• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

How long are your gigs?

scottbass

scottbass

Bass lines like a big, funky giant
Jul 13, 2004
2,426
55
Southern MN
www.markcameronmusic.net
#1
In another thread I mentioned performing 40 songs and got a surprised reply from someone in a different part of the contry. That makes me ask the following questions:

How long/how many songs does your band play in a one-band, one-night bar gig?

What other kinds of gigs do you play, and how long/how many songs are they?

In the Mpls/St. Paul area the norm for a one-band, one-night bar gig is 3 hours of music in a 4 hour period. Three one-hour sets with half-hour breaks in between. About 40 songs played straight up, fewer (maybe 30 - 35) if you really stretch the solos.

Multi-band gigs, either at a bar, club or outdoor festival, usually consist of one set, 45 minutes or one hour, 10 to 15 songs.

How about in your locale?
 
#4
9:30 to 1:30am

4 X 45 min sets. Probably an average of 12 songs a set. Maybe one or two for an encore at the end of the night, but bar owners get kinda funny about time. Gotta start getting people outta there at 2:00.
 
#10
I'm interested how long other original bands play for. We're doing a set with another band on Saturday so should be 45 to 50 minutes each. 14 songs on our part

The last gig we did consisted of 18 songs but had more covers in it and was just us on our own.
 
#12
Almost always a 4 hour gig, start times vary between 7 pm and 9pm. Our sets are usually at least 50 mins to 1 hour long, depending on the crowd.

Our normal set lists start out at 4 sets, 15 tunes per set. We will rarely play that many songs in one night though ..... :cool:
 
#15
We play 2 sets, both of which run around 1:15, but they can run as long as 90 minutes each depending on whether we repeat a number or stretch the solos. After 2 sets, we're done since we're old farts.

And if someone wants 4 hours of music, we pass. That's more than we prepare, and it exceeds our physical comfort level...especially our drummer, who is a heck of a musician but is 60 and has some back issues.
 
#16
"I see no sense in playing more than one set - play gig, be a band, not a exclusive juke-box :/"

If you get hired for 4 hours.......that's what you play. They don't care ifyou take breaks.......they'd care ifyou cut out after 2.5 hours!
 
#18
I feel for originals 40 minutes is enough, unless you have a BIG following and a whole set of engaging songs. I have seen SO many bands play WAY TOO LONG doing originals; I've always felt, leave them perhaps wanting one more, not wishing you finished two or three songs ago.

The other thing is, it gives a couple extra minutes to relax before playing, with the rush of striking every band that's playing the same nights gear.

For cover tunes, the band I'm in does about an hour first set, around 75 minutes the second set (or the HOT set as I call it; everyone is primed with drinks, and ready to dance, so we try and keep them going) third set, just under an hour, and hopefully a slightly shorter break between set 2 and 3, so your audience doesn't have as much of a chance to leave because the band stopped playing !
 
#19
nsmar4211 said:
If you get hired for 4 hours.......that's what you play. They don't care ifyou take breaks.......they'd care ifyou cut out after 2.5 hours!
Click to expand...

I was never hired for X hours.
I was hired or invited for a concert.

I don't care if they want 4 hours with breaks or 6 hours without break.

I play concert, try to make it as good as I can, if people enjoy our music we do up to 2 hours one set ( 23-26 songs ). If we feel like in a morque with a few stiff guys around we do fast , 13 songs set and go away.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back