How was it for you?

[Bilbo]

Around this time of year, I like to look at the previous year's gigging and see where my 'career' (such as it is) is going (or not). I am down on last year's total of 60 and have only had 54 gigs this year (including one yet to happen on NYE). That's the bad news. The good news is that, during 2014, amongst the handful of journeyman gigs, I got to play with Lewis Wright (vibes), Art Themen (sax), Mark Lockheart (sax), Chris Ingham (piano), Osian Roberts (sax), Steve Waterman (tpt), Alan Barnes (sax/clarinet), Georgia Mancio (voc), Dave O'Higgins (sax - in a trio FFS), Josh Kemp (sax), Roger Beaujolais (vibes), Kelvin Christiane (sax), Pete King (alto), Andi Hopgood (voc), Pete Oxley (gtr), Byron Wallen (tpt), Brandon Allen (sax), Jason Robello (piano), Jim Mullen (gtr), Julian Siegel (sax), Matt Wates (sax), Anita Wardell (voc), Eddie Parker (fl), Ivo Neame (piano), Mick Hanson (gtr), Malcolm Miles (sax), Andy Watson (gtr), Martin Shaw (tpt), Kevin Flanagan (sax), Andrea Vicari (piano), Julian Nicholas (sax), Dave Gordon (piano) and Tommaso Starace (sax).

I can live with the disappointment

I guess that's what you get for running your own Jazz venue!!

How was your year?

[KevB]

Pretty much as previous year, though I don't keep a record of how many I've done. Won't be anywhere near 60 though, in fact I prefer to keep it to less than 50 so I have time to do other non music related things in my spare time ( 3 per month is actually fine for me so that's even under 40).

[BigRedX]

Pretty damn good.

The Terrortones have continued to move forward. After the line-up troubles of 2013 we now have a great guitarist and drummer in the band.

We recorded and released our mini-album "The MonsterPussy Sessions" which got us some great reviews including several in printed magazines both in the UK and abroad (as well as continued support from various on-line magazines and blogs), and a track on a cover-mount CD.

Finally persuaded local radio to play our songs and would have got some national radio airplay if it hadn't been for the unacceptable lyrical content of the track they wanted to play!

Did a couple of mini tours with mixed results as regards the audience but made lots of contacts for hopefully playing bigger and better things next year. Learnt that when it comes to promotion at the moment if we want the job done properly we're still best off doing it ourselves. Come NYE we'll have done 40 gigs this year and overall we've made a small profit from playing live - not bad for a relatively unknown band playing their own material.

We'll be starting the new year by going into the studio to record a proper full-length album. I can't wait!

[Low End Bee]

Pretty poor. Only 7 gigs. Lowest ever for the Jetsonics. 4 of them were very good though.
On the plus side I managed to bash out a higher than average amount of decent new songs.
I need more than that for 2015. So I'm getting together a not your usual covers band and another originals band with a line up that's got me very excited.

[KevB]

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1418830415' post='2633800']
another originals band with a line up that's got me very excited.
[/quote]

Don't tell me you've found enough Brentford FC players that are also musicians to make up a combo?

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1418830641' post='2633806']
Don't tell me you've found enough Brentford FC players that are also musicians to make up a combo?
[/quote]

Lord save us from mixing with our heroes out of context.....
The drummer is from Brentford and is a bit tasty though.

[chaypup]

Very good-ish.
Got residencies for 2 of my bands, started getting dep work in and am almost making a living just from playing bass.

[spike]

46 gigs with my covers band this year which is the most I've ever done in a year, so I'm very pleased with that. Already got 30 gigs for next year, all repeat bookings.

[Truckstop]

91 gigs this year (including 6 to come over Xmas period and NYE). 34 more than 2013. Over half of my appearances this year have been in a dep capacity for three bands, the rest with a band that I've now left with the intention of pushing my new functions band in 2015.

Good year for me, earnt enough to keep everyone happy!

Truckstop

[DaveFry]

2014 ; first ever gig on bass ! and first time playing in public in 30 years.

Back in the summer I carried my cheapest-of-the-cheapest double bass down to the local Seaside Festival and played and sang solo for 1/2 an hour on the roof of the cafe where my niece's husband works . Got a free breakfast and aching ribs the next day . Thinking about applying for a busking licence next year .

30 years ago I was workiing piano/lead vox 6 nights a week when I decided to give music a rest for a couple of weeks . Didn't play a thing for 25 years and gave all my instruments/gear away . Now I have arthritis in the little finger of my right hand and piano is painful so I took up DB 2 years ago . Hard work , but you only play one note at a time and you get two hands to make it with ! And you can dance with it . Wish I had taken it up years ago ...

See what 2015 brings .

[Adrenochrome]

Interesting! My main band was going from strength to strength and getting loads of good bookings (and offers) and we'd written a few decent originals to go with our covers. I've had some major health problems and so I had to retire from regular gigging .

3 operations and one pacemaker later and I'm now the stand-in for the new bass player in the main band, as well as keeping going with the acoustic side project, . I have a gig on Saturday with the main band a gig on Boxing Day with the acoustic project, so I have enough to look forward to at the moment. And I'm also well enough to attempt a 7 mile off road race on Boxing Day morning so I have plenty to be thankful for.

[Hector]

'Kin ell Rob, that's a hell of a roster! Most of the UK's finest. Need to start my own venue asap....

