Gig Length
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
Gig Length
I used to play 5 hour gigs when I was young. There was even a year when I played 6 hours a night, 6 nights a week. Hard to imagine that now. But for most of my career, it was 4 50 minute sets with 15 minute breaks - a 4-hour gig. In recent years, most of my gigs were 3 hours.
What's your preference? Mine is 2 hours now. Anything more than that feels too much like work.
What's your preference? Mine is 2 hours now. Anything more than that feels too much like work.
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- Jim Fogarty
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 14 Dec 1999 1:01 am
- Location: Phila, Pa, USA
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- Jack Stoner
- Posts: 22087
- Joined: 3 Dec 1999 1:01 am
- Location: Kansas City, MO
- Roy Carroll
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- Joined: 3 Jan 2011 8:08 pm
- Location: North of a Round Rock
- Bill Terry
- Posts: 2786
- Joined: 29 Apr 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Bastrop, TX
I did 5 hours for a lot of years when I was younger in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. Typically 45 on, 15 off. A lot of times it was three or four nights in a row in one club.
When I moved to Austin in the 90's it was four hours for most bars, and always one night.
The last few years I've been playing with a singer/songwriter who does originals only. His gigs are sometimes 3 hours with a couple of sets, but there are a lot of 90 min or 2 hour shows in listening rooms, and it's one long set. That's actually my favorite. No breaks, come in and play for a couple of hours max, then tear down and head home.
When I moved to Austin in the 90's it was four hours for most bars, and always one night.
The last few years I've been playing with a singer/songwriter who does originals only. His gigs are sometimes 3 hours with a couple of sets, but there are a lot of 90 min or 2 hour shows in listening rooms, and it's one long set. That's actually my favorite. No breaks, come in and play for a couple of hours max, then tear down and head home.
- Mike Bacciarini
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- Dave Hopping
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One band I was in did an hour on, 20 minutes off. Ended up three one-hour sets, with a half-hour at the end.The hour set was long enough to dig into the setlist and get all warmed up, the 20 minute break was long enough to hit the head, have a smoke, and talk with the customers. 9:00 to 1:30 bar gigs just flew by!
- Carl Williams
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- Location: Oklahoma
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- Posts: 21192
- Joined: 16 Feb 1999 1:01 am
- Location: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
From the mid '60s through the early '90s, the "standard" bar gig in my neck of the woods was five 40 minute sets with a 20 minute break, and I did thousands of those. A standard dance at the "animal clubs" was four 40 minute sets. I really prefer a 4 or 5 hour gig.
After hauling all that crap around and settin' it up, 'ya might as well sit a spell.
After hauling all that crap around and settin' it up, 'ya might as well sit a spell.
- Tony Prior
- Posts: 14522
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- Location: Charlotte NC
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lately, last several years all gigs have been 2 to 3 hours max . We do not take breaks normally but if a player wanted to sit a out a tune or two and go to the rest room, no big deal. Plus as an old guy now, I sit on a stool , all gigs , if I am not on Steel. I would rather play than watch people leave ! We do not play bars anymore, they are festivals, private clubs , coffee houses etc, the audience is older.
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 8 and Pro Tools 12
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 8 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Pro Tools 8 and Pro Tools 12
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 8 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
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- Posts: 2723
- Joined: 22 Jul 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Brooksville Florida
Due to Covid, we're doing mostly three hours, three sets. During "normal" times it's four & four. Living in Florida, with the great number of seniors, the latest we play until is 11pm on a four hour gig. We had to cancel one recently because of the virus. There were 30 positive cases reported in that lodge. We're okay.
- Larry Dering
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- Location: Missouri, USA
- Michael Sawyer
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
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- Location: North Georgia
gigs
In the 80's,I played a large club gig in Chattanooga Tn for a couple years. I lived about an hour away, and did 9-3 Wednesday thru Sunday. We had practice on Tuesday. Country and dancing was big still. Now its' between 3 and 4--45 min sets.(thats when we DO get to play) Most of it is private stuff. It was rough, but I miss the old club days.
Dick Lotspeich
- Larry Allen
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: 5 Apr 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
My band and a few 100 musicians played 8 hours (9pm-5am) 6-7 nites a week in Alaska during the 1970-1990 pipeline era...when our band went to Vegas and LA during those days we barely got warmed up playing 3 hours a nite alternating with DJs... I’m still Up for 4-5 hours a nite when / if the clubs Reopen..at 77 YO the playing Is OK but the set up/tear down is a PITA!! We are starting to get 3 hours a nite as the Hawaiian resorts reopen ....smaller bands to get the distancing on the bandstand legal!! Larry
Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side
- Bill L. Wilson
- Posts: 935
- Joined: 14 Aug 2012 12:31 pm
- Location: Oklahoma, USA
Gigs are Still Fun.
