What makes a gig successful?

[electracoyote]

Top Five, hands down.

Everything below those first five (and so much more, such as "Chose songs that will please your target client/audience") are the means to the desired end.

Getting paid is almost a given IME, but pleasing the client and his or her audience and guests is the goal, and leads directly to repeat invitations and referrals.

 

[Medicine Man]

If the pit ain't slammin, you ain't jammin.

 

[fretno]

tap'n tail is #1

 

[Queue]

Is nobody in it for the nookie? (oh right, this is talk bass )

 

[2F/2F]

– Money
– Babes

 

[ursusaltered]

Other: if you need to ask, them you will never know. What makes it successful too you? We all have different motivations. So there is no one right answer to this question. Hope that makes sense

 

[Medicine Man]

If the boots ain't scooting, you noise pollutin....

 

[Eilif]

I checked a the allowed 5, but for me it's pretty a pretty simple equation.
#1-Got Paid.
#2-Venue Wants us back.

Usually #2 is conditional on...
#3 the band playing well together
#4 a full venue
#5 crowd having a good time
...but those can be maddeningly subjective and there's no accounting for the whims of booker/owners. I've played some stinkers where the venue was pleased-as-punch with us and wanted to schedule our return on the spot. The venue is the employer so if you've made them happy, that is success.

All this to say as long as there's cash in my pocket and the venue wants us back, that's a successful gig, regardless of how I think we might have done, or not done.

 

[Paul Corrosion]

Well, pretty much everything on the list and everything everyone's said.

I will offer one more good indicator of a top gig and it's the staff of the venue. It's related to "crowd liked the band" and "Venue wants the band back" but if you've got the staff dancing and singing along, you've nailed it. These guys see loads of different bands of all styles and abilities. They've heard all the songs, they've heard all the jokes - and they're often as busy as they are idle, depending on the size of the crowd. If you've got their attention in either situation, you are cooking.