How many gigs is enough?

[redbandit599]

I've just (probably) finished booking my band up for next year.

We're a pub band with the occasional fair or small festival thrown in - our singer is also in a function/wedding band, so we avoid clashes as much as possible.  Families mean we also avoid school and bank holidays too.

So, we have 25 decent gigs booked for next year and that'll do nicely.

Just wondering how many gigs you like to do?

Are you gig beasts who need to be out every night, or is once a year on your birthday enough? ( Yes, I'm still talking about gigs...😘)

Edited October 13 by redbandit599

[Mickeyboro]

We have averaged 18 a year in the last three years - which for a bunch of retired people who take long holidays I think is reasonable. 
 

[Burns-bass]

This month I’ve done 7 which is reasonable. I think about 5 per month is average. 

[12stringbassist]

We take between 110 and 120 a year (including a regular Sunday jam night).

Our gigs are on the front page of http://www.the3.co.uk 

Edited October 17 by 12stringbassist

[spacecowboy]

Around 4 minimum, 8 maximum per month for my band this year.

[theplumber]

We had 52 booked this year from end to end... Dropped about 8 of them after finding some of the venues are very short of punters on a Friday or Saturday night. Playing to 4 folk in one venue and 7 at another. Also pretty poor turn out on some Sunday gigs. Yes.. Well still got paid.. And yes it's a paid rehearsal but not really worth the bother. 

[chris_b]

There are never enough good gigs in the diary. 

 

And yes, this year I gigged on my birthday .. . twice, afternoon and evening.

[BigRedX]

I've done 21 so far this year with another 5 definitely to come, plus anything else we get offered in the next two and a half months.

 

That's playing in two originals bands.

[warwickhunt]

Over the last 40 years I've probably averaged 40 gigs a year (most years) but at a peak I did 84, these were mainly pub gigs.  I am guilty of falling into a trap where I thought gig quantity was a measure of how good I was/we were; it took me a LONG time to realise that I'd developed a mind set of 'gigging' being the norm.  It isn't now btw!  Saying that I'm in 3 bands and a duo now but none of these bands are pub bands per se (tributes to bands I like/love and a band of old best friends) and in the duo I vet pubs/venues as I'm not playing to smacked out cockwombles and idiots.      

[Franticsmurf]

With the band I'm currently in, it's about 8-10 gigs a year on average. They're good gigs (in terms of venues and attendance) but it doesn't quite satisfy the itch to play live. Add in deps and side projects and by the end of this year I'll have probably played 15. In the past, I've been in bands and duos that have played close on 100 gigs a year but as someone above said, quantity isn't everything and some of those nights were ones to forget 😀. I think for me, now, twice a month would be a good number.

[redbandit599]

 

 

22 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

  I am guilty of falling into a trap where I thought gig quantity was a measure of how good I was/we were; it took me a LONG time to realise that I'd developed a mind set of 'gigging' being the norm.  It isn't now btw!     

 We're similar, we could gig a lot more as we do get quite a few offers. But for a while have been prioritising 'proper' music pubs that regularly have decent bands on, and have quietly slipped away from those that aren't so good.

The money is nice, but mostly we're in it for fun.

Edited October 14 by redbandit599

[SimonK]

For those of us who are not in it for the money I'm guessing the answer to the OP question is enough gigs for it to be fun? I certainly play a lot less than I used to due to life getting in the way - the last originals/covers ban petered out during COVID and although we occasionally exchange a WhatsApp message about getting back together I think everyone has other priorities. Thus said I play every other week at church which does have some very good musicians, but I'm never sure if that quite counts as gigging - although it is 20+ times a year to a hundred or more people each time.

[Lozz196]

With my current band we manage up to about 10 a year, which is fine for me. None require too much travelling, 2hrs tops.

 

I contrast that with my last band which averaged about 50 gigs a year, all over the country and Europe which was way too much for me. Every weekend seemed to be spent either on the M6 or in Easyjet. Was great fun but would never want to do it again.

[asingardenof]

We've done three so far this year, with three left in the diary. Would love to have done more but we've had some challenges this year with our singist and drummist's father dying this year. Hopefully I'll have more spoons for chasing up previous enquiries soon.

[police squad]

30 to 40 per year for me these days. Used to be about a hundred for many years but over the last 15 years down to about 50 a year, but I'm finding more time off is better

[wateroftyne]

I'll be on about 90 by the time the year is out. I don't like sitting around the house much 😄

[franzbassist]

At my playing peak I was averaging around 100 a year. Nowadays it's more like one a month, which suits me fine.  I'd take quality over quantity any day now.

[tauzero]

24 this year (our first year of gigging, started a bit slowly and gathered momentum). Our ideal is 20-30 gigs per year.

[Norris]

30 down so far, another 12 to go this year. We've been taking it a bit more steady this year and enjoying the odd weekend off (or even the odd month off!)

[Mickeyboro]

As a blues band I prefer repeat gigs in venues that like us.  We are niche and won’t go down well everywhere…

[Newfoundfreedom]

One a year is enough, but that felt a little too hectic so I've dialled it back a bit to zero. 

[Gasman]

My covers band will have played 25 this year, about right for me. However, there are crazy weekends where we've had three jobs in two days, so the distribution can be very uneven.

[itu]

I think my unofficial record was three gigs during one day, and four gigs in one weekend. Crazy, very heavy, but that was long ago. Playing a long gig, say four sets is doable, but carrying amp and bass around town is not.

 

I am more than happy to do a gig every now and then - we do have rehearsals on a weekly basis - because that feeling is so strong. Playing by the bed is very different to being with friends, and then with audience.

 

I love to be a weekend warrior nowadays, but all those gigs and theater stuff etc. has been very important to me. I still love to be able to produce good vibes to people with the band and my bass.

[gazhowe]

We average 30-35 gigs per year. I suspect that will reduce from 2025 onwards due to a combination of health issues, family commitments and holidays.

[chris_b]

33 minutes ago, itu said:

I think my unofficial record was three gigs during one day, and four gigs in one weekend. . . .

 

At a festival in July I played with 3 bands and did a gig with one of them in the evening. Never say no to a gig!

 

So far 2024 will total 80 gigs with 18 bands. On the other hand, I'm in 3 bands and had to cancel 16 gigs, due to 2 band leaders having surgery and one falling ill and sadly dying! I need to start playing with 30 year olds!!