Pub Gigs are they worth the hassle?

[ClassicVibes]

I gave up pub gigs years ago... couldn't be arsed anymore with the load in/out which was always a nightmare, the endless requests, idiots asking to have a go on your instrument or trying to get on stage, drunk punters wanting to fight you or each other and dodgy landlords who said they 'didn't have the cash right now'.

Started playing clubs instead and my experience was a complete 180. To boot, we were paid more and the clientele weren't idiots! 

[PaulWarning]

48 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

  Then there is the setup where you and the drummer carry loads of stuff in and set it up while the guitarist treats you to half an hour of pentatonic whiddling and stupid volume, while asking if we are ready for sound check, the breakdown where the guitarist gets his amp and goes and the singer goes to chat up people while you and the drummer break everything down.

 

you too, huh? 

[Muzz]

1 hour ago, Elfrasho said:

As others say, most pubs are absolutely fine. Cant recall ever playing a pub where I've felt in danger of any sort, and i can only think of one bar fight whilst playing. 

Load in/loud out vary massively too, as with any type of gig - some of the wedding gigs I've done have been horrific. But I think that is more down to what gear you decide to take, and if the band have a sensible PA. Some of the PA's ive seen in pubs are simply stupid. And then theres the drummers that insist on having 20 cymbals to play some classic rock covers, or the guitarists who need to have their 2 4x12's to play to about 30 folk.  If the band are sensible, then load in/load outs are ok. My load in is on trip. bass on my back. Amp in one hand, the other hand free to open doors. 

If you enjoy playing the set, then I think the positives outweigh the negatives so go for it!

This, completely - some of the worst load in/out experiences have been weddings and clubs (not many pubs up four flights of stairs), and while we play some, erm, lively gigs, the worst punch-ups have been at weddings...and there's very very rarely security at weddings...

The load in and out, though, are as hard as your gear makes it, as is the pre- and post- gig experience of other band members. You lot have played in some terrible bands...

Bottom line is, play the pubs you want to play, and don't play the ropey ones.

[ubit]

We haven't played for a couple of years due to my job but pretty much all of our gigs were in pubs so we had no choice. I do realise it can be hazardous to your expensive equipment. I once had a drunk girl fall right onto my very expensive Status bass which was on a stand. Another time a punter tried to put his pint on our mixer. 

[ezbass]

I’d put up with a little hassle right now if I could gig or even rehearse.  

[steantval]

3 hours ago, oldslapper said:

I think we tend to hear more horror stories than “no incident” accounts to be fair. It’s likely that most pub gigs go without incident, but that’s not much of a story is it?

Dependent on the reputation of the pub in question of course, but I’ve seen as many fights, stooopid behaviour at weddings/club gigs as pub gigs. Alcohol + human can equal @resehole, geography isn’t the issue.

At least with most pub gigs you’re likely to finish at 11:00-12:00, but with less pay. As opposed to function gig that may pay better, but often finish later. 
Maybe try a couple of gigs, see how it goes? 

Personally if you join a band you need to commit and not join with a half arsed attitude, I would not entertain anyone with the idea of trying a couple of gigs to see if they liked it.

[warwickhunt]

40 years of pub gigging experience (inc 62 gigs in 2019).  

x1 punch up in the pub which stopped the gig (band not involved and paid in full).

x1 threat of physical violence to me... by a drugged up bouncer (I packed gear back in the car and told management what I thought of their staff).

x2 roll up to gig and told it was off/alternative band (despite contacting venue week before and sending posters).

Loads of gigs with pants access/egress/parking (inc carrying gear hoisted above head height to get through packed dance floors etc).  Countless issues with dodgy electrics/tripping and delayed starts ("Sorry lads, would you mind doing your first set at 23:00 instead of 20:00?") or playing to just the bar staff.  

All of the above offset with 100's (1000's) of great gigs with appreciative audiences/management,  reasonable/good pay, excellent craic and dare I say; playing with like minded superb musicians!  

The day the negatives outweigh the positives, I stop pub gigging but for now... can we have it back please.  

