Am I mad?

[Imagine]

OK, I'm only a part timer (at the moment), and this weekend, I'm already out on Saturday until midnight with a fundraiser/football presentation evening, then a kids party on Sunday afternoon.....more than enough in my book.......

Until that is, I got an email on Monday evening just gone.....

Some of you will know that in my "spare" time, I'm also a Scout leader...it's only an hour a week after all (anyone involved in Scouting will understand the irony of that one). This weekend, there's a major 24 hour event going on 2 miles down the road from me at an outdoor centre - the kids literally do stuff for 24 hours without any sleep. I volunteered at this one the last time around and vowed never to be involved again (it was bloody hard work and with no sleep........)

Anyway - back to Monday evening. I got an email from the person organising said event along the lines of "could you possibly do a disco for us". Late notice and I'm booked anyway (phew) so went back along the lines of "sorry, but unless you want it to start at 2am...you're out of luck".

That was the wrong answer apparently. They need a beach party (yes, there's a sandy beach by the lake there) from 2am to 4am on Sunday morning. Now, last time I was there they had someone else doing that bit (I was cooking stuff on open fires that time around), and it looked like a hell of a lot of fun.

I have a proper power supply being rigged up to me, it's in the middle of nowhere so no noise police (hopefully). I've explained I'm going to be completely knackered by that time of the morning after a full night's work, so they've offered to have people unload/reload the van....and they're going to feed me. Being as I'm a volunteer though....there's no fee (that's the downside).

Being a Scout volunteer and as it's on the way home....who am I to refuse. It's likely to be a pre-made playlist loaded into autocue and press "play" on the night depending on how I feel. I'm taking the old fashioned Showtec screens for the lighting (the beach is massive and nothing I've got's going to get anything near covering it in a wash of any sort, let alone sound).....what could possibly go wrong?

So, wish me luck people. I'm going to be completely shattered by the end of it, and I'll only get a couple of hours sleep between that one and setting off for the kids party on Sunday (thankfully I'm only supporting a couple of well known Disney princesses and as it's a daytime kids party....it's the Showtec boxes again), but at the same time I'm going to be doing TWO things I love....Scouting AND a disco!

Am I MAD?

[DiscoMagic]

In a word - YES YES YES !

Ok so that's three. But if you enjoy what you do, you think you'll have a good time then why the hell not. IMO too many events for me are just run of the mill, and whilst I give it my all each and every time and put on a super show, when I get the opportunity to do a gig I know I will love - I throw myself in head first and come up smiling!!!!!!!! ; If that's not how you feel for the 2am gig then .......

It will certainly make for rememberable weekend?!

One question that puzzle me though. Why on earth are kids not sleeping??????????

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I don't get that whole 24 hours without sleep thing?

[stormproductions]

I'm guessing you've never done shift work? There are loads of people who have to do these sorts of hours as part of their daily lives.

I do quite a few gigs that go on until at least 4am, sometimes with a derig straight after. OK, I'm relatively used to it and it certainly took some getting used to when they first started, but if you're sensible about it then it shouldn't be too difficult at all.

Firstly allow yourself a decent lie in on Saturday. Keep the rest of the day gentle if you can. Eat properly. Healthy snacks during the night. (Or whatever rubbish is to hand!). Enjoy it, don't look at it as a chore. Make sure you're fully alert for the drive home. If you're struggling even slightly then pull over and grab a catnap.

Straight to bed as soon as you get home. Set the alarm for as late as you can sensibly leave it. Your couple of hours sleep is actually probably more like at least 6.

Get up, shower and brunch, nip off and do the kiddies gig, quiet evening at home Sunday and you'll have had a great weekend and wonder what you were concerned about.

Just don't hang around helping the scouts after their gig, get home for proper sleep.

[Imagine]

I don't get that whole 24 hours without sleep thing?

Nor do I, but the kids love it - especially if they manage to make it though without a kid. It's some sort of badge of honour thing to them.

Firstly allow yourself a decent lie in on Saturday. Keep the rest of the day gentle if you can. Eat properly. Healthy snacks during the night. (Or whatever rubbish is to hand!). Enjoy it, don't look at it as a chore. Make sure you're fully alert for the drive home. If you're struggling even slightly then pull over and grab a catnap.

Straight to bed as soon as you get home. Set the alarm for as late as you can sensibly leave it. Your couple of hours sleep is actually probably more like at least 6.

Get up, shower and brunch, nip off and do the kiddies gig, quiet evening at home Sunday and you'll have had a great weekend and wonder what you were concerned about.

Just don't hang around helping the scouts after their gig, get home for proper sleep.

Very good advice there, and don't worry, 24 hours without sleep is nothing to me.....I do this quite regularly (although not doing discos).
And there's no way I'm hanging about to help them clear up.....I'm only the entertainment. They can clear their own mess up! I'll be long gone by the time they're ready to clear away

[DazzyD]

I'm guessing you've never done shift work? There are loads of people who have to do these sorts of hours as part of their daily lives.

...

24 hours solid?? I hope not! I'm pretty sure that's against the European Working Time Directive!!

To answer the question "Am I mad?", I'll reply with another question "Aren't DJs generally a little mad?"

[ian8limelight]

To answer the question "Am I mad?", I'll reply with another question "Aren't DJs generally a little mad?"

Oh yes

[stormproductions]

24 hours solid?? I hope not! I'm pretty sure that's against the European Working Time Directive!!

I don't think there was ever any suggestion of Imagine working 24 hours solid. But he'll effectively be doing a split shift.

[ckpr2]

Reminds me of a Christmas gig I did in the 1980's.
I was backing a band so that took the pressure off a bit.
It came to midnight and I was asked if they gave me some extra money would I play on.
So I played on a couple of hours then said goodnight.
A couple of lads came up and asked me to play on again so I did.
Must have been about 6am, when I finished.
I went outside only to find a good depth of snow and the roads home were over fells.
Anyway I got stuck twice on two different roads so headed south to the motorway to head back north again.
The wife was wondering where I had got to.

I don't mind late gigs now as I don't go to bed until 3am anyway these days.
I work afternoon shifts so get a good lie in.

[Imagine]

I survived!

It was a heck of a weekend though - three gigs in 18 hours!
Anyway, back to topic....rolled up to the Scout event at 01:30 after doing 5 hours for a football awards ceremony, already shattered. Got the required number of minions to help me set up on the beach and opened the taps.

Because I was limited on power, it was a case of 2 x Showtec lightscreens (lots of light), and an Impossiled. I've been to this event before as a helper and the beach parties not normally very busy so took the risk with the minimal lighting.

100 kids on the beach waiting for the party to start! The lighting believe it or not just worked - I wouldn't have believed an ImpossiLED had that sort of reach and brightness unless I'd seen it with my own eyes.

Best part for me though, I had the chance to crank the DXR15's up to just about the max I dared to put them to.....they completely filled the area I needed them to and could have done more - still dead impressed by those

Really surreal though doing a two hour gig on an open beach, setting up in complete darkness and packing down in daylight (yes....the sun was coming over the horizon as I turned off!)

Paying the price with tiredness now, but really enjoyed doing something different