Band rehearsal during Covid?

[Outlier22]

yes my band has been playing. Most of the guys in the band keep to the same small group and keep gatherings outside only and wear masks outside of this small group. So their exposure level is very low. However, My wife has a large family that and are always together and another tight group of friends that get together pretty frequently. They all take precautions but are both less careful that I would like. Because of that, I wear a mask during our jams / practices as I'm the one with the higher level of possible exposure. One of the other guys wears a mask as well.

I feel like the less people you are exposed to, the less likely you can contract the disease AND less likely you can pass it on. because i'm indirectly exposed to more people, I wear a mask when we practice or when I go in someone's house.

 

[dmatthews]

We've been practicing and doing small gigs outside...

Practicing outside | Official PRS Guitars Forum (prsguitars.com)

Getting too dark to do that now in the evenings though. We might try inside the studio in a week or so.

 

[Outlier22]

Just keep your circles as small as possible and wear a mask indoors. (It’s really not comfortable jamming for 2 hours w a mask but I guess it’s worth it)

 

[Strumsandstrings]

How sad the world is, but I guess this is it " the new normal"

 

[Axis39]

How sad the world is, but I guess this is it " the new normal"

Eventually it will go away. It has in the past, and it will again. Might take a while, but keep heart, my friend!

 

[shinksma]

Officially, the two couples in our band, i.e. 4 out of 5, or 80% of our band, have been practicing (and recording) regularly, but we are very close friends, live in the same neighborhood, and have been in our own little bubble since the start. We hang out 4 or 5 times a week, we always have, so it made sense to keep going. We were ultra careful at first, when we started the bubble, just in case, but since then we're OK being casual.

However, we are all very limited in our outings and social circles, and have given up on the open mics, gigs, and other non-core musical gatherings. We don't eat out at restaurants or go to "public" bars or pubs - but we have pubs in both of our houses, so that makes it easy. Grocery shopping and the occasional outing to the garden center at Home Depot is about it. And we always wear masks when in those public places.

We are very lucky to be able do what we do, and we know many of our musical friends have been unable to "play with others" regularly.

I would say maybe we are overreacting, but one of the guys who came to the open mics, and continued to go when they started up again, passed away from COVID-19. Yeah, no thanks, I'll stay away for now.

 

[Cocorosa]

No rehearsals for us. Re-infection rate is up, restrictions back in place.

Better to be safe than, well you know.

Glad to see you are keeping safe

We are back rehearsing in a very large space, big windows and more disinfectant than a band has ever seen - we are practically breathing the stuff. I had the virus in March and its long tail for 3 months so I don't wish it on anyone. Rehearsal is doable and is a massive safety valve but you do need access to a lot of space.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Glad to see you are keeping safe

We are back rehearsing in a very large space, big windows and more disinfectant than a band has ever seen - we are practically breathing the stuff. I had the virus in March and its long tail for 3 months so I don't wish it on anyone. Rehearsal is doable and is a massive safety valve but you do need access to a lot of space.

Sorry to hear you’ve had the virus, but glad you’re better.

Also great to hear you’re back to rehearsing.

Infection rate on the rise in Dundee at the moment! I wouldn’t be surprised if we go into a localised lockdown again soon!

 

[bodia]

Glad to see you are keeping safe

We are back rehearsing in a very large space, big windows and more disinfectant than a band has ever seen - we are practically breathing the stuff. I had the virus in March and its long tail for 3 months so I don't wish it on anyone. Rehearsal is doable and is a massive safety valve but you do need access to a lot of space.

That sucks about getting Covid. Glad to see you back on the healthy road.

 

[Cocorosa]

Sorry to hear you’ve had the virus, but glad you’re better.

Also great to hear you’re back to rehearsing.

Infection rate on the rise in Dundee at the moment! I wouldn’t be surprised if we go into a localised lockdown again soon!

Thank you. I think we will all see localised lockdowns in the next few months so we need ever small thing we can do to remind us of what life can be like again. Stay safe

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Thank you. I think we will all see localised lockdowns in the next few months so we need ever small thing we can do to remind us of what life can be like again. Stay safe

You too and all on here.

 

[Cocorosa]

That sucks about getting Covid. Glad to see you back on the healthy road.

Thank you. I hope you are staying safe and playing well. One important side effect of the virus is you end up not even caring about picking up a PRS guitar, that is how bad it gets!

 

[dmatthews]

Thank you. I hope you are staying safe and playing well. One important side effect of the virus is you end up not even caring about picking up a PRS guitar, that is how bad it gets!

Yikes! Good to see you up and around!

 

[Cocorosa]

Yikes! Good to see you up and around!

Thank you. Glad to see you are all well

 

[Egads]

We're rehearsing in the biggest room any of us had available, and have spread out as much as possible. We set up in a "(" shape, with no one facing anyone else, and are 10-12 feet from the nearest person. Like others, we mask up when arriving and leaving, but we all sing some, so the masks are off during rehearsal (I'm waiting for them to tell me to must leave the mask on with my voice).

For us, it comes down to all the other exposures and risks. This is a good group, who is doing everything to minimize contact and exposure in the outside world, so I feel OK about the risk. If things start spiking again, we'll shut it down for a while.

Good luck!

 

[GenoBluzGtr]

We have rehearsed every week since mid-July. five-piece, small basement rehearsal space. all but one of us has never missed a day of work, and I personally travel for my job, so many hotel stays (made Diamond this year!) and restaurant visits, etc. Not one single issue. two of us (the drummer and I ) were exposed. I was exposed three separate times to someone who tested positive. Got tested each time, always negative.

 

[Wakester]

We have rehearsed every week since mid-July. five-piece, small basement rehearsal space. all but one of us has never missed a day of work, and I personally travel for my job, so many hotel stays (made Diamond this year!) and restaurant visits, etc. Not one single issue. two of us (the drummer and I ) were exposed. I was exposed three separate times to someone who tested positive. Got tested each time, always negative.

I'm in the same boat, staying at a Comfort Inn M-T, Home F-S. I had like 150,000 points built up, which I've converted at least half of them into Amazon Gift Cards. Those will go to fund a guitar build I am going to do this year. I hate hotel life, but I get better sleep than when I am at home. Playing sound engineer as I am typing this. shaking my head that they can't get it together like they did Thursday night.

 

[Boogie]

Like @Egads , we’ve been practicing -albeit sporadically- with pretty big distancing. Always have. Heck, the vocalist is in a different room with the rest of the 3 of us in the dining room with the drum kit at least 10 feet apart. It has worked so far.

OTOH, I’m high risk. Though our schedules haven’t meshed over the past 2 months, with the infection rate so high in indiana, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Like @Egads....with the drum kit at least 10 feet apart. It has worked so far.

Crikey your drummer must have long arms!

 

[veinbuster]

Crikey your drummer must have long arms!

Foot pedals for everything. It’s a cool bit of engineering.