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What's the SMALLEST "crowd" you ever played to?

#141
Chuck King said:
I don't remember exactly, but it was certainly single digits and might have been just the bartender and waitress at some points in the evening. It was a bar gig just after 9/11 and people were not going out and gathering in public places, at least not in the town where we played. And it was a big room, too. The band was the main income source for the leader and his wife, and he had a guarantee and wasn't leaving without getting paid, and the bar wasn't going to pay us unless we played, so play to the big empty room we did.
Click to expand...

I realize the thread is almost 5 yrs zombie. I was gonna start a playing to an empty house thread, but searched playing to an empty house, and this thread popped up.

Anyways, a band im in has been been playing a weekly Thursday night gig (pub/grill) in Sunset Beach. And even tho its a weeknight, the place has a fairly good complement of locals/regulars that will faithfully be there; band or no band. So while its never SRO, were usually playing to a fairly decent crowd.

Until Thursday Sept 11th. We could tell right away something was amiss during the load-in. There just a few tables with folks finishing up their dinners. Maybe 12 or 14 peeps. Not one soul at the bar. By the time we were set up, there was 1 table with 3 people, and 2 at the bar. Five people total. The drummer offered some encouragement about how the regulars would show up by the 2nd set.

One guy did come in, but when he looked around for his drinking buddies and didnt see them, he turned right around and walked out.

Next year I aint playing anywhere on 9/11.
 
#142
Once played to a completely empty house for two whole sets. Weekly gig on a small barge on the river, the deal was "if it's raining an hour before the start, stay at home". It was sunny an hour before, started raining on the way, and never let up.
 
#144
Yup, it was a small barge that stayed moored, and was really mainly a departure lounge for some tour boats and also a regular bar. So, we were there to keep the people waiting for the next boat entertained. A nice small weekly gig (as long as it didn't rain), paid OK, and we got fed during the break. Usually there'd be 10-50 people there, plus some listening from the shore, but one time it was totally empty.
 
#149
About 10 or so. Which sucked, but honestly I have one that was worse with MORE people.

My band in college was asked to open for a local act at a theater with a balcony in the back (about 150 ft from the stage). We did our promo work and got about 75 people to come out. Now keep in mind our fan-base was in the 18-23 age range with the majority being under 21. We arrive and begin to set up only to find that the venue decided last minute that the only "all ages" section of the venue for the night would be the balcony. We played a 1hr set, the fans loved the show, but there was NOBODY within 150 feet of us while we played.
 
#150
Two-night stand at a little dive bar a little ways out of our zip code. First night started out OK, as there were a bunch of people in the bar when we were setting up. Guitar player had a party of 10 on the way, with more likely to be in tow.

By show time, the bar was empty. Guitar player's posse showed up and was promptly kicked out before they even ordered drinks -- owner had a beef with one of the guys in the group. We played to 12 people combined for two nights, including the owner and bartender. The owner LOVED us, and apologized profusely for not having a crowd for us. Highlight of the night was watching one of the obnoxiously drunk regulars attempt to punch the "punching bag" arcade game... only to miss and smash his fist into the wall. Good times.
 
#152
Oh man, this thread...

I've been super fortunate to play shows that have been fairly well attended. We did drive two cars full of gear out of town to a small community to play for about 18 kids and got paid $5.

One time we opened for DOA and got paid in Pizza Hut P'zone vouchers. Good show though, lots of punk rock kids.
 
#153
It was an outdoor event which got hit with a driving rainstorm. We were in a leaky tent serenading the cars in a parking lot. There was a big crowd in the building behind us but later we found out they couldn't hear us at all. We're doing the same event this year because it was so much fun. :P
 
#154
The Saturday night after 9/11/2001 was a miserable gig. Hardly anyone there, and the few who did come were in a somber mood.
Also, in about 2000 when my band was just starting to play out, we had a crowd of probably about 20, including at least one hooker at the bar, at a seedy motel we played.
 
#158
We've all had our shares of paid rehearsals. What we usually do is speak with the wait staff between sets, and ask what THEY want to hear. Several times, they really got into it, and we got return gigs with better responses because we kept them happy.

Also, they are usually tired of hearing the same tired !@#$!#$ we are tired of playing, and end up playing better music.
 
#159
Just last weekend the bar gig that started out so promising with a full bar dwindled down through out the night until during our last set we where playing for our wives and the bar tender - it was a fun way to end the night as we where doing random requests - like the theme from King of the Hill to an assortment of country and classic rock songs not on the set list - hey do you know this one? Well I know a verse or two - ok count us in 1,2,3,4....
 
#160
mistergoats said:
Oh man, this thread...

I've been super fortunate to play shows that have been fairly well attended. We did drive two cars full of gear out of town to a small community to play for about 18 kids and got paid $5.

One time we opened for DOA and got paid in Pizza Hut P'zone vouchers. Good show though, lots of punk rock kids.
Click to expand...

Good gig story. ^ ^

I was in a jazz quartet who got hired to play at a kindergarten 'graduation' lol. On an Air Force Base!. It paid pretty decent, if i recall, but those poor kids (maybe a dozen or so). they sat on the floor in a semi-circle around the band with their jaws open.

Awkward doesnt even describe it!
 
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