Every time you say 57 years old I flash to Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart talking to his agent about driving 6 hours to play a bowling alley! I do 3 hour solo winery gigs and they can get pretty brutal come August. Glad you made it out alive! Cheers Brad!!
My 3 man acoustic trio played a wedding once. They had us crammed into a tight corner playing in tuxedos. Later, our lead solo guy decided to steal an entire crate of wine and I look out on the green golf course and there he is, basically running with it. We were later confronted in the parking lot by the groom and opened the trunk to return the ill-gotten wine.
4 hours straight is brutal, it sounds like one of those type of gigs where the crowd are not interested in the music, but that’s the norm for weddings and corporate gigs,done a few of those myself in years gone by, consolation was most of them paid quite well. There was usually the local pub or club gig a few days later where you could let off some steam.
4 hours straight?!!! Wow! Dude, you’re a better man than me!😅 We’re both about the same age and probably spent about the same number of years working in Nashville, but a 4 hour, no break gig is NOT something I can do anymore. Much respect Brad! 💪💪
At 70 years old, i van only do 2 hours non-stop. I play accordion. It's like a bowflex that makes music. 4 hours with no bathroom breaks is ludicrous to be asked for.
4 hours straight with no breaks at all is absolutely insane.And I can't imagine anyone in the audience ever doing such a thing. I have played in many groups that took way too long breaks and I don't like that. But four hours without even a bathroom break is absolutely insane. The Only way you can do that is to like have the drummer take a powder while the other band plays some mellow Jazz ballad. And then the drummer comes back and one of the guitar players takes a powder and kind of rotate everybody out so they can get a drink or a glass of water or bathroom break. you have to you have to. I also remember playing in a group where the guy was super.Strict about breaks and they were short breaks period if you were in the bathroom he'd walk in and say "shake it off We're going on stage" and you better get on stage and don't even think about removing your jacket! I made that mistake exactly once.
In NY, most gigs(club dates, weddings, parties) were booked as continuous, 55 on , 5 off w/Kbd or Gtr playing while band took quick break. 4 hrs plus OT. Plus Gtr would do 1hr cocktail prior. Big bucks, big burnout.
My Brother Brad...I sure can "relate" to this content as I have performed over 1000 shows here in the Florida Keys as the "Coconut Cowboy" since 2016 (when we purchased our 2nd home with our other home in Hendersonville, Tennessee in the Indian Lake area) Most have been "solo" shows...sprinkled in with "dou" and "full band" performance with 99% of the shows being "outside...with length"...from resorts...to the "Largest Tiki Bar" in the U.S. @ Gilbert's and everything in between. My average "booked" performance is right at 3:30 to 4 hours...with many of them running 4:30 & over...all-non stop...not "required" but I simply "hit the stage running & don't stop"...not "needing" breaks so I don't take them...but if I "needed" to...I would. These "Outdoor-based" shows are ALL affected by the ever-changing weather conditions...from the howling winds in the early part of the year...to the EXTREMELY HOT summer sun that now is in place...along with the ever-present "State Bird"...the mosquito...another potential and MAJOR issue...at times. All this to say..."Welcome To Florida"...and it is my prayer for God's Blessings of Abundance & Opportunity for you, your beautiful bride and beautiful daughter...let's keep pickin'';) Sincerely I am...Dan;)
Wow We lived in Indian Lake as well...it's now in the rear view mirror. Getting my bearings here and seeing which way the wind blows. Thanks so much for the well wishes and best to you. God Bless.
Man I can relate to this all the way to core of my soul. I have so many stories playing weddings and corporate gigs where the catered food literally caused players to have to leave the stage mid set to run to the bathroom. Learned you NEVER eat roast beef (always undercooked) or any kind of meet that is covered in a sauce etc. When I started I use to hate the Turkey sandwich in a brown sack. When I left the job, I prayed for a Turkey sandwich😂😂
One of my very first "real" gigs was at an upscale bar & grille. Four one-hours sets with a blues band. The venue fed us before we went on, which for me was a first. I sat down to this _huge_ plate with a giant hamburger and steak fries. Man, it was great food, I was stuffed! So much so that I could barely move once I got my bass strapped on and we began. I was so full of food I could barely breathe, barely stand up on that stage. I just wanted to lay down and take a nap the whole night. It was the toughest gig I've ever endured, and the last time I ate anything more than a few bites before playing a gig.
Know a few guys in Nashville who do Broadway 10a-2pm, 2-6pm, then 6-10pm all in one day followed by 2-6pm, 6-10pm, and 10pm-2am the next day for a total of 24 hours in 2 days!
@@badbrad Just met a drummer Saturday that did 56 Broadway shifts in June (1 shift=4 hour gig with NO break), and a few of those were four in one day (16 hours)!
Surviving a gig with the first video 😂 the look on your face!....4 HOURS!😂..I could never do that! ..I hope to hell your getting paid good!??..do you have any horns that can play when you need to piss??? You were digging iñto that neck hour four!..NICE!..12 piece band!..love it!
Hello Brad, it's quiet weird, to hear you explain the conditions of your working, beeing treated like shit while you're the ones making the party go! Hope it was well paid ! I did a few weddings, as an experience, that went for that long, playing, but it was relaxed and smooth, with lots of respect for the musicians. We had a playlist, with the slow for the marrying couple, and lots of tunes on call ! Fortunately, I was on drums for those, so it was easy to do & well payed. Take care and godspeed!
