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Poll: How many shows have you played?

How many shows?

  • 1 - 50

    Votes: 122 16.6%

  • 50 - 250

    Votes: 188 25.5%

  • 250 - 500

    Votes: 110 14.9%

  • 500 - 750

    Votes: 57 7.7%

  • 750 - 1000

    Votes: 38 5.2%

  • 1000 - 1500

    Votes: 45 6.1%

  • 1500 - 2000

    Votes: 28 3.8%

  • Over 2000

    Votes: 119 16.2%

  • Still working on getting my first, or have no desire to play live.

    Votes: 29 3.9%
  • Total voters
    736
#101
Gods, I never even thought about counting...500+ with my regular band anyways (Punk Originals.)

I do remember the first show. All-ages benefit, Boxing Day, 1998. Me and my drummer used to do security for the kids that threw shows. That show, we both worked security, and played our set. Same band is still a going concern, we did our 20th anniversary last year, and I'm typing this instead of loading my gear into the car for rehearsal before this weekends shot to Edmonton and Saskatoon.

So, I'd love to reminisce, but my gear is calling!
 
#103
First show other than backyards was Mickey Rats in Buffalo, NY. I want to say this was about 1985. Here's a pic from that show. Apparently I hadn't learned to clip the ends off my Rotosounds.
me.jpg
 
#104
Joe Nerve said:
And/or where was your first gig?

Responses to my last thread on what covers have you played most got me thinking. Some people put down some incredibly obscure songs, and then it occurred to me - maybe they're much younger and have only played a small handful of gigs in their life?

Anyhow, I did a little rough math. My first gig was in a battle of the bands in 1976. Guitar was my instrument. First "real" club gig was CBGB in 1978. And I kinda quit music from 84 to the early 90s. That's when I picked up bass and fell head over heels in love.

All that being said, my best guess is I've played throughout my life just a little short of 2000 shows.

What's your best guess as to how many shows you've done?
Click to expand...

My first band gig was a polish wedding in a polka band run by my 6th grade teacher, circa 1965-1966. I made $45 for two hours. My first actual gig was a solo act, about 45 minutes for an AARP group of all things a few years earlier before my voice changed. Just me playing the guitar and singing folk tunes.
 
#109
I'm in the +2k club but don't get around much anymore. First gigs outside of church were sitting in with 2 different bands my Dad took me to see. I had a Gibson LG50 with a DeArmond pickup that I was able to plug into an amp. One was a C&W dance band at Sefcik Hall and they graciously let me play along with a set of classic country songs that I knew. The other was an R&B band made up of several of his workers at the Coca Cola plant that let me sit in for a couple of sets again playing tunes I knew from the radio. I was 8 years old it was 1967.
 
#110
Math for part of this is easy for me. 3 services a week non stop for 10 years, maybe off one or two weeks per year. 150 services x 10 years = 1,500 services. We play out in public in open air 4 x each summer, do special services, other events out and some live TV - but not tons and tons. Before that some gigging here and there in a rock band out. And as any serious band member of a serious band knows, a weekly 2-3 hour practice for 10 years feels like it should count - in a way - if you know what I mean. :)
 
#112
lermgalieu said:
No idea, as I was born in 1970, and I think the only reason we could play there in 1985 is because we stayed on the stage and immediately left afterwards.
Click to expand...

If I remember it's in Angola, NY. They had a bungalow for us. At about 4am after our gig, our pianist asked me to give his pick up of the night a ride. Me assuming it was just a ride to the club to get her car, and when I pulled in the parking lot she asked me why I was stopping there. I told her to pick up her car. She said her car wasn't there it was at here house, well it turned out her house was halfway between Buffalo and Niagra Falls..LoL...

Yeah we played a lot of clubs in western NY during that time. I really miss that part of the country.... in the summer.
 
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#113
Played consistently in rather heavily booked bands (at one point 3 at a time) from 1987 until retiring in 2017. First gig was at a private club where you were paid $40 each, and all the beer you could drink. Did a few memorable shows opening for national acts, and at one point managed to pull off a stretch of 11 shows in 7 days.
 
#114
I really remember my first gig. I was just 13 and had conned my father into buying me a Jetglo Rick 4001 for my birthday. I played in a horrible cover band called Harlequin. It was 1973. My amp for that gig was a Kustom 100 and a Coral cabinet with 3 15" Jensens. We played a junior high dance at the local school. From that point on I was hooked. Played in every permutation of a band throughout the 1970's. Was in a really good original band in the early 1980's where we played regularly. When that band disintegrated, I played in a few more but lost interest. After college, in 1982 I spent more time making money than making music. I tried to pick up playing back in the 1990's but was too distracted. Now that I'm almost 60 and have a little time, I've been playing again. I don't know what it will lead to but I certainly enjoyed/miss playing in front of an audience.
 
#115
First gig was summer of '76. Gigged regularly through 2002. '76- '78 had a monthly Wed-Sat gig, plus other gigs just about every week, many were Fri-Sat at the same bar. '77-'79 we were trying to be full time, and did a small tour of 5 to 6 night gigs at different bars each week. Cut back after that, but still just about once a week. Do I'm thinking just shy of 2K.
 
#118
If a show is defined as a performance with people in attendance, 1500-2000 over 50 years. I'm essentially retired, but still managed 30+shows of various kinds in the last year.

First gig for money was in 1966 at a Catholic school dance where we played the same 8 songs over and over for two hours and made $20 each.
 
#119
First gig was a house party back in high school, 1985. Then the band was in played at my high school and did a few shows at other local high schools in the area. In my late teens, early twenties, I probably played another 15 gigs or so. The band I play in now played 1 gig in Japan and haven't played out since. As currently constructed, we will most likely never play out again, unless we can get a substitute drummer. Also, I have never been paid for a gig ever( the bl's of whatever bands I was in footed all the upfronts costs to play out)
 
#120
First paid gig was a Community Center in Sunnyside, Queens in 1974. We were so green we played the whole three hour gig without a break because we thought we had to. Back then I was a drummer. Switched to Bass in 1980.

Since then I'd say I've played roughly 1500 gigs.

Peace.
 
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