't a problem - it rolls on casters. And yes.....I'm glad I trimmed my rack down.

The player in me just wants to hand my guitar to a tech and head backstage to a shower and a few drinks........................

Alas......................the reality is quite different.........................but it's still fun!

[Brian Krashpad]

In bad hot weather like this I usually bring an extra t-shirt or two and change after a set. Even though I don't sweat super-profusely as some do. I sorta mop up with the old shirt and then put the new one on. It actually helps you feel less tired and gunky.

[Spudman***]

Why is it the gear doubles it weight from load in to load out?

Dude, it's all about finding sober groupies. Then your equipment is not so heavy because they will carry it.

My problem is no so much the day after but maybe a week or two later when I can't seem to find my folding guitar stand or tripod mic stand. :

[street music]

I'm not really giging but I have been assisting with setting up for our front porch picking sessions and taking down the equiptment. Last week I ended up running sound all night, which wasn't too bad, although I didn't get to play.
Then on Friday, I setup and ran sound for the high school stage band and a few singers from the school for a pep rally and then a outdoor show at the pre-game tailgait party- I WAS WORN OUT AFTER that. My big weekend is coming in October and that will be a killer- 2days of music.

[evenkeel]

Yet another advantage of living on the lite side. Don't have to lug around all those amphs, chords and pedals. But even breaking down a simple PA, mic stands, etc. can get very tedious at the end of a long night.

I find that after a gig I have a heck of a time getting to sleep. If it was a good gig I'm just buzzed, full of energy. If the gig was a train wreck then I fret about it all night long.

[mrmudcat]

Dude, it's all about finding sober groupies. Then your equipment is not so heavy because they will carry it.

My problem is no so much the day after but maybe a week or two later when I can't seem to find my folding guitar stand or tripod mic stand. :

Or those favorite pair of your smiley face boxers:

[Spudman***]

Or those favorite pair of your smiley face boxers:

You too?

I use velcro now and it's not such an issue.

I actually like tearing down after a gig. I've made it pretty efficient to do. The main problem is that if someone wants to talk to me I don't like spending the time when I could be breaking down so I can get out of there and do something else (like finding my mic stand and boxers of course). It's kind of relaxing winding cables and packing out.

I don't get muscle aches but my sinuses are tweaked from the smoke if it was a bar gig.

[deeaa*]

Almost every gig I've played ended up with us quickly just tossing the gear just backstage or just compact it there on the stage some i.e. remove mics and such. Then it's time to drink hard and then get to the hotel or home, and the actual moving of stuff takes place the next afternoon when the bar opens; sometimes around 6 p.m. even.

Sometimes I do have to remove the gear right after, but that's an easy task for a guitarist. I have a 4x12", head and two guitars with cases plus pedalboard - I just rip off all the leads and toss them in this plastic box, lift the pedalboard on top of the amp and roll it out to the loading platform or whatever. Ask someone to help if there are stairs. The 4x12" is light enough to lift a little even alone, I can get it in the trunk alone too. Then get the guitars and the box, that's it. Eager to get to the beer it usually takes all of five minutes, no longer. Then maybe help the drummer with his stuff.

But it used to be harder when we gigged with our own PA - but those days are long gone, now we absolutely will NOT accept a gig unless they have a PA and mixer etc. ready. Preferably roadies too :-) but I really gig VERY seldom these days.

I (or any player in my bands either) never used any cases except for guitars, and even those are usually soft bags you can carry on your back. And despite a hundred or so gigs, never broke anything...just toss them on the back of the van and they're fine. Music gear is VERY tough, and you don't need to manhandle them hard. It'd be another story if we ever had hired roadies, they wouldn't know how to handle gear with care.

The only stuff I ever broke on gigs have been a few mixers which have been ruined by beer from someone in the audience (sometimes in bars the mixer has to be somewhere in the crowd almost), or some leads that have been stepped on and broken.

[rylanmartin]

I'm not looking forward to getting older. Right now I survive going on tour with 2 hours of sleep a night, 6 hours a day of driving (Canadian Highways), and about 5 or 6 Red Bulls a day on top of tons of coffee and beer....I'm ALWAYS super sick whenever I get home from touring...(we've set a 3 week max on touring).

[Plank_Spanker]

Yet another advantage of living on the lite side. Don't have to lug around all those amphs, chords and pedals. But even breaking down a simple PA, mic stands, etc. can get very tedious at the end of a long night.

I find that after a gig I have a heck of a time getting to sleep. If it was a good gig I'm just buzzed, full of energy. If the gig was a train wreck then I fret about it all night long.

Not only do I break down my rig, I also assist with the PA - but we a have a very compact system mand the singer rides herd over it.

I hear you - between playing hard all night and tearing down as fast as I can, I am still pumped when I get home.....................a light meal and a few libations usually fix this.

[Plank_Spanker]

In bad hot weather like this I usually bring an extra t-shirt or two and change after a set. Even though I don't sweat super-profusely as some do. I sorta mop up with the old shirt and then put the new one on. It actually helps you feel less tired and gunky.

I sweat like a horse. I load in with one shirt, play with another, and load out with yet another on pressure cooker humid and hot days.......................and a large towel is an essential piece of gear.