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How often do you play out?
- Thread starter Russell L
- Start date
I currently do about 3 practices/jam sessions a weeek and play out 2 or 3 times a month. Four months ago I was doing very little, but playing good in one situation seems to have really upped my chances to play. Two of the groups I play with don't play out, but both have nice bass rigs, so all I have to do is plug and play. They also play whatever they want which is usually fun. Reggae versions of Simon and Garfunkle are probably better left to jam sessions anyway.
Wow, lot's of you folks are very, very busy. I remember a gig I had in the '70s, playing six-hights-a-week. It went on for nineteen months. At the time we were hot stuff in the area and were featured in the local tourist publications for the Columbia, SC area. We even had some heavies come out quite regularly to sit in. But, it got old. Of course, it was my only job, so at least I didn't have to be in early after playing til 1am the night before. And, at least we didn't tour, so we were at home all the time. (Did a short two week tour one summer, but nothing major).
As for touring, I never did it for a living. But, ya know what (and maybe this is a good thing, considering my age), I really love to cut the grass, play with the kids and dog, go to little league baseball games, eat a hot dog, watch a movie back at home, etc., etc. too much to have led the full-blown touring musician life. When I do retire I'll be happy due to these other things, not to mention hobbies. Hey, I turned down Percy Sledge in my twenties. I dunno what life woulda been like if I had taken him up on that week along the east coast, but I bet I'm sitting where I should be right now.
Matter o' fact, I just cut the grass while my wife was inside making us some taco salad. I'll be taking my binoculars out for some astro viewing after dark (got some new ones, heh, heh).
Life is good (for the most part).
As for touring, I never did it for a living. But, ya know what (and maybe this is a good thing, considering my age), I really love to cut the grass, play with the kids and dog, go to little league baseball games, eat a hot dog, watch a movie back at home, etc., etc. too much to have led the full-blown touring musician life. When I do retire I'll be happy due to these other things, not to mention hobbies. Hey, I turned down Percy Sledge in my twenties. I dunno what life woulda been like if I had taken him up on that week along the east coast, but I bet I'm sitting where I should be right now.
Matter o' fact, I just cut the grass while my wife was inside making us some taco salad. I'll be taking my binoculars out for some astro viewing after dark (got some new ones, heh, heh).
Life is good (for the most part).
loend68
Supporting Member
- Jan 14, 2008
- 1,384
- 126
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Basses, T.C. Electronics
I'm at about 7-8 gigs a month...rehearsal, maybe once a month. Add a full time job and alot of away gigs and I'm pretty busy!
Main Band: 4-10 shows a month during peak season (May-Sept), 1-3 shows a month otherwise. Rehearse once every 6-8 weeks (too busy playing for pay to do more).
Sub/One-off Gigs: 6-10 a year, usually but not always with 1-2 rehearsals prior.
Worship Team at Church: 1-2 Sundays a month with a 2-hr rehearsal prior.
Bottom line, I'm strapping on a bass for one reason or another anywhere from 1 to 5 times a week pretty much year round. And thats not counting personal practice time which admittedly I don't put in like I should. But then I'm also logging 45+ hrs a week on my day job plus house and family duties so that's about the best I can do.
Sub/One-off Gigs: 6-10 a year, usually but not always with 1-2 rehearsals prior.
Worship Team at Church: 1-2 Sundays a month with a 2-hr rehearsal prior.
Bottom line, I'm strapping on a bass for one reason or another anywhere from 1 to 5 times a week pretty much year round. And thats not counting personal practice time which admittedly I don't put in like I should. But then I'm also logging 45+ hrs a week on my day job plus house and family duties so that's about the best I can do.
About 10 gigs a month, on average, for 2012; did not see it coming, but glad about what I've got, and always with an ear to the ground for the right kind of "more."
all in full time work here.
until we get our full setlist, looking at 40 songs, we will reherse together once a week..i practise everyday, 20 - 30 minutes.
we aim to gig once a month/6 weeks.
all of us are family men...so we have to keep the wives/kids happy too!
until we get our full setlist, looking at 40 songs, we will reherse together once a week..i practise everyday, 20 - 30 minutes.
we aim to gig once a month/6 weeks.
all of us are family men...so we have to keep the wives/kids happy too!
practice is 1 time a week, sometimes two. we try to gig once a month. fall and spring we could be playing 4-6 times a month be we have no interest.