[Lozz196]

Interestingly the only aggro I’ve really seen at pub gigs is covers bands gigs, on the originals circuit it’s been pretty much bother free (aside from the dancing, which on the punk/Oi circuit looks like a fight anyway).

[peteb]

Over the years, I’ve seen one or two fights, a few pain in the a*se landlords and several times where they have booked the wrong band. This compares to hundreds of perfectly good gigs. The main issue has been perfectly well-intentioned punters putting their beer down in places where it shouldn’t be, so you have to try and make your stage area pretty much idiot proof.

If you are going to play live regularly, then it generally means (for most of us) that you are going to play a fair few pubs. You take the rough with the smooth, but generally most pub gigs are great. I remember seeing Lee Sklar saying once that when he is off the road, he looks forward to playing bar gigs with his friends around town. If it’s good enough for Sklar, then it’s certainly good enough for me…

[gjones]

My band play in music venues with a bar (is that a pub?) all backline and PA provided. The rest of our gigs are festivals.

I was never keen on playing in pubs in the past, as we don't play the usual pub band fodder. 

Many years ago I played in a bar band, because that was my only source of income. Many times the audience were not in the least bit interested in what we played but I just treated it as a paid rehearsal. 

Once, at a duo gig, we played to an almost empty bar, it was pretty humiliating. The only guy who was there was the pub drunk, who started howling like a dog halfway through a song. I couldn't take it anymore, so stood up, went over to him, threw him over my shoulder and physically chucked him into the street.

Amazingly the landlord asked us to come back the next week............... we declined.

[Japhet]

My approach has always been that I play the gig for free because I enjoy it but I get paid £50 or whatever for lugging the gear in and out and putting up with the odd pi55head. I've seen 10x more aggro at functions than I've ever seen in pubs too.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Japhet

[ezbass]

6 minutes ago, Japhet said:

I've seen 10x more aggro at functions than I've ever seen in pubs too.

Weddings! I’ve witnessed more fights at these ‘joyous occasions’ than pubs.

[skidder652003]

5 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

We play mainly pub gigs. Yes, there is hassle, loading out through a load of drunk people who are in your way (never really an issue going in), drunk people that want to join in and fall over your equipment, drunk people that get really stroppy that you won't play any oasis, drunk people spilling stuff over your equipment. So yes, drunk people in general (who I have never liked).  Then there is the setup where you and the drummer carry loads of stuff in and set it up while the guitarist treats you to half an hour of pentatonic whiddling and stupid volume, while asking if we are ready for sound check, the breakdown where the guitarist gets his amp and goes and the singer goes to chat up people while you and the drummer break everything down.

But I miss it a lot, I see the calendar reminding me of pub gigs that we aren't doing. The one in the pub that is too small and you keep hitting people with the bass, the ones where they are going to go mad for a couple of songs, the ones where they try to join in, and the ones where they just flat out ignore you, and I have missed every one.

So yes, it very much is worth it.

ah the Volounteer in Honiton eh?

[musicbassman]

I think that getting ANY gig will be a major achievement for the foreseeable future.

If wedding events are allowed in 2021 then I guess there'll be a short lived shortage of decent bands for these due to carry-over of cancelled events from 2020, but apart from that, I'm sorry to say I think the club/pub scene is pretty well over. You all know the reasons, they're well versed, and Covid has been the last straw.

And I can't imagine what form of 'social gathering with music' will replace this, if anything.  😳

[inthedoghouse]

5 hours ago, Vinny said:

I've seen a guitarist spend that long 'setting up' a f****** distortion pedal! 

A guitarist in a band I was in had a Kemper amp - it was one of the reasons I left!

[ubit]

There was one pub we used to play where you could guarantee a fight every weekend. We devised a plan to immediately slip into Survivors eye of the Tiger if we seen a fight kick off.

[jgmh315]

If I had the chance I’d gig in a pub tonight. And next week, and the week after etc. Love it.

