ce24
Poster Extraordinaire
I'm 10 minutes away from our regular dinner gig at a pub/ convention CTR....6-8 home by 9. Pretty sweet! Trio with one powered spkr and small 6 ch. Mixer... No amps everything thru the PA.
After the gig?
- Thread starter stephent2
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Kandinskyesque
Friend of Leo's
It's been a while since I gigged regularly but back when I was with my last band the ritual was always the same.
I'd love to say it involved some zen meditation, a hot bath with Davis, Coltrane or Monk on the stereo followed by a tantric massage by a team of slinky eastern ladies.
However, my name is not Sting.
The drives varied between 10 minutes and 2 hours, most of them were under an hour.
I took the pa, lights etc home in my van, so first of all I'd unload it into a locked cage in my double locked garage.
Then food, I don't/can't eat after breakfast on gig days (a singer thing maybe) so it's the usual post gig gorge of fried chicken with chili, onions and cajun seasoning and stir fried veg. The spices are good for a post gig dirty throat.
Washed down with a smoothie and cup of tea.
Then a movie, some brain Haribo action movie with Jason Statham, Bruce Willis or equivalent with a pee break every 10 minutes on account of several pints of fizzy water during the gig, it doesn't seem to want to pass through me until I'm home.
I'm never in bed before 4.30am after a gig due to a buzzing head and often ringing ears.
The meds put me out in 10 minutes and I'm up around the crack of noon the following day. That's usually when I discover that I've locked my wallet, phone or both in the garage with the gear.
I'd love to say it involved some zen meditation, a hot bath with Davis, Coltrane or Monk on the stereo followed by a tantric massage by a team of slinky eastern ladies.
However, my name is not Sting.
The drives varied between 10 minutes and 2 hours, most of them were under an hour.
I took the pa, lights etc home in my van, so first of all I'd unload it into a locked cage in my double locked garage.
Then food, I don't/can't eat after breakfast on gig days (a singer thing maybe) so it's the usual post gig gorge of fried chicken with chili, onions and cajun seasoning and stir fried veg. The spices are good for a post gig dirty throat.
Washed down with a smoothie and cup of tea.
Then a movie, some brain Haribo action movie with Jason Statham, Bruce Willis or equivalent with a pee break every 10 minutes on account of several pints of fizzy water during the gig, it doesn't seem to want to pass through me until I'm home.
I'm never in bed before 4.30am after a gig due to a buzzing head and often ringing ears.
The meds put me out in 10 minutes and I'm up around the crack of noon the following day. That's usually when I discover that I've locked my wallet, phone or both in the garage with the gear.
I'm not much of a gigger anymore. From the ages of 19-26, it was how I made my living. I'd be playing five to six nights a week at that time, so I was basically nocturnal. 4 am was usually bedtime. Wake up at noon.
There are times I wish I still did it. I made plenty of money and had a blast. It just doesn't pair well with domestic life.
There are times I wish I still did it. I made plenty of money and had a blast. It just doesn't pair well with domestic life.
dougstrum
Friend of Leo's
It's been 10-12yrs since I played the late night dives
These days even the evening winery and brewery shows end before the starting time at my old haunts
I used to play with a drummer who couldn't believe that I would fall asleep soon as I got home. He was kinda high strung said it always took a couple of hours to unwind once he got home.
These days even the evening winery and brewery shows end before the starting time at my old hauntsI used to play with a drummer who couldn't believe that I would fall asleep soon as I got home. He was kinda high strung said it always took a couple of hours to unwind once he got home.
Lou Tencodpees
Tele-Afflicted
It's been decades but during my gigging heyday it was the drive home followed by an urgent request for a treat from my dog. Once satisfied she'd scramble up the stairs and crawl under the bed. I'd then unload and head to bed. My wife would remain fast asleep, TV still on. I'd make a quick kissing noise and the dog would scramble from under the bed and pounce on my chest. A few scratches behind the ear, then off to the foot of the bed. For some reason it always seemed that Matlock was on the tube. TV off, then drift off to the soothing sound (not!) of tinnitus.
eddiewagner
Poster Extraordinaire
Pack in, drive home, count Money, have a beer. No beers on gigs. The next day I feel pretty good because I feel like I did a cool job. Slowly reality sets in…
TheCheapGuitarist
Tele-Afflicted
This did not happen to me, but a drummer friend of mine played an opening slot for a well-known band many years ago, packed up the gear, and drove home. He told me he arrived in his driveway around 4AM and had no recollection of the drive at all.
I don't do late late late nights anymore and I'm glad I don't.
I don't do late late late nights anymore and I'm glad I don't.
You do indeed have to guard against “zombie mode” when doing a long drive home.
Coca Cola, a little chocolate, open windows and great music help me stay more alert.
I’ve been on a 70’s R&B/Motown/Soul kick lately.
Amazing singing, arranging, bass and drum playing!
The guitar stuff is smart, and minimalistic, too.
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radtz
Friend of Leo's
I want to add on to mine. Back in the day I would have sweet lovin' time with the girlfriend before sleep, which over the years evolved into sweet lovin' time with the wife, that evolved into sneaking into bed without waking the wife up.
buster poser
Poster Extraordinaire
However you wind down from gigs, big respect to all you folks doing it.
