Just curious to know. I will play next week in a friend's home and it will be a very relaxed thing.
What about you pro guys?
Who will be the most drained at the end of the night? And who the most satisfied?
Which song will you play at midnight? "Auld lang syne" maybe?
And which songs do you expect will be the most requested?

[This message has been edited by Dreamer (edited 12-31-2002).]

Dreamer, I am playing tonight at a top quality bar. I'll be paid very nicely for only about 2 hours of playing!
For midnight I was asked to play a waltz, a very know waltz here in Portugall called the "Midnight Waltz".

Happy new year to everybody!

Dreamer, As I will NOT be playing tonight, I will have the toughest gig, just trying to stay awake ... My wife and I will go out to dinner with her sister and brother-in-law, and then back to our house for some wine, etc....
Actually, I will probably spend some of the time thinking back on ALL the years I spent playing out on New Year's Eve, some of the interesting places and of course the interesting characters I've seen ...
One year, back in the early 70's we played for dancing and a show... the show had a 90lb go-go dancer, and a 300lb stripper !!! ... another year we were also hired to back up a stripper... we were on a break, when this young girl (she looked about 16) walks in and tells us she is the stripper... she keeps her coat on as we discuss the music, and as we were ready to go back on stage, she takes off the coat and she is wearing pasties and a g-string... there wasn't much she was going to strip!!!
To all of you 'working' or 'gigging' tonight ... play well, have a great time, and "BE CAREFUL OUT THERE" ....
t.
Peace, Love, and Patience

This year, I have a cakewalk for NYE.
Older crowd in their own home (retirement condo, mostly 60+)
Hours: 9 - 12:10 !!!!
Shortest NYE job ever for me. Should be a walk in the park. My Millenium job was by far, the most demanding. we over did the food, the decorations, the sound system, the lights .... it was awesome. Video feed to three rooms ... it was giant.
This year will be a welcome relaxing change. Then New Years Day - after Mass with my daughters ..... it's off to the shore for dinner with "the" Redhead! Whoo Weee !

I think Donny will work harder than most of us this year - He and his wife have to cook for over 250 people ! That's what you get for throwing your own party !

Stopped doing outside New Year's jobs about eight years ago when someone tried to put his Camero inside my van filled to capacity with equipment. Decided to have a party at home and invite some close friends, which began with about 10 people. The number has since grown to 42, I still do all the cooking, and later on in the evening, provide the entertainment. Have to work like crazy to get it all done, and at times, I kinda' wish I was back on the road playing music for someone else, but it's sure a lot safer here and I don't have to lug all that equipment around. Have a good New Year's Eve everyone and watch out for the crazies behind the wheel.

Gary

I have a amall private party to play for, just a lady I know and around 250 of her closest friends. Half white, half black, half young, half older. It will require all my resources to make them all happy (until they get too drunk to care). In other words, a typical NY Eve.
The good parts: it's only a couple of miles from home, free Chinese food, my kids can do the "roadie" work and they and my wife can attend if they wish (probably won't). Oh and it pays pretty good.
Happy New Year to everybody.
DonM

UD reminded me of a gig a friend of mine plays at a senior center ... They set the clocks 3 hrs early so everyone can stay awake .. he starts at 7PM (10 on the clock), 'New Year' comes at 9PM and he's out partying with his wife by 10PM real time !!!
t.

