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Travel demands of a Working Cover Band


wheresgrant3

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This band are good friends of mine... they've been a working cover band now for 9 years. Based in NY they rarely gig here... most gigs are anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours away. They have a full time road crew who sets up sound and lights hours before they arrive. Their weekends are usually spent bunking together in hotels while the agent tries to line up geographically convenient gigs. 

Thursday at River Rock in Brick, NJ.

Friday at Whiskey Cafe in Lyndhurst, NJ.

Saturday at Champion Billiards in Frederick, NJ.

Sunday at Redskins vs. Chargers at FED EX Field in Landover, MD

724 mi11 hours 55 mins

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In the summer they can usually squeeze in a local Wednesday night show. Most of these guys teach music lessons M-Th during the afternoons for extra cash. 

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I spent a good deal of time traveling when I was working as a corp pilot on jobs that required two pilots and have done a few long fly and play gigs with the band where we were out for a few days. While not a seasoned band road warrior, one thing that I do think that is important anytime you travel for extended times is have your own freekin room. You need down time to yourself. I pointed this out to our bandleader and he felt it was a good idea. Some guys snore , some stay up late , some crash in early. Playing music with bandmates is a whole lot different than sleeping with them. I would rather have a flea bag **** hotel room to myself than share a really nice one.  I have great bandmates , but if a gig or tour cant support all of us having a room,, its not worth messing with.   Just my two cents

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Wow...that's rigorous. I would hate spending every weekend in a hotel with my band. We all get along very well but this just wouldn't fly.

I guess that's the difference between being more "part-time" or more "full-time" musicians right?

P.S. It would be f'n sweet to have a road crew!!!

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rangefinder wrote:

 

 

Interesting... who are they, and how did they manage to get such a wide geographic range? I could see a tribute band doing this sort of thing..

 

 

The Amish Outlaws. It's not uncommon in the summer to be booked on a Thursday night in Maryland a Friday/Saturday in CT and a Sunday in Boston. The agency books 100% of their bookings. They are told where and when to perform. There are a handful of agency bands that have a frequent travel schedule although maybe not quite as far or demanding as their schecdule. If you tour like that (and this accounts for touring) you really need to like your bandmates!

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guitarguy19 wrote:

 

 

Wow...that's rigorous. I would hate spending every weekend in a hotel with my band. We all get along very well but this just wouldn't fly.

 

I guess that's the difference between being more "part-time" or more "full-time" musicians right?

 

P.S. It would be f'n sweet to have a road crew!!!

 

What it boils down to is that some jobs are way more full time than others.  A lot of the time the things that seem like they would be glam  jobs to do full time are real grinds.  Full time music is 5 to 6 nights a week and many times with travel.  Even doing a house show I played 300 shows a year for a couple years getting back in the game.  I play with one guy that  toured for 10 years straight and both band leaders have been full time music  for 20 to 30 years.  They all have settled in in a resort town where they stay put and the people rotate though town by the time  I got hooked up with them.  I dont think i would want to tour on an extensive basis. A couple three adventures a year is plenty for me.    

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my friends in Gas Station Disco have a schedule that looks like that. 

 

One day they will be in PA the next NJ the next AR the next MS The next FL then back to PA. More power to them! Half of them are around my age (early 40s) the other half are younger (late 20s/early 30s I think) A lot of travel sure but the money is good (so I hear)

Traveling like that is not for me at this point- In my 20s... sure, hitting 40 nah... but THEY are having a BLAST!

 

 

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SpaceNorman wrote:

 

 

The band I worked with back in my college days travelled like this a couple of summers.   It was a fun adventure at the time ... but now?   I wouldn't consider it for love
or
money.  A couple of "overnighters" a year is more than enough for me these days. 

 

Same here- a couple overnighters a year is plenty. They aren't usually with my main band, rather, the hippy band where we'll play a festival that is a camp out kind of thing.

My drummer's son was in a band that played like this. VA on Weds, north NJ on Thurs. Then Philly Friday- there was no cohesiveness to the travel/schedule, the agency didn't give a crap. He was holding down a full time day gig at the time too. Wrecked his car coming home one night because he fell asleep. Asked the band leader to cut back on the schedule some, he said no. Then the bandleader's needs changed because of something that happened in his life and THEN he decided to cut back the schedule. The son quit then- if his needs were not important why was the other guys?

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sventvkg wrote:

 

 

Weekends spent bunking wiith a bunch of dudes..Whether in a hotel or on a bus..Sounds like the life of a musician to me.

 

Yea if your band is a straight up touring band , thats the life.  Tours are a side thing for us so we tend to live up the money on the tour.  If you come home with some money in your pocket  and blow a bunch on creature comforts is pretty well how we roll.  The last tour was working a national convention where they provided all the backline with techs, lights, sound , roadies plus paid us real well.  We rented a big ass van to run around with ate like kings, had great rooms,and flew there on the airlines.  It was a rock star week ,, then it was back to selling shrimp at and holding down the home dig. We have done the fly an play thing on most of the big away games we have done since most of them have had real long distances involved.  We do need to get a regular road game plan if we start working festivals and concerts in texas.    

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