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I resigned from my gigging band this morning. The bass player, a retired doctor, had quit a couple days ago because he didn't want to be "that guy" that held the band back. I think he knows the risks better than any of the rest of us. Band leader is gung ho and ready to play anywhere, anytime. I'm not up for being in a state of paranoia every time a gig is booked, and am fortunate that I don't need the income.

 

Feels like a turning point - I'm not sure if or when I will ever get back to playing live.

 

 

Took the words out of my mouth. Same situation here. I'm out.

 

aL

Gear: Yamaha MODX8, Mojo 61, NS2 73, C. Bechstein baby grand.

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I'm lucky so far. My band has said, "take your time, welcome back whenever you are up to it." Which may be a long time. As I've mentioned there is a silver lining and that is more money to two members that desperately need it.

 

I'm pretty optimistic that--if I so desire--I'll be gigging again in no more than a year or two. I feel treatments are coming along and there's so many vaccine efforts that there is a good chance at least a few will pan out.

Getting the worst of the symptoms lessened would be a huge thing. I just read a synopsis of a study saying that this is a blood vessel disease (as is Ebola) as much as a respiratory one. Most of the article was WAY over my head :) The main point to draw was that this could certainly explain a lot of the "weirder" symptoms of this including the immune disease in children; and knowing this, the efforts toward treatments and vaccines can shift accordingly. In short, we are learning more about this all the time and that is a good thing.

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I was in a project that was clearly going nowhere and had been going nowhere for a long time. But they are nice people and are very nice to me. I honestly told them what my cardiologist told me. I am high risk and need to avoid high risk situations including band activity. It took me off of the hook I wanted off of .

When my town opens up again I think there will be alot of opportunity for players who know the local bars. Alot of new bands will form from pieces of past bands. Many old bands will need a new member. Booking schedules that have been locked in will be unlocked. The post C19 world might be ok.

FunMachine.

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A band I'm in just got offered a 3-day road gig about two weeks from now. It's in a state that's basically wide open with no restrictions, though the particular venue seems to be taking adequate-ish precautions. Still, we turned it down due to a combination of 1) the fact that it's a bar, and alcohol doesn't do wonders for human judgment; 2) considerations for the other 20 hours of the day when we'd have to do things like find food and generally live our lives; and 3) the overall culture of the area in terms of what I will delicately describe as people's behavior regarding concern for others versus their own personal freedoms. It was a tough call, because we're dying to play together again, and this is a gig we've always enjoyed in the past. But we all agreed that overall the risks are still higher than we're okay with.
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I've posted about the band I have been playing with since last year elsewhere, but they started jamming together again at the beginning of May, and they now have a gig booked for early August. I just don't see it. 5+ hours in a room every week with three other guys and I'm sure they're not wearing masks if that matters in such a long exposure tight quarters situation. Then to play a local club in August doesn't seem smart to me right now either.

 

I think I'm going to tell them they can be like SRV and Double Trouble, and I will be like Reese Wynans and join up with them later. :roll:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I mentioned this in the live chat at the weekend - things are starting to open up very slowly from a gigging perspective in the state where I live (South Australia). Venues can now have a maximum of 80 people in a room provided a social distance of 4 square metres per person maintained. No approaching the bar - table service only.

 

At this stage it's still not economically viable for most venues where I live to book bands under these circumstances. Many pubs are still yet to open up, some may never recover from the economic hit they took.

 

In addition, our state has closed all borders to all but essential travel, which means no touring.

 

I'm thinking my party band and the new tribute I've joined will probably be able to start gigging again towards the end of the year if a gradual easing of restrictions continues. Suspect my established tribute act is now wiped until 2021. If we can't be allowed to leave the state and if we can't get 300+ people in a room, our business model doesn't work. Not a complaint, just a statement of things as they currently stand.

 

South Australia (pop. circa 1.7mil) has only recorded two new COVID-19 cases since April 24. Of a total of 440 cases recorded since the virus started 435 have made a full recovery and we've had 4 deaths, leaving one case currently active (not in ICU). My totally non-expert conclusion is that our relatively safe journey thus far has been in part due to the very tight restrictions put in place by our State Government, so I'm happy to roll with the economic punches.

