Back to Back - Two gigs in one day

Next Friday we'll be playing the local County Fair from 5pm to 8pm. Then we go literally across the street to the big honky tonk bar and play from 9:30pm to 1:30am. As people are leaving the County Fair that night, those looking to continue the party will go to the honky tonk next door. We expect the place to be hopping packed solid. Should be a lot of fun.

But wow, playing basically from 5pm until 1:30am. Wish us luck.

Anyone ever done back to back gigs in the same day?

It can be a grind, but just keep imagining the money at the end of the day and you'll do fine!

I used to play bass with one band that did a lot of three gig weekends. We would play a reception on both Friday and Saturday and then an Elks gig Saturday night. All with a move, and a lot of times in different towns. Then I got to wake up and work Sunday morning. Loooooong day.

Justin

When it was my full time job, I sometimes did 3 in one day if circumstances allowed!

2 in a day wasn't so uncommon in the summer months - enjoy, have a blast.

When I was doing it for a living, I never turned ANYTHING down, so I had several 3-a-days, lots of doubles. Still have the occasional double, like this last Saturday. Keeps your chops up!

Oh yeah. The Saturday before Saint Patrick's day I played in the morning from 9:30-12:30 with an informal group that plays every Saturday morning, then an Irish gig from 2-4 at a restaurant, another Irish gig from 4-7 next door at another restaurant, then a third Irish gig down the street from 8-1AM. I have had a number of other multi-gig days.

When the Wild Horse Saloon opened here in Nashville we did a 5-8 then drove 25 miles and played 9:30 to 1:30 5 nights a week. The longer you do stuff like the more you can do. Just like lifting weights or running. Once a year, yeah, it can be a real challenge.

After you tear down from the fair and setup at the bar, maybe right after soundcheck at the bar find a quiet place to cat nap. Your cell phone alarm clock app is your friend.

I keep a roll out nap pad in the truck, I'll throw it on top of a road case in the trailer if I have to. when a crew is out for a multi night festival we will make a "room" behind road cases in the box truck or semi trailer for our own private area to relax. Sometime a futon makes the truck pack. Outdoor festivals with staging that has pleated skirting make a nice tent for you to slide under and nap.

Yep, and afternoon gig at a BBQ fundraiser from 12 to 3PM and a night gig from 9:30 to 1:30AM!! makes for a LOOOONNNNNNGGGG DAY!

Heck, we play doubles on Saturdays most summer weekends! On my birthday weekend in early July, we played Friday night (8-midnight), twice on Saturday (1-5pm, 9pm-1am), and Sunday night (9pm-1am).

Drink a lot of water, put fresh strings on before the first gig, stay relaxed. Oh, and have fun!!!

Tim

Done that before...not much fun to be honest.

Good luck to you, hope you knock 'em dead, and the place is jumping...that really makes the nights go fast.

Does an hour and a half give you time enough to get from one gig to the next? Hope you're not hauling the PA.

My favorite "back-to-back" gig is a late night FRI followed by mid day SAT gig.

Ask anyone who's done a 3 to 6 month 'cruise ship' gig what a long day is.

Drink a lot of water, put fresh strings on before the first gig, stay relaxed. Oh, and have fun!!!

Tim

couldn't have said it any better....

Big_Bend

Hell-yes!!! Excellent band-bonding event.

Make us proud. :)

Too much for me. Gigs on back to back nights put the hurt on me, but I'm not a "pro."

Two gigs in one day I can handle but three? That's a little bit much but I suppose you got to do what you have got to do.......

I still prefer double gigging to playing a wedding, though. You make more, there's no pressure to dress particularly fancy, the day is slightly shorter, and there is no pressure to learn songs that, otherwise, you would have pretty much zero desire to play.

Probably obvious, but it makes a big difference whether or not you're also responsible for providing the PA, which most times my bands are. Two gigs worth of singing and playing is not too bad. However, two gigs worth of additionally setting up and tearing down the sound rig, cables, etc...that sucks!

Oh man, been there done that. It is a grind for sure. Playing a show from 10-1, bed by 5am, up early, driving for 3 hours, lunch, set up for an in store set, 2 hours, tear down, pack up, nap, load in at club, supper, set up, play another set, load out by 2am, drive 3 more hours to the next town. It is exhausting.

Been there done that too many times but one weekend after getting off work from my factory job I did 9 gigs from Fri night to Sun Night..Guess who's ass was drangin' Mon morning..

I feel ya on that one Papa Joe.
25 years ago I worked days as a set carpenter (slash and burn scenic stuff). Nail guns, saws all's, paint, sumac branches, etc. Then I'd go gig. Thankfully there were more than a few musicians day jobbing in those production houses. We could comiserate.

