How long do your gigs last.

[dbsfgyd1]

Church gigs - typically at the place at 6:30 AM, out at 12:30 PM. Rehearsal - 45 minutes to an hour. Run through - 25 to 30 minutes. Each service (usually 2) has 25-30 minutes of music. The rest is hangout time. We also have midweek rehearsals - typically a couple hours from load in to out the door. It's a different vibe than a bar gig in almost every way.

We’re pretty close to your Sunday schedule except we have 3 services. Our pre-service run through starts at 7:00 and we are done at 12:45. We have a rehearsal on Monday’s that lasts and hour 20 minutes or less. We use IEMs and keys and drums are provided so there is no real load in time.

As for commercial gigs it depends. Mostly it’s (2) 1 hour sets with 20 minutes in between. Pretty much we play for older people and they are about ready for bed by the time we are done with them...lol!!!

 

[Febs]

Theater work, which is the majority of my playing, usually 1.5 to 3 hours per performance, depending on what show it is. Show weeks are typically 7 shows per week over 5 days of shows, so there are two 2-show days per week.

Big band gigs are usually two sets, with each set ranging from 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the venue.

Jazz gigs can be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the type of gig.

Weddings are usually 3-5 hours, depending on whether they include playing during cocktails.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Sum it up to say, some gigs last way too long, some are too short.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BargeOn]

For us, just a couple hours. For the audience it can seem endless.

 

[NZBassman]

for a standard 'pub' type gig in New Zealand it is usually 4 hours
my old band used to play 4 x 45-50 minute sets with a 15 min break between... one place we played at regularly we did 9:30pm - 1:30am and we always did 4 sets
Same with Weddings and most private functions - unless we're told otherwise it is usually a 4 hour gig

 

[dan1952]

Our regular church gig - about 45 minutes during worship service. Maybe 2 or 3 rehearsals a year. New song charts appear whenever the BL decides to pick up a new song. BL gives the drummer a quick 2 or 3 measure heads up for tempo and feel, grand piano guy and I sight read it on the fly.
If the church band plays out, the gig is one set, 45 to 60 minutes.
Festival and fair gigs, for any of the three or four bands I play with, usually an hour set, except one at a local midget car track, 2 sets, about 45 minutes each

 

[Eilif]

3-4 hours, no breaks unless someone can cover your instrument or someone in the band plays 1-2 songs by themselves to give everyone a bathroom break. That's the Nashville Broadway scene! Not uncommon for people to play 2-3 gigs in a day, and I know a few people doing 12 a week. Most Broadway bars have live music 7 days a week from 11am-2:30am, and there are probably 30ish stages between the bars, which often have 2-3 stages each. It's the only place like it in the world I can think of! You can make a pretty solid living playing 20-40 hours a week without leaving town.

You Broadway cats have my respect. I watched Joe Fick slap the crap out of his doghouse for 3 hours. 30 minutes later he was doing it again across the street for another group.

Unreal.

 

[TinIndian]

The norm here is 4 sets of 45 minutes each.

 

[Dogbertday]

2 sets over 4 hours. 20-25 minute break.
A second break just before midnight just send everyone home.

Edit:
The above is bar gigs. Jazz gigs sometines follow the same, but more often are 2-3 hours.

I dont understand players who take lots of breaks, If I didnt have to pee once in a while, i'd just keep playing.

 

[Silthis89]

My Originals band we usually shared the bill cause we were unknown locals begging venues to give us stage time. It would usually be 4 or 5 bands each doing a 30-45min set.

 

[Tony In Philly]

In our case it's usually three one hour sets. And the break time varies depending on what's appropriate at that given venue.

 

[murph7489]

cover bar band...3 sets..one short set to begin..then 10 min break then a long 2nd set with a 15 min break, then the final set..4 hours.

 

[bassplayer9512]

If we play a bar it's usually 3+ hours.

If we are playing a local shows it's 45 min to 1 hour.

 

[heynorm]

Most of our gigs run three hours. First set one hour, the next two are 45 minutes with two 15 minute breaks.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Depends on who im playing with.. Some last over 4 hours with 3-4 little breaks. Some 40-45 min long.

 

[And I]

Tomorrow load in is at 8:45, we play from 11 ish until 12:30. Saturday load in is at 6, sound check at 7, we play from 9:30 to 10:30.

 

[AnthonyBrown]

I have one that our band does once a month at a smoky bar in Marietta, Ga. It lasts for 4 hours (from 10 til 2) and if we're lucky, we come away with $80. Isn't that great?

 

[el murdoque]

When it's a band thing (we play a venue and the people come to see us), we do between 1,5 and 2 hours of music, either in one set or with a wee break in the middle (to accommodate the old band members' special needs).
When it's another thing where the band is hired to play music, I've done up to five sets of one hour and have friends that will play from 7 to 3 in the morning with 5 mins break each hour.

 

[gazzatriumph]

Thanks for all the replies, seems like I have it easy compared to most cover bands.

 

[gazzatriumph]

I'd be curious to know what an average gig like that pays in GBP. It's rare that we have a bar gig which is less than 3 sets.


Yeah weddings forced me to change my footwear. Those long weddings sets are hard on the dogs after xx years. I like to wear nice leather soled shoes but lately I've realized that I need to switch to rubber soled Ecco or similar. If I'm hired for cocktails, dinner and dancing it can involve literally 6-7 hours with (sometimes not enough) breaks. But the dough is good.

We get £200 between four of us.