Leaving Before The Show Is Over
When playing local shows, it’s normal for band members to arrive at different times. Jobs, girls, and life tend to make it difficult to show up and leave as a unit.
If your band is playing first, and you have to leave before the other bands have played, don’t announce to the world that you’re leaving. Make it descrete, and avoid other bands thinking that you have more important things to do than watch their band. I’ll go as far as to text my band “goodnight,” and sneak out quietly. My day job starts very early, and I have to save as much paid-time-off as possible for touring. It sucks, but I try to make up for it by being the first guy at the club, and doing as much of the load-in as possible.
On the flip side of this coin are the band members that work later shifts in the day. They might not be there for load in, but can take care of the load out. The most important thing is to have a band member or two that can be there after the show to hang out with the bigger touring acts. This can sometimes be more bennefitial than playing the show itself, if good friendships between bands are formed.
Just don’t wave and yell “goodnight!” in front of people that aren’t in your band; especially infront of touring bands.