Enjoying your vids Brad, I can relate, I'm 47, semi pro guitarist in Ireland and very busy these days. Sorry if you've previousy covered it, but what is your rig for weddings? That drive tone was awesome👍
Man I worked my way through Berklee playing 4 sets a night, 6 nights a week at Stouffer’s Hotel in Boston wearing a dang tux every night! But 4 hours straight is a heavy lift! Hope you got some good jingle for that one! Yeah the catering was great when I did The Miracles thing. Never got sick thank goodness!
@@badbradYeah it does! 😂 We wore suits with The Miracles too but no ties! Now my own band does 4 nights a week over here in Thailand at a really nice 5 star resort but no suits!
I guess the best thing that can be said is that it was just one gig. I worked in warehouses on 10 hour shifts. Sitting outside in the car, waiting to punch in, you dreaded the blast furnace you'd be in all night - night after night after night.
Crazy. Just moved to Nashville from Atlanta. Rarely have I worked a gig where a band plays 4 hours straight. Usually 2 hour set no breaks or 3 hour set with a 15 minute break.
wow yeah I don't know where it came from but I know some of the bands on broadway do some marathon gigs....only way for the band to break is if the singer does a song solo...
@@badbrad I have seen a few 3 hour nonstop sets where the vocals and guitar will do a couple of songs while everyone else breaks and then the drummer will take a really long solo for everyone else to break. I guess you just have to be creative with the time alotted as long as someone is playing something
Cool channel you have on here next to hear the stories about LA and then give people an insight on how it really is being in a rock and roll touring band or otherwise. I play and kiss tribute bands and it's like you better take a leak before you play because it's gonna be 2 hours and 15 something minutes with Encore before we even get off the stage so I can relate to what you're saying on some gigs. But it's fun to hear all these Stories because people Don't realize it's not all Glamorous you Go through all this stuff because we're musicians and Then it gets to the good stuff the good Always weighs out the Bad that's what I say even being a road dog on the road getting to a show it's Passion and music the power of music that makes us do what we do
@@badbrad Hope Florida works out for you. But Florida AND Texas both seem well on the way to what you experienced in Nashville. High rents, housing prices, Car and House Insurance rates have gone sky high. Neither is, as you said, what they used to be. Except Tennessee had 2 things going for it that you won't find in Florida, low property taxes and "Tenncare". My uncle was a musician who moved to Nashville in 1985, bought a house one block off "Music Row" for like $68k. But as a typical musician, he took money out of the equity as the value went up to live on the remainder of his life. When he passed, after selling the house and settled his estate, came out with about $30k, but I had to travel from Texas to Tennessee a dozen times to clean the house out and settle everything. I was so glad the last trip I made, loading up a small Uhaul and putting Tennessee in the rear view!
They do that "no break" thing in New Orleans, but not for four hours. We played for two and half hours straight, and the next band starts to set up while we are still playing. They don't want the drinkers to leave. Our band doesn't do four hour gigs, we only do three hour gigs with breaks. Four hours is too much like work
We used to do Continuous Gigs in Miami, FL. They had a schedule that rotated players for the entire night and the pay was generally double. Working in Tennessee it seems like the bandleaders missed the memo. It reminds me of when the Beverly Hillbillies decided to open a "Topless Restaurant" in Beverly Hills. They thought it meant you took off your hat..... Clueless. This description of the event is why I'm happy that I have a lot of gigs in Nashville these days but not a lot of Weddings. You make a lot of money, but you earn it!
Sounds like a real Hell Run, hopefully the "coin" made it semi worthwhile. I have never favoured some big meal before a gig whether before at home or at the venue. The four hours without a break is ridiculous and very strange that any person would demand this of a band in 2024!
Not a problem. Back in the day in Vegas, we played 6 nights a week, 3 one hour sets and sometimes you'd get an afternoon gig for 2 hours before your regular gig. These were high energy gigs. I loved it. Unfortunately those days are gone. Four hours straight is better than taking two breaks on a 3 set gig. The gig goes by fast. Just don't drink before that 4 hour. Or, " We'll be back in 5, we have a small technical problem". Ok we are back ladies and gentlemen. So sorry about that.
Back in 1992 I was invited to play in a Latin band that it used to be semi famous with a couple of hits in the late 60s, 70s and 1 or 2 in the 80s. I was so happy that with a little bass playing knowledge I had they paid me $350 per 1 hour show OR $450 if we play same day in two different places. Nowadays is IMPOSSIBLE to find such gigs. All my professional friends are struggling so much that music are becoming more a hobby than a profession. And all that bs of College for Audio engineering and such isn’t working as they promise for the graduates
@@badbrad this might help. I’ve moved to argentina to lower my expenses while I’m teaching audio, doing demos and mixing and mastering online. Here with just 1.5k you could live as easy as with 4.4/5k in Nashville
Man I haven’t had to do four sets a new get in a couple of decades, let alone four hours straight. As a sax player, by set four my chops were shot. And that was with breaks.
Call comes in for a gig. You take it and the details often come in just a few days prior to event. So you don't really know ahead of time. Ultimately you put your head down and try and do the job ....so you get paid.
Isn't there some kind of union guidelines against musicians having to play 4 hours straight? I figured with Nashville being such a musical city, that there would be some standards to take care of the performers.
I have never heard of a 4 hour straight gig ever. That should not even be allowed. No air. You are lucky you made it out without passing out and going to the hospital.
@@badbrad Here is my take on the gig: you made it through without getting hurt and you did not let your teammates (band members) down. People take notice of this. You will get other work as this confirms you are a reliable musician that knows how to stay safe in unsafe conditions. Plus you got out of there ASAP which is the right thing to do in these type of situations.
