How many this year?

[Muzz]

AFAICR (my paperwork is dreadful), it'll be 55 this year with two bands, although the bulk of those is with the trio.

To answer the latest question above, the trio function work is mostly from the website/recommendations, with a spattering of agency stuff when it's slowed down a bit. The other band stuff is good old-fashioned phoning landlords...

[ambient]

51 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Been quite an enlightening thread!

We've got a number who are doing more than 100 gigs a year: 

@acidbass 185; @Jus Lukin 172; @casapete 150 - are you guys all full time pro's?

and what about @M@23 with 96 and @ambient at 72 - semi pro?

@chris_b 70; @mcnach 57; @ g jones 56 and @ kk jale 51 - what about you guys? Long established weekend warriors? Also working full or part time as well?

All very impressive guys! Do you guys all use agencies or is it a case of long established and recurring relationships with pubs and clubs?

I'm a professional musician, though most of my income is from teaching music. Most of my gigs tend to be bunched up. One week in April was pretty mad with a gig on the Sunday, then two in Paris Tuesday and Wednesday, then two more on the Saturday and Sunday. In fact April was my busiest month of the year with 13 gigs, including the highlight for me personally one with Steve Lawson right at the end.

Edited December 30, 2017 by ambient

[casapete]

25 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Been quite an enlightening thread!

We've got a number who are doing more than 100 gigs a year: 

@acidbass 185; @Jus Lukin 172; @casapete 150 - are you guys all full time pro's?

and what about @M@23 with 96 and @ambient at 72 - semi pro?

@chris_b 70; @mcnach 57; @ g jones 56 and @ kk jale 51 - what about you guys? Long established weekend warriors? Also working full or part time as well?

All very impressive guys! Do you guys all use agencies or is it a case of long established and recurring relationships with pubs and clubs?

I'm a pro player, have been for approx. 25 years now.

My main band is a tribute band that tours UK theatres, 'The ELO Experience'. I usually perform

around 80 gigs a year with them. I'm also in two other regular setups - a country rock band called

'The Fork Handles' (I know...) and also an acoustic duo with a weekly pub residency. Throw in some

deps and function gigs as and when and there it is.

In terms of getting the gigs, my main band has built up enough of a reputation over 10 years for 

theatres to know what's what. Our frontman handles all enquiries and organises the schedule.

The other stuff I do is fairly local, and again, we've been doing it a while and we're all quite well 

known in the area, which helps a lot. 

[Paul S]

14 minutes ago, casapete said:

 

My main band is a tribute band that tours UK theatres, 'The ELO Experience'. I usually perform

around 80 gigs a year with them.

Just to say at this point that I have seen The ELO Experience a couple of times and they put on a totally fabulous show.  Pete is spot on.  Plus they have young ladies with short sparkly dresses!

 

I think I did about 15 gigs this year.  Room for more, I think, although I have other stuff in my life that probably takes up more time than playing live.

Edited December 30, 2017 by Paul S

[ambient]

15 minutes ago, casapete said:

I'm a pro player, have been for approx. 25 years now.

My main band is a tribute band that tours UK theatres, 'The ELO Experience'. I usually perform

around 80 gigs a year with them. I'm also in two other regular setups - a country rock band called

'The Fork Handles' (I know...) and also an acoustic duo with a weekly pub residency. Throw in some

deps and function gigs as and when and there it is.

In terms of getting the gigs, my main band has built up enough of a reputation over 10 years for 

theatres to know what's what. Our frontman handles all enquiries and organises the schedule.

The other stuff I do is fairly local, and again, we've been doing it a while and we're all quite well 

known in the area, which helps a lot. 

One of my students saw an ELO tribute recently, wonder if it was you? He said the band were excellent.

[casapete]

Thanks chaps! Didn't think you'd noticed the ladies in the string section Paul? 

ambient - there are one or two other ELO bands doing the circuit, so let me know where/when

before I bask in the glory. Cheers.

[Harryburke14]

after a very promising start of the year (new band with very talented musicians), I have ended the year on a grand total of 1.5 gigs - one as a stand in for a friends band and the half a one being from what was a rehearsal being put on the venues stage and about 25 people coming in and watching (although probably because the bar was in the same room as the stage).

Still, the bar for improvement in 2018 is currently set quite low.

[ambient]

14 minutes ago, casapete said:

Thanks chaps! Didn't think you'd noticed the ladies in the string section Paul? 

ambient - there are one or two other ELO bands doing the circuit, so let me know where/when

before I bask in the glory. Cheers.

