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How Many Live Gigs Did You Play in 2024?
- Thread starter hrodbert696
- Start date
I’m at 34 I think for 2024, in one band. We lost a drummer (again) and survived on subs. We’re at full strength and actively booking 2025 so it’ll be @ 35-40 next year. I’m hoping @Bunk McNulty finds a good situation so I have someone to chase, though it seems at least a few people here are way out of my league. Still working the 9-5. Once I hit retirement it would be a challenge to take to run at 100/year, but it would have to be in 2-3 bands and that just sounds like a can of whoop.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
NYE will be 40 for us for the year, that's the most we've had since this band began. In the summer we try to double book some weekends so we can leave others free for family life.
For 2025 we have 6 on the books as of now, and a few recurring ones we're waiting for confirmation on. Whether we book more or less than 2024 remains to be seen. I don't think I'd want more though.
For 2025 we have 6 on the books as of now, and a few recurring ones we're waiting for confirmation on. Whether we book more or less than 2024 remains to be seen. I don't think I'd want more though.
Looks like 45 this year if no cancellations for the rest of the month.
That almost averages one a week, but a lot weeks I did two or three so there were many gaps of weeks between gigs.
That’s three bands plus subs. One band accounted for 21 gigs (it also pays the best) but the other bands aren't working much. Maybe it’s time to look for something new.
That almost averages one a week, but a lot weeks I did two or three so there were many gaps of weeks between gigs.
That’s three bands plus subs. One band accounted for 21 gigs (it also pays the best) but the other bands aren't working much. Maybe it’s time to look for something new.
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I'm at 43 gigs this year. 35 with my main band I joined a few years ago, 3 gigs with the band I've been with for 13 years, and 5 with the band I've been playing in (off and on) for 20 years.
I had 9 rehearsals. Only one with my main band (they rehearsed 3 other times without me), one rehearsal with the 13 year old band, and 7 with the 20-year-old band (who only had 5 gigs).
No freelancing or sub gigs for me anymore. Although I did get subs for more than a handful of my own gigs from the above mentioned three bands.
I had 9 rehearsals. Only one with my main band (they rehearsed 3 other times without me), one rehearsal with the 13 year old band, and 7 with the 20-year-old band (who only had 5 gigs).
No freelancing or sub gigs for me anymore. Although I did get subs for more than a handful of my own gigs from the above mentioned three bands.
Provided nothing else gets canceled, it’ll be 78 gigs with my primary band, plus another 3 with some old band mates, and 3 with my BL’s side projects.
Looks like average pay per gig went up about $50 this year. Best pay was a new record (4 @ $1000 per man), about 4 in the $500-$800 range, but also a bunch of duds in the $100-$150 range. Still, the average is up, and I’m not complaining about pay.
I was hoping to have gigged more though. My main band says they did 120 in 2023 - that’s a drop of over 40 gigs this year. Comparing total gigs to last year, where I was in the new band for only 4 months, I was actually down from 86 gigs in 2023 to 84 in 2024. Considering reality was significantly lower than what I was told we’d be doing, it’s not surprising that I decided to leave my main band at the end of the year.
I have a big audition coming up in two weeks for a new band that gigs 175-200 a year, with average pay right around what I made this year. It’s not a shoe-in, but I have a good chance of getting in. So hopefully next year will be a lot more gigs with roughly the same pay - and a lot less drama, gaslighting and dysfunction.
Looks like average pay per gig went up about $50 this year. Best pay was a new record (4 @ $1000 per man), about 4 in the $500-$800 range, but also a bunch of duds in the $100-$150 range. Still, the average is up, and I’m not complaining about pay.
I was hoping to have gigged more though. My main band says they did 120 in 2023 - that’s a drop of over 40 gigs this year. Comparing total gigs to last year, where I was in the new band for only 4 months, I was actually down from 86 gigs in 2023 to 84 in 2024. Considering reality was significantly lower than what I was told we’d be doing, it’s not surprising that I decided to leave my main band at the end of the year.
I have a big audition coming up in two weeks for a new band that gigs 175-200 a year, with average pay right around what I made this year. It’s not a shoe-in, but I have a good chance of getting in. So hopefully next year will be a lot more gigs with roughly the same pay - and a lot less drama, gaslighting and dysfunction.
I’m going to finish this year at 43 gigs between my two bands. Next year should be about the same but I’ll be the backup for a third band that we play with a lot, so I’ll probably pick up another batch due to that.
