There is so much more to getting to a gig than just personal hygiene and putting on a Santa suit. The preparation takes planning - what suit should be worn where, are extra gloves packed, is a Santa sack needed. In our case, because my PS plays the Autoharp at his gigs, keeping the instrument in tune. We were handed a surprise last night when the 'harp' broke. Strings are one thing, but one of the bars that holds the strings cracked. So a couple of hours were spent gluing, re-stringing, and repairing. It works, but what to do if it did really become nonfunctional? Yes, he could play a guitar, but it does not have the same punch that the Autoharp does. Still, we would do whatever has to be done.
Things to remember when packing up - safety pins, suspenders, extra Santa Hats, breath mints, powder. Like I said, be prepared. If I accompany my PS to gigs, which I will do if there are many together and he may get tired, I try to bring reading material and a flash light. The trick is to not look like I am 'casing the joint,' and try to be unobtrusive.
