What do YOU.........call it?

[Ray Montee]

When you go play........how do you refer to it?

Some of you say you're playing a BIG SHOW......
Others refer to their Friday/Saturday night as a gig.

Do all of you regularly play OPRY type shows?

Or, are they merely sit down club gigs?

I'd be interested in WHAT you call it, in relationship to what geographic area in which you live.

[Eddie Cunningham]

Hi Ray , I guess if we are playing at a steel show we say we are doing the "steel show" !! A paid gig is a "paid gig" !!! A freebe is a "freebe" !!! The olde folks home is the "Olde Folks Home" !!! Haven't done any "Opry" shows !!! Not as many paid gigs as there used to be !!! > the old geezer > A.K.A. - Eddie "C"

[b0b]

I call it an ambiguous topic title.

[Ray Montee]

It's just that a lot of players, seemingly from down in the southeastern part of the states refer to quite a few of their 'outings' as "SHOWS" and refer to themselves more often than not, as "ENTERTAINERS".

During my lengthy playing years, jams, conventions,
clubs, etc., was a common reference thile "Entertainer" and "Shows" was not a common reference.

I was just curious, as a musician.

[Michael Robertson]

"Or, are they merely sit down club gigs?"
Define merely…………!

[Joe Smith]

We call our gig a seniors dance.

[Ray Montee]

A great Texas friend.........was playing on "A SHOW" that was known as the "Little Opry" or something like that. They had, in addition to the band in which he played, several other musical groups that played different kinds of popular regional music along with square dancers and comedians.

My reference, as was his, that this instance......was "A SHOW".

When the band I played in did our television, radio and dance hall appearances, we were often referred to
as "the television band". The band leader STAR of the TV SHOW was 'the entertainer'...who also appeared at rodeo's with his trick horse JODY.

Our nightclub gigs were club-dates and nothing more.

Since the basis for my question was legitimate and
one I felt might be informative to all who chose to read it.........I rest my case.

If the majority of you find it offensive, please accept my apologies and close it.

[b0b]

It seems to me that any paid performance is a "gig".

A "show" is a performance where an audience sits down and is actively entertained from the stage.

A "dance" is a performance where the audience dances to the band.

There are some performances where the band provides atmosphere, but the stage is not everyone's center of attention. These combine elements of "show" and "dance" but are really neither. I call those by venue or event: "bar gig", "winery gig", "house party", "wedding", "picnic" etc.

In cases where few people are paying attention to the band, I call it a "wallpaper gig". Casino gigs often fall into that category.

There aren't any nightclubs around here, so I really don't have a term for that. It's sort of an alien concept to me, something that I see in old movies. What exactly is a nightclub, anyway?

[Ray Montee]

THANKS b0b........

I appreciate your clarification.

[Marc Friedland]

I like b0b's definitions.
I also sometimes find it appropriate to call "it"
A performance
A job
My music work
I'm playing or I'm playing music
As in -- I'm playing this Saturday night at a bar gig - the show starts at 9:00, the whole band is looking forward to this particular performance.

Marc

www.PedalSteelGuitarMusic.com

[Dick Sexton]

Mr Montee, I think you have identified what a show might be. To me a Show might have a comedian or two and possibly a few dancers that are part of the show. Of course, I would never argue the point that Mr. Ray Price does not play a show. Dancers or not. A star like him surely plays shows and not gigs, as does any star attraction or group that draws an audience on there own merit as a headliner. In my opinion.

A gig on the other hand, again my opinion, might be played by lesser stars or maybe local stars or groups. I find myself playing gigs these days, and currently playing a "Restaurant Gig". A local group of musicians, playing to whomever walks into the restaurant. It doesn't pay much, but we can eat all the fried chicken we want along with the fixins. And it's just twenty minutes from home. Start at 5, over at 8... I can be in bed by 9:30.

I have played a show or two and even a TV Date once or twice, but these days a fried chicken gig isn't all that bad. Heck, on the days we play, I don't even have to open the fridge.

I've never played a session, but might if asked. Na, the only studio is more then twenty minutes away. And I've got better things to do with my time then chase some pipe dream. I'll leave that stuff to the youngins and better players.

One after thought... Isn't it a function of perspective, what a music job might be called. A rising or falling star might call it a show. A road weary side man or a front man for a local band out having a little fun, might call it a gig. About a week ago I saw Doug Jernigan play the jam in Nashville. To him it my have been nothing but a gig, but to me it was the show of shows...

[Rick Schacter]

When I get payed for playing, I call it a gig.

Or, are they merely sit down club gigs?

If they're sitting down, you're doing something wrong.

Rick

[Carson Leighton]

When I play out,,I usually call it a gig..When I'm there playing, it's a show, such as b0b said...My gigs or shows are usually audience type...Carson

[Leslie Ehrlich]

Ideally, I would say it's a performance, regardless of whether I got paid for it or not.

