playing gigs

[JTUK]

hmmmmm.... we don't have any of these issues...
Altho the number of places to place has changed and dropped off over the years, it is still easy to gig quite a bit if you have a good number of people you play with.
Dep work counts for most of my gigs atm.. but you need to be plugged in with the players that do that sort opf thing...

Money is still poor with pubs paying £200-250 for 2 45min sets but that is just from the bar-take so no entrance fee stuff. If we had places like that, then I it would be much harder to get out there.

We never pander to pubs with a CD and we play what we want... if they don't like us, we probably wouldn't get booked back..

Never ever ever had to play 'Build me up buttercup' as a standard

[timloudon]

One of the main problems (as mentioned), is that usually no one knows the gig is happening. I know plenty of highly entertaining brilliant musicians who just keep playing gigs to low numbers of people because they never advertise.

I occasionally get texts from friends who are playing gigs an hour before they're on when I'm sat at home with a cold beer. Would anyone leave the home at that point?

I know that's not the only factor, but it sure is a big one.

[thepurpleblob]

It's 2009 - facebook, twitter, myspace etc. No excuse for not putting your gigs around !

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='chris_b' post='558746' date='Aug 2 2009, 09:15 PM']The other problem; it was £5 on the door! In my experience most British audiences are tight fisted gits, and are unlikely to pay to see a band they don't know![/quote]

Yeah ,I wouldn't charge £5.00 . It should've been free. I did mention that

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

The money doesn't really bother me. I just like to play in front of more than one man and his dog/cat .
Looks like 90% + think I should just carry on regardless. I'll tell this to Mr. Drums .
We may form a duo Triangle and Tambourine,(and probably getmore interest).

[yourchoiceguitar]

are you a band who plays your own stuff or covers? I played in a band for about 3 years and we got some good success playing a festival at about 8pm in front of about 2000 people who had never heard of us and they all loved it, the best 45 mins of my life! Trouble is after that it all went downhill and we ended up playing gigs in front of 10 piss heads. After that i new it was it so we split up but kept going got a new band and now doing well mainly cus are doing a few covers. Its amazing wat difference doing a few well known covers does for you and you still get a buzz. Try it!

[OldGit]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='561546' date='Aug 5 2009, 10:20 PM']The money doesn't really bother me. I just like to play in front of more than one man and his dog/cat .
Looks like 90% + think I should just carry on regardless. I'll tell this to Mr. Drums .
We may form a duo Triangle and Tambourine,(and probably getmore interest). [/quote]


I'll say it again .. you have to:

1) be entertaining to your target audience.
If you don't know what will do that gird your loins and ask your mates to be honest about why they don't come to see you. Ask them what it would take to get there ars3s off the sof@ and to one of your gigs ...
Then change what you do. If you don't want to change then you may have to face the fact that you just ain't got what it takes to entertain people.

2) you have to tell them when you are playing. Make sure they know your band name when on stage and give out gig lists at gigs with your myspace address on it, collect emails and use social networking website stuff to get sign ups.
If you don't want to do that then use the old ways - they are still relevant, collect names and addresses, send out post cards of your gigs, put up posters, flyer local gigs by bands like yours, encourage groups of people along ..

However if you don't do number one, you are wasting your time doing number two.


If no one comes to see your band twice they are telling you something....

[Rich]

[quote name='OldGit' post='562232' date='Aug 6 2009, 08:37 PM']However if you don't do number one, you are wasting your time doing number two.[/quote]
Must... not... make... juvenile toilet gag...

[Rowbee]

[quote name='Rich' post='562255' date='Aug 6 2009, 09:10 PM']Must... not... make... juvenile toilet gag...
[/quote]

LMAO!!!

[OldGit]

[quote name='Rich' post='562255' date='Aug 6 2009, 09:10 PM']Must... not... make... juvenile toilet gag...
[/quote]

I just set them up

[4000]

Hmm. I think I've been here before, and at great length. Haven't I, OldGit?

Like I said last time, the problem we have is getting people to take a chance on us (although these days it's becoming more about getting the entire band on stage without injury; it's like everyone in the band suffers from Spinal Tap Drummer syndrome. That's what you get in your 40s folks!).

I must admit, I think I'm getting closer to giving up playing live (I'll play covers when Killer BOB finally takes possession of me, and not before!), but I just don't want to go out on several lows. Of course if I do get my "final" gig high, then doubtless I'll get the bug again....I'm not holding my breath though. If I'm honest I've been far happier this week staying in watching my Twin Peaks dvds than I have been playing the last few gigs (one or two a year for the past few years!). I guess those slippers are starting to feel ever so comfy......

[JTUK]

Take some time off and see how much you miss it..or not.

I don't go with the pandering too much of the audience though or we'd all play Queen covers and 80's cack as that is pretty popular round here.

If you have something that is worth hearing, a bit of effort should do it.....but the killer is being on a circuit where the venue will not stump up cash.
£5.00 isn't the type of place where people pop in on the off-chance so I'd avoid that. Those places want their entertainmanet free

It is what it is tho....

