Forced hiatus legacy.

Yes, my bassist gave up, he said he has lost for months his willingness to practice and love for music, covid plus health issues took him down big!!!!
 
I think we've now got a short while longer to iron out the bugs :( We're about to pull our appearance at this year's F1 GP at Silverstone Hamilton Fields due to latest extension of UK restrictions not making the gig viable. We've found the venue a replacement act more suited to operating under such restrictions, & accepted a booking for 2022.
 
Thoughts of fatality tend to dampen enthusiasm for just about anything. The notion of “why bother?” enters the mind.

It’s a significant human trait. Add fear to the mix and it becomes toxic.
 
We've been rehearsing an hour of material for a gig that was supposed to happen today but got cancelled two weeks ago.
After 4 rehearsals we had our hour pretty much tightened up but all of us had at one point or other forgotten stuff that we thought would have been ingrained. The singer even had to remind me, by singing it, a drum fill I've performed hundreds of times in one song.
But the strangest thing is that at last week's session, knowing the gig was off, we played the hour set and afterwards revisited everything on our full set. And breezed through all of those songs with no issues!!
 
Thoughts of fatality tend to dampen enthusiasm for just about anything. The notion of “why bother?” enters the mind.

It’s a significant human trait. Add fear to the mix and it becomes toxic.

true...but man, I can't get into that mindset yet...I still have too many things to do on "The List"

I think that is how I escape the deluge of negativity. Dad always said: "make a plan". So when COVID hit, I just made a plan to keep things running status quo as much as they could. I am an introvert, so my day-to-day ops did not change much. I am already poor, so I don't live with much anyways. I grew up poor, so I learned to find ways to entertain myself thst did not require much cash flow.

I was lucky to keep my job and to be able to do lessons, so money trickled in. My wife is a pharmacy tech at the local children's hospital, so she kept her job, and actually added tons of hours.

Practicing and playing my instruments was one of the ONLY things that I had control over, and practice/playing to me is NEVER a chore...it is usually Zen. As is searching for new music, writing, arranging etc...so I did a lot of that as well.

Even when I was in the hospital with my heart attack years ago, I never once worried or thought about mortality...I just had to make a new plan...
 
Even when I was in the hospital with my heart attack years ago, I never once worried or thought about mortality...I just had to make a new plan...

I think we are all made a bit differently in that regard. Mortality is always at the edge of my consciousness, and even invades my dreams. I'd like it to be otherwise, but that's just the way I am. I'm pretty self-aware, and work with the knowledge, but it isn't always easy.

I think we may be straying from Andy's original question, but maybe not that far. Each of us has had some kind of response to this pandemic experience, however big or small the impact on our lives.

Andy, you asked if anyone else had the same kind of mental block-type response you guys were having, and I don't think I was especially clear in my answer. I feel like the things I'm experiencing at work are very much like your musical experiences. I get stuck making, or nearly making, the same mistake over and over, despite years of NOT making that mistake. It's not a matter of understanding, and it's not a lack of skill, it's just that my real-time performance seems affected. Does that make sense?
 
Last year, in September, we had planned a "start again Rehearsal" and it took me 3 pratices of 4/5 hours on my own to be really fluent on our 25 songs for set 1 & 2. Ok, no rock so Pop/Funk/dance when I have always 3/4 parts so, not only I need to play them as they should (Piano as Piano, E.Piano with a different touch, strings like strings, brass like brass etc...) And also to jump from one key to the other, on time, liaisons etc...plus being ready in less that 15 seconds when we have changes of set up for me, programs and so on...
But when we played, my bassist, my drummers and singers, they were really "somewhere else", I'm glad, as a band leader, I always study and learn the parts of everyone, I even write them sometimes, or find the charts/Chords names, but it was not the same...And we entered again in a super lockdown for months!!!
And since, I didn't learn new songs, for me, one song is around 10 Hours of work to prepare it, for all the band including sounds and which part we should change a bit in which instrument to make it more interesting live (as you don't have all the processing they have in studio), like kind of a re-arranging it, so, hurting my back and managing the pain I always have for a song that we won't play at any rehearsal, I cannot do it. So, I played the drums instead!!!!
 