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All of my Floyd tribute gigs are cancelled. A couple got rescheduled for late summer/early fall. My other main project, we've worked with the venues and have pretty much cancelled everything. We do have 2 outdoor shows in mid/late July that we are going to do. One is a concert in a park where it's easy to keep distance, and the other is a winery with the same setup. No indoor gigs. The one question mark is July 4 at a waterfront venue we play, the stage is outdoors but it gets crowded and you need to navigate shoulder to shoulder crowds to get to the rest rooms- we'll probably cancel that, if the venue doesn't for us.

 

A couple other side bands I'm in have been approached about some other outdoor shows, I said I didn't want to do anything til August so we'll see how that plays out.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

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Of my two bands, one of them disbanded, because the leader decided to work exclusively with his girlfriend on her original music, to the point that he built a stage in his living room.

 

The other has been rehearsing for about a month, without me, remembering how to play, and working up some new material. Next weekend, I will be finally up to rehearsing with them. They've been aware of the medical challenges I've been going through.

 

We have our first gig back on July 3. Venue is an indoor/outdoor hybrid. Outdoors, with waterproof panels over the area to keep rain and sun out.

 

Looking forward to playing again, but considering I just had heart surgery last week, I'm being very careful.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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Starting to see numbers going up--which would be expected considering the big changes due to re-opening--it's just a question of how much are they going up? Are they only going up because more people are being tested?

 

So hard to make decisions because there is no organized approach to data. People can go get tested, but how the community is doing overall is anyone's guess. If we have way less tests, that's way less cases! Deaths lag by a lot but those appear to be lessening, perhaps in part because of changes in treatment. My own state, and others, have their own criteria for what is covid cases and deaths and there have been several attempts to "cook the books" to some degree. That lessens confidence in me and people I know. I maintain that if we *knew* where things stood we could actually get things going. As it is, half of us are "wheee let's go" and the other half is mostly sheltering in place. I want to be in the "whee" group but not with this much uncertainty.

 

China just tested the entire city of Wuhan--10 million people in 19 days. They probably have a very good idea of what kind of problem they have, if any. 300 positive cases from those 10 million, all of them asymptomatic. Can those people spread the thing? Is there only a few-day period where it can spread from you if you are positive? Still unverified.

 

I've decided, since gigs aren't likely to be coming soon, to upgrade my acoustic guitar :) I had a cheap laminate Yamaha that isn't all that playable (high action). I found a dealer for a brand new *all solid wood* Eastman for around 450 with a nice gig bag...that is pretty wild, a lot of folks really like Eastmans and compare them to much more expensive guitars. I'm looking at the E1D model, spruce top.

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Two shows I thought were going to happen one this week and one next week have been cancelled! i have been looking forward to playing but I guess it is not meant to be!

Jimmy

 

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho

NEW BAND CHECK THEM OUT

www.steveowensandsummertime.com

www.jimmyweaver.com

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Tonight and tomorrow night make eleven cancelled gigs for me. I"m really missing playing out.

 

One of my bands is looking to resume rehearsals next week. I recommended they start without me and I"ll join them when I am ready. They are all 10-15 years younger than me, and were understanding and fine with it.

The other band is mostly older group and isn"t even looking to restart rehearsals until late July, assuming everyone is healthy and willing at that time. I am quite grateful for that perspective.

 

This was shaping up to be a busier year for me than ever before... but frankly now I"m not certain if or when I will feel comfortable playing indoors - or even outside - again.

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I just need a bathroom option for most of my outdoor gigs. There's a few outdoor ones that have other issues but most of mine are safe (for the band, not the patrons). Don't say catheter, I still have nightmares.

 

Guess the ol "container in the car, aim carefully" would be the simplest and best option.

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Just got word of a September wedding cancellation here, and those private gigs were the only ones I imagined might be able to be pulled off with any modicum of safety. I am taking it as a sign that "real" gigs cannot occur yet, and the small ones are only happening out of disregard for the health of all involved. Perhaps it's a calculated risk and nothing bad will occur, but that feels like the triumph of optimism over reason.

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

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Gonna be doing a week-long gig next week in a studio. It's an annual competition which usually includes a week of rehearsals with three candidates culminating in a soft-seater show. This year, they'll be going all virtual, with some prerecorded interviews and some live-streamed performances from the studio. I haven't reviewed all the protocol myself, but from what I understand, there'll be a maximum amount of people, stations in the live room, plenty of PPE, etc. I'll be wearing my mask.

 

In the silver linings category, this will allow them to fast-track some goals that the organizers had in terms of getting all the candidates some studio time and a single, whether they win and move on to the Western Canadian version or not, while also widening their viewership online.

