Another gig where we quit early because the crowd left.

[pcake]

let's see.

a bar so cold that people won't take off their coats isn't a bar that people are going to want to stay and drink cold beers and soda in.

band may be too loud. like i said before, get a wireless, get into where the audience is and find out. or ask patrons. or have someone use a decibel meter in the audience.

guitars may be too loud. that's a rough one. using the decibel meter may not tell you everything if the guitars are too loud but the band isn't. but IF the band were willing to keep it to X many decibels, you could all turn down till you hit that target.

and this -

When groups like that show up, talk to them - what do they want to hear?

Even if you already played it, even if you weren't planning on playing it, if you know it, you play it.

the most successful local bands i have known talk to people in the audience. they circulate. it makes people feel part of things, but it will also quickly let you know what people want to hear, whether they like other clubs better, and so on. no one can give you a better idea of what club goers like/dislike than the club goers themselves.

 

[31HZ]

This is all to say that if we don't focus on entertaining others, we may as well stay home.

Based on your descriptions, I'm just not sure that's at the top of your band's priority list.

The part in red, for emphasis, again.

 

[Marko 1]

Man, don't you have any Am Legion, Moose, Eagles etc Lodges where you are?

Get into that circuit, built in crowds just wanting to dance.

 

[ChrisB2]

Man, don't you have any Am Legion, Moose, Eagles etc Lodges where you are?

Get into that circuit, built in crowds just wanting to dance.

Yep. Not my fav venue, but at least you're not expected to bring the mob. Just be ready to play some moldies.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Taking brakes when you think the people might leave is not a good idea.. They might leave anyway, but you never know.

 

[Marko 1]

Yep. Not my fav venue, but at least you're not expected to bring the mob. Just be ready to play some moldies.

I'm moldy, so it works out perfectly!

 

[MegaSwing]

Man, don't you have any Am Legion, Moose, Eagles etc Lodges where you are?

Get into that circuit, built in crowds just wanting to dance.

A music bud of mine refers to those as the ‘Antler Circuit’.

 

[51PRI]

Taking brakes when you think the people might leave is not a good idea.. They might leave anyway, but you never know.

What do you suggest, no breaks at all, just play 3 or 4 hours straight through?

 

[turf3]

What do you suggest, no breaks at all, just play 3 or 4 hours straight through?

Well, you COULD make "take ten" actually MEAN ten, not "We're going to take a ten minute break for twenty minutes and be back in half an hour".

The mood on a dance floor will change minute by minute. When everyone's up and dancing and having a great time, that is the WORST time to finish off the set with a 8 minute wank fest rumpty-rumpty 12 bar blues death march and then take a 45 minute break.

 

[Low End Scum]

What do you suggest, no breaks at all, just play 3 or 4 hours straight through?

I mean, I've done that before. Not the most fun gig, but it did feel like an accomplishment. I think 45 to 55 minutes of music plus a touch of banter if your band can do that, is a good standard. If there's a trickle at that point, I might have a quick 60 second huddle to tell everyone and push for an hour and 15 to hour and 30 minute before the break on that one.

Then, canvass people that don't look curmudgeony in the crowd. You know, the boilerplate standard "hey, thanks for sticking around, hows the volumes out here? Y'all enjoying your evening".

 

[51PRI]

Well, you COULD make "take ten" actually MEAN ten, not "We're going to take a ten minute break for twenty minutes and be back in half an hour".......

Lately we"ve following union break rules. Play an hour, then a 15 minute break, then 45-15 the rest of the night.

 

[SteveC]

We don't do a lot of bar/club gigs. Mostly private parties, weddings and corporate stuff. For a typical 3 hour gig, we generally play a pretty long 1st set, often an hour or so to kind of get things going. We generally do 10 - 15 minute breaks, get a drink, working" the crowd. Second set is usually a strong 45. Another 10-15 break. Then finish off the night.

 

[turf3]

Are these union gigs?