[Michael Maddex]

There aren't any nightclubs around here, so I really don't have a term for that. It's sort of an alien concept to me, something that I see in old movies. What exactly is a nightclub, anyway?

I'm not sure. Isn't a nightclub a sort of roadhouse for people who own neckties, cocktail dresses and stuff like that?

[Stuart Legg]

A "mere gig" is where you pick and dress casually, get beer stains on your shirt and if you get sht faced one of the less drunk can sit in for you.
On the other hand a (real show) is where a man dresses up and goes when he doesn't have the backbone to tell his wife or girlfriend "no" after some A H gave the girls free tickets.
If you pick in a beer stained shirt then you’re a “giger”.
If you perform in a tux then you are an “entertainer”.

[Joe Smith]

It seems to me that any paid performance is a "gig".

A "show" is a performance where an audience sits down and is actively entertained from the stage.

A "dance" is a performance where the audience dances to the band.

There are some performances where the band provides atmosphere, but the stage is not everyone's center of attention. These combine elements of "show" and "dance" but are really neither. I call those by venue or event: "bar gig", "winery gig", "house party", "wedding", "picnic" etc.

In cases where few people are paying attention to the band, I call it a "wallpaper gig". Casino gigs often fall into that category.

There aren't any nightclubs around here, so I really don't have a term for that. It's sort of an alien concept to me, something that I see in old movies. What exactly is a nightclub, anyway?

Exactly, that's why I first called it a gig. Then I explained that the gig was a seniors dance.

[b0b]

There aren't any nightclubs around here, so I really don't have a term for that. It's sort of an alien concept to me, something that I see in old movies. What exactly is a nightclub, anyway?

I'm not sure. Isn't a nightclub a sort of roadhouse for people who own neckties, cocktail dresses and stuff like that?

I looked it up on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightclub

"In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as house music, techno, and other dance music styles such as electronica and trance. Most nightclubs in the U.S. major cities play hip hop, house and trance music."

Apparently the defining features of a nightclub are a dance floor and a DJ. We don't have any around here.

[Mark van Allen]

That's an interesting twist, b0b. I always thought of nightclubs as just that, clubs that open at night... many of the places I've played haven't opened yet when we show up for load-in at 7 or 8 pm.
But then I think of some of the Amvets or other private clubs where there are, sadly, 15 people at the bar at 9am.
They're all gigs. An opry style variety show is a show (to me), as is a concert shed venue- but they're all still gigs.
JMO.

[Ronnie Boettcher]

I don't do much anymore, but when it is in a theater, it is a show. Otherwise I just call it playing music, if it is country. And if it is total bluegrass, I call it going to pick grass.

[Bob Vantine]

Mr. Montee...

30 yrs ago I did 2yrs of :
"Stage-Shows",which were just that.Setting was a theater with a captive audience and the show consisted of 11 persons including:
1) MC/Comedian...2)female back-up singers/guest duo...1)STAR...1)guest singer....6)band members

"NITE CLUBS":pretty much same 11 pc show at a fancy "dinner theater" type setting.....yes, suit& tie / fancy dress type ....mixed drink,no beer deal ...even had dressing rooms instead of broom closet

"FAIR DATE": again same 11pc group w/a lighter more upbeat show.
"CARNIVALS": as near a "bar date" as we got in 2yrs.Looser atmosphere/crowd participation.

all with verying forms of band dress code...from Jeans(usually black-occasional blue jeans) with ironed in creases matching shirts & vests for fairs/carnivals (sometimes COATS..for freezing NY weather-even in summer)...to more formal wear for other gigs(tux shirts/bow ties).
Never a T-Shirt/ripped or old jeans ,NEVER
All were a big deal to this (at the time)20 yr old kid.20yrs anyones junior at least.Was very honored to learn & be a part of all this .

seems todays "gigs" are turning more into "jobs"
interesting thread...thanks Mr Montee

****Bob V****

[Richard Sinkler]

They're all just "gigs" to me, although one band I play with, they call them "shows". They have predetermined set lists and don't do requests (and the crowd never asks), but they are in bars (nightclubs) and there is dancing, not always a sit down crowd.

[Les Green]

I've always referred to a 'job'. Never liked the term 'gig'. A gig to me is what we go down to the river and gig fish, or frogs with.

[Bo Legg]

gigs are for giggles.

[Doug Ferguson]

We called them all "gigs" whether we were playing at the Broken Spoke in Austin, a birthday party out in the boonies at someone's ranch, or even at the Saddle Rack in San Jose. The group I played with called them gigs. Some were "non-paying gigs" and some were "paying gigs". There were always people dancing so technically you could call them dances... I guess...