my wife asked me a question that i never thought about...

why is it that bands play for a relatively short period of time (say 45 minutes or so) then take a break, where the average worker works about 2 hours before they get a break.

just wondered if there was som logic to this- maybe goes back to the big band days where the horn players needed to rest for a bit so they wouldn't burn out

I wish I got a break every 2 hours! Try every 8

Haha i agree. A break every 2 hours. Wow !!!! I guess you would LIKE to think that for those 45 minutes the band are going at it 150% leaving nothing in reserve, so would need a break. But then i guess it depends who youre watching. Cant imagine adele gets very tired !

Hi phreddybee: name names, please. Most of the bands I go see tend to play for two or three hours non-stop. I guess if it is a very long show (three hours +) then they'll throw an interval in there, but that's probably more for the audience's benefit, and so's the venue can make some money on the bar.



I guess if we're talking jazz and related type music then it's down to the sort of venue they're playing. I used to spend a lot of time in jazz clubs and there it was customary to do two or three or four one-hour sets a night. I'm guessing that is partly to do with the bars and partly a hangover from the days when big dance bands would play short-ish sets because the audience would want some rest from the dance floor and time to talk and drink.

I'd sometimes see top big bands such as Buddy Rich and Count Basie in the jazz club and they'd do one-hour sets. But I'd also see them in the concert hall and they'd play more like two and a half hours. So I don't think it's to do with the brass players needing a rest - though I wouldn't begrude it them: playing hard on a horn looks like hard work.

As a musician there's also the issue of your ears and your concentration. After a while your musical brain gets kind of blunted and you need a bit of a break to keep things tip-top. I think even us rank-amateurs find that. So anything that keeps it fresh.

Interesting question.

Cheers - C

_________________

Aaaah your wording of the question actually provides you with the answer my friend...........musicians are NOT 'average workers'!!!!!!!

Seriously though it is down to individual venues........if they put a break in a set then, believe it or not, even if it is a covers band in a local bar with no entry charge, if you put a break in the middle of the set there is a 'rush' for the bar during a break........even if the bar is open throughout the performance.

I will be honest here though and admit to another reason.....

I have been in a band in the past that used to get gigs in local bars and we would only do 45 mins then break for 45 mins and go back and do another 45 mins.......why?........we reckoned that we only needed 45mins of material!!!!!! Do a set, break for long enough that folks will move on......more folks will have arrived by the time you start your 2nd set and do the same tunes again.......

Same logic as when you go busking. You only need 4-6 songs when busking as all your trade is passing.........

There you have it....the psychology of (my own lazy) bands and venues........

_________________
speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

i played in bands from 66 to 78. we always took the breaks, but just assumed that it was s.o.p. for bands. not complaining- time to take a potty break, grab a beverage, talk to the audience...just not enough time to deal with the groupies

of course i was 12 years old in 66, so i didn't exactly know much about the groupie thing

To sell drinks!
Things have changed a lot these days, but in the bars, dance halls and honkytonks, Your job
was not to be a great musician or band, but to bring people in and sell drinks.

Many times a cute guitar player was more successful than a talented one. The cute one would draw girls to the club, the girls would draw boys to the club = Full house & booze would sell which pays for the band.

While dancing the average drink lasted about 30-45 minutes, while just sitting and talking one would go in about 10-15. So figure:

About 3 to 4 drinks per hour per person.

Example:
A guy usually needs 3 before he will dance
Then 1 while dancing, 2 during break.

A good talented tight band helps, but as we all know, is not required.
The real talent is song selection, fast, slow, JOSE CUERVO, 2-step, ....
Always fast before break (create thirst)
Last song of night SLOOWWW,(Prevents fights)

Juke box during breaks (Keep crowd from leaving)

SELL DRINKS (The life of a HonkyTonk picker)

L.A.

Edited to add one last thing, Your last announcement of the night:

Remember Folks!
If your drinking & driving........

Don't forget your CAR!!!!!

We play for a couple of hours and take a break,it let's the crowd talk,get more drinks and socialize....then we play for a couple more hours...last night it was from 9:00 till 2:30 with two breaks.....believe me,the people at the office where I work would never work as hard and sweat as much as we do playing music......

hahaa...I just read LA's post about the last song being slow to prevent fights....our last one was a rousing version of VooDoo Chile!...his post was spot on though,you can always tell the veteran musicians here.

didn't expect my post to be this much fun!

i remember back in the late 70's. a bunch of us were at this little bar, and the band showed up, except for one of the guitar players. we had been drinking for about 2 hours before all this went on.

one of my friends volunteered me to play. when i went back to the bar after the first set, the bartender hands me a drink, and says "the lady at the end of the bar bought it for you". i went down to thank her (i'm not sure that came out right ), but before i got a word out some guy twice as big as me stepped in, and i turned away (gimme 3 steps).

just when i thought i had my first groupie.....

----Danny,

I usually have a hard time going past 1-hour. No joke. The reason? I have a bladder problem and have to pee. It doesn't matter whether I drink beer or not. It's the same either way.

The band is used to it now. We know that if we're playing a set for over an hour, then there will be a song that doesn't require 2-guitar players right at about the 45-min to 1-hour mark. During that song, I'll literally leave the stage, go pee, and come back before the song is over.

In some cases the bathroom may be some 50-yards away, in which case, I have to run. You'll hear the band sometimes say "Yay!! He made it!!" Kind of entertaining at times. The crowd gets a good laugh out of it.

_________________