I am a relatively busy musician (when not saving computers from doom) and have performed on New Years Eve everywhere from crappy casino boats to Busan, S. Korea. I believe I have performed every year since the age of 15 without a break.

For non-musicians, New Years Eve is perhaps the busiest night for musicians of the year. Everyone works. It is typical for musicians to book a year in advance or, in contrast, to wait until the last minute because "Somebody will call."

It is not easy work. These gigs are usually longer, typically from 8PM until 1 or 2AM. Since the venue generally puts so much extra effort into New Years Eve (often charging $100 a person or more for exclusive hotel parties, &c), musicians are often asked to have all of the equipment set up hours in advance. This typically leads to a 1 or 2PM load in time, and everything must be set up by 5PM.

Musicians must also generally wear a tuxedo for these events. You may think this is a simple request, but musicians are notorious for screwing up the tux request. Some (generally horn players) own tuxedos, and more often than not, wear tuxes that haven't fit in years or wear white tennis shoes with them or the like (musicians are often not high self-monitors), and others simply wear tweed jackets and pretend to not have known that the tux was required.

The band will play dinner music for a few hours, all of the typical jazz standards from "Girl from Ipanema" to "Oleo" (which will without fail have a melodic Flintstones reference).

Then, as people become inebriated, the dance music begins, maybe some motown, maybe some classic disco... and at some point, the audience is corralled onto the floor, and the singer counts, and everyone explodes. We do a half-drunk version of Auld Lang Syne and then generally play 1999 or Celebration. We then play more modern hip hop and the like, and then, while everyone else is stumbling to their rooms or verbally abusing pedestrians, we slowly pack up the equipment, generally a 2 hour affair, while hotel / venue staff are staring at their watches... then we drive home, carefully making sure we avoid the swerving drivers.

OK - the head fake is, that is the USUAL plan for my New Years Eve.

This year, I will be doing what everyone else takes for granted - probably hanging out with friends, drinking Heineken, and screaming wildly at strangers and fowl. Of course, I have work the next morning at 8, so I'll probably take it relatively easy.

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