Classic rock cover band = 18
My main band is a 6-piece classic rock cover band. We formed in the summer of 2021 and have done a good job of getting established in our community. We have a good following and name recognition around town, and we are starting to have people contacting us for bookings instead of the other way around. My frustration lies in the fact that there are not a lot of opportunities for classic rock cover bands in my area. There are only a handful of bar & grill type venues that book live bands, and ALL of them are just playing for the door and tips. While I'm not in this for the money, I have a hard time giving it away to a for-profit business. Because of that, we've worked hard to network and create opportunities for gigs like community concert series, art fairs, and prominent fundraising events. Again, not the least bit lucrative, but it least they are fun gigs playing for larger, appreciative crowds. I just signed up with The Bash (online booking platform), hoping to secure at least a few well-paid gigs for 2025.
Wedding band soundman gig = 13
It felt a little slow this year for this band, but it was a good year overall. The music and hang are great, and the money is legit. Given that music is a hobby and not a vocation for me, my earnings from this band fund pays for a lot of top-notch PA and bass gear. I'm getting the feeling that 2025 will be even bigger and better. The bandleader is retooling a bit and setting his sights higher.
Farmers Market Trio = 7
I think this was my 8th year with this project, which began modestly just jamming in the basement with a couple of dear friends. We mostly play country, blues, rock and folk tunes at the local farmers market and backyard parties. For the first time, we had several decent gigs that paid real money this year. To be honest, I've been pretty bored with it, but it it's not much of a time commitment. Another friend starting sitting in on keys just for the heck of it – and it has really breathed new life into things. And to make matters even better, we met a sax player who was interested in jamming with us. It turns out the guy is an accomplished artist with a huge social media following. Dude can play. He rarely plays out and it's not a money-thing for him, so he seems eager to fall in with us just for kicks. Kind of out of the blue, we are a complete band that I'd feel good about booking better gigs with.
My main band is a 6-piece classic rock cover band. We formed in the summer of 2021 and have done a good job of getting established in our community. We have a good following and name recognition around town, and we are starting to have people contacting us for bookings instead of the other way around. My frustration lies in the fact that there are not a lot of opportunities for classic rock cover bands in my area. There are only a handful of bar & grill type venues that book live bands, and ALL of them are just playing for the door and tips. While I'm not in this for the money, I have a hard time giving it away to a for-profit business. Because of that, we've worked hard to network and create opportunities for gigs like community concert series, art fairs, and prominent fundraising events. Again, not the least bit lucrative, but it least they are fun gigs playing for larger, appreciative crowds. I just signed up with The Bash (online booking platform), hoping to secure at least a few well-paid gigs for 2025.
Wedding band soundman gig = 13
It felt a little slow this year for this band, but it was a good year overall. The music and hang are great, and the money is legit. Given that music is a hobby and not a vocation for me, my earnings from this band fund pays for a lot of top-notch PA and bass gear. I'm getting the feeling that 2025 will be even bigger and better. The bandleader is retooling a bit and setting his sights higher.
Farmers Market Trio = 7
I think this was my 8th year with this project, which began modestly just jamming in the basement with a couple of dear friends. We mostly play country, blues, rock and folk tunes at the local farmers market and backyard parties. For the first time, we had several decent gigs that paid real money this year. To be honest, I've been pretty bored with it, but it it's not much of a time commitment. Another friend starting sitting in on keys just for the heck of it – and it has really breathed new life into things. And to make matters even better, we met a sax player who was interested in jamming with us. It turns out the guy is an accomplished artist with a huge social media following. Dude can play. He rarely plays out and it's not a money-thing for him, so he seems eager to fall in with us just for kicks. Kind of out of the blue, we are a complete band that I'd feel good about booking better gigs with.
Weekend warrior here. A quick count shows that my tally for 2024 will be 66. Would have hit 70, except there were seven cancellations, only a few of which were replaced.
It's nice to have gotten back to my pre-pandemic average. My count has topped out in the low 80s when I was blessed by the scheduling fairy.
I keep this busy by juggling a bunch of bands and sub gigs. Mostly classic rock covers, but plenty of exceptions, including an all-original blues/funk/rock power trio that somehow became my busiest band in 2018-2019 (don't ask me how, I have no idea).
It's nice to have gotten back to my pre-pandemic average. My count has topped out in the low 80s when I was blessed by the scheduling fairy.
I keep this busy by juggling a bunch of bands and sub gigs. Mostly classic rock covers, but plenty of exceptions, including an all-original blues/funk/rock power trio that somehow became my busiest band in 2018-2019 (don't ask me how, I have no idea).