[spongebob]

Pretty good - will be 36 gigs for our R'n'B trio by the 31st. Given the climate, I'm very happy with that.

Recorded and released the EP, and managed to shift some as well, outside of the UK as well.

Changed drummer, which could have caused problems, but was actually seamless and we're all happy!

Now booking for 2015, with recording pencilled in for February, for a follow-up EP. Hopefully to contain my first ever-to-be-recorded song I've written - so a personal goal to be aimed for already!

[neepheid]

A decent year. 22 gigs played (by far my busiest year to date), and a couple of them were double gigs (playing with 2 different bands on the same night). Highlights - Playing Oxjam, 2 gigs in 2 different venues in one night, The Inevitable Teaspoons and FaR's first appearances at The Moorings Bar in Aberdeen (something of a local rite of passage), and playing in a couple of places (Edinburgh, Perth) for the first time.

Did some recording, released an EP with FaR.

Left FaR a couple of months ago to focus on the The Inevitable Teaspoons, because that's the band I'm writing with.

Pleased with how my songwriting is going considering this is my first concerted effort to do so. 2 finished songs, 1 joint venture and 2 more in the pipeline along with various fragments which may become useful at some point.

Next year I'd really like to get some recording done with the 'Spoons, write more songs and get more gigs, pretty much in that order of priority.

Edited December 17, 2014 by neepheid

[waynepunkdude]

Music has taken a back seat this year, I still practice with my cover band which I really enjoy but I only played 1 gig all year, I'm enjoying racing my bike and running too much to care at the moment.

[Telebass]

Bad year. The Rock n Roll Outlaws are finishing on 20th December. When that was announced early in 2014, the bandleader also stopped accepting gigs, so my band income (which is a fair slice of my total income normally) took an immediate nosedive from which it has yet to recover. However, we were booked up well in advance to some extent, so it worked out that we lost around 30% of gigs compared to normal, ie 42 gigs instead or around 65. Three of those gigs were with other bands.

So, I really need to find other musicians around here that want to play for more than the thrill of just being a weekend warrior!

[blue]

This was my 3rd complete year with Maple Road, we played 65 gigs (bars/ clubs and fairs and festivals) with a few more left before year end.

I would love to do more gigs, I'm one of the few that has all the time in the world for music and gigging. I have no other interests. It was a good year gig wise and my background vocals have significantly improved.

My goal is to move up the ladder to a regional, national or international touring band.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1418843653' post='2634034'] So, I really need to find other musicians around here that want to play for more than the thrill of just being a weekend warrior![/quote]

You and me both. It's been really tough trying to get in with musicians that gig full time. I am going to work hard at more networking. I want to gig 4-5 times a week.

Blue

[Telebass]

Exactly. So hard to find people who want to gig more than once a week. Ive advertised, and get people answering the ad still saying they don't want to gig more than once or twice a week (or sometimes a month!). To which the answer was, "why are you talking to me, then?"
D'oh...

[Bilbo]

Next year is shaping up well too. Christian Brewer, Simon Spillett, Kate Williams, Gareth Lockrane, Art Themen, Quentin Collins, Jim Mullen, Zoe Francis, Christine Tobin, Clark Tracey, Phil Robson, Sara Mitra, Tim Giles, Alan Barnes.. and more to come!!

[wateroftyne]

Dreadful. Only 40 - probably my lowest tally in years and years.

My main bands have become 'more selective'. Which is good, but it means we play less. I'd rather play more. Hopefully next year will be better.

[RhysP]

One gig this year.
Hoping to scale it back a bit in 2015.

[scalpy]

Good- nearly 80 or thereabouts, but I am including am-dram weeks, so that clocks up loads if you do 9 shows. Other gigs have ranged from been booked to play tree planting ceremonies to London Jazz festival, at the Barbican. Knackering all in all but very conscious this might be the only chance to be as busy, so making hay while the sun shines.

[Toasted]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1418828243' post='2633762']I got to play with Lewis Wright (vibes), Art Themen (sax), Mark Lockheart (sax), Chris Ingham (piano), Osian Roberts (sax), Steve Waterman (tpt), Alan Barnes (sax/clarinet), Georgia Mancio (voc), Dave O'Higgins (sax - in a trio FFS), Josh Kemp (sax), Roger Beaujolais (vibes), Kelvin Christiane (sax), Pete King (alto), Andi Hopgood (voc), Pete Oxley (gtr), Byron Wallen (tpt), Brandon Allen (sax), Jason Robello (piano), Jim Mullen (gtr), Julian Siegel (sax), Matt Wates (sax), Anita Wardell (voc), Eddie Parker (fl), Ivo Neame (piano), Mick Hanson (gtr), Malcolm Miles (sax), Andy Watson (gtr), Martin Shaw (tpt), Kevin Flanagan (sax), Andrea Vicari (piano), Julian Nicholas (sax), Dave Gordon (piano) and Tommaso Starace (sax).[/quote]

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[Lozz196]

Bit of a good year altogether, but some bad in there as well. Left 2 bands at the start of the year, neither being part of the bad bits I might add, had just run my time with each. Current band gone from strength to strength, supported loads of punk bands I`ve admired and listened to for years. Culminates with a gig at The 100 Club tomorrow night, so all good there.

The bad? Well I`ve just found out that the drummer of one of the bands I left died on Tuesday. Terry was undoubtedly the best drummer I`ve ever had the pleasure to play with, and he was as good a person as he was a drummer, if not better. I`m shocked beyond belief.