[sbrag]

Started in a new band in January after 3 or 4 years off playing and managed 2 good fun pub gigs before covid kicked in. It made me realise what I'd been missing. I think they are worth it but as others have said as long as it is a decent venue.

Edited May 3, 2020 by sbrag

[Dan Dare]

Rough with the smooth has to be the motto. Pub gigs are generally all right. You encounter the odd bad one, but most are fine. As long as I get paid, I'm happy to play to two people and a dog. I look on it as paid rehearsal time.

[uk_lefty]

8 hours ago, davie said:

Ladies and gents, I haven't played pub gigs for years. I was always wary of playing in pubs because of the hassle of loading in and out through a drunken crowd, people falling into you while playing and watching to see where the next fight was happening. 

I've now been offered a post- Covid job in a band. They are a friendly bunch, quite busy and have a set list I would really enjoy playing. However quite a lot of the gigs are in pubs. 

My question is, are pub gigs worth the hassle? I don't have any other offers on the table and if the gigs were all in clubs I wouldn't have any hesitation in accepting. 

What do you think?

Yes. Very much worth it. After a bit of practice it's no hassle at all. We do as many functions as we can but far more pub gigs. Yes you get drunken idiots who shout for Hootie and the Blowfish in between every song etc. But you get that at weddings and so on too. If you're used to "bigger" gigs then setting up and breaking down a pub gig is a doddle, provided the pub is used to having live music so they've cleared a space for you with sufficient plug sockets. It's also a good way to try out new songs and see what works and what doesn't. The pay is usually OK and in my area a lot of pubs that do music have "sister" pubs in a nearby town where they'll book you in if you're any good. 

[uk_lefty]

7 hours ago, Elfrasho said:

But I think that is more down to what gear you decide to take, and if the band have a sensible PA. Some of the PA's ive seen in pubs are simply stupid. And then theres the drummers that insist on having 20 cymbals to play some classic rock covers, or the guitarists who need to have their 2 4x12's to play to about 30 folk.  If the band are sensible, then load in/load outs are ok. My load in is on trip.

Absolutely this!!! For a pub gig you just don't need an entire guitar collection. I played with an amazing guitarist who used to take 8 guitars to a gig. "What's this a fookin guitar museum?" was asked more than once. In my current band it's a really easy load in and out, we all help carry stuff, we all know how our sound guy (2nd guitarist) wants kit packing and spare stuff is kept in cars or the van, not littering the stage. It can be so easy if everyone thinks about it and helps out. 

[DarkHeart]

7 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

We play mainly pub gigs. Yes, there is hassle, loading out through a load of drunk people who are in your way (never really an issue going in), drunk people that want to join in and fall over your equipment, drunk people that get really stroppy that you won't play any oasis, drunk people spilling stuff over your equipment. So yes, drunk people in general (who I have never liked).  Then there is the setup where you and the drummer carry loads of stuff in and set it up while the guitarist treats you to half an hour of pentatonic whiddling and stupid volume, while asking if we are ready for sound check, the breakdown where the guitarist gets his amp and goes and the singer goes to chat up people while you and the drummer break everything down.

But I miss it a lot, I see the calendar reminding me of pub gigs that we aren't doing. The one in the pub that is too small and you keep hitting people with the bass, the ones where they are going to go mad for a couple of songs, the ones where they try to join in, and the ones where they just flat out ignore you, and I have missed every one.

So yes, it very much is worth it.

Very much this!^^^^^^^

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, skidder652003 said:

ah the Volounteer in Honiton eh?

No, never played there But it seems pretty big compared to the half moon in stoke sub human

[machinehead]

I enjoy pub gigs far more than the function and weddings gigs we do.  Festivals are great too, although less frequent.

Wedding gigs are the least enjoyable for me, and the hardest work, longest hours, most pressure and the least rewarding.

So yes, I'd take the pub gig every time.

Frank.

[chris_b]

I worked for a few companies and in some offices that were a bigger hassle than any gig I've done.

Playing with good people will always leave me with a smile on my face. No hassle can take that away.