Covers Bands......How long is yours???

[Muzz]

If it's an agency gig it's strictly 2 x 45 with a couple of encores, if it's a venue with a relationship with us we'll do a 45 and then an hour, and more encores if the crowd want them. We've got enough songs for over 2 hours, if it comes to that, but that'll need to be a good, well paying venue.

 

Previous band was largely the same, but more flexible: we had a residency in an Irish bar in the city centre, they paid more and got 3 x 45 plus encores. That band had probably 150+ songs, so we could play as long as people wanted; we did parties where the host paid us more to keep playing, and RAF gigs where we had accomodation thrown in, and the drinks kept coming as long as we kept playing, so they went on a lonnnng time...ditto a few out of the way weddings...

[casapete]

A friend of mine who lived in the Las Vegas area used to be in a duo with his wife.

They would sometimes do ‘graveyard shift’ gigs in the smaller casinos in Nevada.

These were often 12 midnight to 6am, where they played 6x50 minute sets (10

min break per hour) and couldn’t play any repeat songs. The casino gigs were 

really strange - you had to be good enough to keep the punters entertained, but

not too good to keep them away from the gaming machines and tables! I went

to see them playing and it was all a bit soulless as you’d expect. The pay wasn’t 

that good either. 

[Mickeyboro]

Saw Gladys Knight a few weeks ago. A scant hour for £100-plus ticket price (fortunately I had freebies). 
 

She is 80, to be fair, but I can only remember attending one shorter gig in my life (Hall and Oates, since you ask).

[Woodinblack]

Bone of contention there, ours is 1-1:15 in the first set and 1:30+ in the second. Personally I think it is too long. At the one that haas to cover 3 hours, we do 44 songs

[jazzyvee]

I've just started depping in a tribute band and they have two sets. 1 hour set and a 90 minute set split into two 45's.

I'm gigging with them tomorrow on two gigs, a 1 hr set at a festival in the afternoon and another in the evening of 90 mins.

[SuperSeagull]

On 18/07/2024 at 09:59, rory said:

Morning, 

 

I'm in a classic rock covers band (Thin Lizzy, ACDC, The Who etc) at the moment and just wondering how long similar bands sets are? 

 

We total about 2 1/2 hours split over two sets with 13 tracks in the first and 15 in the second. How long are yours (if it's not too personal a question)?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

We do about the same. Personally I feel it’s about 20 mins too long. I am old.

[mep]

2 x 1 hour sets is the norm for us.

[Lozz196]

Both of the covers bands I’ve been in were 45mins for first set, 15min break, 60min second set.

[BassAdder60]

We play around 3hrs total for typical pub gigs .. 9-12 o’clock or 8-11am 

 

5 mins break usually 

[casapete]

22 minutes ago, BassAdder60 said:

We play around 3hrs total for typical pub gigs .. 9-12 o’clock or 8-11am 

 

5 mins break usually 

Strewth, that’s a lot of playing!
Out of interest, is that because the venue demands it or because your band want to do it? 

[BassAdder60]

27 minutes ago, casapete said:

Strewth, that’s a lot of playing!
Out of interest, is that because the venue demands it or because your band want to do it? 

A bit of both I guess, sometimes we play 2.5hrs but definitely more than 2hrs 

 

 

[NHM]

I'm in a blues/rock/soul covers band. We play pub gigs, 2x60 min sets + encore, (preferably) straight through or with a short break at the venue's discretion.

[Stub Mandrel]

Most venues want 2x45 plus encores. Never bothered about doing extra time if venue/audience want it.  Often end up doing 50 + 60 in practice.

 

Venues like a break as most people buy a drink.

 

Just to clarify, in S. Wales most venues want music to start at 9 and run to 11, then do some encores. Some pubs have a 'hard' curfew but may let you do an extra encore if the audience is keen.

 

A recent gig one guitarist commented "I want to be paid for travelling and setting up, then knocking down again. I'll play for nothing as long as they want to listen."

 

I've played a few venues where they want you done by 10 or 11 because the 'rock loving' audience turns into clubbing 20-somethings in the space of 15 minutes!

Edited July 20 by Stub Mandrel

[Phil Starr]

I'm in three bands. All covers.

 

The two four piece bands do notionally 2x1hr sets. That's what it says in our correspondance and advertising. In practice that is 14-15 songs a set and set 2 is longer.

 

My duo play 35-40 songs probably 75 mins a set.

[Rosie C]

On 20/07/2024 at 17:45, Stub Mandrel said:

Just to clarify, in S. Wales most venues want music to start at 9 and run to 11, then do some encores. Some pubs have a 'hard' curfew but may let you do an extra encore if the audience is keen.

 

This was exactly our experience last Saturday (went to see a friend play, not playing myself) near Newport. 9pm - 11pm, with a 15 minute break. It was too loud for my taste so I sat in the beer garden but at 10.30 on the dot the bar staff closed the doors into the pub. They were double glazed so it was like switching off the PA. 9pm is too late for me, our last gig was 8pm start and at 7.45 they said as we looked ready we might as well start. Ideal, home by 11 for a cuppa and bed.

