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How many gigs did you play in 2016?
- Thread starter hrodbert696
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If only. In general, I'm of a mercenary bent, but I play with this guy because he's interesting, he's a true believer. It's good to play with people like this, who have a vision, even if it is one of the past. I can't exactly say why, but it is enjoyable, playing in a museum without walls.
I sub'd on bass one summer for my church's group, and that was enough for me. CCM wasn't my thing.
I just counted 29 - pretty light IMO. I used to play every weekend when I was doing a disco tribute band from 1998 to 2008 - some were Friday AND Saturday gigs. I've been looking for an additional band situation, but no luck on that search. My current / main band plays twice a month at a restaurant / bar and then a few private / corporate gigs - maybe once every other month. I sub for a band that does only bar gigs - just started doing this one a few months ago with these cats that I played with about 20 years ago - full circle. I'm always checking MusiciansContact.com, but there's not much on there when I log in. It really is all about who you know - and one thing leading to another, although I did find my main band on MSC back in 2009 - timing is everything too. I'm not doing music full time either - always had to keep the day gig - I never could get busy enough or make enough bread to go full time with music - like most of us here on TB 
I see no reason why charity gigs should not be included. I included the 3 I did. It is just as much work as a paid gig. It would be no different if I took the money and donated it to charity.
Sometimes a charity gig can be more rewarding than a well paid gig.
Sometimes a charity gig can be more rewarding than a well paid gig.
A discussion tangentially related to this one came up among the members of a band I'm with: How often is often enough to gig before you over-saturate a particular place?
The rule of thumb someone threw out there was no more frequently than every 4 - 6 weeks at any given venue. I generally agree and might even go more like every 6 - 8 weeks personally. This isn't total number of gigs for a band mind you, but frequency at a given venue. What do y'all think?
The rule of thumb someone threw out there was no more frequently than every 4 - 6 weeks at any given venue. I generally agree and might even go more like every 6 - 8 weeks personally. This isn't total number of gigs for a band mind you, but frequency at a given venue. What do y'all think?
Fair point, and I'll admit it's a pretty arbitrary distinction. But I meant the thread from a band management perspective, as a reflection of marketing and booking etc. I play in church more Sundays than not, bass or guitar, but I don't really think of them as "gigs" because (the way my church works) they just put me on the list and I show up. That's different from trying to get a band booked or get sub gigs. If someone has charity gigs they want to include and really feel that they're "gigs" in the same sense, I won't ban them from my life.
Good point. I think it may depend on the venue and the crowd. There are some places that are neighborhood hangouts and the punters are perfectly happy having the same three bands rotate through over and over again. Other people won't come to see your band because "we just saw you LAST year!" Six weeks sounds pretty good to me for a rotation.
You played with SIXTEEN bands?? Do tell....
PS. Great thread.
Side note - no one I have blocked has posted in this thread. Does that mean annoying people don't gig & fun people DO gig?
My originals band has our 2nd gig this weekend. My cover band is working on getting tight.
32 for the year(that includes 2 charity gigs--we have to haul all of our gear, I call them a gig), just played #32 yesterday for a Christmas party, our singer is out of town for New Years so no gig on NYE for the first time in 3 years. Already getting bookings for 2017 mostly festivals and a couple of weddings that book 6-9 months out, next month is the big month for bookings for us anyway
By the end of the year, about 65 that were paid or had guarantees of some sort. My highest count so far.
Would like to double that by the end of next year. I'm getting in a lot of recurring gigs starting in January so it's likely.
Would like to double that by the end of next year. I'm getting in a lot of recurring gigs starting in January so it's likely.
About 25 to 30 gigs a year. Big by some standards, small by others, alright by me.
My high water mark is 210 gigs in one year.
My high water mark is 210 gigs in one year.
My main band did 33 gigs, I did two musicals with 10 gigs each, 9 gigs were with pickup bands or single-time engagements, and the rest were regular sub gigs with four bands.
So about 300 different songs (+ musical charts) then? Impressive.
How do you remember them all?
Charts on iPad? Old classics? Many songs repeated across bands?
Im not sure I have the time (or patience) to learn that many songs from memory.
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It was a slow-ish year, 77 paid gigs with 14 different groups. Financially did pretty well, but I definitely would've liked to be playing more
