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What makes a gig successful?

Top five things that make a gig successful.

  • Got paid

    Votes: 141 58.8%

  • Full venue

    Votes: 84 35.0%

  • Crowd liked the band

    Votes: 181 75.4%

  • Full dance floor

    Votes: 79 32.9%

  • Venue wants you back

    Votes: 178 74.2%

  • The band played well together

    Votes: 158 65.8%

  • You played well as an individual

    Votes: 51 21.3%

  • Good sound

    Votes: 85 35.4%

  • No fights broke out (in crowd / on stage)

    Votes: 4 1.7%

  • Bandmates didn't get too drunk

    Votes: 7 2.9%

  • The crowd got hammered (venue makes $$$)

    Votes: 18 7.5%

  • Free carrots for the band!

    Votes: 10 4.2%

  • Other (please specify in a post)

    Votes: 6 2.5%
  • Total voters
    240
#42
In my experience, the most successful gigs are fun - generally because most of the top choices get checked off. But THE thing that has made gigs fun for me is an attentive appreciative crowd. I'm not at a level where the money is much to be worried about; the paycheck basically covers my expenses for the night - most of the time.

I've played a couple of gigs where I commented to a band mate that I would have played THIS for free. I've also had the gigs where none cared you were there (same band, same venue) and there just isn't enough money to compensate for playing that last set to the three soon-to-be passed out drunks at the bar.

Yeah, I guess getting invited back is pretty important, but I didn't vote for that because, if the things I did check off occur, we're probably getting invited back, so that's more of a dividend of a successful gig rather than the definition of one - IMO. I've been in bands that got invited back after gigs that were not otherwise successful, and not after ones that were.
 
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#43
I'm no longer even semi-pro anymore. It's all vibe. It's easier to have that if you're satisfied with your band's performance. Old people moshing is pretty much a given at this point, so I'm disappointed if it doesn't happen. Money is good; it's nice to bring something home. Free drinks and food. Sweaty punk rock hugs and back-slapping. But if it's fun it's fun, if it's not it's not.
 
#44
bearhart74 said:
if you got #2 then #3 must have happened
Click to expand...

by no means. I've had gigs where the crowd really just didn't care if we lived or died and been asked back. The thing that gets you asked back is that the decision maker for booking that venue wanted you back. For whatever reasons. Sometimes you sold a lot of booze. Sometimes they like your music. Sometimes they want to get in your pants (not joking, that was an unpleasant experience). I've gotten at least one repeat gig because a booking agent wanted to "teach (another band) a lesson". So no, the crowd does not have to like you to get asked back, but it frequently helps.
 
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#46
socialleper said:
The best thing is a happy crowd. If they are feeding you energy during your set, it makes all the giant piles of bull pucky we have to put up with just to play a show worth it.
If you play your best set to an empty room, it feels terrible.
Click to expand...

We played a casino gig this year on a very bad night. Played the last two sets to a few family members and the bartender. We were on our game, the pay was really good and we have been asked back, but not much fun.
 
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#47
I suffered through some of my most successful gigs. Subs. I thought we were terrible.The bar owner loved it, the band thought I did a great job and it started them off with more gigs at that place with their regular bass player. It doesn't matter how I thought it went.
 
#49
For me, it's all about song choice. A strong and well-thought out/planned setlist makes all the difference. When that is well executed and you have people coming up to you after the show specifically citing how much they loved the songs you played, I take that as a major win!
 
#54
This....
74661805_10218917415178939_1016529994874093568_n.jpg
 
#56
I voted - Club wants you back, Crowd liked the band, and Crowd got hammered.

I think if these three things happened there is a good chance you are a pretty good band and will continue to grow your fan base and play bigger and better venues. The venues don't care about your band, they just want to make money.
 
#58
I feel guilty for not picking any of the music related things, but frankly, all I ever hear are mistakes anyway (not that I or the band make that many, I'm just a negative nancy). At this point in my life, happy crowd, happy venue, and paid on time are enough to make me happy
 
#59
lat said:
This is a spin-off from my last thread, where I was venting about the LS getting drunk to the point of not being able to properly do his job. Some of the responses in that thread made me wonder what different people think constitutes a successful gig. Money? Cheering? Dancing? Drinking? Playing? Sound? ... anything else?
Click to expand...

The music, the music, the music , the venue wanted us back and paid us.

I love cheering & dancing, who doesn't, but I have played in after hours clubs where we were horrible and the crowd loved us. So what the crowd considers good has never really influenced me so much.

To put it into context - I am sure many have seen this. An open mic, band goes up plays an unfamiliar tune, but they play great, in tune, nail it. Smattering of applause. Woman gets up sings (well screams) Joplin's Piece of My Heart , out of key, band misses changes and she brings down the house.

Audience is not a barometer of much.
 
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