Tonight's New Year's Eve gigs were booked over a year ago so the venue's have become an annual event. I first entertain for a retirement community who always ring in the new year 3 hours ahead of schedule, and then I rush off to a younger mixed age audience bash to ring in the new year at the actual designated hour. Setup and breakdown for both gigs is quick and easy, as the stage lighting, and decorationas (carboard cutout backup band) are already setup. In addition to the expected Auld Lang Syne, New Years specific popular requests include:

* What Are you Doing New Years Eve
* Last Waltz
* Those Were the Days
* What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
* Celebrate

- Scott

hahaahahaha New Years Eve? Just another day at the office for me. I got a 1hr cocktail hr show this afternoon, then Im off to my Dance Club for the Big NYE Dinner Dance
7-1AM. w/ Buffet,Drinks, Candle Lights, Noise Makers, and a Packed Dance floor fom 9-1PM.

songs :

I had the time of my life
Everybody have fun tonight
Zorba
Happy Days are here again
These are the best of times.....etc etc

Then Tommorow afternoon New Years Day I'm off to a Big Full Blown Wedding gig!!

after that I can relax a little, hit the casinos with my Honey and cruise for a few weeks with a back to normal gig schedule and the year starts all over again.

Ya Gotta Love It!!!


Happy New Year Boyz

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 12-31-2002).]

Hey - That's FOUR halves ! Is that Cajun math ?

I will bring in the new year 3 times today. Once at 3, again at 4:30 and finally at midnight.

The first two are as a single at Assisted Living Residences. The last one is 8:30pm-1am as a duo at a community of active retirees, about 350 of them. The repertoire today will cover at least 7 decades. Other than Auld Lange Syne, not sure what I will do at midnight...I will let the dynamics of the room give me a clue.

To all the members of SynthZone Arranger Forum, have a happy New Year and thanks for your friendship.

Eddie

[This message has been edited by btweengigs (edited 12-31-2002).]

I forgot the songs. Of course Old Lang Syne at midnight, then as soon as possible I will do that old Don Meredith/Willie Nelson favorite "Turn Out The Lights, The Party's Over".
Realistically, that won't be for another hour though.
DonM
P.S. Dave: I forgot, the other half IS Cajun.


[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 12-31-2002).]

Ooops - read right past the song request too.
Being in Phily, I'll do a Mummers medley right after Auld Lang Syne and tire them out real good, so they can get their rest before they all head to sunny Florida. I might even have time to get home before all the amauturs (drinkers,that is...)hit the highway. Tonight, I will assume that EVERY pair of headlights is manned by an idiot.(Like most other nights after midnight ! )

UD .... when my band was working every NYE we always referred to it as"amatuer night" ..
t.

Well, I have to fly to DC for a dinner party at the Whitehouse 5 to 7. Then I board at 7:30 to arrive in NY for a big Giants party 9 to 10. Then a private jet to Philly for a very large Eagles bash. Then we're having a big pre Superbowl "WIN" party in "GB" to last from can to can't.

Boo
I can dream can't I?

well, I got one NYE show under my belt already today. Just got back and gettin ready for the Big One Tonight.

have a happy

Dnj

UD...
I sometimes throw in a Mummers medley. It gets people up...but you can definately tell who is from Philly...and who isn't.
Eddie
(still struttin')

This is the first year in 20+ years that I am going out dancing instead of performing. It'll be fun, but I'll miss being on stage leading the count-down. Happy New Year to all.

MM

Well guys and gals, it's 2:30 a.m., the crowd just left, they ate 15 pounds of steamed shrimp, 5 pounds of Jack Daniels shrimp, 5 pound of coconut shrimp, 10 pounds of fillet mignon and consumed enough champange to float the Queen Elizabeth II. Played nearly five hours with one 15 minute break, and the tracks in the snow outside are from my butt, which is dragging a half-mile behind the rest of me. Gonna's sleep late tomorrow, eat what's left of the steamed shrimp and snooze through a football game or something.

Hope everyone had a great NYE gig.

Gary

Now, THERE'S a pretty picture to start the new year with !

BTW - gary ...... who did you work for,
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company ?