If not, why not determine breaks and set lengths based on how the gig's going, rather than some rigid framework? I mean, right now it sounds like the actual paying customers DON'T LIKE THE BAND and leave early. Maybe, just maybe, y'all ought to do something different (work the crowd, reduce the volume, pick better sets, etc.) to try to get a different result, rather than doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

On the other hand, if the bandleader thinks everything's all copacetic if all the patrons leave as soon as they finish their first drink, well, like I said - not your circus, not your monkeys.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

What do you suggest, no breaks at all, just play 3 or 4 hours straight through?

I know it’s not something all folks can swing, but I was in a cover act that would routinely play 3-4 hours straight. The way folks got breaks was to have what I suggested earlier where a keys guy or guitarist could do 2-3 songs solo, typically me and the drummer would do a duet like Rappers Delight with a backing track, etc… There are ways to do it, but it does take practice and the folks on break coming back on time. Where this wasn’t possible to do, I think the big thing was all members being committed to keeping the music going so long as the dance floor is full. In other words, you should ignore any part of the set that says “break” and just keep playing through until there is a natural break the crowd gives you.

 

[51PRI]

We don't do a lot of bar/club gigs. Mostly private parties, weddings and corporate stuff. For a typical 3 hour gig, we generally play a pretty long 1st set, often an hour or so to kind of get things going. We generally do 10 - 15 minute breaks, get a drink, working" the crowd. Second set is usually a strong 45. Another 10-15 break. Then finish off the night.

Our BL used to do 3 one hour sets with two 30 minute breaks. I think a 30 minute break is too long.

Are these union gigs?

If not, why not determine breaks and set lengths based on how the gig's going, rather than some rigid framework? I mean, right now it sounds like the actual paying customers DON'T LIKE THE BAND and leave early. Maybe, just maybe, y'all ought to do something different (work the crowd, reduce the volume, pick better sets, etc.) to try to get a different result, rather than doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

On the other hand, if the bandleader thinks everything's all copacetic if all the patrons leave as soon as they finish their first drink, well, like I said - not your circus, not your monkeys.

They aren't union gigs, and I've tried to get the band to learn new material that is out of our normal wheelhouse but so far I've had little success. None of us "work the crowd."

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

What do you suggest, no breaks at all, just play 3 or 4 hours straight through?

Less/short brakes. 10 min max. If you recently took a break and think people might leave, then don't take a break if necessary/possible

 

[friskinator]

It all comes down to this: either you’re doing this to entertain a crowd, or you’re doing this to entertain yourselves. If you pick the second one, there are going to be negative consequences. Many of which you’ve mentioned in this thread and others. Not sure what else to add.

 

[ihixulu]

The bands I play in typically do a 50 minute first set, take a 20 minute break and then play through to the end of the night. The second break is a vibe killer.

No guitar wanking on stage, we let our lead player get his ya ya’s out in practice. We also make it a point to change our set lists gig to gig. That’s as much for our sanity as for the fans who have chosen to stick with us.

 

[turf3]

It all comes down to this: either you’re doing this to entertain a crowd, or you’re doing this to entertain yourselves. If you pick the second one, there are going to be negative consequences. Many of which you’ve mentioned in this thread and others. Not sure what else to add.

I played a performance Sunday afternoon where we played to entertain ourselves. It was billed as, and it was, a "Jazz Jam". We played old standards out of the Real Book. We all had a great time. I met some nice guys. We had an audience of three.

That was cool.

 

[Geddyfleaharris]

Less/short brakes. 10 min max. If you recently took a break and think people might leave, then don't take a break if necessary/possible

If the difference of stopping people from leaving is a 10 minute break as opposed to a 15 minute break, then either the vibe of the room is unfun or the band is bad. Some places we play the club tells us how long the breaks are. This is usually because they have a DJ for in between sets. In our area, 3 sets, 45 minutes on/20 to 30 minutes off is the norm for clubs. Private functions we try to stick to 15 minute breaks unless otherwise directed.