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

#162
There are more than a few stories in this thread that sound familiar.

Years ago a band I was in got double booked, on a free multi-band "gig". Got put in a bingo room adjacent to the bar, where the band getting paid was playing.

Another notable one was during the heat of the day, summer, right in the sun, at BSU on a game day, hours before kickoff. I had just had my wisdom teeth pulled, and was on Vicodin. Our only audience was the marching band that marched by, playing, while we were playing.

Just last weekend had one that started empty, the inexperienced fill in bartender couldn't figure out how to turn off the house music at first. And whatever they were using for playback had about 2 minute gaps in between songs. We'd get the illusion it was off, start a song, and it would kick on, and bury us. (because it's a mostly acoustic bluegrass/folk band)
 
#164
Hi,

This crowd is pretty small. ;)

LBF-kidsworship-033014-002_zps34f7a3a8.jpg


Once in a while I play for the kids' worship at church. These are first through fourth graders. They love to make a joyful noise!


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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#167
Assuming you are talking about in a club 2 once very early on we were hired by this guy who was trying to build a following for his place in a absolutely worst location. Bad part of town people cleared the streets by dark yeah that kind of area. He was paying us well, so we said give it a shot. We advertised the smell out of it and a few days before the show someone shot someone and left him on the front stoop of the place even made the news and everything. Long story short we played to the owner and barmaid. Not in a club I played for my puppy the other night:bassist:

found the article

upload_2014-9-23_8-6-57.png
 
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#168
I've played shows at a small bar with only a few patrons....but the worst was a charity gig at the annual meeting of local Hospice....big crowd....but with <0 energy, seated, eating. We should've opened with Stairway To Heaven and closed with Highway to Hell......I'd have preferred 2 people dancing :-)
 
#169
Ever? Why zero people listening of course. Long time ago. We still got paid... Better than that, I (we) once showed up at a bar/restaurant to gig only to find the place was up in flames! Fire started in the kitchen and spread fast. We sat in the parking lot, gear never left the cars. We watched the fire dept. do their thing, then went home. No one was hurt fortunately, but no pay either...
 
#170
bassliner50 said:
Ever? Why zero people listening of course. Long time ago. We still got paid... Better than that, I (we) once showed up at a bar/restaurant to gig only to find the place was up in flames! Fire started in the kitchen and spread fast. We sat in the parking lot, gear never left the cars. We watched the fire dept. do their thing, then went home. No one was hurt fortunately, but no pay either...
Click to expand...

You guys shoulda done an acoustic set for the Firemen.
 
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#171
GoatGruff said:
"Do you know what it's like to be on the bill and to play for 15 minutes and the only people there to see you are the other bands and their girlfriends? Don't talk to me about Rock 'n' Roll! I'm out there in the clubs and on the streets and I'm living it! I am Rock 'n' Roll!" :bassist:
Click to expand...

Exactly. And its pure B.S. when the members of the other bands go out to smoke while your playing after you just sat through theor set that sounds like 90% of the other bands in the area. being heavy for the sake of heavy is getting old.
 
#172
There's a story around here that when the Police FIRST came to Vancouver before they hit it big, they played to less than 10 people at The Commodore.

On the road, playing 6 nights a week, I played to just the bartender many times. I think the gig that stands out the most was this weekend gig in Port Alice, BC. Only about 1500 people in the whole town. We had played there before and did awesome! Packed the only place both nights and had a GREAT time! So, naturally, we got asked to come back. We decided to bring the wives and make a mini vacation out of it.

Friday was great! Packed house, 2 encores. Then came Saturday. It just so happened that it was there annual pig roast. We got invited and went for the afternoon and had a blast. The problem was when it came to play the entire town was still at the pig roast. We played to my wife, the guitarists wife, and one guy who wouldn't go to the party because his ex was there.

The entire town had tried to get the bartender/owner to just close up and move us to the pig roast to play. Even offered to pay the guy, but he just wouldn't go for it. Talk about a long miserable night!
 
#174
A couple months ago, my classic rock band had a gig at a place that was basically a restaurant in a rural town, started playing maybe at 8:00 or so. There were a few tables of people still eating dinner when we started. After a while they finished their dinners and left. And that was pretty much it. We played out our sets till 10:30 or 11:00 or something, but by 9:00 it was largely a public rehearsal.
 
#175
samson3382 said:
SO TRUE!
This is a disease here in boise. I Think it might be a combination of a tough guy thing and being 10-20 years behind the rest of the country. I can think of maybe a couple of my musician peers (I'm guilty too) who haven't ever been in some kind of ____metal band over the years.
Click to expand...

Im in a metal band but we are more old school, Maiden, Mercyful Fate with a bit of thrash and 95% clean vocals. What happened to melody in metal ? Its all just chug chug chug now. Want to see a room clear out fast ? Come see us play in the middle or a death metal or metal core show. LOL
 
#176
Some friends of mine have a ____metal band, (Im ignorant to metal sub genres) it's a mix of clean, and very intense brutal vocals. (15 years and hasn't damaged his voice, he must know what he's doing)

Anyway, they recently played in a nearby hick town. One of their followers/good friends arranged a shuttle van to take a load of drunk friends out there for his bachelor party. They said once the brutal vocals kicked in, the locals booked it and they had the bar to themselves for the bachelor party.
 
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#178
Last minute invite to play a bar, as the scheduled band cancelled.

Before our last set, we had about a dozen or so people still in the bar (mostly foot traffic from the collection of bars and clubs in the area), by the end of our set, there were three people in the bar (the bartender, waitress, and drunk guy waiting for his cab).
 
#180
Played a country club fund raiser event a couple of years ago. It was very cold and we were setup outside. By the time we started to play, people were at a silent auction (or didn't want to be outside). About 3 people watched us. We had a blast and gave them a show still.... And made good money too.

Had another show that was shaping up to be that way once and I did what I never do (since it was going to be basically a rehearsal)... Took a couple of tequila shots and a beer right before we started. Surprisingly, all of a sudden a rush of people walked in the venue and we had a pretty descent crowd.... My lightweight self was totally caught of guard and struggled for the first couple of tunes.... Did I mention I kinda direct the band?
 

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