A tin of King Oscar sardines. Never go to gig without a couple tins in the bag. They are very portable and those tough little cans can survive in a case of pedals. Sardines have saved my ass in bad food situations
@@badbrad yeah it’s definitely not for close quarters but it is a super food. A tin of sardines can sit live in a gig bag for years, they don’t go bad. Just knowing I had those tins was a big stress reducer, wish I’d thought of it sooner. But yeah, you’re gonna have to eat your lunch all by yourself.
As the wedding party I'd be back charging that shit that's a ton of money and most uncomfortable. One wouldn't even want to eat. Let alone dance or even be in there omg.
How do you play 4 hours without a pee? That’s slave labour. My acoustic trio played a winery. We started at 1230 pm and shut it down about 515pm. We took 2 short breaks and never repeated a song. Then they say they can’t pay us until sometime later in the week by check. They had no ability to play music in between sets? Needless to say, We were pissed off and arson ran through my mind. BTW I never eat before a gig.
Not a fan of the 3 or 4 hour straight gigs. I’ve done many of them. It’s not good for the overall energy of the event. The musicians and crowd need a short reset. Ebb and flow.
I'm lucky .. Never played a single gig like that in 50 years of gigging. Played 4 hrs straight many times on Lower Broad at The Stage every Wednesday/Friday in the 2000s but I was stage-left next to the beer tub girl and she was not only hot but very proficient at her job. I had a much more robust bladder back then ..6-8 Coronas...no problemo.😂
I am but I shot a bunch of content ahead of time so that I can keep the content coming while I’m waiting to get into our house. So some new, some old, but all good content.
I used to play 40 or so wedding receptions a year. There is a particular agency (one of their branches is in Atlanta) that started this 4 hours straight thing 7-8 years ago. Here’s the catch….the bands doing this are large party bands. These bands have 8-12 members and the musicians rotate in and out. In other words, they are providing 4 hours of continuous music but none of the musicians are performing for 4 hours straight. To expect a 3-4 piece to do this is just plain ridiculous.
We had 12 pieces on this gig and I was the only guitar player..so I just toughed it out. I guess I could have taken a break but man the music goes on without you and I didn't want to cause any friction.
@@badbrad Oh....I thought it was a smaller combo on the gig....my mistake. Much respect to you Bad....I turned 60 last December and I enjoy playing as much as I always have but most of my gigs now are no more than 3 hours. That one hour makes such a difference. That fourth hour just wears on you. Glad you made it through!
No breaks and a 12 piece band makes ya wonder if they sell Depends by the dozen. I'm wondering if the no breaks 4 hour thing is legal? That would be considered cruel and unusual working conditions in most jobs. Combined with the hvac you deserved hazard pay.
4hours out of temp is considered dangerous. Big risk is old rice. Avoid Asian places on NYE etc. they make tons of it early and reheat it. It’s a crap shoot(pun intended)
4 hours straight, no breaks? You guys need to organize! This is America, not some sweatshop country. We have labour laws in this country that protect workers from being exploited like that. I rarely play more than an hour without a break. The longest I've ever played without a break is 90 minutes. And that is rare. Must be a regional thing. Everywhere I have lived and played, we take breaks. Except for Indianapolis. For some odd reason, many bands there play 3 hours straight without a break. Fortunately the band I was in, DID take breaks. I would not play 3 or 4 hours withuot a break. A P-bass gets heavy enough on the neck and shoulder after a normal set. 3 or 4 hours straight? No way!
I hear ya. It is what it is. We often don't know the details on the gig till the week of and ultimately if a players needs the money he just ends up doing it.
Musicians only get the abuse they allow!! I refused to play in the sun, demanded breaks, and I rarely played over 3 hours as I totally loathed 4 hour gigs (I don't sing, solo gigs past 3 hours is brutal on the hands and spirit.) I also rarely learned a request I didn't like, would just but the mp3 and play it on my phone. Life is too short to learn songs you dislike and will never play again :)
Expected 4 hours straight, stage too small, A/C craps out in June, catering forgot about you, band leader didn’t build a setlist to work in some individual breaks for the players…a completely possible task with 12 pieces. Working the band like a rented mule. Sounds like a recipe for burnout. Handled like a champ, although it shouldn’t be like that. And people wonder why pay is down and places want more for less. Too many bands lowballing price or offering to give away perks like a 15 minute break to get the gig.
Wow talk about pacing yourself, also you’re gonna get about half a show just because of how long you have to perform.Why was it your third to last gig in Nashville? Did you move back to LA?
Whoever sold the gig was a poor negotiator and simply an inconsiderate a-hole. I played 6 years in a a high end wedding band, where we'd get 3 12 minute breaks over a 4 hour gig. Even with that, the the musicians would be pissed. It wasn't enough. And there was simply no benefit to the wedding party's satisfaction by making us play straight through. Nobody in the audience expected a musicians to go straight through; it purely comes from the people in charge, and it's a power play. That is the type of thing that can easily be explained in the negotiation. Simply, that the musicians will put on a better show if they are given breaks, and that breaks allow the opportunity to DJ requested songs that the band doesn't do. It's the kind of shit that drives people to using uppers, Adderall. I would usually enjoy playing for the first hour and thereafter I couldn't wait for the night to be over. Total burn out.
