Bar gigs - how long does your band break for?

Ha ha ha great topic. I'm laughing cuz in one of the bands I play in, we like to say we are famous for the <band name here> half hour break.

In general between all the bands I play with, it's usually a 15 to 20 minute break. Really depends on the gig and how anal the person(s) paying us is/are.

 

We specify 3 hours of playing over a 4 hr period. If the crowd is great we may play longer and may or may not insist on more cash for doing so.

 

You know i've found that doing the 4, 45's with 15 minute break thing is cool for a 4 hour show as opposed to doing 3 longer sets in 4 hours. I mean my back feels better, and I'm not as wiped out (esp. when I'm playing the drums.)

Another point is you do need to read the crowd. Maybe play longer if people are into it and not break to long cuz you can lose you audience.

 

I guess we're a bit unique. My band likes to do a 75 minute first set then a 15 minute break. 2nd set is another 75 minutes, then a 20-25 minute break. From there, depending on the bar or the crowd, the third set just goes until winds down. If the gig "starts" at 9:30, that puts the meat of the show between 10 and midnight, and the last set just burns the empty time (in our lousy gig locations) after 12:30 through whenever the bar is empty. Most noise cutoffs are 1am or 1:30, so the last set can be mercifully short for our sake.

 

Depends on how "effecient" the girl is between sets.

 

I played for a lifetime of years in clubs where the rule was 45 ON, 15 OFF, so it got to be a habit that I still abide by.

If the crowd is really hot, 50 ON, 10 OFF. But never more than 15. Longer than that seems like the band has a lack of interest and clubowners recognize it and remember it next time you want a booking there.

So I say 15 is a good number if you're on stage ready to play by then. If everybody starts wandering up to the stage around 15 and by the time they get settled in and ready to play it's 20, you've screwed the pooch.

I count 15 from the time the music stops to the time it starts again, and so does the clubowner and subconsciously so does the crowd.

I'm jus' sayin'