Returning to gigging... how are your experiences?

My first for the year was this Saturday past. A short-notice fill-in.

Outdoor wine bar 'patio' - felt more like a park. About 150 people social-distancing. The sound on stage was excellent. By all accounts it was the same out front. So good to play for a crowd again!

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We had our fourth post-covid gig on Saturday and the biggest surprise for me was how normal it feels. Like putting on your favorite
pair of jeans. Crowds have been super enthusiastic. It's SO good to be back playing!

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mikyok said:
Did my first gig since Jan 2020 on Saturday just gone. Easy wedding gig just knackered afterwards.

Really not a gig I wanted to do as I lost my mom on Tuesday but I'd already been paid for it so the show went on. Just hid away at the back and got on with it. The rest of the guys were cool. Drumming is unbelievably calming and therapeutic, just not the way I'd like to find out.

My tea and biscuit post gig ritual was ruined when I discovered the milk had gone off so I just went to bed for a 9 hour nap.
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I'm sorry to hear about your mom mikyok. I remember a story on Steve Gadd who was playing the day he lost his mom and it was said that he was playing incredible (imagine that) . just a story for inspiration to us mere mortals.
 
Thanks for the kind words folks, didn't wanna put a downer on the thread.

Trust me, as a former working muso she'd have haunted me if I didn't do the gig!
Chris Whitten said:
Oh no, I'm sorry. That's tough!!!
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Otto said:
Thinking good thoughts for you.
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Capital D said:
I'm sorry for your loss, Mikyok.
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moodman said:
I'm sorry for your loss, and good to soldier on and play, I have always felt that performing is therapeutic.
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Mediocrefunkybeat said:
Sorry to hear that @mikyok . Sending you all my best wishes.
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Bozozoid said:
I'm sorry to hear about your mom mikyok. I remember a story on Steve Gadd who was playing the day he lost his mom and it was said that he was playing incredible (imagine that) . just a story for inspiration to us mere mortals.
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The last band I was in was a corporate gig act. 8 piece horn band doing 3 90 minute shows. Stevie wonder..chicago..blood sweat and tears..average white band..you know the list. When that folded after 10 years!..i had to do some club gigs. I was ruined!. No longer could I do the 9 to 1 gig to club drunks. I'm still fighting that wanting to play one last time befor the dirt nap. I was so spoiled doing corporate gigs after spending my life in the bar scene.
 
We have our first one's back this Saturday & Sunday with Discharge & The Anti-Nowhere League. I am a little tentative to be honest. It's the heat that I don't like. I am also a stone heavier now :rolleyes:
 
Bozozoid said:
The last band I was in was a corporate gig act. 8 piece horn band doing 3 90 minute shows. Stevie wonder..chicago..blood sweat and tears..average white band..you know the list.
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That sounds amazing!!! Something I've never done, but would love to.

My first gig back was a few weeks ago - still under previous restrictions. We turned up with modest expectations as restriction impact would likely kill the vibe, but to our surprise, the festival had cut a deal based on a rigid daily testing regime, & we found ourselves in a pre covid festival environment. It felt sooooo good!

Apart from the horrendous weather, and a bit of band rust, it was a super enjoyable gig, & we got 3 further significant bookings on the back of it.
 
A few weeks ago I posted how busy I was - 50 gigs in six months! Now the 3rd wave has hit Australia and everything is locked down and all gigs cancelled. I’ve lost six gigs over the last two weeks. Looks like this will go back and forth for the rest of the year.

The gigs I’ve done have been OK - the bands have made minimal errors on stage, and we’ve played well together.
But 50% of the gigs have had ‘no dancing’ restrictions as well as limits on numbers, so the atmosphere has been lacking. Pub gigs have generally been boring. Private shows with less restrictions have been fantastic. So its been a bumpy ride, and right now its stalled due to another complete lockdown...
 
My gigs have been going well. We just finished up our 31st gig since the last week of April. We have about 35 or so more to go for the rest of this season. Between this and working a day job, I've been burning the candle at both ends for a few months now. I've never at home, but I'm just happy to have the work. I play what I can while I can.

I took a short video during our break on Friday (sorry if you can't see it):
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Thank you Bourbon Cowboy at 3001 Nightlife for a great evening! Looking forward to a day off and then Tin Roof Myrtle Beach tomorrow! 🤠👍 | By Martin Moore Music | Facebook

Thank you Bourbon Cowboy at 3001 Nightlife for a great evening! Looking forward to a day off and then Tin Roof Myrtle Beach tomorrow! 🤠👍
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Here's a pic from Sunday right before sound check:
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I've been gigging every weekend since Memorial Day. I had the same fatigue after a couple sets that others had mentioned, but after a couple weekends, that went away.

The being up later than usual...that's taken some getting used to, tho adrenaline seems to bring me thru that. The larger issue for me is the bounce-back on the following morning...or perhaps the lack of same 😉

Before Covid, I was either out and about or at least up and awake past 11 most nights. Nowadays, on non gig nights, I'm asleep in the recliner by 9. Crazy.
 
I never "truly" left gigging. While 2020 did see some large gaps, I actually managed to perform here and there in areas that were less shut down, or a little more laxed with the rules. The longest break from the stage was about 5 months. During that time I was still behind the kit 8 hours a day, doing session work, teaching, and keeping my chops up so when the day came I wouldn't feel out of place. The first couple gigs back took me a second to be like "oh yeah, this used to be normal." but nothing really threw off my game.
Now I'm back to multiple gigs per week, and full scale touring starts soon. Looking forward to everything being normal again.
 
My church gig started regularly again in April or May.

We did some live recording to post on YT last year. Now it's just getting used to the every weekend again.
 
Frosticles said:
We have our first one's back this Saturday & Sunday with Discharge & The Anti-Nowhere League. I am a little tentative to be honest. It's the heat that I don't like. I am also a stone heavier now :rolleyes:
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I sooooooooooooooo want to there!!!!

😍 🤘🤘🤘
 
Living Dead Drummer said:
I never "truly" left gigging. While 2020 did see some large gaps, I actually managed to perform here and there in areas that were less shut down, or a little more laxed with the rules. The longest break from the stage was about 5 months.
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I'm in the same boat. It slowed down a little last year, but not a ton.
 
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