I live in Nashville and can say for certain that you CANNOT make a living here just playing live music ‘around town’. And I’m not sure that there is any town in the US where that’s possible (save for Las Vegas). You gotta have a job on the side or be a trust fund kid to survive here. That’s just the reality
I'm a musician in different part of Tennessee I am 68 and still do gigs all the time dude you could have turned the job down being a pro musician is a lot of work listening to you depresses me just saying no to 4-Hour gigs with no break or you could just take the gig and whine about it on TH-cam
Look I hear ya. But I had no idea it was a 4 hour straight gig when I took the offer. Date comes in, band leader hit me up, hey can you do this date. I got an open spot on calendar so I take it. About three days before the gig the details come in, where it is, special songs, timeline etc. By that time it's too short to cancel...that wouldn't be cool. So yeah....
Why would anyone play a 4 hour show? Only bar bands do that!! Get a job, and play music for the love of it. Apparently your not serious, because if you were you would have a job and choose the music opportunities that made sense. Then, if and when your music earned more, than make the decision to go one way or the other. If you just want to be a bar band, There are people making thousands of dollars on broadway, most not very good, but non the less making monies playing for tourists.
@@badbrad you’ll have to define good money. I struggle with that now. Is it better, worth joining a group making 25k , dealing with attitudes, schedules, transportation, etc.. taking home $1800.00, versus doing a solo acoustic theater shows, taking home $3500.00. Both 90min shows. 🤘😉🇺🇸
Gigging 101: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pack a fan, biggest one you can fit in the car from May thru September 🙌🎯💯I’ve learned the hard way and I’m in NY! Even in the winter, you get a super hot club and that glorious fan makes all the difference, trust me! 😉🎸🧊
Every time you say 57 years old I flash to Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart talking to his agent about driving 6 hours to play a bowling alley! I do 3 hour solo winery gigs and they can get pretty brutal come August. Glad you made it out alive! Cheers Brad!!
I need to revisit that film. Thank you and cheers.
My 3 man acoustic trio played a wedding once. They had us crammed into a tight corner playing in tuxedos. Later, our lead solo guy decided to steal an entire crate of wine and I look out on the green golf course and there he is, basically running with it. We were later confronted in the parking lot by the groom and opened the trunk to return the ill-gotten wine.
That is hilarious.
Hahahahaha priceless.
I'm still laughing about this one....
4 hours straight is brutal, it sounds like one of those type of gigs where the crowd are not interested in the music, but that’s the norm for weddings and corporate gigs,done a few of those myself in years gone by, consolation was most of them paid quite well. There was usually the local pub or club gig a few days later where you could let off some steam.
The heat put a damper on it for sure but the crowd was into it during the dance part of the show
4 hours straight?!!! Wow! Dude, you’re a better man than me!😅
We’re both about the same age and probably spent about the same number of years working in Nashville, but a 4 hour, no break gig is NOT something I can do anymore. Much respect Brad! 💪💪
Thank you brother. Yeah it was tough no doubt.
Great story. As a teacher, I watch what I eat for lunch. I just can't leave the students if I had a 2 o'clock exorcism. Keep the stories coming.
Thank you, will do.
Thanks for sharing this with us. All the best!
Man thank you so much! It is much appreciated!
At 70 years old, i van only do 2 hours non-stop.
I play accordion. It's like a bowflex that makes music.
4 hours with no bathroom breaks is ludicrous to be asked for.
I hear you there and kudos for still rockin' at 70!
Great content brother.
Thank you 🙏
Man that is really impressive. I’m 35 and I did a 3 hour straight instrumental gig for a holiday party last year and that was about my limit.
Yeah man. It's tough.
Yes! Diggin' your stories from the trenches brother! Learned these same things without a manual over the years.
oh yeah brother. No manual included.
4 hours straight with no breaks at all is absolutely insane.And I can't imagine anyone in the audience ever doing such a thing. I have played in many groups that took way too long breaks and I don't like that. But four hours without even a bathroom break is absolutely insane. The
Only way you can do that is to like have the drummer take a powder while the other band plays some mellow Jazz ballad. And then the drummer comes back and one of the guitar players takes a powder and kind of rotate everybody out so they can get a drink or a glass of water or bathroom break. you have to you have to. I also remember playing in a group where the guy was super.Strict about breaks and they were short breaks period if you were in the bathroom he'd walk in and say "shake it off We're going on stage" and you better get on stage and don't even think about removing your jacket! I made that mistake exactly once.
wow shake it off.....lol
@@badbrad That is not hyperbole either, bruv!
@@jimflys2 ha ha
In NY, most gigs(club dates, weddings, parties) were booked as continuous, 55 on , 5 off w/Kbd or Gtr playing while band took quick break. 4 hrs plus OT. Plus Gtr would do 1hr cocktail prior. Big bucks, big burnout.
Man I heard that.....
My Brother Brad...I sure can "relate" to this content as I have performed over 1000 shows here in the Florida Keys as the "Coconut Cowboy" since 2016 (when we purchased our 2nd home with our other home in Hendersonville, Tennessee in the Indian Lake area) Most have been "solo" shows...sprinkled in with "dou" and "full band" performance with 99% of the shows being "outside...with length"...from resorts...to the "Largest Tiki Bar" in the U.S. @ Gilbert's and everything in between.
My average "booked" performance is right at 3:30 to 4 hours...with many of them running 4:30 & over...all-non stop...not "required" but I simply "hit the stage running & don't stop"...not "needing" breaks so I don't take them...but if I "needed" to...I would.
These "Outdoor-based" shows are ALL affected by the ever-changing weather conditions...from the howling winds in the early part of the year...to the EXTREMELY HOT summer sun that now is in place...along with the ever-present "State Bird"...the mosquito...another potential and MAJOR issue...at times.