Seems to me God had the most demanding gig on Neyw Years....he's awfully busy trying to protect innocent drivers from the drunks and fools out there driving their cars.
Happy New Year to all! Who survived that is.
Terry

Hey Terry,
at least today you woke up at a "human" hour (but maybe you slept the same number of hours... )
Happy 2003 to you.
Andrea

Kinda' wish I did work for Bubba--at least the shrimp would have been free. The gig was at my place and I provided the shrimp, fillet mignon, smoked salmon, beer, champange and entertainment. Most everyone ranged in age from 60 to 68 and as you are well aware, these are the folks that love to sing, dance and have a good time until the wee hours of the morning. The only negative aspect was cleaning up the place afterwards, which took until about 3:30. Just rolled out of the sheets and answering the day's emails. Hope you and all the gang on this forum had a great NYE.

Gary

Andrea,
I was up at 2:15 a.m. just doing other things, so I didn't post til later.
Terry

Andrea,
I was up at 2:15 a.m. just doing other things, so I didn't post til later.
Terry

Hey Gary, except for the age range, that's my kind of party. Are you doing the same thing next year?

yes, if I still kicking and screaming and all the essential body parts are still functional, I'll be doing the same NYE. As for the age thing, it's just a state of mind. In my mind, I'm still 17, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino are still making hit songs, and a 57 Chevrolet is still the greatest car ever made. Don't think so? As Uncle Dave.

Cheers,

Gary

What's a Mummers medley?

In '57 .... I was playing with my toes in a sand box. In '64, my Dad hired on with Ford Motor Co, so Chevy was a dirty word in my house. I learnt to hate them "foreign" cars !

Its a Philly thing....referring to the annual Mummers Day Parade where string bands have extravagant costumes and play things like "Oh Them Golden Slippers", "Alabama Jubilee", "Four Leaf Clover", etc...and everybody struts wildly to the music. Its quite a show...and loads of fun.
Eddie

Like Eddie said ...
The "Mummers" are a group of street performers that march through Philadelphia every New years day for the last 100 years or so. It began as a strictly men's organization, but today - it's a family deal that features full blown stage shows and elaborate costuming ! The music is mostly played by string bands (banjos & saxs)and is usually lively 2 beat stuff from the roaring 20's.
Some popular Phily Phavorites are:
Golden Slippers
Bill Bailey
Happy Days are here again
4 Leaf Clover
Hail, Hail the gangs all here ....
that kind of happy stuff.
They do a weird little "strut" that looks like a clown dance, but if you're not from Phily .... you just look silly struttin !
It even made it's way out to the "Left" coast .. but it's not the same. Mummers belong in Philly, like the Phanatic and soft pretzles !

[This message has been edited by Uncle Dave (edited 01-01-2003).]

Sounds a little like Mardi Gras.
DonM

It's a LOT like Mardi Gras, but the cold weather makes it less desirable to "earn your beads" .... if you know what I mean !

Crazy music, wild costumes, lavish parade, LOT's of drinking in the streets, party till way into the weeeeeee small hours of the morning ....... it's a blast.

Now I'm jealous! Seems that since Cleveland is the "Home of Rock 'n Roll", we should have something wild and crazy like that. On the other hand, the whole Greater Cleveland area goes absolute bonkers for St Patrick's Day. I've been in Columbus, Houston, and some parts of Florida where St Pat's is barely recognized... and that's where I'll be in March!

Here's where I played on NYE: http://www.pousadas.pt/01pousadas/10montanhas/012bartolomeu/index.html

I was a very calm dinner + short dance party with a small group of people (about 60). Last song before midnight was a portuguese popular song (you don't want to know the name! ). The first song after midnight was a Samba Medley including Cidade Maravilhosa / Brasil / Quando Quando / Mamãe Eu Quero ( Marvelous City / Cuando Cuando / Brazil / ? ), well known by people that celebrate the Carnival in Brazil!

-- José.

In another post I mentioned that when we decorate the Christmas tree we play the LP (yep, the LP !!!) of the Salsoul Orchestra Christmas album ... One side has more new year's eve music which includes a 'Mummer's medley' as mentioned above ..... I never put the medley and the Mummers together until now .... thnx ....
t.