leschirons Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 (edited) We were the only band playing at a French chateau wedding reception. Told to get there at 3.pm (left home at 12.30.pm) as we had to set up before the caterers arrived at 5.pm. Got there to find the caterers had been in the morning. Set up by 4.pm due to play at 10.pm and subsequently started at 12.45.am. Pulled away at 3.45.am Last wedding I do. Don't care how much they're paying. Edited August 26, 2015 by leschirons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I can't remember how long we were there, but I remember waiting many, many hours for the bride and groom to turn up because it they had booked an open, horse drawn carriage, and it was raining. The church was literally just over the road from the venue. By the time they set off it had been dark for at least three hours and you couldn't even see them, and it was still raining. The whole damned thing was a joke. They tried to do the balloons falling from the ceiling from a net thing, but actually used helium balloons... It sounds like something from a crappy sketch show but it really happened. And I nearly lamped the bride's dad after he accused me of trying to steal the helium canister. I was moving it because he had left it in front of the stairs of the stage and we needed to get the gear off. I moved it all of three feet. I really hated doing weddings, but at least there were no actual fights at that one. I didn't mind those so much if we had a stage for separation. But when the battle lines are drawn and the bloodbath starts, being in the firing line could get scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 We do this fairly regularly but you have to charge accordingly. Most band member will come away with £400 minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 That's not including travel time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 (edited) Can't do weddings any more. Weddings make everyone mentally ill. Creepy!! The whole function band thing is weird if you ask me. I liked the money (a lot), but all the false bonhomie and audience participation crap really got to me in the end and I had to abandon ship. It's actually a feasible way to become a pro bass player if that's your thing... I just couldn't hack it in the end. *Draws self up to full height* I have to be true to my art, darling! And starve in my garrett! *Orders curry for delivery* Edited August 26, 2015 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapiro Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Longest I@Ve done is a 9am setup, for a 9pm gig for 3 hour set. Dismantled by about 3am once we'd stopped the DJ Problem is they were using the same venue for everything, so wanted band set up before the actual ceremony. Charged accordingly, and they were fantastic couple, and the audience was brill and very ... enjoyable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymondo Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) Not quite the same I know but this reminded me of the stamina we used to have to undertake the following a few times back in the nineties. Meet up and load van at around 5.00 am in Nottingham ....drive to Ramsgate,Ferry to Ostend then drive to Padeborne in Germany. Invariably arrive too late to get to hotel in time as we always had to be on site to set up and sound check before the gig. Play two or three 45min/hour sets between 8.30 and 1.00 am (depending on which Mess we played in...the Officers mess sometimes went on untill breakfast).... then, sleep in the van as the hotel was closed ....we did however manage to persuade the manager to let us use the rooms to nap and freshen up, after they re-opened at 8.30 am ,before setting off for the next gig. Sometimes it was just a Friday and a Saturday gig ,others had a Sunday tagged on too ....then it was a mad dash across Europe to get to Ostend in time to have a few beers and a spag bol in the pub across the road from the ferry before traveling home!... phew I'm knackered just writing about it. Edited August 27, 2015 by Raymondo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I remember doing a wedding that was far away where the hotel were not happy about the band taking too long to set up and take down so they gave us strict and short time slots to do it in. We were told the times about a month before the gig. Set up at 6 o'clock, play 1 hour between 7.30 and 8.30, take down at 9 o'clock as quick as possible. After we had finished our set we hung around and then went back in at 9 o'clock to take down and were immediately met with an angry manager, asking us what we were doing taking the gear down while the disco was on. It was then we discovered when they said 9 o'clock to take down, they meant the next morning!!!. The gig was 50 miles away and there was no way we were coming back, so ended up pulling it all out onto the car park and removing leads from amps and packing it up into boxes outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-string-thing Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Never done a wedding gig as a bass player, but did a couple as a sound engineer a few years ago. Both seemed to involve a lot of waiting around, leaving home around noon and getting back around 1am. Life seemed too short to be doing it too often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Yep happens every now and then. As long as it's all agreed at time of booking and they're paying accordingly its fine. we get the occasional Bridezlla who emails two days before to tell us she's decided she wants us to be there at 9am or similar to set up but unless it's in the agreement or they want to pay extra then she ends up disappointed. Usually theres a sound engineer and PA hire company so pack down for us is a breeze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Plus one. Always hire in PA and engineer! Makes everything easier and we charge enough to make it cost effective. Yeah, long days are the name of the game! I remember once turning up at a venue 5 hours away from my house, setting up and sounchecking in preparation for the evening's festivities by midday (as per contract). Sadly, turned out that the groom got cold feet and the wedding never went ahead. We didn't find out until 5pm! Still got paid of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 The money wasn't an issue and I've done loads of weddings over the last 30 years. I think I just feel the strain of being out of the house for nearly 18 hours these days and getting back at daft, o clock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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