Ok, good backstage question here-

[sickman]

Everyone tells me the standard is 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off. But, it always seems like it translates to 45-50 minutes on, 25-30 minutes off. I had some friends come out to the last gig and they said "you guys take a lot of breaks". We happened to play a little longer (60 minutes) for our first set so the guys thought we should take a longer break (30 minutes)... everyone left.

Honestly, for a four hour (240 minutes) I'd prefer something like 75 minutes playing, 15 minute break, 75 minutes playing, 15 minute break, 60 minutes playing. I like to play and would rather be playing than standing around, but the rest of guys are old so maybe 75 minutes is too long for them to stand up or something.

[ckcondon]

I'm always amused by bands who take long breaks and start late.

I guess for some this is their "daily grind" and like some people at work, they slack off.

For me, gigs are an "event" we work really hard at rehearsal to put on a great show. I want to got into a club and OWN it all night. I'd play straight through if I didn't have to take a leak occasionally! If you can't play your instrument/sing for more than 45 minutes at a time, you probably shouldn't be gigging professionally IMO.

If you want to socialize, go out when you're not playing. You can stand around, drink and talk to chicks/guys all you want.

If a club is PAYING you to be there, you owe it to them to PLAY MUSIC!

I do get that some clubs have dj's and longer breaks are expected, but that isn't the norm. I'd bet if you asked club owners what their biggest peeve about bands is, long breaks would be near the top of the list.

Learn a few more songs and give them their money's worth!

[doug_h]

it depends on how much we are getting paid. If we're playing a club on the low end of the pay scale then we are going to take long breaks!

 

Sets typically go from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on the crowds mood.

[TrickyBoy]

Honestly, for a four hour (240 minutes) I'd prefer something like 75 minutes playing, 15 minute break, 75 minutes playing, 15 minute break, 60 minutes playing. I like to play and would rather be playing than standing around, but the rest of guys are old so maybe 75 minutes is too long for them to stand up or something.

 

 

This, except we shorten the last set to about 40 minutes which has us stopping right at last call.

[boxorox]

45/15 is the model, but we're flexible. We often play a 90 minute set to close, if the crowds jumpin'.

I think it's a good idea to slip the set times so breaks don't fall on the hour or the half. If a group of people are gonna move, those are target times.

[THX1138]

For me, gigs are an "event" we work really hard at rehearsal to put on a great show. I want to got into a club and OWN it all night. I'd play straight through if I didn't have to take a leak occasionally! If you can't play your instrument/sing for more than 45 minutes at a time, you probably shouldn't be gigging professionally IMO.

 

 

With all due respect, you appear to be a drummer, which means you're equipped with a chair...

 

After an hour or more of hair flippin, jumpin around, belting out harmonies, hollering the occasional lead vocal, and various wannabe rockstar antics in general... my tiny ass would like to go sit down and catch my breath for a bit.

 

My old knees need a break.

[BlueStrat]

With all due respect, you appear to be a drummer, which means you're equipped with a chair... After an hour or more of hair flippin, jumpin around, belting out harmonies, hollering the occasional lead vocal, and various wannabe rockstar antics in general... my tiny ass would like to go sit down and catch my breath for a bit. My old knees need a break.

 

 

Ha ha ha!

 

[THX1138]

It feels like that some days.

[BlueStrat]

I know the feeling. I had a knee replacement almost two years ago. Last time I did a 4 hour gig, I was wishing I had a chair for the last set!

[kurfu]

We're having an interesting dilemma with breaks- How long should a cover-band break between sets? How long should the sets be? My personal take is that breaks should be 15 minutes MAX, don't give the folks a chance to get bored and leave. Also I like 1:00-1:15 sets, but the others are focused on (3) 45-55 minute sets, with 30 minute breaks. I've argued the breaks are too long, but they claim the "average" is 30 minutes (maybe common, but average implies that other bands take MORE than 30-minutes for a break, which I just cant imagine!) Thoughts? How do you do it?

 

 

A typical night for us will be 9pm-1am broken down roughly like this:

 

9:00-10:00 set 1

10:00-10:15 break

10:15-11:00 set 2

11:00-11:15 break

11:15-12:00 set 3

12:00-12:15 break

12:15-1:00 set 4

 

(more or less)

 

I believe that the audience sometimes needs an "ear-break" just as much as the band needs a "pee-break".

[TrickyBoy]

I believe that the audience sometimes needs an "ear-break" just as much as the band needs a "pee-break".

 

 

Most clubs seem to have the DJ'd music between sets cranked up as loud or louder than the band.

