We only play a handful of the small pub/bar gigs. It's a hit or miss proposition. These small gigs can be great and they can also be disasters.
I've played small bar gigs that were much more satisfying than some big stage festival gigs.
I say to all of you that are new to gigging, don't be discouraged by a few bad gigs. You'll forget about them once you have a couple of " winners" under your belt.
Blue