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"Gig Foot"..Too old for this *%$@


skidder652003

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We had a Lethal Weapon "getting too old for this Sh!t" moment last weekend.

I've been full tilt at work for the past 5 months and we'd been playing for the past 7 weekends, the most recent couple in Aberdeen. Half day at work on the Friday, straight up to Aberdeen, stay over on the Friday night, doss about on Saturday, play Saturday night and drive home after the gig, get in at 4.30am and back to work on the Monday then repeat.

Thankfully no physical ailments but last night was the end of work and gigging for the year (at least until hogmanay) so I had a well earned long lie until 11am this morning.

But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat because I enjoy it so much

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27 minutes ago, skidder652003 said:

Great gig last night, pretty busy, everyone happy. Woke up this morning (and like after every gig) painful right foot/heel where I had most of my weight throwing erm.."shapes". Also completely useless today, knackered lethargic, really annoying Mrs Skidder, getting too old for this (and Im 53!)

The condition you're referring to used to be known as 'policeman's heel' after a common complaint from street bobby's on the beat. Generally known as a 'spur'...it's a build up of calcium on the heel bone causing pain and discomfort. I first had treatment on mine in the early 90's and have since had 3 steroid injections up through the fleshy part of the heel into the inflamed area, hurts like hell, and in my case made no difference at all, i still have it!.....You may respond to the jabs and get some relief, a lot of people do.

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I end up with an aching left calf when I've been effectively standing on one leg for 3 songs in a row playing midi pedals with my right foot. I used to play with a drummer who used to trot out 'Im too good for this sh!t' whilst loading out at the end of the night at pub gigs. I had to bite my tongue frequently not to put him straight.

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It definitely catches up on you as the years roll by. It never used to bother me one jot if we played a lot of gigs with late nights and long journeys but it isn't like that any more. I'm not much use the following day now and if it's a ball breaker of a gig it takes me a few days to get over it. No way I'm throwing in the towel though.

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23 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

....But then I think what life would be like without gigs and the tiredness pales against a life of boredom.

I’m 50 and starting to feel it after gigs and the next day, but the above comment sums up how I feel about it perfectly.  As long as I’m happy with my band I’ll put up with aches, pains and tiredness for as long as physically possible as I know how much I’ll miss it when I stop gigging. 

Edited by gazhowe
Typo
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Kev B -

Unfortunately these ailments come along at some point and have an impact in different degrees to our lives and what we do with them on a regular basis.

Your old drummer will unfortunately feel the pain in his fingers while putting a spoon in the sugarbowl at some stage if he's been playing a number of years.

Edited by John T
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1 hour ago, skidder652003 said:

Great gig last night, pretty busy, everyone happy. Woke up this morning (and like after every gig) painful right foot/heel where I had most of my weight throwing erm.."shapes". Also completely useless today, knackered lethargic, really annoying Mrs Skidder, getting too old for this (and Im 53!)

Ditto

I guess without realising it, my weight appears to be on my right leg when gigging. No shape throwing for me,  or foot trouble ( just an aching leg )

Mrs bag couldn't give a McToss

Edited by fleabag
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I'm ok-ish the day after but on the rare occasion we gig on consecutive nights I'm totally fooked the day after the second one.

I don't mind at all, especially after the gigs that go really well....last night was one of those, we've just added Under Pressure to the set (we're a Bowie trib band) and when I started the famous bass line, the crowd went nuts. We nailed the song, the crowd were singing along...briliant...almost an out of body experience!

Something to remember at 1 in the morning loading gear after a 'so-so' gig with a 2 hour drive home

I'll be 16 next birthday....oops, I mean 61

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I have to consciously shift my weight onto my right foot when I am standing and playing as otherwise I will be unable to walk for a day or two after a gig. Mainly due to the fact that my left foot was badly broken in a motorcycle accident 3 years ago, though.

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4 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I have to consciously shift my weight onto my right foot when I am standing and playing as otherwise I will be unable to walk for a day or two after a gig. Mainly due to the fact that my left foot was badly broken in a motorcycle accident 3 years ago, though.

Bloody hell is that 3 years already Dave? I remember you telling us about that like it was last week!

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With me and the rest of my band it's the carrying the gear in and out and setting up that's the tiring part. I have most of the PA so have to carry it in the house when I get home too.

When we get older I would seriously consider paying someone to set up the gear for us and look after it. Does anybody do this in their band?

 

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I have had gig hangovers, or ‘gig-itis’ as my wife calls it now, ever since I started playing when I was 16. I think initially it was down to alcohol, two lots of loading and unloading all in the same day, and getting very excited and physical onstage.

Now I have removed the alcohol, but it is still very physical and a lot more kit to move with my last band, so I now get more aches and stiffness the day after.

I have never been one for really late nights either so I think getting home late, combined with the time it takes me to get over the adrenaline and buzz, makes me pretty tired and grumpy the day after most gigs.

The only band I felt fine every time after a gig, was a large soul band where I didn’t have to do anything other than plug my kit in and play.

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It might have been happy jack a while ago who said treat your legs as a triangle and make sure you stand on both legs/feet equally. Made a difference to me.

A trolley makes it easier and as you age you will have to compromise weight of your gear. You might like TE but its bloody heavy.

 

 

 

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I've found that playing with the current covers band, where the percussionist supplies the PA, we don't have much gear generally, and a BF One10 is all I need, means I don't feel like I've been hit multiple times by a baseball bat the next day. If I have to load up my PA and cart in a load of stuff, I start the gig with a problematic back.

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13 hours ago, bumnote said:

It might have been happy jack a while ago who said treat your legs as a triangle and make sure you stand on both legs/feet equally. Made a difference to me.

How does this work if you are unlucky enough to be one of the few to have been born with a deficiency in the leg dept? I, for example, have only two legs. Bit tricky making a triangle with only two sides, surely?

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Tghis was a talk he gave at the S E Bass Bash a few years back. Sylvie recorded it and put it up on the site. An excellent talk about simple pre-gig routine of subtle stretches.

A-framing was standing with your legs slightly apart and trying to pull your legs together as you stood. I see Jack is responding.

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