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'We"re just all paralyzed by fear' - good call. :crazy:

 

If there really is supposed to be a vaccine in say 5-6 months, I"m pretty good with not risking death to play a rousing rendition of honkey tonk women for a bit longer at this point, not that there are any gigs in my area even if I wanted to play one.

Steinway L, Yamaha Motif XS-8, NE3 73, Casio PX-5S, iPad, EV ZLX 12-P ZZ(x2), bunch of PA stuff.
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Not that anything is about me- but it was never my intention to Double Dog Dare anyone into playing a gig they don't feel comfortable with. No judgments here- if you view a gig as the risk of eminent death or the equivalent of swimming in shark infested waters with a ribeye strapped to your chest, of course you better stay home!

 

And if I ever try to run someone else's life from behind my keyboard, hundreds or thousands of miles away, may I be tortured with the sound of a million Roland KC amps. I think you guys are doing a great job! Keep up the good work! :)

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I played my first gig in four months at the weekend. It was a simple duo for the singer's sister's 60th birthday party. The party was in her garden and we were set up under a gazebo.

 

I wore a mask during load-in and the first thing I noticed was that no-one else at all was wearing one. It was a small garden and there must have been around 50 people crowded into it, both family and friends. Social distancing was pretty much impossible. The birthday girl, though a perfectly nice lady, was off her head on cocktails and while I was setting up she came up to me and draped an arm around me, bringing her face very close to mine. Everyone else was just as lax with regard to proximity and several of them took the piss out of my mask.

 

Recently, we have been having mainly warm, dry weather but at the weekend it went completely off the boil with pretty low temperatures and regular heavy rain. Well, we got in in the dry but by the second set it had started to rain heavily and I had to reposition my gear to avoid the worst of the stuff being blown in under the covering. Did I mention they had a bubble machine going too? Everyone knows gazebos are generally a load of cheap crap and eventually will start to leak. I just about got packed up as big spots were starting to penetrate through, and got soaking we as I loaded the gear out.

 

Reflecting on this afterwards, I realised that this might be the future of my gigging experience for months to come, maybe even years. I had to ask myself whether it was really what I wanted. Furthermore, how many punters are actually going to want that experience?

 

My mother-in-law recently had a birthday and to celebrate, we bought a whole lot of nice food (Marks & Spencer's, for the Brit contingent) and cooked it at her house. As we sat there in our 'social bubble', we talked about how much better an experience it was than the current alternative â going out to some restaurant where the waiters are wearing PPE and there are plastic divider screens everywhere. It was brought home to me that eating out is just as much about the ambience and conviviality as it is the food â and live music gigs are very similar in that respect. If you can have a better time at home, why would you go out?

 

It's thoroughly depressing, but given the current risks, I have decided that for the foreseeable future I need to be extremely picky in accepting any live work. If a pretty benign job for a family friend can be so miserable and potentially dangerous in July, what will it be like with a room full of random and possibly aggressive drunks in October?

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

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It's thoroughly depressing, but given the current risks, I have decided that for the foreseeable future I need to be extremely picky in accepting any live work. If a pretty benign job for a family friend can be so miserable and potentially dangerous in July, what will it be like with a room full of random and possibly aggressive drunks in October?
The first gig offer that came on the table for one of my bands, maybe a month ago, was a backyard wedding ("barbecue themed," they said; I didn't realize that was a "theme" but hey, maybe they had a grill-shaped cake topper). Since it was just as people were starting to step out from quarantine a bit and none of my bandmates had seen each other, we were feeling conflicted over "don't want to get sick" and "want to play a gig" -- because unlike playing a festival or something run by professionals, people who throw together events and decide they want some live music at the last minute (the wedding date was August 1st) they tend not to think basic logistics, like adequate power, and shelter from inclement weather. And a wedding, well, no matter how much the band is "socially distanced" from the audience, how long into the four- or five-hour affair will it be before hammered groomsmen are yelling a foot from the guitarist's face?

 

After a little bit of hesitant back and forth on the band text thread, our trumpet player figured out the wise course of action. "Ask them what their budget for music is," he said. "I bet that's the last you hear from them."

 

He should have put money on that bet. :wink:

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

A new thing is created....the blues burrito.

FunMachine.

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This past Saturday, we played the first (since February) of 9 outdoor gigs between now and Labor Day. All the stages are big enough for a 6-piece to fit comfortably, so minimal concern there.

 

We cancelled an out-of-town, indoor show for late August. One band member isn't comfortable with indoor gigs, plus the owner wanted to cut the rate below what was reasonable for the travel, late night, and cost for hotel rooms for those that didn't want drive until 4am to get home. It wasn't contentious and we remain on good terms. We will play there again when things get back closer to normal (whenever that is).

 

We are not sure if the local indoor gigs that resume in September will go on as scheduled, but we have a sub getting ready just in case. Although none of the local venues have asked, we all agreed that if they did, we would take a lesser rate (within reason) since they wouldn't be able to accommodate our usual crowd, which was the basis for what they were paying us pre-COVID. We get treated well in good times and realize it's a two-way street.

