Musician Help

jlatinguitarist7

Any other musicians out there have any idea what it's like when you're done playing a 4-hour gig and it's 1am and you're starving and instead of just having water and going straight to bed, you have to detour with your bandmates and get food? Also, with the little to no sleep schedule any help on how to maintain a food schedule?

Sued0nim

Not a musician, but have great love of them.

I assume you go for fast food...check out all the menus online and select the best options based on food likes and calorie counts...pre-log them on gig days and make sure your weekly calories allow for it ...then you can relax knowing that you are sorted

SergeantSausage

Crappy, low-paying bar gigs paid my way through college 25 years ago.

Due to starving college kid food budget, I always packed a lunch, just like shift workers on a construction site.

This helped

Quit making excuses and get busy doing what you know need be done.

Sued0nim

herrspoons wrote: »

I always packed sandwiches. I'm not a musician though, I'm a drummer. Aha. Aha.

Chuckles

Liftng4Lis

Get a little cooler and stock it.

FredDoyle

Make it your last (or first) meal of the day and fit it in your cals...
How do you know when the drum riser is level?
Drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth.

cheshirecatastrophe

How do you get a drummer off your porch?
Pay them for the pizza.

How do you confuse a drummer?
Give them sheet music.

How do you make a drummer faint?
Put notes on it.

What's black and blue and lying in a ditch?
A guitarist who's told too many drummer jokes.

prattiger65

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

How do you get a drummer off your porch?
Pay them for the pizza.

How do you confuse a drummer?
Give them sheet music.

How do you make a drummer faint?
Put notes on it.

What's black and blue and lying in a ditch?
A guitarist who's told too many drummer jokes.

How do you know a drummer is knocking on your door? The knock speeds up.

How do you confuse a bass player? Retune one of his strings, but don't tell him which one.

How can you tell if the drum riser is level, the drool comes out of both sides of the drummers mouth.

How can you tell which guy is the lead singer? Don't worry, he will tell you.

RodaRose

When you stop for food, order/eat less than you have been eating. In stead of being concerned about special foods, think of smaller portions. You can do that.
Eat half a burger or Skip the fries.
Choices like that at each meal add up.

EmGee922

@jlatinguitarist7 I used to gig anywhere from 3-7 days a week...sometimes two a day...sometimes in different cities. It's tough. Every gig usually involved free food and alcohol, and it was always hard not to to hit the drive through at 3am on the way home when it didn't. I eventually started drinking only water on gigs for the most part and would bring something like a Cliff Bar to eat during one of the breaks. Still not the healthiest thing in the world, but better than a cheeseburger at least.

EmGee922

Oh, and I've known people to bring tupperware containers of salads or other healthy stuff from home to eat as well.

Eleanorjanethinner

I'd suggest making sure you have a filling (but healthy) meal before the gig. I find things like soups with veg, carbs and meat in them filling and low cal. I buy them in pots that can just be microwaved.

Then make sure you drink enough water (yes water, not beer etc!). I'll allow you a diet coke or coffee if you feel the need but alcohol is death on the calories.

Then eat a banana after the gig (or similar portable filling but low cal snack).

Kalikel

Tupperware is your friend.

SergeantSausage

What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend?
Homeless.

FredDoyle

Planning and sticking to your plan is your best friend. I know it's easy to down a couple pints between sets, I always did because I felt looser, but you just have to stick to your plan if you want to succeed.

FredDoyle

herrspoons wrote: »

Ah, the drummer jokes...

I thought at least you'd come back with a few guitarist/keyboardist jokes

EmGee922

FredDoyle wrote: »

herrspoons wrote: »

Ah, the drummer jokes...

I thought at least you'd come back with a few guitarist/keyboardist jokes

How do you get a guitarist to turn down? Put a music stand in front of them.

Blueseraphchaos

My only advice is to eat a decent meal before you leave and carry snacks with you.

Incidentally, my husband's former drummer thought it would be a fine idea to hammer on a propane tank. He blew it and his garage up and got 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 60% of his body.

He's fine except for some scarring on his drumming arm, though. But he never denies how stupid he is, LOL.

jlatinguitarist7

Thanks for the help all!

Jams009

All good tips here: packed lunches, and coolbags for longer tours. Eat before you leave etc...

On tour; when in a town stock up on foods to make your own salads and sandwiches for on the road. Have foods that you can just add boiling water to handy in case you find a kettle (noodles, soups etc). Foods that you can nuke in case you find a microwave (baked potatoes are good). And also accept that at some points you will be hungry, and that eating well on tour is very difficult, so give yourself some leeway.

What's the difference between a musician and a savings bond? The savings bond eventually matures and starts earning money.

cebreisch

Well, I'm a musician, but haven't ever really played in a band, but I have worked spotlight's for some events for bands who have played and know what you mean.

It's just a case of making it work. Be smart about the choices - grilled chicken maybe. And being a night-owl, you'll have to make a schedule that works for you. There's no rules as to when meals have to be eaten. It's about devising a plan that works for you. This is the time to be a bit creative with it.