Longest down-time between sets?

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

I'm not talking about between sound-check and actually playing, but feel free to comment on that as well, if you wish. For that experience, we once had to sound check by noon, and didn't actually play a note until after 10:30 that night, about an 11 hour difference.
In this particular post I'm referring to playing the same venue, but at different times of the day.
I'm pretty sure my example won't hold up as the most extreme, but here's my example:
This past weekend The Dave Russell Band played at The El Dorado County Fair in Placerville, CA. Our first set was scheduled for 3:00, but was actually 3:30. The next set was from 6 to 7:00. Our final set started at 10:30, approx. 3 1/2 hours after we fininshed our previous set.
What to do with all that time, may be subject for another topic, but I'm not sure how interesting it would be.
-- Marc
www.marcfriedland.com
www.daverussell.com

[This message was edited by Marc Friedland on 20 June 2005 at 10:56 PM.]

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I've played quite a few bluegrass festivals, and there is often a 5 to 6 hour spread between an afternoon set and an evening set. That doesn't count the spread from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, or from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Marc.. That's a super long day... I would have been going stir crazy between sets.. I guess a lot depends on the money.
You guys should have been compensated for the MANY hours you spent there.
Hopefully the gig in question was worth the time you guys put in... bob

Ian Finlay · From: Kenton, UK

We did one in Spain. Got up at about 5am to get to the airport. Something like a 3 hour flight, followed by a 2 hour bus journey (a private bus, but still not exactly comfortable). Oh yes - 80+ degree heat, high humidity, no aircon. I got sick and had to visit the rest rooms rather a lot.

Finally got to the venue at about midday, which turned out to be a massive cattle shed next door to an abbatoir. The stench of rotting flesh just about killed off what was left of my stomach! So, soundcheck completed in 3 hours or so (the Spanish never seem to be in any hurry at all), and back to the hotel. A couple of hours sleep followed by a look around the town...

Then back to the venue at about 6pm. We were supposed to be on at 7pm. Had to walk a mile or so to the venue carrying instruments - we took turns helping the double bass player.

Well, come 7pm and Johnny Carroll was still playing. He came off, then the next act went on. Then the next. Then Ronnie Dawson decided that he wanted to go on next as he was getting tired.

We went on at 7am. For one 45 min set. Don't ask me what happened after unless you like drinking and puking stories (not me, I hasten to add!)

Ugh.

Ian

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I don't know if this counts, but I played a club that was so dead that we played 1 set on Friday night and did not play the next set until Saturday night. No reason to play for empty chairs.

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David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Once did sound check on wednesday afternoon, the next few days went haywire, we played Saturday night.

BUT got paid for all canceled evenings in between...

go figure.
Got a lot of smoozing and reading in though.

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

Well...nothing quite that bad for time really but i do recall an instance, back in the early 80's we were doing a New Years eve show, at the Mona Lake Boat Club in Norton Shores MI. We went in the morning, sat up, did a sound check, and left and took just our guitars with us. This was a black tie fancy affair. We came back around 8:30Pm our ladies looked nice in long evening gowns, it was snowing blowing outside awful! they had a rent a cop as a door man. He asked us for our reservations..we told this clown we were the band, guitars in hand and all. He said it didn't matter..no reservations..you're not getting through the door...you can imagine what the ladies started looking like, make up running, hair all wet, and just generally not happy...we asked for the manager..he wasn't there...we drove to a gas station, called the club, explain the situation to the bar tender, who told us..geez.."I guess it's ok if you guys come in without reservations, but you won't be able to eat though, because all the food was ordered by the reservations we have..we were over 2 hours late starting! no food, no drinks!

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Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

George.. Man I would have been furious!.. What kind of crap communication was there between employees and managers in that joint?.. Telling the BAND that had already set thier equipment up they need reservations??.. I once had a similar gig at Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ...

They wouldn't let me in the park because I had a beard!! I was to play with one of the featured bands and they would not even let me in!!.
The band went on without a steel, because the steel player dared to sport a NEATLY trimmed beard.. this was in the 80's... Never set foot in that place again... bob

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

42 years: 1961 - 2003. Can anyone top that?

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Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

This incident wasn't the longest down-time I ever had between sets, but it sure seemed like it at the time.

Bob, I once had a similar experience as your beard problem, when the touring band I worked with was booked at the NCO Club at Fort Bliss, Texas. I didn't have a beard at the time, but my hair was over my collar....actually kind of conservative for musicians of that 1960's era.

Anyway, between sets I went to the rest room and while there a drunk Master Sgt accosted me about my haircut, saying that I ought to be ashamed of my appearance and that I was a disgrace to the US Army and all it stood for....and he thought he would teach me some respect by kicking my a--!

I was rescued just in the nick of time by two other sergeants who recognized that I was a member of the band and not military, and the irate sergeant was ejected from the club.

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www.genejones.com

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

Bob & others,
When I first heard what the schedule was for that day, I initially felt we should be getting more than the typical pay for that kind of event. There are a number of valid reasons to me why it's worth doing a gig like this, and yes I would do it again.
The band leader Dave explained how it happened. When he signs contracts for many of these “Fair” gigs, they agree on the day, the price and how many hours of music will be played, but the set times are “to be determined.” Some times it ends up being a couple of sets right after each other, and the other extreme of that is what happened in this case. We would lose out on too many “good” gigs if all the band members were to tell Dave not to accept any gigs that didn’t specify in advance as to what the hours were. Dave usually sells quite a lot of CDs & T-shirts at these events and this day was particularly good, and Dave pays us nicely for recording his CDs, so yes we also reap the benefits of CD sales. Also, on this particular day, we got some leads for other good paying events, that will actually probably come to fruition before the end of the year.
This is why I find it easy to rationalize why the extended down-time was worth the price. I even got to meet Forum member David Wren who lives in the area and came by to see the show and say hi.
If this was a gig where I was a “hired gun” and chances are not to be playing with the band again, then I probably would not have taken the gig. But that’s not the case here. This is a band I have been with for a few years. I consider them all to be good musicians and friends, and we have fun putting on a good show.
I understand the perspective of how the dollar-per-hour doesn’t look too good if you have to drive a ways to the gig and end up taking 12 hours or more to do an hour show.
But the bottom line is I’d rather make $10 - $15 an hour for a long day revolved around playing music as compared to not doing it at all.
-- Marc

Dave Ristrim · From: Whites Creek, TN

Okay, here's a different twist. I used to play at the SaddleRack in San Jose. On the weekends, there were two bands on two different stages alternating an hour each with no down time. Just back and forth. Sometimes I would play in both bands, having a second set of gear set up and ready to go. I would finish the last song with one band, the next band would start and I would have to sprint across the club and join them for an hour and then back to the first band. 6 sets from 8:00 until 1:45 a.m. with no break.
The best thing was, both bands felt so sorry for me having to work so hard, they would bring me drinks on their off time and set them by my steel. Needless to say by the end of the night, I was playing a four neck steel guitar!
Dave

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