[rorylawford]

I believe that the audience sometimes needs an "ear-break" just as much as the band needs a "pee-break".

 

 

to be honest, I find for heavy bands this is especially apt .

[kurfu]

Most clubs seem to have the DJ'd music between sets cranked up as loud or louder than the band.

 

 

True, but the canned music is usually (USUALLY!) a little easier on the ears than a live band... (drums, cymbals, stage amps, etc... presented in a manner that is much less dynamically controlled than a studio recording)

[TrickyBoy]

True, but the canned music is usually (USUALLY!) a little easier on the ears than a live band... (drums, cymbals, stage amps, etc... presented in a manner that is much less dynamically controlled than a studio recording)

True

[J.Paul]

How about 90 minuetes then
"Thank You....goodnight....see ya next year"!!!

[rhat]

Most clubs seem to have the DJ'd music between sets cranked up as loud or louder than the band.

 

 

 

Yep ,, and if the band was smart ,, they would just tell the sob to turn that {censored} down. Loud ass DJs during break drive people out of bars. You want to bring the mood down during a break so people can talk, and decompress from the live band. The last thing you need is some wanna be with a lap top driving the people out the door.

[vanlatte]

True, but the canned music is usually (USUALLY!) a little easier on the ears than a live band... (drums, cymbals, stage amps, etc... presented in a manner that is much less dynamically controlled than a studio recording)

Glad you emphasized that

While I agree for the most part there are always those one-offs where for some reason whoever is putting on the band break music thinks it needs to be even more invasive and ear shattering than the band itself.

Agree 100% about the ear breaks too...

[BlueStrat]

Glad you emphasized that While I agree for the most part there are always those one-offs where for some reason whoever is putting on the band break music thinks it needs to be even more invasive and ear shattering than the band itself. Agree 100% about the ear breaks too...

 

Yes, this was particularly the case in a lot of clubs we played in British Columbia in the 80s. We had a PA that had an 18, two 15s, two 12s, a midrange and a high range horn on each side of the stage, with several 1000 watts of power. And we'd take a break and the DJ would make us sound like a boombox. It would be so loud you couldn't hear each other yelling right in their ears.

[pickinatit]

We're having an interesting dilemma with breaks- How long should a cover-band break between sets? How long should the sets be?

 

 

I'm not reading anything but the O.P., but putting in my $.02 anyway.

 

We used play for a solid hour the first set then take a 10 minute break.

 

Then we would play to the top of the hour again (so, 50 min.) and take a

15 minute break.

 

Play to the top of the hour again (45 minutes) and break for 15 for the next set and the next (if it's a four hour gig).

[55gibby]

One thing you need to consider when trying to figure out how long a break should be:

Try this... smoke a joint, throw back 3 shots of booze then smoke a cigarette... see how long that takes you, and that's how long your breaks should be

[55gibby]

Honestly, over the last two years, I haven't played many gigs that require more than one break (shorter gigs). We used to keep them to around 10 - 15 minutes, when we played the bars regularly. We also played three sets with 2 breaks.


When we play the pig roast gig (we do it every year), we take like 4 breaks... but the gig seems to go on forever... the money suck, but the beer is free

[JoeDirt]

With all due respect, you appear to be a drummer, which means you're equipped with a chair...

 

Hey don't be hating on us drummers because we get to sit. Depending on what style of music we are playing it's not that easy to swing your arms around for 60+ mins straight.

 

Our wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, ankles, calves and knees (depending on your kick drum style) are definitely getting a workout all night long. There is a reason a lot of drummers have low body fat, we sweat it off.

[ckcondon]

Hey don't be hating on us drummers because we get to sit. Depending on what style of music we are playing it's not that easy to swing your arms around for 60+ mins straight. Our wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, ankles, calves and knees (depending on your kick drum style) are definitely getting a workout all night long. There is a reason a lot of drummers have low body fat, we sweat it off.

+1000
I don't know what kind of drummers you play with, but my gigs are a full cardio workout!
We may be in a seated position, but don't think that means drummers aren't working our asses off!

[SpaceNorman]

My bar act is typically does plays 9:30 to 1:30 split into 3 sets with 2 breaks. We shoot for breaks of 15-20 minutes ... every now and then that slips a little, especially if the crowd is doing a line dance at the end of "regulation" break time.

[THX1138]

Easy drummer dudes, I speak in jest. I started as a drummer, I know. And ours is a soaking sweatbag at the end of each set.

 

Was merely making the point that if you're expending all that energy (regardless of instrumentation) a break is a welcome thing.