 

The best part of this weekend was being among a large group of people doing something together that was fun with a common purpose: Hang out, enjoy refreshments-of-choice, listen to music, and dance wherever you feel like it. Sure, it was more spread out than it usually would have been, but it was still a party.

 

While five of us had gotten together a couple of times for practice/beer in May/June, this was the first time all six of us played together since the last gig in February. We threw in 9 new songs for fun and had a blast. Sound guy was awesome and FOH sounded fantastic. All around a great day.

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

 

Oh yeah Al! Get another fan for your playing, that was hot!

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My one remaining gig in August, a fundraiser for a local museum, rescheduled for 2021. I've got 3 gigs remaining in September, I'll be shocked if all those don't cancel. I've already quit my casino piano bar gig, and pretty much the only thing left are the local bars, all of which keep opening up and shutting down, like a big game of Whack-a Mole, as they get employees/patrons who test positive. We're not on fire here, but we're adding 40-50 new cases a day.....I wouldn't go into any of those places for a BEER, let alone a 4 hour gig....
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My "dryer fan" is part of my gig rig. Heck I use it many days at home since I am not going to the gym (reminds me I need to cancel membership)--if I don't, shower or not I sweat for any hour since it's so hot and humid in FLA and I'm just a sweaty person.

 

Even if the place isn't hot for indoor gigs, just bringing stuff in gets me soaked and as I say it takes me ages to stop sweating, fan gets me (as much as is possible) presentable :)

 

By dryer fan I mean a small fan made for drying out walls/carpets etc that shouldn't stay wet. Learn from my mistakes, I went cheap: get one that tilts and don't get one that is construction yellow :D Lasko is the brand I see all the time on stages, black and it tilts.

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I recently got a call that had the distinction of being my most swiftly and enthusiastically rejected gig offer of the pandemic...

 

New Orleans is having a spike in cases, largely because it's become a haven for not-too-bright tourists who are eager to pretend the whole thing is No Big Deal and behave like the virus doesn't exist. The hub of this Darwin Award-worthy behavior is, naturally, Bourbon Street. It got so bad that this past weekend the mayor shut down all the bars to try to curb the problem. The street won't be packed with drunken idiots if literally all the bars are closed, right? Wrong! Turns out they just buy booze from the still-open corner stores and then wander up and down the street full of closed businesses, "Wooo"-ing at each other from inches apart. With no masks, of course. Oh, and pissing in the street even more than usual, since all the bathrooms are in the now-closed bars.

 

But anyway, on the last day that the bars were open, I got a call to fill in on a Bourbon Street gig from 5 to 11. A six-hour gig in the deepest petri dish within a hundred miles, on what may very well end up being the most virulently toxic night of this entire era. So yeah, let's just say I passed on that one.

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

 

Oh yeah Al! Get another fan for your playing, that was hot!

 

Thanks Eric!

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

 

Oh yeah Al! Get another fan for your playing, that was hot!

 

Thanks Eric!

 

Ditto! Be careful Al, you keep playing those face melting licks, Covid induced groupies may rush the stage!

Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands

Tommy Rude Soundcloud

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Have a wedding ceremony gig outside this weekend, and just got called to sub in a band on an outdoor park gig on Aug 7. We'll see how it goes... definitely avoiding the small enclosed basements that are jazz clubs here.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know this thread is gassing, but I found an added wrinkle yesterday:

 

As I said earlier in this discussion, I quit a piano bar gig I had been playing for 18 years. They opened back up July 2, and in no way did I feel it was safe to go back. The venue is a nice restaurant located in the local casino. Now, since bars and restaurants have been reopening, we've had places all over town announcing that they've had an employee or customer test positive, and they would shut down for a day or 2 for cleaning. If it was an employee, most would not be able to come back to work until they presented a negative test result. However, in all this time we never heard a peep from the casino. Right before they opened up they made a big deal about all the things that they were going to implement to keep workers and patrons safe. My wife and I would talk about it from time to time, that maybe they are actually doing it right, and maybe I was hasty about giving up my gig. Now, however, we're starting to hear (anonymously) that they in fact HAVE had cases of COVID, both in workers and patrons, and have made the decision to not alert anyone, as they don't want to have to shut down again. When one of the dealers said something to the GM, the response apparently was, "Whatever. We're open. Business as usual..." I find this despicable. It's hard enough to navigate all this if you actually have accurate info, let alone trying to deal if people out there are actually going to lie and cover it up. I hope it bites them on the ass, but it probably won't. I'm glad I didn't go back.......

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Sadly, it's not only businesses doing this but people that work at them, who are continuing to work despite testing positive. In their cases, it's a little harder to blame them since these are people that in some cases are not far from being homeless.
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So I did both of the outdoor gigs mentioned above.

 

Wedding gig last Sunday was the night before the new phase of reopening here. Staff were taking great precautions, attendees less so. Some kid wanted to take a photo miming at my keys, which I probably wouldn't allow in the best of times. I'm glad I only did the ceremony and got out of there before more alcohol took over.

