Health Tips for Hot Gigs?

[vonnor]

This past Saturday, my band played an outdoor show in 97(36c) heat and humidity. I had lots of water, a blower fan on me, and made it through setup and the show. Tear-down did not go as well, with finding myself suffering from textbook Heat-Exhaustion symptoms - tingling hands/feet, nausea, muscle cramps, lack of perspiration, dizziness. Luckily there were two nurses in the crowd that helped with ice-packs and cold rags on my head and neck. After a few minutes laying down with a blower fan on me I was past any danger-point. The one nurse and her husband even loaded my gear in the car for me.

 

This Saturday we have a "Heat-Repeat" outdoor gig and I do NOT want to go through the same troubles. Anybody have good advice on how to survive an outdoor show in this kind of weather??

 

Thanks in advance.

 

~ vonnor

[ProfD]

2 minutes ago, vonnor said:

This Saturday we have a "Heat-Repeat" outdoor gig and I do NOT want to go through the same troubles. Anybody have good advice on how to survive this kind of weather??

Along with water I would suggest sports drinks (Gatorade) for electrolytes.😎

[PianoMan51]

Bring a second large container of water. Not to drink but to ladle over your head. A towel might help too! 
 

Drinking cold water will help chill your body and hydrate you. But cooling your head quickly with cool water can give you that sense of jumping in a cool pool. The clincher is that you will feel more clear headed too.

[Dockeys]

They’re insane working conditions. Thankfully it never gets that hot over here but if it did I just wouldn’t take the gig. No gig is worth your health. 

[stillearning]

I second the suggestion of a cold rag over your head. Bring a light colored, medium sized cooler filled generously with ice, keep your drinks in it, and use that to soak the rag. If you’re in the sun, a light colored hat, preferably with a wide brim to create as much sun protection as possible. If you’re in the shade, maybe ditch any hats. If you can get to a car with A/C during breaks, maybe not a bad idea either.

[Baldwin Funster]

Don't do it. If your band doesn't care if you die or worse, EFF them. 

[wineandkeyz]

We've gone through several gigs like that down here in NC. Not much to add to what's already been said: Gatorade, fans, hats, iced cooling towels... I have found that, for me, placing an ice cube on the back of my neck helps cool me quickly.

 

My wife used to work as a county real estate appraiser, so she spent a lot of time out in the heat and humidity. I don't know if you can get anything delivered in time, but we spent a lot of money at https://www.mission.com/ getting her outfitted with lightweight clothes, a bucket hat, cooling towels, etc. She's retired now, so I keep the towels and hat in my gig vehicle.

 

I would also suggest slowing down, taking additional time between songs for water, and announcing upfront that the band might need to take unscheduled breaks to cool down. Take care of yourself, brother!

[hookie]

Only other things I can think of to add is to start drinking water and Gatorade BEFORE the gig, not waiting until you’re hot or thirsty, and try running cold water over your wrists when able - has helped me in the past. Plus all the other stuff mentioned…

Good luck, let us know how it goes for you. 

[Stokely]

Between the heat and ever-present threat of rain here, I hate outdoor gigs other than during the tiny "winter" months.

At this point if they try to put us directly in the sun I'd say pound sand.  I have had numerous skin cancer surgeries, including one melanoma.

You've already got the fan but if it's just blowing swamp air on you, not all that helpful.

DEFINITELY hydrate way before the gig, athletes will do so the day before.  My problem there is reaching an age where I need to time pee breaks as close to the set start as possible, no more needs to be said I think

You could try keeping a cooler with cold packs (or just ice) and some "cooling towels" along with drinks...just pop one out, wring it out if wet, and put it on your neck.

 

[Wrrtyuuiioop]

You guys not heard of a gazebo?

 

No gig is worth risking health issues for.

[vonnor]

8 minutes ago, Biggles said:

You guys not heard of a gazebo?

 

No gig is worth risking health issues for.

We were under a canopy, but still... brutal.

[Stokely]

We've had some brutal late afternoon gigs where we were under a roof but the sun found us.   One July 4 gig a couple PA speakers and two ipads shut down, and the sun didn't touch anything until about 4pm.  At 6 it was still over 100.

Keep in mind too that when it's humid there's no escape from the heat (still being in the shade is better than the sun!).  I remember visiting eastern Oregon and I was worried that it was 90 degrees...but the instant you got out of the sun, it wasn't hot at all....low humidity.

I've always had a problem with the heat.  Got the tingling hands heat exhaustion pretty often playing tennis when I was younger.