 

[lowdown]

Steve Ferrone has a terrific cover band...

 

 

[gjones]

I used to be in a band where the front man was addicted to the love he got from an audience. He'd make the band go on for ever until the crowd got sick of us.

 

I say, Keep em wanting more. Anything more than a one and a half hour set, or two 45 min sets, is indulgence on behalf of the band.

 

Anything more than that and both the band and the audience start to get weary.

[neepheid]

6 minutes ago, gjones said:

I used to be in a band where the front man was addicted to the love he got from an audience. He'd make the band go on for ever until the crowd got sick of us.

 

I say, Keep em wanting more. Anything more than a one and a half hour set, or two 45 min sets, is indulgence on behalf of the band.

 

Anything more than that and both the band and the audience start to get weary.

 

I take exception to that.  Don't tar everyone with the same brush because you had a bad experience.  We play for 3 hours with a break because that's what we've been booked to do.  I find it pretty annoying for you to sit there and call it indulgence when it's bloody hard work, not only in the execution but also the preparation and thought put into set lists which flow and create momentum.  And if the audience is getting weary, then we're not doing our jobs correctly.  I'll have you know that we have people up on their feet at the very end of most of our shows.

 

Your experience is your own, and you're entitled to your opinion, but don't go calling out other bands, especially since your criticism does not apply universally.  That's not cool.  Don't do that.

[TimR]

10 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I take exception to that.  Don't tar everyone with the same brush because you had a bad experience.  We play for 3 hours with a break because that's what we've been booked to do.  I find it pretty annoying for you to sit there and call it indulgence when it's bloody hard work, not only in the execution but also the preparation and thought put into set lists which flow and create momentum.  And if the audience is getting weary, then we're not doing our jobs correctly.  I'll have you know that we have people up on their feet at the very end of most of our shows.

 

Your experience is your own, and you're entitled to your opinion, but don't go calling out other bands, especially since your criticism does not apply universally.  That's not cool.  Don't do that.

 

I think most of these posters are talking about pub gigs. 

 

45-60 mins a set. 2 sets. 

 

If you're doing a function 3 hours is usual. 2x45 + 60. With 15min breaks. 

 

If you're playing well, you need a break or your singers voice will be shot. 

 

Edited July 22 by TimR

[Dad3353]

3 minutes ago, TimR said:

...If you're playing well, you need a break or your singers voice will be shot. 

 

... or there are several singers in the band. Our five-hour non-stop sets had no issues of the sort, as the lead was taken by the BL, his keys-playing sister or the guitar man. Not pubs, but the same principles apply. 

[gjones]

20 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I take exception to that.  Don't tar everyone with the same brush because you had a bad experience.  We play for 3 hours with a break because that's what we've been booked to do.  I find it pretty annoying for you to sit there and call it indulgence when it's bloody hard work, not only in the execution but also the preparation and thought put into set lists which flow and create momentum.  And if the audience is getting weary, then we're not doing our jobs correctly.  I'll have you know that we have people up on their feet at the very end of most of our shows.

 

Your experience is your own, and you're entitled to your opinion, but don't go calling out other bands, especially since your criticism does not apply universally.  That's not cool.  Don't do that.

 

I've walked out of gigs, by my favourite bands, that have gone on too long. I guess I have a short attention span.

[neepheid]

21 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

I think most of these posters are talking about pub gigs. 

 

45-60 mins a set. 2 sets. 

 

If you're doing a function 3 hours is usual. 2x45 + 60. With 15min breaks. 

 

If you're playing well, you need a break or your singers voice will be shot. 

 

 

I am playing in pubs.  Will everyone please stop projecting their own experiences onto everyone like there's an effing rule book about this or something?

[T-Bay]

3 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I am playing in pubs.  Will everyone please stop projecting their own experiences onto everyone like there's an effing rule book about this or something?

Tim likes to have a definite break down of black and white numbers/ things that work for him and keep him happy and many of us confused. Don’t stress it, took me a while to work it out. I don’t think he means offence by it.

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, T-Bay said:

Tim likes to have a definite break down of black and white numbers/ things that work for him and keep him happy and many of us confused. Don’t stress it, took me a while to work it out. I don’t think he means offence by it.

 

I merely quoted Tim because he made an assumption about what I do and I was correcting that.  The rest of it was general exasperation at the finger wagging and "you're doing it wrong" tone that was starting to develop, not at Tim specifically.

[T-Bay]

2 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I merely quoted Tim because he made an assumption about what I do and I was correcting that.  The rest of it was general exasperation at the finger wagging and "you're doing it wrong" tone that was starting to develop, not at Tim specifically.

If it works for you mate, keep going and it obviously is. I am in awe of a three hour set myself, I was always knackered after a couple of hours but our lead guitarist/ singer has gone pro and is regularly doing 2-3 hour acoustic solo sets now. Amazes me how he does it.