 

The gig today out in the park was really beautiful. Musically it's a really intriguing project, exploring the intersection of devotional trance music from different cultures (Indigenous & Moroccan, principally). The ensemble unites a lot of different musicians I know from very different parts of my life, and new musicians I've never worked with before. We were easily 6 feet apart and the audience was quite far away from us â it was sponsored by a city-funded cultural centre so we had a lot of assistance to enforce distancing.

 

I must say it was really beautiful to play WITH other people, FOR other people.

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...Now, however, we're starting to hear (anonymously) that they in fact HAVE had cases of COVID, both in workers and patrons, and have made the decision to not alert anyone, as they don't want to have to shut down again. When one of the dealers said something to the GM, the response apparently was, "Whatever. We're open. Business as usual..."

 

In my case, when I informed the bar manager and general manager that we had a Covid case in the club the previous weekend, I was met with blank stares. When I said I could no longer continue, the bar manager actually got pissed.

 

When clubs are desperately trying to save their businesses, we need to keep both eyes open. I think you made the right decision area51.

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...Now, however, we're starting to hear (anonymously) that they in fact HAVE had cases of COVID, both in workers and patrons, and have made the decision to not alert anyone, as they don't want to have to shut down again. When one of the dealers said something to the GM, the response apparently was, "Whatever. We're open. Business as usual..."

 

In my case, when I informed the bar manager and general manager that we had a Covid case in the club the previous weekend, I was met with blank stares. When I said I could no longer continue, the bar manager actually got pissed.

 

When clubs are desperately trying to save their businesses, we need to keep both eyes open. I think you made the right decision area51.

 

REALLY feel like I did too, but it sure was bittersweet. As I said, I had played that gig for 18 years, better than a quarter of my life by a good bit. You guys all know there aren't that many gigs like THAT around these days......still, I have ONE life, as does my wife, and there isn't a gig anywhere that's worth jeopardizing THAT....

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("barbecue themed," they said; I didn't realize that was a "theme"

 

Hee hee. Hmmm BBQ themed...... I always think of American BBQs as "throwing another shrimp on the barbie" as said by that Aussie guy with the hat. Yes we were inundated with that advert.

 

What used to make me laugh when he said that ....was that no Aussie would say shrimp and most at the time would not know exactly what a shrimp was.

 

It be " throw another prawn on the barbie". Yes a prawn is what he threw on the barbie hee hee ...a prawn.

 

Infact the only time the word shrimp was mentioned over here was if you were short. As i was as a child till I shot up taller than the stirrers.

 

Or when i as a kid bought a family of "Sea Monkeys" who in the small print i think were said to be North American shrimp. Those rascally little sea monkeys. Tasted good too.

 

Ok just lightening up the thread as i have bad news for Aussies in next reply.

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The bass player texted me on Friday, "When are you coming out of your cave?" Like I want to not play music. :mad:

 

They have gigs booked for later this month and October. I don't get it. The bar claims "rest assure that we are keeping up with all the precautions to keep everyone safe while you're here supporting the local music scene [sic]" but I can't be confident, not ever having been there nor knowing anything about the place, plus the rehearsals in the small space the band has.

 

There's another band that if it were the Before Times, I'd be hitting up if the keyboard player has moved on (last few videos don't have him, and he's not listed as a current member on what seems their most updated page). I was watching them online last night on the Can't Stop the Blues FB page, and I keep thinking about it. But it's not the right time, not yet. They've been doing some small gigs, claiming the gigs are socially distanced, but I haven't seen those. And the band was all over each other in last night's video, like a band is.

 

I need to go do some other stuff and stop thinking about this! :)

"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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Ok Aussies. Possible bad news today. It said that RSL clubs as a whole may become insolvent.

 

This would knock out a huge number of gigging venues around the country.

 

To those overseas RSL is the Returned Services League which has entertainment clubs in nearly every major town

 

If this happens then a large majority of venues disapears australia wide.

 

Sure the buildings still there but i bet many wont be repurposed as venues if it happens. The land is worth too much as realestate as the clubs often are situated on the towns best land.

 

They are touting the loss of pokie revenue as its downfall.

 

Alas a club started to help the Retured Soldiers after the war now exists only to make gobs of money out of pokies.

 

If these venues go itll take a lot of musos with it. Especially old farts like me.

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The last of my 3 September gigs cancelled yesterday. I do have one the first Sat in October, and that's it for 2020. If that one doesn't cancel I think I'm going to pass on it anyway.......

 

Edit: Annnnnnnd.......the October gig cancelled today......nothing on the horizon for the remainder of the year.....The same band has some 2021 dates booked....first one is in April. Hope to God by then it'll be safe to come out, but the way the idiots are climbing all over each other out there (Sturgis for example) I'm not gonna hold my breath.......

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A short video from Saturday night"s gig at an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar on the water in Freeport, NY. No drunks, just a bunch of people eating burritos and tacos, sitting at tables spaced apart, wearing masks when not at their tables, in the sweltering Long Island heat. Next gig, I"m bringing a small fan!

 

Video from Saturday night"s gig

 

 

Nice video, Al - very tasty playing! Thanks for posting.

 

(And BTW, I"m STILL using your old sub-woofer!)

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