It would have been around Birmingham somewhere. He does go to the Robin quite often, and it was quite recent. The guy's 80, I hope I'm as active when I'm his age.

[casapete]

3 minutes ago, ambient said:

It would have been around Birmingham somewhere. He does go to the Robin quite often, and it was quite recent. The guy's 80, I hope I'm as active when I'm his age.

We did both Bromsgrove and Cannock in November this year, along with 2 nights in Solihull in September, so possibly one of those? 

Our audiences are quite often not in their first flush of youth as well....

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Been quite an enlightening thread!

We've got a number who are doing more than 100 gigs a year: 

@acidbass 185; @Jus Lukin 172; @casapete 150 - are you guys all full time pro's?

and what about @M@23 with 96 and @ambient at 72 - semi pro?

@chris_b 70; @mcnach 57; @ g jones 56 and @ kk jale 51 - what about you guys? Long established weekend warriors? Also working full or part time as well?

All very impressive guys! Do you guys all use agencies or is it a case of long established and recurring relationships with pubs and clubs?

 

Me, I'm working full time, and I have a girlfriend but no kids so it's pretty easy, especially when I can bring her with me the times we play at some fun festivals or at interesting locations (for instance, we had 3 gigs in Skye one weekend last year, so I drove myself with my gf rather than in the van, and we did a little tourism too). A total of 57 gigs in this past year may sound like every weekend is taken, however it's not unusual to have a few very busy weekends, multiple gigs on one day even (two of the bands I play in have often been at the same festivals, which makes summer quite busy that way)... so there's still lots of free time left.

We book our own gigs. After spending time seeking them, now we get lots of gigs when they just contact us. If we get a gig somewhere beyond a certain distance, we can often arrange to have another gig nearby to help us return home with a positive balance... but it took years to know the right people. One of the bands, our gigs come mostly from one single member who just seems to know everybody all over the UK: again, he's been doing this for a long time. We got lucky with him.

Edited December 30, 2017 by mcnach

[M@23]

For me @Al Krow I still have a 'normal' job. But, about a year ago, I cut my hours right back. I was full time and always have been. It was a big decision with a toddler and another baby on the way, but I actually earn more than I did allowing more time to focus on music. 

The main band I'm in now, is a functions band that are lucky enough to be well connected. We have agency support as well as contracts with 3 holiday parks, plus a couple of well connected booking agents. This was the bands first full year with this lineup and current setup. We also have the option of solo/duo/trio/electric/acoustic, so can cover literally any situation. Sometimes the guitarist and singer do duo gigs, sometimes it's the guitarist and me. I reckon the band probably did about 120 this year including the ones without me. 

Next year is looking even busier, I'm hoping to do a bit of teaching and maybe even a bit more guitar playing and hopefully this time next year I'll be full time with music. 

[DarkHeart]

I only joined my new band in July but I`ve done 14 which i`m more than happy with, 2018 starts next Saturday with a gig in my local! My 2018 gig money will be paying for my next Alpher

[funkyspuke]

On 31/12/2017 at 15:19, DarkHeart said:

I only joined my new band in July but I`ve done 14 which i`m more than happy with, 2018 starts next Saturday with a gig in my local! My 2018 gig money will be paying for my next Alpher

I couldn't think of anything better to spend my money on .. I'd be murdered by my wife if I ordered No.3!

[DaytonaRik]

Think Lizzy intentionally cut back to about 25-30 gigs last year but a change to my out of hours support regime means I've had to leave.  I've set up a rock covers project just for fun/occasional gigs with a strict understanding that we'll be playing no more than 1 gig per month on average as we all have work commitments and/or other musical projects.  That will suit me down to the ground after 3 years of 2-3 gigs per month, usually with a 100-120 mile round trip leaving little/no time for a weekend social life!

[drTStingray]

On 30 December 2017 at 14:23, casapete said:

I'm a pro player, have been for approx. 25 years now.

My main band is a tribute band that tours UK theatres, 'The ELO Experience'. I usually perform around 80 gigs a year with them. 

You have a very impressive advertising poster at either Bromley South or Beckenham Junction station currently for a show at the Churchill Theatre - equally eye catching and impressive as the other ones for West End shows and pantos - I too noticed the sparkly clad ladies, but on the poster. Are you the show that the actual ELO band turned up to a gig of? I read in an interview with Lee Pomeroy they'd done that!! 

