Bilbo Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I have one on 25th August, then the next one is NEW YEAR'S 'kin EVE!! That is by far the worst it has been since I started gigging in 1980. I will value the time for writing and composing but, 'kin 'ell... So much for 'get a double bass and you'll get loads more gigs' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 (edited) My main band did our last (For atleast 12 months) on saturday. Now comes the bigger issue of finding another band. I have noticed that in 2012 we've only done a few gigs though, compared to the 15 or 20 we'd done by this time last year. Liam Edited August 15, 2012 by LiamPodmore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 time for a few more mustang sally cover-type numbers then Bilbo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Too true The only work i,m getting at the moment is playing line dancing tunes to the old folks at the British Legion. Still, its work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 A lot of pubs seem to have axed Saturday night bands - it's all Fridays now round my way and that's halved the number of slots available. We played 15 gigs last year (bloody amateurs) and we reckon we'll do better than that in 2012, but we're having to try MUCH harder to get new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben604 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 It's alright round our way (The Wirral & North West) we'll have done 60 by the end of the year. Move North! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Our last gig for a pub we've been playing in for years was last Saturday night. I don't know if there will be another round of bookings as the rumours are that live entertainment is getting the heave-ho. Heading into the September-November deadzone is not pretty that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='skidder652003' timestamp='1345037990' post='1772698'] time for a few more mustang sally cover-type numbers then Bilbo! [/quote] I'd rather eat my own liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 we are booking for Oct.... only pubs tho... parties take care of themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philwood Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='ben604' timestamp='1345038508' post='1772705'] It's alright round our way (The Wirral & North West) we'll have done 60 by the end of the year. Move North! [/quote] Likewise I've never been busier in the North West! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='philwood' timestamp='1345040773' post='1772741'] Likewise I've never been busier in the North West! [/quote] Out of interest, would that be doing originals or covers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben604 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quotecoversellyKnees' timestamp='1345041205' post='1772745'] Out of interest, would that be doing originals or covers? [/quote] We do covers. We're called The Lowtones. Playing The Swinging Arm on the 31st in Brokenhead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Stop playing jazz bilbo, you will get more gigs (just out of a 2 month slump myself, so fair enough I get your point) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 It seems the gigs are fewer and further between than ever. Even ten years ago, would we have entertained pay to play? Or selling a certain number of tickets before the venue would book? Or being expected to play for free and make the cash back by flogging merchandise to the pub drinkers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Plenty of gigs up here if you want to play R 'n' B or blues covers. Done that. It's dull. Function bands getting plenty of work too - but it's much harder for anything that's original or slightly left of centre... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 My band are so busy I have another bass player depping- he does about 3 gigs per month- I do the other 3. All function work- couple of residencies too. Time to cater for what the audience want? ( within what is reasonable- as in- songs all the band like and are funky ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Play that funky gibbon, white boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1345044689' post='1772795'] It seems the gigs are fewer and further between than ever. Even ten years ago, would we have entertained pay to play? Or selling a certain number of tickets before the venue would book? Or being expected to play for free and make the cash back by flogging merchandise to the pub drinkers? [/quote] I remember all these scams running 20 years ago, so yes. Yes we (well not us, other bands that went along with it) did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='ben604' timestamp='1345043866' post='1772784'] We do covers. We're called The Lowtones. Playing The Swinging Arm on the 31st in Brokenhead! [/quote] TBH I kinda guessed as much. Each to their own, but playing covers is just not my thing...we've found it nigh on impossible getting gigs round Wirral as an original outfit, they've almost all been in Liverpool. Still, I'd rather do 10 original gigs a year than 50 cover gigs, but then I'm not tring to make a living out of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1345044689' post='1772795'] It seems the gigs are fewer and further between than ever. Even ten years ago, would we have entertained pay to play? Or selling a certain number of tickets before the venue would book? Or being expected to play for free and make the cash back by flogging merchandise to the pub drinkers? [/quote] Interestingly there's an article just come on the BBC website about the free comedy gigs at the Edinburgh Fringe. Totally unheard of a few years back there will be something like 800 put on this year. The comics perform at a venue for free and pass a hat around. Since the vast majority of these performers will have had to fund travel to Edinburgh, food and lodgings, is it much different to 'paying to play'? Obviously the similarities with music only go so far, but it does seem to indicate a common trend. There seems to have been a 'game change'. Is it adapt or perish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I couldn't be busier - 5 gigs last week, got the next two weekends off while the drummer's on holiday then gigging every weekend til the end of the year. That said, we've worked fecking hard to ensure we're that busy. It is probably down to the sort of music on offer - these days, pubs are reluctant to take a punt on anything new or adventurous and stick to bands they know can pull/please the masses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Never mind where did all the gigs go, where did all the bleedin' 'bass player wanted' ads go? I've been looking since my last band broke up in January and the only real nibble I've had was with an originals band that I ultimately didn't think were right for me and turned down after a couple of weeks learning their material. Whilst doing that I missed out on applying to another band who play covers and apparently (according to a guy who I know that has seen them) are distinctly average. However I got in touch anyway and found out that this band had no less than EIGHT bass players they could have chosen from apart from me and the slot had been filled. Time to get some singing lessons from McGraham and switch to warbling instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 [quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1345046378' post='1772833'] Interestingly there's an article just come on the BBC website about the free comedy gigs at the Edinburgh Fringe. Totally unheard of a few years back there will be something like 800 put on this year. The comics perform at a venue for free and pass a hat around. Since the vast majority of these performers will have had to fund travel to Edinburgh, food and lodgings, is it much different to 'paying to play'? Obviously the similarities with music only go so far, but it does seem to indicate a common trend. There seems to have been a 'game change'. Is it adapt or perish? [/quote] We've all got so bored with hearing about the Recession that we've stopped noticing the bleedin' obvious. There's MUCH less cash out there than there used to be. It's not just pubs that are going bust and closing, it's all sorts of venues and potential venues. It's not just landlords who are feeling the pinch, so are a lot of people who five years ago would have hired a band for their 40th party or their Silver Wedding but will now settle for a selection of toons played through their daughter's iPad into the house PA. And that's just the demand side. Look at the supply side, where you have a growing number of people prepared to play for very little, or even nowt, and you have to question why people will continue to pay serious money to hire amateur or even semi-pro bands. I'm no happier with the situation than anyone else, but there's no point sticking our heads in the sand ... it's only going to get worse, and for several years yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabrothrax Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Gig? What is gig? Such is life that I currently can't afford to be in a band because it involves far too much time and money for travelling to where there are bands, and then more than I can sensibly afford on a crappy rehearsal room. So, I look for bassist wanted ads hoping there's something closer to home that I can stomach and get nowhere, look further afield (London) with a vague interest fully aware that I really can't afford to commit unless there are paid gigs waiting. I left a prog metal band 2 years ago because, even after being honest about it and scaling things back it simply cost too much to rehearse for what turned out to be 1 and a half gigs in the space of 8 months (from an established band that had hadsome very respectable gigs in and around london). I assumed the band had died a death as there is no internet presence left, but seems they've been continuously working on the album we were writing when I left despite many line up changes. they asked me to rejoin to help complete and promote the album, but have no gigs lined up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I'm surprised nobody's thought about a Basschat Festival - all the BC bands playing at one venue.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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