Dik Ellis
Tele-Afflicted
Usually I was hungry after a gig, so burgers or tacos from Jack in the Box, did the trick. Some acoustic playing helped me unwind.
sirshackleton
Tele-Meister
If I have a daytime or early evening gig, I'm actually more motivated to get home quicker and make the rest of the day/night relatively normal. I get myself loaded up, then help with the PA if we had to supply our own and then I'm out of there. Same goes for the rest of the guys, typically. I'm actually in less of a rush when gigs run later into the evening, even though most of our gigs require a fair bit of driving.
Last show I played was back in February. I think we ended around 11:00 PM or so and we were fully loaded up by around 11:45. For nights like that, I'll usually try and find a place to grab a quick bite and maybe a little caffeine. I'll take a few minutes to eat in the car, call the wife to let her know I'm on my way back, fire up the GPS and satellite radio and then hit the road. I'm a bit of a night owl and don't get bothered by long, nighttime drives so I usually have an easy time settling in.
When I get home I'll try to unload as much as possible (guitars always; amp and pedalboard maybe...vehicles are secured in a locked garage so I don't worry much about interlopers) and will usually need 20-30 minutes to wind down after everything is locked up for the night.
For the odd overnight gig, I usually try to plan for an early departure the next morning unless we have a run of shows so I adopt more of a "daytime" gig philosophy there.
Last show I played was back in February. I think we ended around 11:00 PM or so and we were fully loaded up by around 11:45. For nights like that, I'll usually try and find a place to grab a quick bite and maybe a little caffeine. I'll take a few minutes to eat in the car, call the wife to let her know I'm on my way back, fire up the GPS and satellite radio and then hit the road. I'm a bit of a night owl and don't get bothered by long, nighttime drives so I usually have an easy time settling in.
When I get home I'll try to unload as much as possible (guitars always; amp and pedalboard maybe...vehicles are secured in a locked garage so I don't worry much about interlopers) and will usually need 20-30 minutes to wind down after everything is locked up for the night.
For the odd overnight gig, I usually try to plan for an early departure the next morning unless we have a run of shows so I adopt more of a "daytime" gig philosophy there.
After pulling everything down, packing up & a drive home, I was always ready for bed & straight to sleep.
Tonetele
Doctor of Teleocity
Pack up, go home then have two Miller's beers. zzzzzzz!!!
Guitarteach
Doctor of Teleocity
Plodding around in video games until 2 or 3am usually after gigs,
Occasionally I will have to hit the home studio to knock out an idea in my head.. but am stuck with headphones that late.
Occasionally I will have to hit the home studio to knock out an idea in my head.. but am stuck with headphones that late.
You, sir, are a legend.
As for these people who eat and have no problem falling asleep... that was my younger years. Finish the gig, the whole band (and entourage) would head to the nearest diner (it's Jersey- they're everywhere, tho not as many today as their used to be)... "what time is it" was of no concern, even if we had work the next day (which was not usually the case, we only played thu/fri/sat nights back then). Eat all the cheeseburger and fries and caffeine want, then get home and fall fast asleep.
While I have no problem staying up that late, at my age I can no longer eat right before bed like that, not do I fall fast asleep anymore- it's a rare occasion when "I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow"... getting older isn't fun much of the time LOL.
WireLine
Tele-Afflicted
And choir choir shouted A-Men. Most gigs are 1.5- 2hrs each way…try to schedule things so there are 2-4 in a row out of town, so suitcases are involved.
What helps on drives home is no radio/music of any kind. The whine of 80 MPH tires is both soothing and keeps me alert.
When Spring kicks in ( yay, finally!),
I play 2-3 times every week, somewhere. Earlier gigs now...
( brewpubs, Cafes, nursing homes,outdoor local Park or Community Concerts, have replaced late-night bar gigs)
...and the driving is from 20 minutes to an hour, around No.Va or MD ( D.C. area).
So, often, I'm eating on the way home, then watch TV, with my Martin in my lap for a few hours. Time of night doesn't even matter anymore.
I don't miss getting home at 2:30 AM!
I play 2-3 times every week, somewhere. Earlier gigs now...
( brewpubs, Cafes, nursing homes,outdoor local Park or Community Concerts, have replaced late-night bar gigs)
...and the driving is from 20 minutes to an hour, around No.Va or MD ( D.C. area).
So, often, I'm eating on the way home, then watch TV, with my Martin in my lap for a few hours. Time of night doesn't even matter anymore.
I don't miss getting home at 2:30 AM!
Fret Wilkes
Friend of Leo's
In the late 90s I gigged Tuesday through Saturday in Boston from spring to fall. I worked a day job too, so it was quite an effort. From Boston to home was about 1-15min, but it was still in the middle of "The Big Dig" in Boston and you could easily find a traffic jam on I93S in the wee hours. I finally bailed on the gig when I opened my eyes one morning to find a telephone pole approaching quickly, directly in front of me about 1 mile from home. I cut the wheel hard and swerved across RT44 15 miles west of Providence. Tragedy narrowly averted!
This long story just spilled out! I was actually posting to say that my late night ritual for this escapade, taught to me by the fiddle player who would ride with me many times, was to eat a spicy sausage and pepper sandwich, with extra red pepper flakes from "Johnny Two Dogs" a cart on State Street. He said don't drink coffee you'll be up all night, eat a real spicy sandwich and it will work on you all the way home, but you'll be able to sleep later." It mostly worked!
I never gigged as much as I did that season in Boston. Weekends through the summer we'd do doubles as we'd do parties/functions in the afternoons north and south of Beantown, and then back to The Hub for gigs at night. Quite the run, and I lived (barely) to tell the tale. ;0)
Hmmm... now I've got a wicked hankerin' for a sausage and pepper sandwich!