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='4000' post='562318' date='Aug 6 2009, 10:07 PM']Hmm. I think I've been here before, and at great length. Haven't I, OldGit?

Like I said last time, the problem we have is getting people to take a chance on us (although these days it's becoming more about getting the entire band on stage without injury; it's like everyone in the band suffers from Spinal Tap Drummer syndrome. That's what you get in your 40s folks!).

I must admit, I think I'm getting closer to giving up playing live (I'll play covers when Killer BOB finally takes possession of me, and not before!), but I just don't want to go out on several lows. Of course if I do get my "final" gig high, then doubtless I'll get the bug again....I'm not holding my breath though. If I'm honest I've been far happier this week staying in watching my Twin Peaks dvds than I have been playing the last few gigs (one or two a year for the past few years!). I guess those slippers are starting to feel ever so comfy......[/quote]

Defeatist talk If you don't want to play then don't play.

Playing gigs is to a certain extent a job. For most people, another job at that. It takes effort, commitment, professionalism and the ability (hopefully) to reflect on your work and modify accordingly. You have to work at it. It isn't sitting in front of the TV watching football. Like most jobs you can't be precious about it either - you'll have to do a certain percentage of sh*t you don't like to get to do the stuff you do like. I entirely understand why that might be more than you want to do. Just a matter of being honest with yourself I think. If you WANT to play live to a reasonable audience and you are willing to put the effort in then it will happen.

Edited August 7, 2009 by thepurpleblob

[Bassassin]

[quote name='4000' post='562318' date='Aug 6 2009, 10:07 PM']Hmm. I think I've been here before, and at great length. Haven't I, OldGit?

Like I said last time, the problem we have is getting people to take a chance on us (although these days it's becoming more about getting the entire band on stage without injury; it's like everyone in the band suffers from Spinal Tap Drummer syndrome. That's what you get in your 40s folks!).

I must admit, I think I'm getting closer to giving up playing live (I'll play covers when Killer BOB finally takes possession of me, and not before!), but I just don't want to go out on several lows. Of course if I do get my "final" gig high, then doubtless I'll get the bug again....I'm not holding my breath though. If I'm honest I've been far happier this week staying in watching my Twin Peaks dvds than I have been playing the last few gigs (one or two a year for the past few years!). I guess those slippers are starting to feel ever so comfy......[/quote]
Don't do it! Never give up, never surrender!

As another 40-something old duffer playing originals I am painfully aware that broadly speaking Joe Public won't take original material & bands seriously unless it has been validated for them - people need press, radio, TV, the web etc to basically say it's OK to like something before they'll front up cash - or even make the time to go & see it.

I have played covers (to help subsidise an original band) and the fact that you're playing other peoples' songs gives you a validation that playing your own material doesn't - no matter how accomplished your own work may be there's an attitude that "if you can play ******* then you must be good!" Madness!

The band I'm in now has been gigging since 2000 and it's fair to say couldn't attract flies to a sh!t fight, but it's not because we suck. Our favourite gigs are out-of-town ones where we're a completely unknown quantity, often playing first on the bill to another band's audience - we always, without fail, get massive amounts of praise & compliments, sell CDs & T-shirts (when we're organised enough to remember to bring them) and have new people getting in touch through Myspace. It seems in no way a disadvantage that we're often twice the age of the bands that we gig with and the people we play to.

For me, playing music, specifically gigging, whether it be to 2 people or 200 is a life-affirming experience - we've had a couple of long breaks (6 months or so) and I hate it - in a sense gigging is what I play music for. However covers isn't really an option despite the advantages of audience size, public approbation, regular gigs & even money - I need to have a passion for what I play. I co-write my band's material with our singer, and it may be wildly egotistical, but I like our stuff better than 99% of pretty much everything else - and I actively don't want to play anything else.

Jon.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='562597' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:51 AM']For me, playing music, specifically gigging, whether it be to 2 people or 200 is a life-affirming experience - we've had a couple of long breaks (6 months or so) and I hate it - in a sense gigging is what I play music for.[/quote]

+1

If I was doing this for any other reason, I'd see that as a problem. (I'm talking about me, folks, not casting aspersions at others. )

Jon, I hope you're planning on putting together a UK tour. If you can get your band down to London at some point, you should be able to rely on Basschat to rustle up a decent audience for at least one gig!

[Low End Bee]

It can't be much fun playing to one man and his dog.

As a member of a 'mature' originals band I've accepted that to make it work we all spend at least 10x more time on publicity and bullying people to turn up for gigs than we do rehearsing.
Nice flyers, lots of emails, etc. really work. I and the other band members ask everyone we know/meet to come and see us quite brazenly. Even people the people in my local sandwich shop turned up recently!
We've got a nice quarterly residency at the Half Moon on good Fridays/Saturdays purely down to the quality of our presentation (printed flyers and appearing to be professional).
The only support gig we did was the only one we didn't go flat out on promoting. There were a third of the crowd who came to the venue when we organised it previously. It was still fun though.
We only started gigging last July but we've seen some excellent turn outs. Even when it's 6 quid to get in.