This last year I've done 12 musicals. Thats about 5-6 rehearsal per show and 8 to 16 performances of each show. Plus 2 big band gigs a month on Sunday night. So that's a little over 200 nights a year. I'm 59 and loving it.
Bar band: one rehearsal a month, average 2 shows a month. We play 20-25 times a year.
Church gig: Every three weeks, one rehearsal before each service.
Church gig: Every three weeks, one rehearsal before each service.
Averages out to weekly. If I'm not rehearsing, I have a gig. Or both. Some weeks we have 3 gigs in a row.
I wouldn't call it "playing out" unless there's an audience involved. Sure, it's just as much work to haul my gear to a 3 hour practice as to haul it to a 3 hour gig, but I don't think of the practice as "out." We're not performing for people then. But I would count open mics and benefits as "playing out," it wouldn't have to entail getting paid.
We practice weekly unless there's a conflict (like there is tonight...). Gigs have been about once a month so far while we get rolling but the aim is to get up in the 6-8 per month ballpark.
We practice weekly unless there's a conflict (like there is tonight...). Gigs have been about once a month so far while we get rolling but the aim is to get up in the 6-8 per month ballpark.
Practice 2x week for 3hrs
Gig 2-3x month
Personal practice 4+ days a wk.
And countless hrs invested in studiotime, stickers, cds, t-shirts, website and general promotion, social media( I do most of the art and computer work). Also try to jam with my friends a few times a month. I didn't notice how busy I am. But when you enjoy doing it, it seems like fun not work.
Gig 2-3x month
Personal practice 4+ days a wk.
And countless hrs invested in studiotime, stickers, cds, t-shirts, website and general promotion, social media( I do most of the art and computer work). Also try to jam with my friends a few times a month. I didn't notice how busy I am. But when you enjoy doing it, it seems like fun not work.
4-5 times a month never a band practice ever, I personally pick up my bass everyday
but practice (for up coming shows) 3 hours 2x a week
but practice (for up coming shows) 3 hours 2x a week
So far, once in awhile. I don't really want to go out and play much until I know I can sit in with some good players. When I do finally get ready to bust out of this bedroom, look out! 
Nineteen rehearsals and six gigs in the past year and 4 mos.
I'd like to gig A LOT more but the Soundgarden/Audioslave/Temple of the Dog tribute that I'm in is the lowest priority for all of the other band members in the group who play in other, more audience friendly, better paying bands. Not that this band dosen't absolutly kick all kinds of a$$ on all of their bands combined, just that they think that if we played out more it would be 'over saturtation' of this band. We don't get festival gigs because songs like "Rusty Cage" and "Mailman" might scare away the average summer festival crowd that likes to hear the same Cheap Trick/Tom Petty etc. cover band while chomping down on some butter drenched corn, beer slurping, cotton candy eating mom/dad & kids patrons. Personally I think playing 80's covers just like every other band in town is the very definition of 'over saturation', I think the real reason is $$$ ahead of playing music for the love of the music.
Too bad. I guess for me. But I won't play music that does absolutly nothing for me except make me want to grind my teeth into powder.
I'd like to gig A LOT more but the Soundgarden/Audioslave/Temple of the Dog tribute that I'm in is the lowest priority for all of the other band members in the group who play in other, more audience friendly, better paying bands. Not that this band dosen't absolutly kick all kinds of a$$ on all of their bands combined, just that they think that if we played out more it would be 'over saturtation' of this band. We don't get festival gigs because songs like "Rusty Cage" and "Mailman" might scare away the average summer festival crowd that likes to hear the same Cheap Trick/Tom Petty etc. cover band while chomping down on some butter drenched corn, beer slurping, cotton candy eating mom/dad & kids patrons. Personally I think playing 80's covers just like every other band in town is the very definition of 'over saturation', I think the real reason is $$$ ahead of playing music for the love of the music.
Too bad. I guess for me. But I won't play music that does absolutly nothing for me except make me want to grind my teeth into powder.