 

Still nowhere near gigging live.

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The last holdout on my schedule announced that they won't be able to have their event at the end of July. They *may* be able to have it in October, but I'll be at college in the other side of the state by then, so either way I won't be playing. It's too bad...after moving, it took a while to get into the music scene here. Now that things were starting to pick up finally, this crap hit. All cancelled now...all the way out into the end of September. I didn't have ONE gig this year.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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I just need a bathroom option for most of my outdoor gigs. There's a few outdoor ones that have other issues but most of mine are safe (for the band, not the patrons). Don't say catheter, I still have nightmares.

 

Guess the ol "container in the car, aim carefully" would be the simplest and best option.

Other options might include discrete trees, large bushes, fences, alleys, dumpsters...it depends.

 

Sorry, took the low-hanging fruit...

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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Uhh...gatoraid bottles have a wide opening. Also useful on long drives. As for the ahh , doodie, I have no solution. Time your gig.

 

Well that's got #1 covered and I'd have to take my chances otherwise :) Not to get too graphic but I'm a "morning person" so just have to avoid any dodgy food on gig day!

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I just need a bathroom option for most of my outdoor gigs. There's a few outdoor ones that have other issues but most of mine are safe (for the band, not the patrons). Don't say catheter, I still have nightmares. Guess the ol "container in the car, aim carefully" would be the simplest and best option.

These guys have some expertise in this area. NSFW unless you're in Canada, where we all talk like this :guinness:

[video:youtube]

“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.”
― Kurt Vonnegut

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All gigs spring and summer were canceled at least into July. Both bands I play with are looking at the outdoor venue options to see if we can add some dates in July-September or further into the fall. I'm sensing that indoor gigs are further in the distance. We've set one ground rule that we don't want to play a gig where the band is wearing masks, performing to an audience also wearing masks. That could prove to be limiting in the near term, but so be it. More power to you guys with things seeming to get a little more normal with crowds and stuff.
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  • 2 weeks later...

OP here. Well, we played our first gig in many months, and -- well -- it rocked! I had a blast, as did the rest of the band. And, all things considered, relatively safe.

 

We live in a small, relatively well-to-do town on the east coast of Florida. It's a resort destination. The town puts on free concerts on Fridays and Saturdays. Good food and booze is on offer. It's considered one of the better-paying gigs in town.

 

They cordoned off the main seating area, and required that you reserve (free) tickets through a website. Your group was assigned a table, all very socially distanced. Wear a mask when you're not seated, otherwise be asked to leave. Servers in masks would take your order, and deliver to the table. Every table seat was full, so maybe 150 people?

 

Beyond the cordon was where the real party was. There was grass, parking lots, etc. and maybe 300 people brought beach chairs and coolers for the night. They were the most enthusiastic, hooting and hollering, as we brought a sound system that they could hear. Plus, lots of band call-outs to the parking lot partiers. There was a barrier set up between the stage and the dance floor, at least ten feet. We had a few dancers, not many.

 

Never did I feel was I over-exposed. Heck, it was 88 degrees with a light breeze. Sweat city. Bathrooms (and a full bar) was in the adjacent theater building. Put on a mask, take care of business. I probably drank a full gallon of water that night.

 

The band played exceptionally well. We've been rehearsing 2x per week for quite a while with the AC off. Our female vocalist probably had the best night of her life. She killed it.

 

Our sequencing was off, as we tend to save our best material for the third set. Well, third set is bedtime for many here. Should've been second set, live and learn. All on video, all recorded multi-track. A bit of work to produce this content, but it's going to be worth it. The energy was crackling.

 

We are in contact with our regular venues, all are planning a full calendar of produced outside shows for the duration. They're building stages and cordons, and hiring extra staff to manage. Some of them are even hiring sound and light contractors!

 

All of this is very promising to me :). If you're a decent live band who can pull off an outdoors show in this area, you're going to be in-demand.

 

All good!

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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Congrats on a great gig!

 

My wife and I ate outdoors at a restaurant the other day and it was comfortable (we felt safe). My first gig is 7/11 at a similar outdoor restaurant/bar with a pretty spacious stage. I"m feeling good about doing it. Hospitalizations and deaths are way down on Long Island but we still need to wear masks to keep it that way.