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We had a month or two of rehearsals before starting back into gigging, back in the spring. We were making crazy mistakes, struggling with some songs, or in places that were really surprising.

Once we started the actual gigs, most everything fell back into place. Sure, there were a few things that still needed tightening up, but the general feel was there.

I agree with whoever said the setup/teardown took some getting used to again. We were a pretty well oiled machine before shutdown, took a few gigs to get the routine back in gear.

We'll all get there!
 
true...but man, I can't get into that mindset yet...I still have too many things to do on "The List"
yes, that mindset is dark and hopeless. It’s not my mindset, but what I’ve observed in others throughout this pandemic.

Your post indicates you have hope. It’s one element that motivates you. My point is, many people around the world lost hope during the pandemic. When hope is lost, what happens next? What doesn’t happen are things like ”attention to details” and “consideration for others”. And that’s what’s being discussed in this thread.

I was merely pointing to a possible cause for our collective “goof ups”.
 
I was really fortunate in that, throughout the entire pandemic, I was playing nearly every week at a church that was streaming services. All precautions were in place, and I myself was behind plexiglass so I really didn't feel unsafe. So I was able to play "live" throughout all the shutdowns.

Coming out of it and getting back to regular gigs, though, I find myself needing a lot more warm up time then I used to need, and certainly more than I normally get. A couple of gigs earlier this month were festival stage gigs, where there's basically no warm up, just get on stage and play. And it would usually take me three or four songs before I warmed up and started playing confidently. Till then, my brain and limbs would just have the dumb.

So I'm going to start bringing along a practice pad, so if I get any chance at all before going on, at least I can get some single and double stroke rules out of my system, and get the hands warm. Never had to do this before, but needs must.
 
The way I adapted to things was to shift my focus away from music for a while. I'll just bide my time and see if it ever returns back to the pre-covid days.

No sweat. This is an optional thing in my life, music, and if I'm not digging it, or if gigging out could be detrimental to me, nothing is tying me to music. I'll check back next year and re-evaluate then.

I'm currently going through some big life changes now, developed some serious heart related stuff in 2018 which definitely affected my playing, (out of breath) My wife and I are currently going through an emotional but (now) amicable divorce. Plus, my 29 YO son has decided that he's 100% in with Ace Electric and wants to take over my business after I'm gone, so I am re-invigorated to see him get licensed and especially committed to seeing him get his own house. We've been working together steadily for 5 years now. I've been taking him on jobs since he was 9. He wanted a music career too, in audio engineering. He just recently realized that his best chance at his own house is via electrical work, not music. So he's fully committed to Ace Electric now, something I didn't expect.

I was planning on scaling my business back, I'm 62 and still crawling in attics and scaling 28 foot ladders. But now I am shifting gears and ramping up now for my boy's benefit. So my priorities have majorly shifted. Music has been relegated to back burner status. My business is really getting busy, and I no longer wish to work a full day doing electrical work, then rush home for a 9 hour gig that doesn't profit me financially at all after my costs. I just don't have the energy I used to have before the AFIB thing. It's all OK though, I'm excited about the soon upcoming chapter in my life and being unencumbered by anybody. Sagittarius people desperately need their freedom and independence and I'm no exception

I still love music as much as ever. Right now, gigging just isn't a good fit for my life. I'll be back
 
We were totally having those problems in my band too. Then mysteriously, last night our notoriously spacey lead guy pulled it together. So strange.
And good deal larryace! Man what a beautiful thing to be working toward
 
yes, that mindset is dark and hopeless. It’s not my mindset, but what I’ve observed in others throughout this pandemic.

Your post indicates you have hope. It’s one element that motivates you. My point is, many people around the world lost hope during the pandemic. When hope is lost, what happens next? What doesn’t happen are things like ”attention to details” and “consideration for others”. And that’s what’s being discussed in this thread.

I was merely pointing to a possible cause for our collective “goof ups”.

