# Halloween Gigs - Hate em'!



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

After a successful couple years of avoiding Halloween gigs I find myself roped into the corner this year. Have to do a gig with the band this Saturday and then 2 seniors homes with my acoustic duo on the 31st. All three require full costume and all three required us learning specific songs. My bass player just loves this stuff and wanted us all to dress in matching costumes (Ghostbusters) but I dumped on that. He also had us learn six Halloween-specific songs that, with any luck, I'll never have to play again. He got the gig originally and it seems that every day a new requirement emerges ("Man - they're doing a costume parade - let's learn Freaker's Ball so I can ad-lib as they walk by"). Now we have a lady from Mexico getting up and singing a few tunes with us - which I've also had to learn. 

It's not a hobby for me so I like to see the return on my investment...... and this one's a loss. If I wanted to do custom gigs I'd be playing weddings.

End of rant!


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Years ago, our first gig in the bar was on Halloween.

We didn't dress up, there was no discussion about that.
I wore my rayon spider web shirt, close enough.

I think that there was a time change that night too, an extra hour to play and the crowd was bombed by the end.
Glad when that was overwith.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I won't play dress-up. Period, no exceptions. If that makes me an asshole, then fine, I'm an asshole. Someone else can have the gig.

[If you detect some baggage, you've got good instincts.]


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

We did Ghostbusters as a theme last year. We're not playing Hallowe'en this year, but I generally love it!


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Played my fair share of these. Although it seems to be fun for the crowd, musicians dont get into the whole costume thing.Not a fan but hey, its a gig !!!


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

I'm fine with it, as a Cuban I skipped halloween most of my life so gigs are my chance to catch up with traditions. This year's gigs required me to learn 4 new songs and modify the arrangements for other 2 or 3 more. I will happily wear a costume from Ghostbusters or any other famous movie from my childhood.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

allthumbs56 said:


> After a successful couple years of avoiding Halloween gigs I find myself roped into the corner this year. Have to do a gig with the band this Saturday and then 2 seniors homes with my acoustic duo on the 31st. All three require full costume and all three required us learning specific songs. My bass player just loves this stuff and wanted us all to dress in matching costumes (Ghostbusters) but I dumped on that. He also had us learn six Halloween-specific songs that, with any luck, I'll never have to play again. He got the gig originally and it seems that every day a new requirement emerges ("Man - they're doing a costume parade - let's learn Freaker's Ball so I can ad-lib as they walk by"). Now we have a lady from Mexico getting up and singing a few tunes with us - which I've also had to learn.
> 
> It's not a hobby for me so I like to see the return on my investment...... and this one's a loss. If I wanted to do custom gigs I'd be playing weddings.
> 
> End of rant!


Back in the day we dressed up for Holloween and had a lot of fun doing it. We would wear what we want and for the most part would change up costumes every year. Except for our guitar player. Every year he would dress up as a well endowed woman. Picture Fred Flintstone dressed up as Wilma with big boobs.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

Its my favorite time of year. I cannot remember the last Halloween I was not gigging.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I like costumes, it's fun

once I had a mask on & couldn't see a bloody thing because the eyes fogged up though.

played lots of sour notes on that


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Think on how poor Alice Cooper & KISS feel then! Dressing up every night! Crying into veritable buckets of cash. Poor things....


Sent from my Other OTHER brain


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## MS41R8 (Sep 26, 2016)

Around here the Halloween gigs usually are better paying then a regular one , so we quite enjoy them and usually dress up in simple costumes to add to the atmosphere of the party . I find dressing up helps with Re booking the venue for the next year as well as the owners appreciate the extra effort .


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

So.... not so many GWAR fans around here, I take it?

/fart


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

lighten up.
I don't think you need to dress up, but you can still have fun with it.

besides, itd be a laugh if a band that plays Bluegrass for example, dressed like Kiss.

youre playing for Mcdonalds money. don't take yourself so seriously.
You know whos ACTUALLY 1000x cooler than any of us in here? Dave Grohl. So when a dilemma presents itself, ask yourself WWDGD?


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

WWDGD indeed!!

I was wrangled into a costume party gig once, and we were expected to dress up. I got my hands on some scrubs, and a stethoscope. Voila... _trust me, I'm a doctor! 
_
I don't protest to dressing up, I guess it's how you approach it. I saw a band once dressed up like KISS. Best part, the drummer is actually 7-2!! Hilarious how he played Peter Chris, one of the smallest musicians in history.... I have no evidence to support the validity of this statement...


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## Captn Platypus (May 27, 2017)

Playing on Halloween is fun under the right circumstances. I’ve found more recently that as an original band, playing a good house party is getting to be better than playing a bar. Unless it’s a really awesome lineup. People seem to care more and more about DJs nowadays. 

Halloween is also one of the few “holidays” that is just about having fun and feeling young with your friends. No family obligations. For those of us that are kidless at least. 

With both my partner and I being in multiple bands, it’s getting hard to just have fun nights. Trying to put limitations on days we both agree to not play so we can just relax and party together. 

I feel like I’m rambling and missing my point here. But playing Halloween can be super fun. Dressing up is rad and I love it.


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## robare99 (Jan 9, 2012)

We always dress up. One year was ghostbusters, one year Austin powers one year Gilligans island one year zombies. This year was random


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Well, as I was still working, I used to wear different caps, hats and sunglasses on my videos. So I could wear different attires... 

I recently got a look at Quebec musician contracts and they have add on for special attire and practice sessions. I do not know how these work in real life. It appears that one who plays music to make a living clearly face a choice : negociate add on fee or refuse the gig. The exception could be to accept regular payment and consider the special effort as exposure fee, I guess.

P.S. I once went to work with those loose cotton sweater and trousers, cap, nose ring and black sunglasses offering pills (Smarties) to colleagues. My boss was not quite happy, but the President came along and "proposed" he could wear a Flinstone uniform he brought just for him on that very special day ! How could he refuse ?! What a day it was ! LOL !


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

How it ended up ....................


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## Zifnab (Dec 1, 2017)

I enjoy Halloween gigs. I don't mind dressing up as long as it doesn't effect how I play the guitar. The last Halloween gig we played, I watched a mime punch shrek in the head, was hilarious as hell and shrek deserved it. As an added bonus for doing Halloween gigs, the ladies are always looking extra fine


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Happy Halloween Peeps!
I’m “the King” dressed up as the King of Pop.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I feel your pain.

For me, the connection between a band and a party is the problem. I love live music and I spent a major part of my life performing, but I don’t like parties and in particular, booze parties and that’s one of the main factors that drove me away from bar gigs

Learning special songs for one gig, songs that you would not normally select.....no thanks.

I would do that when teaching a student because you can almost always find a lesson in the context of a song, but performance is more personal.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The only overtly Hallowe'en song I like is Spooky (Classics 5, Atlantic Rhythm Section), but I'm willing to play it anytime. It always seemed to me that audiences and bar crowds were as drunk or drunker on Hallowe'en than on New Years. 

I must be particularly cranky this year, but...geez...I dislike Hallowe'en.


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## Rozz (Aug 1, 2018)

I love Halloween. Our house is always the 'spookiest' on the block.

I played my first gig at a Halloween party a million years ago. Back when I was gigging it was nice to have everyone in the crowd more decked out than the band for a change. Halloween gigs are/were my favourite. If I was ever to play another gig it would be a Halloween party.


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