Holiday gigs - Where did they go?

[Doug R]

This is about the 3rd year now that I haven't booked a single holiday gig with our band. What's up with that?!

For decades we'd get Christmas parties, private company banquets & events, Winter Carnivals, horrible rent-a-room club parties for car clubs, plumbers, box companies, sheriffs (the biggest drinkers!) and other groups. I'd make enough in December to buy Christmas presents and even give the kids money to spend to do their own holiday shopping.

This year, other than New Years Eve, zip, nada, zero, bupkis!

We invested in a fairly large mail-out in October - post cards with band picture, website & info to about 100 former or prospective clients and venues. Spent about $60 on cards, printing & postage - and not a single call or email.

Okay, I'm just venting, but whatever happened to holiday parties. We've had some very generous company owners throw big events for their employees in past years, including dinner, gifts & prizes, drinks and dancing.

Has anybody had any luck booking for the holidays this year? Any suggestions?

[ahc]

It's the economy. Many companies have cancelled holiday parties because of it. Mine did for the past couple of years.

[Kmonk]

Some companies have stopped having holiday parties due to the costs and also the liability of people drinking and driving. Many of the companies who do have parties have decided to use a DJ or have no entertainment at all.

[Brad Johnson]

All of the above.

[Ozonbass]

We've played 2 so far and one more on the books the middle of next week. I think a lot of the corporate gigs have vaporized because of companies scaling back...dinner at a restaurant or catered at the office, but no live music unfortunately. No NYE gig this year for the first time in a bazillion years though...2/6 of the band will be out of town. It's gonna seem strange sitting at home watching the ball drop.

[John Wentzien]

Welcome to THIS world..

[jeffbonny]

This world has changed drastically in the last 24 months and will continue to. Check this discussion.

[seanm]

Unfortunately, the money for the band at Christmas parties had to go towards the CEO's raise.

[Ed Fuqua]

I don't know about elsewhere, but there's a "public persona" attitude for a lot of companies, it's not that they don't HAVE money, they just don't want to be seen as spending it "frivously".

[carl h.]

I've been so busy I barely have time to sit down. Can't wait for January 2.

Did 2 gigs today and have 3 more tomorrow.

[MNAirHead]

I'm booked daily until 1/1


I've never gigged as much as this year

[MarkMgibson]

Plenty of gigs where I'm at. The last couple of years were slow, but it seems to be back to normal this year.

[MNAirHead]

I have noticed that around here 4-5 person runothemill cover bands are not getting tons of work

[InQuiet]

Thank your local DJ. Most people don't appreciate live music anymore. Wonder why....

[bryan gibson]

We've got a bar gig on the 29th and an afternoon(!) gig on the 31st, both at regular pay scale-the only two gigs we've got all month. We play classic country, have an established band, and a solid core following. Times are still tough in these parts. The is solid movement locally of younger bands (teens and college kids) renting a room and doing multi-band shows, just zero money in it.

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by InQuiet

Thank your local DJ. Most people don't appreciate live music anymore. Wonder why....

These DJ's are taking money straight out of our mouths (or is that food?). If each of us chipped in, I'm sure there's a few sociopaths on this forum who would kill a DJ quite cheaply (maybe even just for expenses). How many DJ's do you think there are in the world, and how many would have to die before the others got the message? Just an interesting thought to ponder over Christmas.

[invader3k]

We had two gigs this weekend (one a birthday party for a...gasp...DJ, that I wrote about in another thread) and are booked NYE.

I agree with sentiment that I don't see many companies doing the big holiday parties out there, but there still are paying gigs to be had.

[Clef_de_fa]

In my neck of wood, there still some christmas party for employee but they use a DJ or they go in a reserved room in a chic restaurant.

So where I live the live music is more about original band than cover band ... I only know one bar in my city where their is live music and it is like 4 to 6 solo accoustic guitar player singing very popular modern song ... so no band. Otherwise I didn't saw any ad about a cover band, it is always an original band. It is like the cover band thing is dead here, people want to hear new music... otherwise you have a CD, MP3 or youtube to hear the same old song.

Also I think the problem with live music is : the mix is often aweful. You don,t hear the singer, it is really boomy, an instrument over power the others or the worst it is too loud ... loud doesn't mean better ...

[modulusman]

I played one last night. IIRC this is the only Christmas party I have done in the last 4 years. 10 years ago we wouldn't book any bar gigs in Dec. because we knew we would fill the dates with holiday parties. Hopefully the economy will keep improving and things will be better next year.

[Richland123]

Join the club. We have not had a Christmas party gig in a few years now and for the first time in eleven years, we don't have a New Year's Eve gig. That has become normal around here. Many businesses and groups don't have Christmas parties at all anymore and the ones that do seem to either just have a dinner, maybe a DJ, or go to a place with built in entertainment. Also, many venues have decided either to not have a New Year's Eve dance or have a DJ. A few private clubs we play went the DJ route for New Year's Eve and their club members are not happy about it and said they will not go to their own club without a band there.

In addition, all the bands locally have seen a dramatic cutback on band gigs this year and going into 2013. As a result, several bands have broken up.