[casapete]

Cheers - we are playing the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on Wednesday 7th March. We have 2 cellists and a violinist, all ladies although can’t guarantee how sparkly they may be 

We did get a visit from Lee and some of the other guys from ELO to a gig in Richmond a while back. They were rehearsing with Take That nearby and decided to come to see us afterwards. They introduced themselves after the gig, and we chatted for a while. Lee is a great bloke, and it was really good to see them, and quite nerve wracking too!  I would love to see the article where we get a mention if you could let me know? Thanks.

[radiophonic]

Something in the 25-30 range I think. A lot of it has been quite random though. I was the new guy so I just went with the existing bookings, irrespective.  It's a strong idea music-wise, but my mission for 2018 is to instil some focus. 

[Guest Jecklin]

'15, '16 and '17 have all averaged 12 gigs a year for my solo material and related guest sessions - www.thomasstonemusic.com

I would love to be doing the 50 odd + shows That some mention in this thread, but as someone making original music bridging ambient, electronica and contemporary classical/chamber music, there aren't many more quality gigs than one a month.

2018 is off to the one a month average, but we'll see if it will build.

This time last year i had high hopes of European dates, they never worked out, so I'm even more keen now

 

Edited January 6, 2018 by Jecklin

[Kirky]

57 for me in 2017, with two bands.  I think its probably the most i've ever done in a single year.  I'm 54 and a typical weekend warrior.  Both bands book their own gigs, and we're lucky that there still seem to be a lot of pub venues in Yorkshire although it can involve a lot of driving.  We were in  Selby last night, York tonight.  Already 22 gigs booked for this year, and I'd expect ending up with around the same as 2017.

[Cat Burrito]

Somewhere between 40-50 shows in 2017. An obvious highlight would be the O2 back in March but I like the small tours we do and playing Liverpool after a BBC session was another high. This year will be a dramatic drop as 3 of my bands are recording so this impacts on the live appearances. 

[dmccombe7]

10 hours ago, casapete said:

Cheers - we are playing the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on Wednesday 7th March. We have 2 cellists and a violinist, all ladies although can’t guarantee how sparkly they may be 

We did get a visit from Lee and some of the other guys from ELO to a gig in Richmond a while back. They were rehearsing with Take That nearby and decided to come to see us afterwards. They introduced themselves after the gig, and we chatted for a while. Lee is a great bloke, and it was really good to see them, and quite nerve wracking too!  I would love to see the article where we get a mention if you could let me know? Thanks.

My mates a fanatical ELO fan travels down to the London gigs and pays the extra to be up front in VIP areas kind of thing. I mentioned your band and he said you were the best of the ELO tribute bands he had seen and highly recommended seeing you. That's quite a compliment from him as he is a music fan and goes to gigs almost every week from ELO to Bowie tributes to Stranglers to some of the 80's synth pop bands that have made a revival last few years.

Edited January 6, 2018 by dmccombe7

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, Kirky said:

57 for me in 2017, with two bands.  I think its probably the most i've ever done in a single year.  I'm 54 and a typical weekend warrior.  Both bands book their own gigs, and we're lucky that there still seem to be a lot of pub venues in Yorkshire although it can involve a lot of driving.  We were in  Selby last night, York tonight.  Already 22 gigs booked for this year, and I'd expect ending up with around the same as 2017.

Sounds really good! I'm also in 2 bands and a weekend warrior, (but a whole year younger ) and we will hopefully be getting around 2/3 the number of gigs your two bands are getting in 2018, so not quite in your established league yet. Be interested in swapping notes with you at some point!

Edited January 6, 2018 by Al Krow

[casapete]

5 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

My mates a fanatical ELO fan travels down to the London gigs and pays the extra to be up front in VIP areas kind of thing. I mentioned your band and he said you were the best of the ELO tribute bands he had seen and highly recommended seeing you. That's quite a compliment from him as he is a music fan and goes to gigs almost every week from ELO to Bowie tributes to Stranglers to some of the 80's synth pop bands that have made a revival last few years.

Thanks. Always good to know a music fan appreciates what we do, as we are primarily a theatre band.

I always check out anyone in the audience wearing official ELO T-shirts etc to make sure they stay till

the end!!

Any links to the Lee Pomeroy article you mentioned greatly appreciated.  

[drTStingray]

36 minutes ago, casapete said:

Any links to the Lee Pomeroy article you mentioned greatly appreciated.  

I spent an hour or so searching for this last night without luck I'm afraid sorry - went through a pile of recent BGMs. I'll have another look tonight - I'm just wondering if I actually read it on here or in a newspaper article or something. 

[Skybone]

Some would be nice