[TPIN] A question about rehearsing on the same day as a gig

[bzack1 at netzero.net]

Mike,

You really take me back to the good ole days.  Thirty years ago rehearsing all day in a military band, playing gigs on civy street all night, and jamming in after hours joints until morning did'nt seem tiring at all.  But suiting up for "Colors" at 8 am was a drag.

These days, there aren't any after hours sessions, nor as many gigs.  What a shame!


  

-- Vaxtrpts at aol.com wrote:
 

For those of us who were around when gigs were plentiful, in the "good old  
days" of say 20-30 years ago, this question might seem a little weird to us, 
but  I do know that times have changed, and you are an amateur player who 
doesn't  have the time to keep your chops up like we were pretty much forced to  
back then.
In those days of many show gigs, the normal schedule was to always rehearse  
the day of the show (or the first day of a series of shows.)  It made  more 
sense to the promoters and producers, because then they didn't have to pay  for 
a whole extra day just for rehearsing.  Boy, I can remember some chop  
slamming shows, where we were made to play the whole show in rehearsal, take an  hour 
or two off for dinner, and then play the full show again - for  "real."  
Also, on the road bands, since we rarely got a day off, when there  was new music 
to try we just rehearsed all afternoon and then played the gig  that night.   
At least once in a while, I think it is a good thing to try playing  the book 
(or simulating the playing you would need to do in a show) in the  afternoon 
and then again that night, on just a regular practice day.  That  old Boy 
Scout motto "be prepared" is a great one.  The more you can do to  emulate what 
you "have" to do on a gig, the better off you are, I believe.
I guess, also being from the "old school," I just don't consider a day with  
a concert or some other type of gig at night any different than any other  
days.  I don't treat myself differently on a gig day, then I do on a non  gig 
day.  I always try to get a good warm up in, regardless.

Mike Vax