All this to say..."Welcome To Florida"...and it is my prayer for God's Blessings of Abundance & Opportunity for you, your beautiful bride and beautiful daughter...let's keep pickin'';)
Sincerely I am...Dan;)
Wow We lived in Indian Lake as well...it's now in the rear view mirror. Getting my bearings here and seeing which way the wind blows. Thanks so much for the well wishes and best to you. God Bless.
Man I can relate to this all the way to core of my soul. I have so many stories playing weddings and corporate gigs where the catered food literally caused players to have to leave the stage mid set to run to the bathroom. Learned you NEVER eat roast beef (always undercooked) or any kind of meet that is covered in a sauce etc. When I started I use to hate the Turkey sandwich in a brown sack. When I left the job, I prayed for a Turkey sandwich😂😂
lol man the struggle is real!!!
One of my very first "real" gigs was at an upscale bar & grille. Four one-hours sets with a blues band. The venue fed us before we went on, which for me was a first. I sat down to this _huge_ plate with a giant hamburger and steak fries. Man, it was great food, I was stuffed! So much so that I could barely move once I got my bass strapped on and we began. I was so full of food I could barely breathe, barely stand up on that stage. I just wanted to lay down and take a nap the whole night. It was the toughest gig I've ever endured, and the last time I ate anything more than a few bites before playing a gig.
It's a lesson we all learn quick.
Know a few guys in Nashville who do Broadway 10a-2pm, 2-6pm, then 6-10pm all in one day followed by 2-6pm, 6-10pm, and 10pm-2am the next day for a total of 24 hours in 2 days!
Yeah I know it’s crazy…
@@badbrad Just met a drummer Saturday that did 56 Broadway shifts in June (1 shift=4 hour gig with NO break), and a few of those were four in one day (16 hours)!
@@willtonerockstarshb Yeah man there are definitely cats doing stuff like that...it's pretty crazy...gets harder to do as you get older.
Oh shit! Thats got to be a mind game! 4 hours, no breaks. Hope it paid really good.
It paid enough for me to do it.....
Hi. Great video. What kind of guitar are you playing in the intro? Thanks !
It's this in black.sweetwater.sjv.io/7aXQA3
Thanks Brad! 🔥
You bet!
To realize that you will have a bad gig, you must first understand what a good gig is. Brad you do and explained that concept very well.
Thank you!!!🙏
Love your picking man. With my headphones I hear every note, otherwise no, due to hearing loss
Thank you so much...much appreciated.
Surviving a gig with the first video 😂 the look on your face!....4 HOURS!😂..I could never do that! ..I hope to hell your getting paid good!??..do you have any horns that can play when you need to piss??? You were digging iñto that neck hour four!..NICE!..12 piece band!..love it!
I could have taken a break but just limited fluid intake and kept going...
@@badbrad your a fckn stud my brother!...showing us how it's done!!!
Hello Brad, it's quiet weird, to hear you explain the conditions of your working, beeing treated like shit while you're the ones making the party go!
Hope it was well paid ! I did a few weddings, as an experience, that went for that long, playing, but it was relaxed and smooth, with lots of respect for the musicians. We had a playlist, with the slow for the marrying couple, and lots of tunes on call ! Fortunately, I was on drums for those, so it was easy to do & well payed. Take care and godspeed!
Oh, and we would eat the same thing as everyone at the wedding!
This gig paid well and once we survived the rain, all was ok.
Enjoying your vids Brad, I can relate, I'm 47, semi pro guitarist in Ireland and very busy these days. Sorry if you've previousy covered it, but what is your rig for weddings? That drive tone was awesome👍
Thank you. Quilter aviator combo with a J Rockett the Dude pedal for drive
Cool guitar!
Man I worked my way through Berklee playing 4 sets a night, 6 nights a week at Stouffer’s Hotel in Boston wearing a dang tux every night! But 4 hours straight is a heavy lift! Hope you got some good jingle for that one! Yeah the catering was great when I did The Miracles thing. Never got sick thank goodness!
Now that’s a grind 6 nights…wow! I always felt it’s hard to play funk in a tux. Makes you feel too stiff.
@@badbradYeah it does! 😂 We wore suits with The Miracles too but no ties! Now my own band does 4 nights a week over here in Thailand at a really nice 5 star resort but no suits!
A nice dinner jacket, I'm down with that but the full on suit.....no bueno,.
I guess the best thing that can be said is that it was just one gig. I worked in warehouses on 10 hour shifts. Sitting outside in the car, waiting to punch in, you dreaded the blast furnace you'd be in all night - night after night after night.
Yeah man that is way tougher. Whew.
Crazy. Just moved to Nashville from Atlanta. Rarely have I worked a gig where a band plays 4 hours straight. Usually 2 hour set no breaks or 3 hour set with a 15 minute break.
wow yeah I don't know where it came from but I know some of the bands on broadway do some marathon gigs....only way for the band to break is if the singer does a song solo...
@@badbrad I have seen a few 3 hour nonstop sets where the vocals and guitar will do a couple of songs while everyone else breaks and then the drummer will take a really long solo for everyone else to break. I guess you just have to be creative with the time alotted as long as someone is playing something
@@JESUSHAUDIO That is exactly it. But I got a video coming out soon, 6 Sets a day 4-5 days straight.....Casino Gig From Hell.
@@badbrad wow. Crazy. Cant wait to see it
@@JESUSHAUDIO Not sure when I will put that one out...soon.