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Man, I'm envious cphollis...I'm in orlando and while most of our gigs have gone away, we still have some good ones left. I just can't do them. Not with cases rising and the at-risk people I live with, and the kids' lives Ive had to completely throttle this summer. It sucks. Right when our band got our best line-up. We are down to a trio since the lead singer is hesitant as well. I'm not sure the band will make it, it might be a year or more before i get back out there at our current rate. Just waiting and seeing and trying to stay busy at home. I cancelled my plans for upgrading my rig, sorry Nord...

 

I've been curbside at a couple stores and mask-wearing looks to be 20% at best just watching people go in and out while I cower in my car. Less mask than I saw a few weeks ago. Good luck, America.

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I feel for you guys in the US as you've copped it bad and now with the unrest youre never going to be sure do I or dont I?

 

Im going back to band practise tomorrow night. A bit apprehensive due to my own existing health issues. The drummer and guitarists have had 2 bashes but the bass player was isolating ouf in the bush but has come back. I said when he comes back i will. I was hoping hed stay away another 2 weeks to see if there is a second round of the virus.

 

To be honest i dont feel in a hurry to practise as i cant see any gigs on the horizon especially as we only just got in with an agent (who had taken over some of our direct gigs) before this happened). Fortunately we did well for him and he gave us gigs we didnt previously have but was probably giving us his fill in gigs to get to know us.

 

Theres not been any word of gigs out our way so who knows when and if. (We are on a peninsula and we dont want to play in the city where maybe theyll start up sooner??

Basically no word of gigs where i am. But im happy to wait.

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Mornington Peninsula Victoria (last 5 years) ex of Sydney

 

For those non Aussies this is one of 2 of Melbournes summer holiday areas.

 

It has literally 1 month of summer craziness then a few little weekends here and there of more craziness then is left lonely to the locals either side.

 

But it does have 4 seasons in one day which I love.

 

Compared to Sydney where i was from which is summer for 3 months if not more and mild weather a few months either side.

 

Its middle of WINTER now and a coldish part of Australia so gigs are not plentiful this time of year anyway. So different season to US which is coming into summer.

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All our bands gigs up to 1st Aug were canx and we're waiting to hear about 7th and 15th Aug. During this lockdown we have been booked for a NYE gig and just locked in our 1st gig for 2021 in Jan.
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I can't say the unrest has much to do with it (at least in my area). It might help spread things more, you'd think that would be the case (balanced of course against whether you think it's worth it). But beyond that people aren't really paying attention to the pandemic any more, or at least it really seems like it. There was a party on my street the other day at a house, cars were parked in the street like it was super bowl day. Most people in stores aren't wearing masks. Restaurants and bars seem to be picking up almost to where they were. The people without masks is the main reason I'm not back out gigging, or getting out and spending more at places right now. Their right to act that way, mine to react accordingly I guess.
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Man, I'm envious cphollis...I'm in orlando and while most of our gigs have gone away, we still have some good ones left. I just can't do them. Not with cases rising and the at-risk people I live with, and the kids' lives Ive had to completely throttle this summer. It sucks. Right when our band got our best line-up. We are down to a trio since the lead singer is hesitant as well. I'm not sure the band will make it, it might be a year or more before i get back out there at our current rate. Just waiting and seeing and trying to stay busy at home. I cancelled my plans for upgrading my rig, sorry Nord...

 

I've been curbside at a couple stores and mask-wearing looks to be 20% at best just watching people go in and out while I cower in my car. Less mask than I saw a few weeks ago. Good luck, America.

 

I am familiar with the ' live and let live ' attitude.

 

However, due to the pandemic, and stressed health facilities,

its gambling with your health to not wear a mask in a store, gig [ surrounded by people], whatever confined area.

 

And wearing a mask is as simple as wearing your seat belt in your car while driving.

 

We have a few nearby counties [ valley] here in CA that did not mandate face coverings, did little prevention, and went ahead into business re-opening , whatever 'normal retail life style '.

 

These counties were not as densely populated and got an initial pause from Covid, and the hospitalization reporting was not as robust as SF and San Jose, etc.

 

There are similarities with our less populated valley towns and Indian River county and Vero Beach [ population 17,000].

 

As a result, the Covid 19 hospitalizations have spiked the past 2-3 weeks in our valley counties.

 

Don't feel you are on an island of non concern about community spread in tourist driven Florida.

 

Think long term, not about 2019. Wear your mask and take health related steps.

 

There is no vaccine. We are on our own and need to use our brains. This is not 2019.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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