In my experience, the answer to this question is one of two extremes.
It can either be absolutely painful beyond measure, or absolutely delightful.
Think about it, players generally haven’t touched their instruments over the break – this could be two or three weeks. Believe it or not, banding is a hobby. We aren’t paid to play, we do it to enjoy it. Practising is not enjoyable. If you enjoy that aspect of it, you are unusual – or a professional. There is a lot of catching up done at the first meet up after a break too. People in bands are usually fairly close friends – not close enough to want to see each other when playing isn’t involved – but close enough that they are interested in what other people have got up to over their break. Some additional time will be wasted from playing because of this. Stamina will also have dropped, meaning that the amount covered will be less than expected in most cases.
The other extreme is that of wonderful playing. That time away from each other means that any bad blood, bad air, has had time to clear. People who annoy each other are annoyed less by them than they were before. Occasionally, the grind of playing each week can weigh upon the quality of the group as a whole and that whole fresh look can create a really lovely atmosphere.
The choice of music to rehearse also plays a part. Too hard and frustration will quickly set in.
I’m writing this just before I leave to go to Grange Moor for the first time in 2016. Let’s see how it goes.