What kind of guitar were you using.
That's an Ibanez
We played the river club in Triana , Alabama in the 70s - our shift was midnight to 6a.m. It was brutal.
Wow now that is old school
Cool channel you have on here next to hear the stories about LA and then give people an insight on how it really is being in a rock and roll touring band or otherwise. I play and kiss tribute bands and it's like you better take a leak before you play because it's gonna be 2 hours and 15 something minutes with Encore before we even get off the stage so I can relate to what you're saying on some gigs. But it's fun to hear all these Stories because people Don't realize it's not all Glamorous you Go through all this stuff because we're musicians and Then it gets to the good stuff the good Always weighs out the Bad that's what I say even being a road dog on the road getting to a show it's Passion and music the power of music that makes us do what we do
Yes Bro indeed! You know exactly what's going on and thanks so much for tuning in.....more to come.
I played cover bands for 20 years, and got into the habit of taking a small fan with me to all my gigs!
I’ll need it in Fla.
@@badbrad Hope Florida works out for you. But Florida AND Texas both seem well on the way to what you experienced in Nashville. High rents, housing prices, Car and House Insurance rates have gone sky high. Neither is, as you said, what they used to be. Except Tennessee had 2 things going for it that you won't find in Florida, low property taxes and "Tenncare". My uncle was a musician who moved to Nashville in 1985, bought a house one block off "Music Row" for like $68k. But as a typical musician, he took money out of the equity as the value went up to live on the remainder of his life. When he passed, after selling the house and settled his estate, came out with about $30k, but I had to travel from Texas to Tennessee a dozen times to clean the house out and settle everything. I was so glad the last trip I made, loading up a small Uhaul and putting Tennessee in the rear view!
Whew man giving me flashback to cleaning out my house in Tn. Not fun.
They do that "no break" thing in New Orleans, but not for four hours. We played for two and half hours straight, and the next band starts to set up while we are still playing. They don't want the drinkers to leave. Our band doesn't do four hour gigs, we only do three hour gigs with breaks. Four hours is too much like work
I hear ya. I get doing it in situations like that, when I played bars I wanted to keep the people there as well.
We used to do Continuous Gigs in Miami, FL. They had a schedule that rotated players for the entire night and the pay was generally double. Working in Tennessee it seems like the bandleaders missed the memo. It reminds me of when the Beverly Hillbillies decided to open a "Topless Restaurant" in Beverly Hills. They thought it meant you took off your hat.....
Clueless.
This description of the event is why I'm happy that I have a lot of gigs in Nashville these days but not a lot of Weddings. You make a lot of money, but you earn it!
Always enjoyed getting to do the few weddings we did together Roy. You are a true staple of Nashville. Best to you!
@@badbrad Thanks! So did I. I'm sure you'll be busier than ever in Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater. Best to your new life!
@@royvogt5086 Thank you Roy!
Sounds like a real Hell Run, hopefully the "coin" made it semi worthwhile. I have never favoured some big meal before a gig whether before at home or at the venue. The four hours without a break is ridiculous and very strange that any person would demand this of a band in 2024!
It def made me feel weird. Like really?
Still 100% better than a 10hr line cooking gig
Man you are so right. I worked in kitchens as a kid at my family's restaurant. Handwashing dishes back in those days...
there are no mandatory break times in my state, zero, none, nada, no paid break time. lunch is the only break we get here
man that's rough
Beatles talking about playing 8 hours in Germany back in the day ! Makes you wonder how anyone survived intact
Wow that is crazy.
Not a problem. Back in the day in Vegas, we played 6 nights a week, 3 one hour sets and sometimes you'd get an afternoon gig for 2 hours before your regular gig. These were high energy gigs. I loved it. Unfortunately those days are gone. Four hours straight is better than taking two breaks on a 3 set gig. The gig goes by fast. Just don't drink before that 4 hour. Or, " We'll be back in 5, we have a small technical problem". Ok we are back ladies and gentlemen. So sorry about that.
Yeah the wedding gigs here now say no drinking on the gig.
That's brutal. If you have to wear a suit make sure it's pure wool, polyester doesn't breath and is hot a hell.
Back in 1992 I was invited to play in a Latin band that it used to be semi famous with a couple of hits in the late 60s, 70s and 1 or 2 in the 80s.
I was so happy that with a little bass playing knowledge I had they paid me $350 per 1 hour show OR $450 if we play same day in two different places.
Nowadays is IMPOSSIBLE to find such gigs. All my professional friends are struggling so much that music are becoming more a hobby than a profession. And all that bs of College for Audio engineering and such isn’t working as they promise for the graduates
Yeah man it's tough out there.
@@badbrad very mucho so. I’m charging demos for the same I was charging in 1998
@@danyavilaoficial wow.
@@badbrad this might help. I’ve moved to argentina to lower my expenses while I’m teaching audio, doing demos and mixing and mastering online.
Here with just 1.5k you could live as easy as with 4.4/5k in Nashville
@@danyavilaoficial Man I hear you. There are places like that with more affordable options but unfortunately we need to be in the States right now.
I didn’t know there was any other gig less than 4 hrs.I played 4 hr shows for 40 years.
Play on playa
Man I haven’t had to do four sets a new get in a couple of decades, let alone four hours straight. As a sax player, by set four my chops were shot. And that was with breaks.
It’s tough.
You signed up for it! I can’t figure why you would .
Call comes in for a gig. You take it and the details often come in just a few days prior to event. So you don't really know ahead of time. Ultimately you put your head down and try and do the job ....so you get paid.