At my age I’m happy to still be able to play, make $100, have fun and fellowship with my friends. Staying up late to play doesn’t bother me, I usually don’t get to bed before 2or3 am anyway. My amps and guitars are getting heavier, but I’m able to manhandle them still.
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- Posts: 874
- Joined: 28 Nov 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Maryland, USA
I heard in the DFW area back in the "Good Old Days'. clubs might have four bands a day. They would have morning, afternoon, night and late night bands. Darrell McCall has talked about doing three gigs a day I believe. He did it because he said he liked to eat sandwiches. Jobs didn't pay much pay then.
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- Joined: 18 Mar 2011 12:33 pm
- Location: Madbury, New Hampshire, USA
Length of gigs
I’m for either a 90 minute set or 2 hours with a very brief intermission.
Pete
Pete
2008 Zum D-10, 1996 Mullen PRP D-10, 1974 Emmons D-10, 1976 Emmons D-10, early 70s Emmons GS-10, Milkman Sideman head w/Telonics 15" speaker, 1966 Fender Super Reverb, 1970 Fender Dual Showman head, Wechter/Scheerhorn and Beard Dobros, 1962 Supro lap steels, Gibson 1939 RB-11 banjo, Gibson 1978 RB-250
banjo......and way too much more
banjo......and way too much more
- Robert Jones
- Posts: 439
- Joined: 23 Oct 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Branson, Missouri
Back in my younger days I use to play 4 to 5 hours a night. Some times 3 and 4 nights a week. I soon learned not to take gigs like that if I wanted to keep my day job. I am retired now from my day job and have finally checked off one of my things on my Bucket List. I took the job at the Ozark Mountain Hoe Down Theater in Eureka Springs, Ark. Mike Nichols and I go back close to 30 years working with each other on the road. When he needed a steel guitar he would call me. If I wasn't busy I would go where he was. Didn't matter where. He's just that kind of guy to work with. We have a two act show lasting about an hour per set with a short intermission. I love what I do and am so blessed to be able to work with the crew that I share the stage with.
Mullen Royal Precision D10 Red Lacquer Pearl inlay 8&8
"Life is too short for bad tone."
https://mullenguitars.com/
http://www.bjsbars.com/
"Life is too short for bad tone."
https://mullenguitars.com/
http://www.bjsbars.com/
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- Posts: 874
- Joined: 28 Nov 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Maryland, USA
I wonder what Larry and other people's experience was...whether played extremely long hours every day improved your playing dramatically or you just reached a plateau and the playing was just repetitive?Larry Allen wrote:My band and a few 100 musicians played 8 hours (9pm-5am) 6-7 nites a week in Alaska during the 1970-1990 pipeline era...when our band went to Vegas and LA during those days we barely got warmed up playing 3 hours a nite alternating with DJs... I’m still Up for 4-5 hours a nite when / if the clubs Reopen..at 77 YO the playing Is OK but the set up/tear down is a PITA!! We are starting to get 3 hours a nite as the Hawaiian resorts reopen ....smaller bands to get the distancing on the bandstand legal!! Larry
- Larry Allen
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: 5 Apr 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
Aloha Darrell, we had lots of amazing players and bands then...clubs were packed..I worked at the Anchorage Gold Rush Hotel with a 7 piece for 11 years, always packed 400+. Wild times...playing was always great, trying to keep the band together and sober from 8:30pm-5:00pm was the only challenge! In Anchorage there were 120+ union clubs and 80 non-union...we also had the Air Force and Army bands to draw from..most clubs then had a B3 on stage..we copped the top 40’s and of course there were the repetitive requests..lots of $100 tips...when the pipeline was over, it was over!...the union went from 800+ to 40 in 1992.....it was great!!!
Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side
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- Joined: 28 Nov 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Maryland, USA
I started going to clubs around 1975, somewhere close to 1980 I remember when almost all the clubs changed from playing from Monday to Saturday night and began playing Tuesday to Saturday. I knew something had changed.
And I lived in North Texas/DFW area around 1980. I had a friend who was interested in guitars and we would just get in a car and drive until we saw a neon sign that said Country music, it was just unreal how many great steel and guitar players we saw at random. And the older the cars in the parking lot and the more pickups the better the music. If you saw trucks that had racks for pipes etc. the music was the best.
And I lived in North Texas/DFW area around 1980. I had a friend who was interested in guitars and we would just get in a car and drive until we saw a neon sign that said Country music, it was just unreal how many great steel and guitar players we saw at random. And the older the cars in the parking lot and the more pickups the better the music. If you saw trucks that had racks for pipes etc. the music was the best.