How often do you gig?

[Guv'nor]

Let's consider the last year.

 

[Billy The Mtn]

A couple years ago I got into a classic rock band, Madd Dog. We play for a lot of biker events, private partys and the buzzard bars. I can't believe how this took off in a couple of years. Once in a great while we have a weekend off, maybe 2 or 3 times so far this year. I'm going to ride it for as long and hard as I can. It's really been taking care of my guitar addiction at the moment.

 

[ripper]

Every 2-3 months. No time these days!

 

[Alex]

I haven't had the chance to gig just yet, so I selected "never." Bummer.

One day, though, one day. ;]

 

[GuitarGal]

My vote was "never"~

 

[Shawn Fate]

I voted twice a month, we are busy working on the new album, its hard enough to get everyone together a couple of weekends out of the month to record.

 

[Spence]

Until recently it was a poor record of 12 per over the last 6 years. Prior to that I played at least once a week almost religiously.Anyway, a couple of months ago I got asked to join another band who were looking to replace a local legend and in a bit of a hurry. I am now gigging up to 3 times a week and getting paid good money.

 

[lpaholic59Don]

Welp My present " gigging" consist of going to Open Mic Blues jams in the area, the last official gig I did, was as a fill in second guitarist for a friend and the " world music band" he was playing with at the time, was up in Boone NC, college town bar Both of us wound up getting ripped off by the band leader, didnt get paid and we drove over 80 miles to get to that gig in my Jeep .Gladly Stu is no longer in that band

 

[Jamiee]

about once a month(ish) always somethin goin down at my school when music concerned but gonna start lookin around, quite hard though being just 15

 

[lp_junkie]

In the last 8 years I have not gigged, but when I was working I played between 3-4 shows a week. I was "living the dream" for about 15 years.

I haven't gigged since 2000, but I am thinking very seriously about getting back out there and playing again, this time for fun not money.

 

[BYoung]

Usually every week, but one of my keyboard players passed away 2 weeks ago and I put things on hold until the 18th in honor of him.

 

[Hollowbody]

Now I'm down to once a week for live shows but I do other music sessions so I still get my playing in.

Sorry to hear about your friend.

 

[guitarweasel]

We usually wait for the Summer Festivals to come around and we open for the big headliners like Nugent, Leslie West etc... Winters we do places like The House Of Blues or The Park West here in Chicago. One of the last winter gigs was opening for UFO at The House Of Blues.

It costs too much money for us to put on a show and the Bar Owners are looking for cheap entertainment that will do 3 or 4 sets. We do a 90 minute set (sometimes longer) and there are a few bars/clubs in the area that don't mind, cause they know they will have a full house.

So basically we're out in the summer and hibernate in the winter.

 

[Adwex]

We've been averaging a gig per month. We had 3 gigs last month, 1 next month, and 2 in April.....so far.

 

[poeman33]

I can't find anyone locally at the moment who wants to play the same stuff, so my answer is never right now

(My idea of a classic rock is Hendrix, Clapton, The Who, etc...not "Take it easy" by the Eagles... That's an okay song, but it aint classic rock.)

When I was a pro it was 6 days a week usually.

 

[LesPaulopolis]

We are just starting to get regular gigs. Got our "home field" in St. Paul where we've played the last 3 times. Our first show was about 7 months ago and we've rocked the house 7 times. Of course, this is a new group, we've all been gigging for years. Does gigging have 2 "g"s???

 

[Purgasound]

 

[MartyStrat54]

Slowed down a lot for me since moving to the Kansas City area. In Phoenix, I played in the same band for nine years. We played "at least" every weekend. Most of the time in town we would play Thursday through Saturday with an early evening Sunday show.

I met a few guys in the KC area and we get together to do a few shows, but it is only once a month or so.

I miss the heavy gigging days, but when you get older, you just can't physically keep up with it. I sing as well and that puts an extra load on me. That's why I have changed my entire thinking about how I play and using the mixing board instead of massive stage volume. We play with a 98 to 100dB stage volume so we can hear the monitors. We let the FOH handle the overall sound.

Marty

 

[rockinr0ll]

I got a question.

Do you guys gig for fun/entertainment or in hope of making it a career and getting signed? I have found it hard to find people that really only want to do that with their life and make it a carrier. I have fun doing shows but I want to do tours and stuff. Most of the people I know only want to do it for fun and don't want to get serious about it. The way I look at it if you want to "make it" you can by action and playing shows with sacrifice. I have only done a dozen or so shows but have practiced with my bands for years. Seeing that most of this forum only has people that plays for fun. Why don't any of you want to make it all the way. For me I don't need to be Queen but being an indie underground band that gets releases would be cool enough for me. Explain to me please about your current band situation. I would like to read and learn from it.

 

[Hollowbody]

I got a question.

Do you guys gig for fun/entertainment or in hope of making it a career and getting signed? I have found it hard to find people that really only want to do that with their life and make it a carrier. I have fun doing shows but I want to do tours and stuff. Most of the people I know only want to do it for fun and don't want to get serious about it. The way I look at it if you want to "make it" you can by action and playing shows with sacrifice. I have only done a dozen or so shows but have practiced with my bands for years. Seeing that most of this forum only has people that plays for fun. Why don't any of you want to make it all the way. For me I don't need to be Queen but being an indie underground band that gets releases would be cool enough for me. Explain to me please about your current band situation. I would like to read and learn from it.

I have found myself in a few situations making the "sacrifice" and drilling changes till 3 or 4 in the morning weeks and months on end, playing gigs 3 or 4 nights a week with a bunch of dudes who were badass players and would sleep in a van and eat potatochips every day to be in a good band and play well ...and get signed. I have also met guys in Nashville and on the road who blow the doors off of most groups who are signed to a contract or have regular airplay or play big arenas or however you measure success.

In the long run I see that it is impossible to reach a level of quality musicianship without a lot of discipline. And it is always good to have an aspiration for excellence and bigger things. But playing for any other reason than just the music is a dead end, even if one gets signed.

The audience can perceive it instantly, they know whether or not if a musician's desire is to open themselves up and truly communicate ideas and emotions. I'll take playing for fun anytime, that's where the magic is.

I play for money and I make music as a passion. I have no delusions of "making it". Approximately 80 to 90 percent of my income is music, music-tech and teaching. And I'm a nobody, but as far as I am concerned I have made it.

If there is a guy on this forum or somewhere else who never does anything but sit in his living room and play for just himself or his family and friends, then he too has made it all the way.


Good luck with your objective.