Isn't there some kind of union guidelines against musicians having to play 4 hours straight? I figured with Nashville being such a musical city, that there would be some standards to take care of the performers.
No one is coming to save us.
I have never heard of a 4 hour straight gig ever. That should not even be allowed. No air. You are lucky you made it out without passing out and going to the hospital.
Absolutely...it was pretty crazy.
@@badbrad Here is my take on the gig: you made it through without getting hurt and you did not let your teammates (band members) down. People take notice of this. You will get other work as this confirms you are a reliable musician that knows how to stay safe in unsafe conditions. Plus you got out of there ASAP which is the right thing to do in these type of situations.
@@oceanview4065 Def. earned some brownie points. But I'm no longer in that locale so it's the stuff of legend now lol.
I don't know how you played for 4 hours. Well done,.
Got to keep the lights on....
Done quite a few Casino gigs in West Memphis that were 5 hours but at least we got 10 minutes breaks on the hour. 4 hours no break?? 😳 I got 2 piss!!
Me to...the only saving grace is if your sweating alot it kind of gets rid of the water in your system.....
It was... the salmon mousse!🪦
LMAO
A tin of King Oscar sardines. Never go to gig without a couple tins in the bag. They are very portable and those tough little cans can survive in a case of pedals. Sardines have saved my ass in bad food situations
man I hear ya but I don't think opening up a stinky can of sardines would be appreciated by the other band members.Protein bar works good.
@@badbrad yeah it’s definitely not for close quarters but it is a super food. A tin of sardines can sit live in a gig bag for years, they don’t go bad. Just knowing I had those tins was a big stress reducer, wish I’d thought of it sooner. But yeah, you’re gonna have to eat your lunch all by yourself.
@@Hartlor_Tayley LMAO
@@badbrad ;)
First you conjure Wes Montgomery then you turn into Rory Gallagher, Nice. No break bastards! Damn them.
As the wedding party I'd be back charging that shit that's a ton of money and most uncomfortable. One wouldn't even want to eat. Let alone dance or even be in there omg.
It def put a damper on the festivities.
I did a 5hr gig with 15 min breaks, I hated it.
Yeah that is rough...
How do you play 4 hours without a pee? That’s slave labour.
My acoustic trio played a winery. We started at 1230 pm and shut it down about 515pm. We took 2 short breaks and never repeated a song. Then they say they can’t pay us until sometime later in the week by check. They had no ability to play music in between sets? Needless to say, We were pissed off and arson ran through my mind. BTW I never eat before a gig.
Can’t drink much water before hand but honestly I was sweating so profusely that I didn’t need to go.
Not a fan of the 3 or 4 hour straight gigs. I’ve done many of them.
It’s not good for the overall energy of the event. The musicians and crowd need a short reset.
Ebb and flow.
absolutely......
I think I’d have to wear Depends to do that gig😂😂
When you sweat it takes the need to let's say... go ....away....
@ Oh. I see. Thanks.
Incredible, we did 3 Hours straight and I was cooked.
I'm lucky .. Never played a single gig like that in 50 years of gigging. Played 4 hrs straight many times on Lower Broad at The Stage every Wednesday/Friday in the 2000s but I was stage-left next to the beer tub girl and she was not only hot but very proficient at her job. I had a much more robust bladder back then ..6-8 Coronas...no problemo.😂
Right on! 👍🏻
I thought you were in florida Brad? 😮😮😮😮😮
I am but I shot a bunch of content ahead of time so that I can keep the content coming while I’m waiting to get into our house. So some new, some old, but all good content.
@@badbrad ok kewl
those gigs i say I feel like an employee in a 3rd World country
Yeah that about describes it.
Anymore you are.
I hear you!
I used to play 40 or so wedding receptions a year. There is a particular agency (one of their branches is in Atlanta) that started this 4 hours straight thing 7-8 years ago. Here’s the catch….the bands doing this are large party bands. These bands have 8-12 members and the musicians rotate in and out. In other words, they are providing 4 hours of continuous music but none of the musicians are performing for 4 hours straight. To expect a 3-4 piece to do this is just plain ridiculous.
We had 12 pieces on this gig and I was the only guitar player..so I just toughed it out. I guess I could have taken a break but man the music goes on without you and I didn't want to cause any friction.
@@badbrad Oh....I thought it was a smaller combo on the gig....my mistake. Much respect to you Bad....I turned 60 last December and I enjoy playing as much as I always have but most of my gigs now are no more than 3 hours. That one hour makes such a difference. That fourth hour just wears on you. Glad you made it through!
@@frankadams4586 Thank you!
No breaks and a 12 piece band makes ya wonder if they sell Depends by the dozen. I'm wondering if the no breaks 4 hour thing is legal? That would be considered cruel and unusual working conditions in most jobs. Combined with the hvac you deserved hazard pay.
Yeah we made decent money but yeah.....
Almost EVERY gig I've ever played in Nashville wants us to play 4 hours non-stop! HATE playing in Nashville!!!!
seems to be the new standard...
Playing a gig w no rehearsal charts or tapes blinded playing tunes I never had.
4hours out of temp is considered dangerous. Big risk is old rice. Avoid Asian places on NYE etc. they make tons of it early and reheat it. It’s a crap shoot(pun intended)
lol
4 hours. I've only ever done that a few times, and we did get some breaks. The Union would have stepped in back in the 80s. Not now maybe.
Union doesn't have much say in Nashville on these types of gigs.