I either have hope or I am just "blissfully oblivious"...or resilient...

and after practice today, I DO know that my voice has taken a hit. I did not use my "singing voice" for the whole time of COVID like normal ,and have lost tons of power, endurance and range...gotta get out the old Queensryche, Maiden, Armored Saint and Fates Warning albums and sing along to get that all back

my "punk rock" voice is still fine though
 
I chalk it up to age in my gigging life. After 45 or so, I started to forget the little things. I'd miss a crucial stop in a song or forget how a song started altogether. Literally a blank mind as if I'd never heard the song at all.
And these are songs I played more times than years I've been alive.

Now approaching 51, I'm 70/30 wanting to go out & play again. I'll do it, but once I see that I'm back to missing things like that again, I'll back off or just stay home & play there.
 
Our last gig Saturday night, the guitar player had more mistakes than normal and the bass player came to the point of just having to stop playing during the song to get his bearings and then resumed. Actually that's better than playing the wrong notes which also happened. For me, it was pretty good except for the leg fatigue tearing down after playing. It's not really body fatigue like being winded, just the legs feeling like they did 3 Xs the work than they actually did. I hope it's just me getting older although I'm hearing about long haulers that were asymptomatic having these same issues. I'm gonna have to start jogging again. 🤒
 
The way I adapted to things was to shift my focus away from music for a while. I'll just bide my time and see if it ever returns back to the pre-covid days.

No sweat. This is an optional thing in my life, music, and if I'm not digging it, or if gigging out could be detrimental to me, nothing is tying me to music. I'll check back next year and re-evaluate then.

I'm currently going through some big life changes now, developed some serious heart related stuff in 2018 which definitely affected my playing, (out of breath) My wife and I are currently going through an emotional but (now) amicable divorce. Plus, my 29 YO son has decided that he's 100% in with Ace Electric and wants to take over my business after I'm gone, so I am re-invigorated to see him get licensed and especially committed to seeing him get his own house. We've been working together steadily for 5 years now. I've been taking him on jobs since he was 9. He wanted a music career too, in audio engineering. He just recently realized that his best chance at his own house is via electrical work, not music. So he's fully committed to Ace Electric now, something I didn't expect.

I was planning on scaling my business back, I'm 62 and still crawling in attics and scaling 28 foot ladders. But now I am shifting gears and ramping up now for my boy's benefit. So my priorities have majorly shifted. Music has been relegated to back burner status. My business is really getting busy, and I no longer wish to work a full day doing electrical work, then rush home for a 9 hour gig that doesn't profit me financially at all after my costs. I just don't have the energy I used to have before the AFIB thing. It's all OK though, I'm excited about the soon upcoming chapter in my life and being unencumbered by anybody. Sagittarius people desperately need their freedom and independence and I'm no exception

I still love music as much as ever. Right now, gigging just isn't a good fit for my life. I'll be back
Hey Larry. Sending you love and cuddles from across the pond!
 
I think we've now got a short while longer to iron out the bugs :( We're about to pull our appearance at this year's F1 GP at Silverstone Hamilton Fields due to latest extension of UK restrictions not making the gig viable. We've found the venue a replacement act more suited to operating under such restrictions, & accepted a booking for 2022.
Andy that's a crying shame, F1 gig would have been immense. Hopefully they'll give you 1st call for '22?
 
Andy that's a crying shame, F1 gig would have been immense. Hopefully they'll give you 1st call for '22?
We just got the email confirmation for 2022 yesterday :)

To add context however, this is not an event in the circuit compound itself (although it's right on the circuit boundary), it's at one of the big camping grounds with all kinds of facilities including shows in a big marquee, etc. It's a reasonable size gig, but not massive.

We're set to play the Saturday evening. There is an after party inside the circuit compound on the Sunday evening, but that's a 2 or 3 international act only billing, and you have to have race day tickets in addition to the "party" ticket to enter. That's an all up cost of anywhere from minimum $250 to typically $750 +++++, so hardly affordable to most.
 
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