So, how busy are you ? WARNING ! long and wordy

coop · #1 03-14-2013, 11:22 PM

Just got through getting my butt chewed by a club owner because we don't have an open weekend for her until August !

I do feel bad about it since I've been playing this club for over a decade, and the band I'm with now has been playing there for over 2 decades.

But on the other hand, we told her back in January that the calendar was filling up fast and if she wanted us she needed to book us up. I think she thought we were blowing smoke up her butt.

I don't remember being this busy since the late 80's/early 90's, when we were the "House Band" for a local club.

The weird thing about all of this is, the small town dive bars are the ones keeping us busy. You can't get into an "A" room or Casino around here anymore unless you already have (or have had) a top 40 hit. Thing is, we don't miss it !

Is it just us, or are you getting busier ?

Sorry for the long post

Just bleeding off the adrenalin from a butt chewing.

two fingers · #2 03-14-2013, 11:26 PM

She was just venting because she was mad at herself. What did she expect you to do? Cancel gigs to squeeze her club in?

As for being busy, I am noticing a trend as well. I only do fill-in stuff these days, but my phone is ringing like crazy. And my friends who are still plugging away with bands are telling me they are getting busy again as well. And our area is fairly rural as well.

**Stumbo** · #3 03-14-2013, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coop

Is it just us, or are you getting busier ?

The economy is coming back. People spending more money having fun!

Enjoy.

salcott · #4 03-14-2013, 11:35 PM

A well-known live music venue in NYC just stopped having music on Mondays, claiming they were losing money.

zachoff · #5 03-14-2013, 11:42 PM

Work. Kids in Jr High and High School and both in sports (oldest one plays club volleyball). My band. My contract/side work. Oh, you meant musically.. Ha. Just practice once a week and sometimes two.

Factor88 · #6 03-15-2013, 04:42 AM

I've noticed no trend, and that is looking at actual data from the last decade and forward ( my gigs per year and upcoming booked gigs). BUt then again, I never saw a downward trend in the last decade, either. We've been rock steady in terms of numbers of gigs in that time, but have mangaged to steadily increase our price over that time. That had zero to do with the cycles of the economy; it was due to us getting better and getting more well-known around town.

BayStateBass · #7 03-15-2013, 06:02 AM

We are actually busier than I thought we would be. Our band, as a group, really only wants to play 1 or 2 times a month, and as it stands now we have that filled until the end of August. Yesterday we were asked if we wanted to do a show June 22 for a local city "music in the park" type of thing and we took it even though we are already booked to play at our regular watering hole on Sunday the 23rd. We took the city gig because it pays almost double what we normally get.

So we are as busy as we wanted to be.

Finneus · #8 03-15-2013, 06:16 AM

We don't play often either, 1-2 a month. It is nice being able to pass on the iffy places and stick with the places that pay well and are "good gigs" rather than some of the B-List places. Places with GOOD in house sound certainly push them up the list. Not having to bring the PA saves an hour on each end of the gig, and in my opinion is the only real "work" of the night.

**mjac28** · #9 03-15-2013, 06:19 AM

I'm not even in a band and I'm busy as all heck.

Finneus · #10 03-15-2013, 06:21 AM

Amen brother...

richntiff · #11 03-15-2013, 07:06 AM

We started our band about a 1 1/2 years ago just to have fun, play out a little - we are getting gigs booked here for the spring/summer and it will rapidly be at a point where we start turning them down I think - we too only want to play a couple times a month. Drummer has his first child coming in June - I have 3 that range from under 2 to 13 years, and we all have 'real' jobs that take up a lot of time. It's fun - but we all want to make sure it stays fun, why else would you do it??

bluewine · #12 03-15-2013, 07:28 AM

Busy to the point that we're turning down gigs because were already booked.

BlueAttachment 324661

DwaynieAD · #13 03-15-2013, 08:13 AM

In my band it seems to go in cycles. February, March, and April we are having to turn down gigs. May and June we can't get a gig to save our life. July we're turning them down, August can't get em. Sept and October we have to turn them down, Nov can't get em. December have to turn them down, January we can't find them again.

bassbully · #14 03-15-2013, 08:19 AM

Originals band ..not so busy but it is half our fault since the band is slowing down due to changes and life issues.
My country band is grabbing up what they can but the manager needs X- amount of $ for all gigs and in our neck of the woods the market is tight. Being a country band makes it tighter. We have tried going more classic rock/oldies to expand on it.
We shall see but allot of this depends on market and what you need to make to pay everybody.

Factor88 · #15 03-15-2013, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richntiff

Drummer has his first child coming in June - I have 3 that range from under 2 to 13 years, and we all have 'real' jobs that take up a lot of time. It's fun - but we all want to make sure it stays fun, why else would you do it??

Well, I have two little ones and over the last two years the band income paid for pre-school for my oldest, where otherwise I would not have been able to afford to put her in a good pre-school (even with my good day job). I would think as parents that might help you to answer the question in your last sentence. It is doubtful I could find a part time job to replace the income of playing in a band that would not affect my time with my family more (I'm usually playng in a band when my kids are in bed anyway).

BayStateBass · #16 03-15-2013, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Originals band ..not so busy but it is half our fault since the band is slowing down due to changes and life issues.
My country band is grabbing up what they can but the manager needs X- amount of $ for all gigs and in our neck of the woods the market is tight. Being a country band makes it tighter. We have tried going more classic rock/oldies to expand on it.
We shall see but allot of this depends on market and what you need to make to pay everybody.

While we are primarily a country band, we did expand our setlist with some southern rock songs and few Elvis tunes. Southern rock tunes go over well with the country crowd around here.

Which means you gotta do Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird.

eb3mike · #17 03-15-2013, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Busy to the point that we're turning down gigs because were already booked.

BlueAttachment 324661

Same here. May be losing our lead guitar because of being too busy.

rtslinger · #18 03-15-2013, 01:23 PM

We are busy just added two new shows last night booked out till Dec 21st so far and a club was talking a Sunday early outdoor thing in June which is in the works so yeah busy already and it is only March.

Flyingfrets · #19 03-15-2013, 04:42 PM

Agent still working out details, but so far we have 1 weekend open from April 12 - July 28. We're looking to finish up our "season" around the end of September anyway, so not looking too shabby.

If there's a demand this year, we may look into doing more dinner clubs & such thru the winter but with the economy tanked the past couple of years, it hasn't been worth the effort to try & pull everybody together for 1 or 2 shows here and there.

sleeplessknight · #20 03-15-2013, 04:47 PM

Business JUST started to pick up, and my singer AND keyboard player turned in their resignations over being too busy and wanting to spend time with their families. FML...

At least they've agreed to keep playing until the positions are filled, but still...