How long is your gig?

[BLDavis]

So, our gigs are usually three hours. We'll open with a hour and twenty or twenty five minute set, take a ten or fifteen minute break then close out with about an hour set.
But every so often, we get an audience that's really into our show and we play straight through the three hours without a break.
Since we're all in our late 50's and early 60's (with the exception of the LGP who just turned 23), it's not near as much fun as it used to be.
We don't run out of songs but I admit I am starting to run out of gas about the last thirty minutes or so. Especially on our typical hot/humid afternoon gigs.
Years ago, typical bar gigs were about 40-45 minutes with 15-20 minute breaks with a DJ spread out over a four or five hour gig.
Is that still a thing?

 

[jjk2007]

For our 3 hour gigs we used to do the 3 X 45 minute sets with 15 min breaks. Now we do similar to you where we play about an hour and 20 minutes, take about 20 minutes off and then do another hour and 20 minutes. For the rare 4 hour shows we do a long first set and then and then divide up the remaining 2 sets accordingly.

 

[Spidey2112]

Kind of a personal question...

... I just wish average length was a selection.

 

[Hot Rats]

1st set..1hr, 15 minute break and then 45 minute sets after that. Right now, the only gig I'm playing is 2 sets but it can be 3 to 4 sets at other gigs.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

So, our gigs are usually three hours. We'll open with a hour and twenty or twenty five minute set, take a ten or fifteen minute break then close out with about an hour set.
But every so often, we get an audience that's really into our show and we play straight through the three hours without a break.
Since we're all in our late 50's and early 60's (with the exception of the LGP who just turned 23), it's not near as much fun as it used to be.
We don't run out of songs but I admit I am starting to run out of gas about the last thirty minutes or so. Especially on our typical hot/humid afternoon gigs.
Years ago, typical bar gigs were about 40-45 minutes with 15-20 minute breaks with a DJ spread out over a four or five hour gig.
Is that still a thing?

Yeah. Bar music plays. Band plays about 45 minutes or so. Bar music plays. Next band sets up and plays about 45 minutes or so. Bar music plays. Band sets up and plays an hour to an hour and a half. Bar music plays.

It's still a thing.

 

[Mike N]

Previous bands were the 10p - 2a gigs with a couple 10 minute breaks tossed in here or there.

Current band varies, we've done 45 minute sets, 60 minutes, last show we did 90 minutes and our upcoming show this Saturday will have us playing 2 hours, with a 10 minute break somewhere in the middle of the set.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I generally used to play three one hour sets. But today, people tend not to stay out as late, and the venues tend to start emptying out after the second set. So we've started moving to two longer sets.

 

[KohanMike]

My uke group of about 30 players has been doing a gig at a sandwich shop patio to an audience of about 100 every other Sunday since easing of covid for 1.5 hours, about 18-19 songs.

 

[lokikallas]

I’m used to playing 4 hours for cover band stuff. Hour to hour and a half for my tribute gigs.

 

[JRA]

it varies (always has) depending on the type of gig/event. IME:
bars: 3-4 hours with appropriate breaks.
events: 30 minutes to 4 hours, or more? (depends on whether the music is background, foreground, both....), often lots of downtimes.
feature: typically 75-90 minutes + encore.

my last gig was a 3-hour bar gig: about 2.5 hours of playing with two, fifteen-minute breaks, so i voted "3+ hours."

 

[growlypants]

40 or 45 minutes per set. Usually 4 sets per gig, unless it's a wedding.

 

[Killing Floor]

Kind of a personal question...

... I just wish average length was a selection.

I was in the pool!

 

[Killing Floor]

Original, 10-12 songs, 40-50 minutes.

 

[lermgalieu]

This is a type of band/genre specific question IMO. I've been in bands where we've done 3 hours on the regular, but my current band usually plays on 3 band punk rock bill, so 45 min sets it is. I could play much longer, it's just not an option.

 

[Jefenator]

I used to do lots of 4-set gigs, and 5 was not unheard of.
Most of my gigs now are 2 sets. We'll see where things settle after the COVID storm finally blows over.

 

[Indiana Mike]

30 to 40 songs
10-15 songs per set x 3 sets.
With breaks in between sets.

 

[JW56789]

In my day, we always did 5 hours, 45 on, 15 off. There was a job I knew of that was EIGHT hours on Saturday and Sunday, you went as long as you could stand it, then one guy would crawl off for a few minutes and the band would just keep playing without that part until he came back. Crazy, but true.

I once played a local festival in the Cajun country in a KC Hall. It was contracted for 9 till 2. At two o'clock, it was still rolling like a train, NOBODY was even thinking of going home. They 'passed' the hat for each hour after 2, we FINALLY knocked off at 6 (I figured they needed enough time to go home, clean up and change clothes and go to Mass . . . . ), and I went home with a little over 1200 bucks, several leftover, unopened half-gallons of adult beverages, and a grocery bag full of boudain and boiled crawfish. What a night ! ! !

There is nothing, but nothing, like a great gig in South Louisiana.

 

[oren]

All my gigs this summer have been outdoors jazz gigs at wineries (there are >500 wineries in the Willamette valley). Generally two hour-long sets, sometimes three. By the end of three hours on upright, my hands get really tired! Now that the season for that is winding down, with Delta raging I think gigs are going to be slim through the fall and winter.

 

[jimmydean]

I prefer a 45 minute sets and a 15 minute break , but our BL will make sets as long as 70 minutes . I have given up trying to get him to shorten the time . The band and the audience need a break , right ? The only time we seem to do a 45 is on those great paying corporate gigs .

 

[J Gold]

All original heavy metal band: 45-60 minutes

RHCP tribute band: 45-120 minutes

The days of 4-hour bar band gigs are over for me unless I’m subbing for a lot of cash. I did that for 10 years in Houston heat/smoking allowed venues.