Back to Playing Music Again

[Gandalfe]

It's so nice to be at it again, after two years of pandemic rabbit holing. Yeah, we did the online performances and recordings, but there is nothing quite like a live gig on the day Washington state removes mask requirements!

 

[Notes_Norton]

It's wonderful. We have 14 'one-nighter' gigs (although half are daytime parties) this month, mostly outdoors, as the Florida weather allows that.

It seems the audience is as enthusiastic about live music as we musicians are.

Notes ♫

 

[Mike M]

We've been doing "inside" gigs in MA for most of the winter.
Clubs/bars (at least in MY area of MA) have had few restrictions.
My wife forbade me to play club gigs for the past few months but now I'm "free" to play wherever because restrictions have lifted.
Concert venues (halls/theaters) have had the most restrictions for both the audience AND performers.
Three days ago I performed at Symphony Hall in Boston with a symphonic band. We had to show our vax cards to gain entrance and had to remain masked until seated.
The audience had to show proof-of-vax to attend.
It was a "legit gig" but it was playing, so I'll take what I can get.

I hope that we are through with this Covid thing!!!!!!

 

[Mike M]

The symphony that I play with has been doing their regular schedule with these restrictions:
- orchestra members need proof of vax & booster to perform
- orchestra members are given a rapid test (administered by symph personnel) before each service (rehearsal/performance)
- attendees have to show proof of vax/boost & a valid drivers license to enter the performing arts center

Another local arts center (narrowscenter.org) where I volunteer (running sound, etc.) had the vax policy for entertainers/volunteers/audience.
The Narrows lifted vax requirements last week......

It is quite ironic: my wife wouldn't let me club-gig in January/February for fear that I would catch Covid
well
she and my daughter went to Jupitor FL on vacation three weeks ago.
My wife caught Covid during the trip.............and gave it to ME upon her return!!!!!!!!!

I had tickets to see Tower of Power four days after testing + so I gave the tix to a student of mine

I started playing again last Friday.... My air is still not right.....

 

[Gandalfe]

I forgot to mention that with the gig (that started this post) there were only 30 people there. Most of our audience are the dancers and there was no dancing allowed.

 

[Notes_Norton]

Attendance has been down in most of the condominium parties we've played this year. People are erring on the side of safety, and I can't say that I blame them.

You said dancers?

Many years ago, when I was in a road band playing college towns, we played every state east of the Mississippi and a few west of it. I don't remember what state/city it was in, as the clubs on the road tend to blur in my memory decades later, but in this city it was illegal to dance. The college kids sat at tables, and a couple of times in our two weeks there, a couple got up to dance, and were immediately escorted out of the building.

Whether it's 3 or 3,000 people in the audience, we owe it to them to do our very best.

Notes ♫

 

[Tony Fairbridge]

Here in our bit of Oz (Victoria, in the South) covid seems to be receding, although it's not yet gone. We had quite strict anti-covid measures, with masks, isolation if you show symptoms, restrictions on movement and closed state borders. There was general compliance although there was some resistance to these measures but they seem to have mostly worked. Both community bands that I play with are back in business and we played a gig yesterday at a town fair. It's good to be playing again, although both bands are a bit thin on the ground as not all members have returned. Hopefully they will. We were a bit rusty, but it came together OK on the day.

 

[pete]

Hey, folks. Please remember that this is a woodwind forum. I don't particularly mind people outlining their state's/country's/province's/etc. COVID rules, but I don't want to go further than that. Please don't make more work for our staff. Thanks.