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What's the biggest gig you have played?


MacDaddy
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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1473094382' post='3126886']
Don't particularly want to rain on anyone's parade, but I'd actually be interested to know the names of some of the bands you guys were playing in rather than, 'Oh, I played here, here and here.'

[/quote]
But surely that would be terribly vulgar??

Biggest crowds I've played to have been a handful of main stages at some of the bigger northern bike rallies, about two to three thousand (bands were Spank The Monkey, or most recently Balls To The Wall).

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We played to about 1000 punters supporting Dr Feelgood at Manchester Poly (the Gypie Mayo era), and also less interestingly to about 3 pissheads at a busman's benefit at Sheffield City Hall during a strike in the early 1980s; this gig was notable due to the fact that enough beer was laid on in the dressing room to enable us all to refresh ourselves stupid after the gig and also smuggle a full barrel out in the van afterwards. Ah, youth...

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Real live people = 5000 at a classical gig with fireworks at Stow on the Wold (I played in a seven piece Jazz band as a support act).

I also did the National Lottery Live to 18 million viewers in 1994. It was live but we were miming to a recording we had done two hours earlier.

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5 hours ago I would have said max 30 at gentle quiet little local OM, but just now (1:00 am) back from playing an OM jam at Bourbon Street Blues Bar in Nashville to 150+, and the first time it's been loud enough I could feel my own bassline coming back up through my feet from the floorboards. Life is good.

Edited by josie
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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1473144469' post='3127246']
I'm still looking forward to doing a gig where I couldn't tell you the names and home address of all those in the audience.

Guess what I ticked. :D
[/quote]

Brilliant Rich, you gave me my first proper laugh of the day, thanks :lol:

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A fair few years ago I did 10 straight nights in Canada in an arena- that was sold out at 10k per night. Great times. Lots of fun.....both playing and partying!!

Did a half time at Old Trafford at 75k I think - but mimed!!

Done a few other stadiums as sports event ents - Wembley, Millennium Stadium, Murrayfield etc - they were all 30 / 40k I guess.

The biggest where people actually paid for tickets to see the band though was 6k - outdoor festival thing I headlined last year.
Did one a few weeks back at 4k I think.

I guess doing Radio 1 Maida Vale sessions and Jonathon Ross show had more viewers and listeners but they don't really count!!

I'd rather 100 people in the 'King's Knob' to be honest!!

Edited by bassintheface
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I went 5000 - 9,999 as being an outdoor event it wasn`t possible to be accurate. Was great though, however playing at The Rebellion Festival to 1000 topped it for me in terms of achievement as all of those there were paying customers, whereas the outdoor one was free, with a mixture of bands/acts etc.

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Probably about 400-500 ish in an old covers outfit at a Greenpeace festival just outside Brighton in late 90s using my beloved old Westone 1A. In terms of ratio of cost of gear to headcount of audience, that has to be doing well I guess.

Edited by MattM
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[quote name='bassintheface' timestamp='1473155320' post='3127381']
A fair few years ago I did 10 straight nights in Canada in an area - that was sold out at 10k per night. Great times. Lots of fun.

Did a half time at Old Trafford at 75k I think - but mimed!!

Done a few other stadiums as sports event ents - Wembley, Millennium Stadium, Murrayfield etc - they were all 30 / 40k I guess.

The biggest where people actually paid for tickets to see the band though was 6k - outdoor festival thing I headlined last year.
Did one a few weeks back at 4k I think.

I guess doing Radio 1 Maida Vale sessions and Jonathon Ross show had more viewers and listeners but they don't really count!!

I'd rather 100 people in the 'King's Knob' to be honest!!
[/quote]

Very impressive! Was this all with the same band? What are they called?

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My first ever EVER gig was supporting Dr Feelgood in Leeds. About 600 people there. All a bit downhill since then but in my current band, we typically do pub gigs and parties with the odd corporate up to a couple of hundred with the notable exception of a local festival we headline which attracts well over a thousand across the day. Happy days. BUT still remember playing in Pontefract where the crowd dwindled to just two people. They left and we played the remainder of that song to no one. I asked the bar man if he wanted us to carry on, he said nah - push off if you like on full pay!! Yee har

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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1473094382' post='3126886']
Don't particularly want to rain on anyone's parade, but I'd actually be interested to know the names of some of the bands you guys were playing in rather than, 'Oh, I played here, here and here.'
[/quote]

I play to an audience of ~160k every month. No band, just me on my own. I never start or finish a song and I spend more time talking about what I am playing. It's a pretty big gig though!

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1473083569' post='3126706']
Around 6.5M for approximately 5 seconds lol... But the audience has doubled with re-runs.. but no one was watching me.. Or realised I was there. And I wasn't the subject of the show. So that's the same as most gigs then...
[/quote]
And it was in the back garden if I recall?

Just read your other post - I was in the band doing for an awards ceremony doing the stings for the walk-ons. So I was playing about 20 seconds of a song at most! :P

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10,000+ at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.
Hitting a low E and feeling the rumble in that arena is one of the greatest moments of my life.... lol!

Also 10k plus at Dynamo Bucharest football stadium on a bill supporting Jethro Tull, alongside Saxon, Paradise Lost and others....

Edited by cetera
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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1473245217' post='3128259']

And it was in the back garden if I recall?

[/quote]


Yes! That's right. I was on Come Dine With Me when it was on prime time TV. Crazy high ratings; every few months I'd get random messages saying "I've just seen you on TV again!" Ha!

In a strange twist of fate I'm playing with the same drummer again for his latest band next month!

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1473195993' post='3127978']


I play to an audience of ~160k every month. No band, just me on my own. I never start or finish a song and I spend more time talking about what I am playing. It's a pretty big gig though!
[/quote]
[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1473245217' post='3128259']

{snip}

Just read your other post - I was in the band doing for an awards ceremony doing the stings for the walk-ons. So I was playing about 20 seconds of a song at most! :P
[/quote]

That's ace actually. At least if there were songs you didn't like, you'd only have to endure 20 seconds!

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