How Do You Play Late-Night Shows/Tour If You're LFRV??

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Permalink Reply by HolisticHealthDetective on May 27, 2012 at 7:56am

Well..how often are you gigging?

I have often wondered how 811 folks who work graveyard shifts pull it off, too.

Here's 2 ways of thinking that come to mind:

1. You stay up late only when you "have to" like a job, and make sure to be in bed early other nights.

2. A person makes a decision between lifestyle conflicts and decides which is going to be a more short-term/long-term focus.

I'll add this: In both my pregnancies, the first trimester had me absolutely crashing early and sleeping lots in general. Pregnancy (i.e. energy level) is a special circumstance, one that gets you figuring out how you can arrange to get home sooner, stay in vs. go out etc.

811 is also a special circumstance in that is means living in a way that is largely contrary to urban living. Nurture and care for this lifestyle with the same tenderness!

So, how can you figure out ways around it? Getting to bed early should be a goal and focus, allowing for nights you may need to be working as a musician.

When I think about all the years I used to stay up super late, I get the urge to be safely close to my bed!

Good luck, friend. = )

Tania

Permalink Reply by Ren on May 27, 2012 at 8:03am

I don't play out that often.  Because of this new lifestyle, I do admit that, when thinking about shows, I immediately think "How am I going to stay up that late?".  I guess it's about catching up on regular sleep on nights when I get to bed super late. 

Thanks so much for your thoughts, Tania!

Permalink Reply by Peter Csere on May 28, 2012 at 11:50pm

I play out a few times a month but I generally don't accept anything late i.e. bar gigs that go until 1 in the morning. The latest I usually go is 9 and sometimes I get afternoon performances. 

So if I play till 9 I can usually get home and get to bed by 10/10:30. Sure, not 8:30 as I'd like, but not 1 either. And it doesn't happen very often. 

Permalink Reply by Blake Sco on July 12, 2012 at 1:40pm

On the day of a show I will get as many calories in as I can prior to about 3 hours before I leave for a venue. This gives me time to digest and settle before I head off for the night to eventually get crazy so...

If showtime is at 9:30pm, I stop eating around 5:30 and leave for the venue at 8. I will bring medjool dates already pitted with me in tupperware with a fork if I need a fast hit of fuel or get hunger pangs. Dates are key for this because you can get 66 calories with one date! This means low volume yet high calories (energy). I find dates are optimal for any type of situation where you have to be continuously energized yet "light" at the same time. Fruit juice would be another option since it will digest easily and give you instant energy. For what I do, gigging in a rock band is quite an athletic experience which requires consistent results night after night. Sure, you might not get an early night but it comes with the territory. The reason that consuming these high-calorie/high sugar foods so late in the day is OK in this instance is that you will be burning up that fuel by the end of the night (loading in/out, setup/tear down, performing, etc.). The point is to consume JUST ENOUGH to carry you thru the night (usually 1-3 dates or 8-12 oz of juice pre-show) so that you can still get to sleep without a sugar high going.

Permalink Reply by NEY MELLO on September 28, 2012 at 2:48pm

 If i am touring  I just go to the local fruits stores/markets etc as if I lived there.... And get greens and fruit which I carry with me, as they ripen they get eaten. A blender is also used for smoothies... Sleeping hours are a la carte. Sometimes early sometimes late. 

Besides the  inevitable spazzy sleeping schedule, all the meals are quite doable, but you need to work, to get the ingredients and make the smoothies or salads as if you were home. Often  I go to restaurants with fans, colleagues, and friends to party and so I eat fruit and salads. No tequila or jack Daniels for me, thanks guys ":D .

I devoted my entire life to music and the guitar ...not so much to fanciful cliche lifestyles and drugs, so nobody bothers me about it.

Ney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ney_Mello

Permalink Reply by Jesi Di on December 30, 2012 at 6:58am

I stay up late often, so this isn't a problem because I sleep in also. If I'm tired before a show, I'll eat fruit, which gives me lots of energy. I also don't workout as hard on the days I gig because I like to conserve my energy for the stage- that can be a workout! Or I'll wait to workout late right before the gig so that I'm pumped up.
When I'm on the road in a new place, I bring a lot of food with me, but also make sure that I do tons of research about the food choices (where to get fresh produce) before I go.