Did You Stop Gigging for a While and How Long?

[JRA]

It seems I see posts where some of us have had extended breaks in our gigging and I got to thinking about how common this is.

i've had two main income sources in my life and one has been full-time music. but when i was doing the other for extended periods i still had the side job of "gigging" even if it was infrequent (e.g., a few gigs a month).

I'd like to know if this has happened to you and a bit about why.

i voted "no" --- i've been gigging for 61 years,* but: i've had periods where my main source of income was from something else besides gigging, whether or not it was related to the music business.



* exception: COVID.

 

[Oddly]

Played a lot from 17 to maybe 25/26. Never full-time but certainly made some money.
Stopped due marriage, kids, reality.
Then at about 48, got the itch to get back at it. Not really had a 'proper' working band in the 10 years since, but have had several differing projects to keep me at least still hopeful that one day it'll all come together.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

18 years hiatus for me, for family and reorienting my carreer goals reasons. I've been back at it for over 10 years now.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Heavily gigged from my late teens into my early 20’s, I had a job that made it next to impossible to be available for gigs so I stopped playing in bands all together. Took about 8 years off still working in the same field. My schedule still sucks for gigging, but a couple years back I started playing in projects again and every now and again the stars align and I get to play a gig! Still get together and make music on a fairly regular basis and I got my own music to keep me occupied.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Just over a year once when I moved from craft to management in the telecommunications business and relocated my family.

I met a good singer / guitarist at the new location and we played on and off since the move in 1990 until about 3 months ago when his health sidelined him. I was also in two other full time bands during that same time period, one lasting about 4 years and one lasting about 3 years AND continue playing upright in a Bluegrass band about 4 or 5 gigs a year. So, I guess I made up for the summer ‘89 to fall ‘90 gap. I also had a gap from pandemic shutdown (May ‘20?) until March ‘21, but I suppose most of us had that one.

I’m currently in a full time band; 22 gigs so far this year.

 

[Siggy]

I stopped gigging in 1969 when I enlisted in the Army for 3 years. I started playing again in 2002 when I retired. 33yrs.

 

[pie_man_25]

I took a hiatus for a few years due to a career move. Not much to say there. I got back into it with a band and it was good for a while, but for personal reasons left that band and I'm not really sure I intend to gig any time too soon. It's less that I *don't* want to gig, and more that I want to be *very* certain that I mesh with the next folks I associate with.

 

[ajkula66]

I was done by early '90s for a slew of reasons, some outside of my control BUT the main thing was my desire to concentrate on studio work which I preferred by a large margin even back then.

Moved out of the country, stopped playing altogether for ~15 years. Went back to playing and recording but never back to gigging and honestly I don't miss it one bit.

 

[spiritbass]

My last gig was in 1982. Got married, had a child, and divorced in 2001. I'm no longer in a band, but a praise team. If you can call making joyful noise unto the Lord every Sunday a gig, I have the steadiest one!

 

[ajkula66]

Just over a year once when I moved from craft to management in the telecommunications business and relocated my family.



Completely OT but ever since I retired a few years ago I find myself missing that *Baby Bell lingo* once in a blue. Thanks for providing me with a fix for today...

 

[Old Blastard]

3 years on, 5 years off.
3 more years on, 21 years off.
Last 23 years, at least once a month gigging in one of two bands......

Gigged in high school, off and on in college and then got married and didn't play squat for 5 years.

Got divorced and formed a band with some friends and then moved out of state. Could find no one to play with who wasn't twisted in a bad way so I took up cello with my red-headed step daughter.

After divorce 2 in 2011, I joined a blues society and pulled a band together from that.

Now I play in a couple of bands, one original and one mostly covers.

 

[socialleper]

In my late 20s and early 30s I took time off from playing music. My band sort of fell apart and I felt like I wanted to try a "normal life" for a bit. My girlfriend\soon to be wife was fine with me playing but didn't like the environment I was playing it. Lots of drugs and messed up behavior. I was kinda burnt out anyway.
Then she became my ex-wife.
I started wanting to play again when I was out of work during the 2008 crash. Eventually I joined a band with my new wife's full blessing. I've been playing consistently now for about ten years. Even though I'm getting old now I am writing and playing some of my best material. I have five albums and went on a 9 date tour earlier this year.
I think I needed the time away to really understand what I wanted to do with music. And to grow up a little and stop relying on friends to be in bands.