FWIW, the 2 gigs we're playing next Friday.... the first County Fair gig we're using our own PA, the 2nd one at the honky tonk has a house PA and soundman. So we should have no trouble in the 1.5 hours between gigs tearing down and moving and setting up again. Agreed, if we had to use our own PA on both gigs, it would be very tight time wise.

I'm hoping the first gig, which is outdoors, isn't too hot. We hit 102 yesterday in Houston. Eek!

take care...

2 gigs on a day is pretty common, esp around summer here in Perth eg Friday after work 4-7pm set followed by a 830-midnight pub gig, or wedding gig Sat afternoon followed by pub or private/corporate gig at night. Or Sunday 3-6pm 'arvo sesh' (afternoon session) at a pub and a 8-11pm at night.

I've done is a Friday night Bridgetown festival slot (3hrs drive out of Perth metro) 9pm-midnight. Hanging with musicians till about 2am. Then leaving Bridgetown at 8am, arriving in Perth metro 11am to setup for for 12-3pm pub gig, and then BACK to Bridgetown to make 8pm festival slot. Luckily at the time my old man let me drive his 5.7L V8 Holden Commodore which made the winding south-west highway quite the nice drive :cool:

Most sundays I play in church from 7am-1pm and then do 3-7pm solo acoustic at a pub. For a 6 weeks stint I had a trio gig from 830-11pm, which made for quite the epic Sunday, almost continuous music and fronting on vocals for all of it. :razz:

Haven't done a 3-in-a-day in a while, but it does happen time to time.

^ to the above I'll add I take my hat off to those those who regularly gig pubs at nights and still do a 9-5! I know a few. Much, much harder to my thinking, and enough motivation for me to keep the day-job at bay.

We've done a double header several times. It can be a grind...mostly on the singers.
but it's still a lot of fun.

A variety/society band that I used to work with routinely booked three jobs on Saturdays (the big money day for working players), particularly during the warmer months. A wedding early in the day, a grand opening or fashion show late afternoon or early evening, a hotel, lounge, or private party in the later evening. We were a quartet, but when time got tight we'd slim down to a duo or three piece toward the end of one job, and send a guy or two to the next job to prep it. It was nuts and Sundays were often a blurry wash, and there were some funky smelling tuxes or suits afterward, but the money take was outrageous.

and there were some funky smelling tuxes or suits afterward, but the money take was outrageous.

:mrgreen:

In May I did back-to-back gigs with 2 different bands. The country band played from 3-6p in one town and the r-n-r band from 9:30p - 12:30a about 20 minutes away. Luckily, home is between the two venues, so I had time to go home, trade a fiddle for a keyboard, freshen up a bit, and head to the second gig. Also traded my boots for regular shoes for the second gig - no way my feet could handle 6 hours in boots.

Both gigs were two long sets with one break between. After the first set of the second gig, I looked at the second set on the set list and couldn't believe I still had that many songs left to play. Mercifully, the crowd thinned out a lot, so about 5 songs into the second set the house told us to pack it in. I was dog-tired.

Going to try to avoid booking those back-to-back gigs from now on ...

FWIW, the 2 gigs we're playing next Friday.... the first County Fair gig we're using our own PA, the 2nd one at the honky tonk has a house PA and soundman. So we should have no trouble in the 1.5 hours between gigs tearing down and moving and setting up again. Agreed, if we had to use our own PA on both gigs, it would be very tight time wise.

I'm hoping the first gig, which is outdoors, isn't too hot. We hit 102 yesterday in Houston. Eek!

take care...

Where 'ya playin' at?

Not often, but did it. Twice with two bands playing at the same venue and some more times with one band changing venues. We had a good crew to carry us and our gear from one place to another. The weirdest thing was when we carried our gear through a cold winter night into a club, where the condensed water already ran down the walls. We entered and everything we carried was instantly wet. :confused:

Trip Report

Did the two gigs yesterday, back to back. The County Fair from 5 to 8pm was fun. We were on the small stage by the beer garden, close to all carnival rides, booths, and livestock show. Mostly people mingling by and watching a little while before moving on. Teenage kids asking us to play Kid Rock. Fun stuff...

At 8pm sharp we were tearing down quick, loaded up, and moved down the road to the big ole honky tonk. We got there at 8:30, did the sound check at 9:30 and started playing soon after that. The house PA system was incredible, best I've ever played on, and the house soundman was a great guy who really knew his stuff. After midnight the place was PACKED SOLID and the dance floor was hopping and the band sounded great and we just tore the place up. Amazing fun night! My guitar solos were starting to get a little sloppy after 1am tho.. I was tired tired.. The adrenaline was still running high tho.

Driving home at 3am, my son and I (he is the bass player) realized we hadn't eaten since 2pm. 3:30 AM drive thru at Jack in the Box, asleep at 4am.

And another gig today at 6. I love this stuff! :mrgreen:


Take care...