By the way we're playing the Half Moon again Saturday 22nd August......

[Rich]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='562597' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:51 AM']For me, playing music, specifically gigging, whether it be to 2 people or 200 is a life-affirming experience - we've had a couple of long breaks (6 months or so) and I hate it - in a sense gigging is what I play music for.[/quote]
+10000000000000000000
I don't intend to stop playing/gigging until they screw the lid down. Even then, I shall be pestering Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix for a jam.

[Rowbee]

[quote name='Rich' post='562681' date='Aug 7 2009, 11:24 AM']+10000000000000000000
I don't intend to stop playing/gigging until they screw the lid down. Even then, I shall be pestering Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix for a jam. [/quote]

Yep, I could never be a bedroom player and I don't get anywhere near as much of a buzz in the rehearsal room as I do on stage. Maybe if I invited dancers along to band practices that might work.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='562655' date='Aug 7 2009, 10:53 AM']Jon, I hope you're planning on putting together a UK tour. If you can get your band down to London at some point, you should be able to rely on Basschat to rustle up a decent audience for at least one gig![/quote]
I'd absolutely love to - we get out & about as much as we can but obviously one of the downsides of being a "mature" band is the day job/mortgage/high-maintenance disapproving wives trap that at least half the band is in! There is something of a rift between the composing/recording aspect of the band and the performing unit - but it all comes together so well once we're on a stage in front of a big, empty room...

J.

[OldGit]

[quote name='JTUK' post='562395' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:30 PM']I don't go with the pandering too much of the audience though or we'd all play Queen covers and 80's cack as that is pretty popular round here.[/quote]

Nope you don't have to pander to that audience. They have bands that do that for them.
[i]You[/i] have to entertain [b]your[/b] chosen audience.

Yeah, 4000, no need to go all over that again

Jon's got it sussed. I bet his band is entertaining.
That's why other people's audience members sign up for their myspace and their friend and sandwhich shop people come along to see them.

[Andyalfa]

Don’t give up, hang on in there. I play in a “mature" (as in age) covers band and we did a wedding the other week. Set one was awful. Very few people in the room to start with and most of those had slowly drifted out by the end. We were getting thoroughly demoralized.

It was only when we took our break we realised the situation. It was the first day in ages that had been bright and sunny, so everyone was outside drinking and chatting and enjoying the fresh air. We also noticed that there was a boys v girls footy match going on, with the bride playing a full part (wedding dress rolled up and wearing trainers), running round like a loony. How could we compete against the weather and entertainment like that?

We delayed the start of our second set until it was dark and suddenly it all kicked off. We had the whole crowd jumping and dancing for the full 50 minutes. It was magic. It was like playing two different gigs.

The thing I learned is that it’s not always your fault when a gig goes badly or no-one is watching. There may be other factors involved. Hang on to the fact that when people ARE there, they love to hear you play.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='OldGit' post='562787' date='Aug 7 2009, 02:21 PM']Jon's got it sussed. I bet his band is entertaining.
That's why other people's audience members sign up for their myspace and their friend and sandwhich shop people come along to see them.[/quote]
Not sure we have got it sussed! Like I said, we don't [i]attract[/i] an audience at all - we're just good at winning over people who haven't seen us before. I'm inclined to think it's because we blindside their expectations - most people don't expect a female-fronted 30s/40s band to be playing the sort of stuff we do. We absolutely don't go out of our way to appeal to a particular audience - if people like what we do & enjoy watching us then that's fantastic, if they don't then there are countless other bands they'll like better.

There is a big audience out there for "our" kind of music - but so far those support slots with Tool, Rush, Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree etc have persisted in eluding us. Steven Wilson did pinch one of our riffs, though...

J.

[thunderbird13]

The only time that a band I was in that ever built up a following was about 10 years ago and then it was only 2 guys who turned up to boo the guitarist all night !

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='562846' date='Aug 7 2009, 03:29 PM']The only time that a band I was in that ever built up a following was about 10 years ago and then it was only 2 guys who turned up to boo the guitarist all night ! [/quote]



We've now got about 10-15 who turn up regularly who none of us really know at all.
They are friends of friends of work colleagues type people plus a couple who turned up by accident once because they thought we were someone else.

We have a scout around the crowd before a show and 'love bomb' anyone we don't recognize.

[JTUK]

[quote name='OldGit' post='562787' date='Aug 7 2009, 02:21 PM']Nope you don't have to pander to that audience. They have bands that do that for them.
[i]You[/i] have to entertain [b]your[/b] chosen audience.[/quote]

Sure, we do that..or else they wouldn't come back..
I think audiences are easily pleased..or conned

I don't see the point of being in a band that doesn't work tho... on either level..
ie not very popular or not very good, or which ever