@@badbrad No. I see they don't get involved. Synths and Drum Machines were replacing Musos in the UK in the 80s. Weird stuff happens.
@@acimbobby Facts!
4 hours straight, no breaks? You guys need to organize! This is America, not some sweatshop country. We have labour laws in this country that protect workers from being exploited like that. I rarely play more than an hour without a break. The longest I've ever played without a break is 90 minutes. And that is rare. Must be a regional thing. Everywhere I have lived and played, we take breaks. Except for Indianapolis. For some odd reason, many bands there play 3 hours straight without a break. Fortunately the band I was in, DID take breaks. I would not play 3 or 4 hours withuot a break. A P-bass gets heavy enough on the neck and shoulder after a normal set. 3 or 4 hours straight? No way!
I hear ya. It is what it is. We often don't know the details on the gig till the week of and ultimately if a players needs the money he just ends up doing it.
Musicians only get the abuse they allow!! I refused to play in the sun, demanded breaks, and I rarely played over 3 hours as I totally loathed 4 hour gigs (I don't sing, solo gigs past 3 hours is brutal on the hands and spirit.) I also rarely learned a request I didn't like, would just but the mp3 and play it on my phone. Life is too short to learn songs you dislike and will never play again :)
Then the band leader will just not call you anymore and you lose all your gigs. That's not a great strategy.
@@badbrad you've got to "band" together (see what I did there :)
like herding cats...
Expected 4 hours straight, stage too small, A/C craps out in June, catering forgot about you, band leader didn’t build a setlist to work in some individual breaks for the players…a completely possible task with 12 pieces. Working the band like a rented mule. Sounds like a recipe for burnout. Handled like a champ, although it shouldn’t be like that.
And people wonder why pay is down and places want more for less. Too many bands lowballing price or offering to give away perks like a 15 minute break to get the gig.
Handled like a champ cause I knew it was one of my last gigs in Nashville. But it was challenging....
We do this on a weekly basis
I hear ya.
Wow talk about pacing yourself, also you’re gonna get about half a show just because of how long you have to perform.Why was it your third to last gig in Nashville? Did you move back to LA?
True!
Yeah, been there, done it. Done. Slowly becoming not worth it.
I hear you.
They’re going to let you go piss,& get a drink.
I was sweating so profusely I didn’t need to pee
I can’t do much more then 2 hours with out at least some hand rest
Man I hear you.
I’d refuse to do it.
Then no dough
Yah skip eating and drink inking too much liquids on that one lmao.
That could Get Bad Brad
Yes indeed
Whoever sold the gig was a poor negotiator and simply an inconsiderate a-hole. I played 6 years in a a high end wedding band, where we'd get 3 12 minute breaks over a 4 hour gig. Even with that, the the musicians would be pissed. It wasn't enough. And there was simply no benefit to the wedding party's satisfaction by making us play straight through. Nobody in the audience expected a musicians to go straight through; it purely comes from the people in charge, and it's a power play. That is the type of thing that can easily be explained in the negotiation. Simply, that the musicians will put on a better show if they are given breaks, and that breaks allow the opportunity to DJ requested songs that the band doesn't do. It's the kind of shit that drives people to using uppers, Adderall.
I would usually enjoy playing for the first hour and thereafter I couldn't wait for the night to be over. Total burn out.
Great post. Energy drinks were my friend that night.
I live in Nashville and can say for certain that you CANNOT make a living here just playing live music ‘around town’. And I’m not sure that there is any town in the US where that’s possible (save for Las Vegas). You gotta have a job on the side or be a trust fund kid to survive here. That’s just the reality
Nashville has way more
Live music than Vegas.
I'm a musician in different part of Tennessee I am 68 and still do gigs all the time dude you could have turned the job down being a pro musician is a lot of work listening to you depresses me just saying no to 4-Hour gigs with no break or you could just take the gig and whine about it on TH-cam
Look I hear ya. But I had no idea it was a 4 hour straight gig when I took the offer. Date comes in, band leader hit me up, hey can you do this date. I got an open spot on calendar so I take it. About three days before the gig the details come in, where it is, special songs, timeline etc. By that time it's too short to cancel...that wouldn't be cool. So yeah....
No thanks
I hear ya.
this is BS i thought it said "Ultimate Cig Challege"
Ha ha
How about working 12 hours straight in a warehouse?
I hear ya there...def are harder ways to make a living.
You need a real job. Thats mo way to live.
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it....
4 hours straight ..that is total crap
From Australia 🦘🦘🦘
Yeah it's not the greatest pitch to be in for sure. Best to you down under.
Why would anyone play a 4 hour show? Only bar bands do that!! Get a job, and play music for the love of it. Apparently your not serious, because if you were you would have a job and choose the music opportunities that made sense. Then, if and when your music earned more, than make the decision to go one way or the other. If you just want to be a bar band, There are people making thousands of dollars on broadway, most not very good, but non the less making monies playing for tourists.
Apparently you're not serious because you wouldn't play a 4 hour show for good money.
@@badbrad you’ll have to define good money. I struggle with that now. Is it better, worth joining a group making 25k , dealing with attitudes, schedules, transportation, etc.. taking home $1800.00, versus doing a solo acoustic theater shows, taking home $3500.00. Both 90min shows.
🤘😉🇺🇸
Gigging 101: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pack a fan, biggest one you can fit in the car from May thru September 🙌🎯💯I’ve learned the hard way and I’m in NY! Even in the winter, you get a super hot club and that glorious fan makes all the difference, trust me! 😉🎸🧊
💯man you are so right.