Ratio: gigs you enjoy vs gigs you don't enjoy

I personally dislike playing for entertainment. The bar bands I’ve been in have always had a bandleader and a few others who love playing in front of others, and I’ve never understood that.

For me, the perfect gig is a tight jam session (think Phish or Allman Bros.) where there just happens to be people.

Lugging gear and bags across the city on various tube lines late at night, often rushing to get the last train home, no pay so it actually cost me money and little incentives,
Nope.
 
I’m still playing in 5 bands each month, and I really enjoy 3 of them. The other two only play once a month, they’re easy and they pay OK.
All five bands play different styles and range in size from acoustic trios up to 11 piece. I enjoy the diversity - this month I’ll approximately 120 different songs..
 
I wonder which big-name band had the highest miss-rate. Sly And The Family Stone?
I remember a 3 hour wait in between bands for Sly to show up one time in the seventies. We thought he was going to be a no-show... but he decided to put in an appearance at midnight and perform for maybe an hour.
 
I enjoy the playing part of the gigs almost 10/10 of the time. I don't care about the size of the crowd, I just like playing my drums in the band and laying down a groove. I even have fun playing songs like Billy Jean that are dead simple. I play it like the original recording with no embellishments and no crash cymbals. It feels good ;)

It's all the rest of it that's starting to drag me down. I'm in my 51st year, and moving a 100-pound hardware bag up a flight of 23 stairs to get to the stage is brutal. I keep at it because I like the playing, and it's more exercise than I get most days, but it always makes me think about hanging it up.

The thing is, the gigging is what keeps me playing and keeps my skills sharp. If I didn't have gigs, I know my playing skills would start going downhill fast. I don't enjoy practicing. I need to have a higher purpose to keep me interested, otherwise I just sit down and "jam" for 15 minutes every day or two.
 
I really enjoyed all my gigs-in hindsight even more so. Everyone knows Imma Idiot so living up to my fame I think I over reacted to my big drop in hearing-even considered selling my drums. Idiocy at it's finest, but thankfully I didn't quit or sell anything-though took up brushes only for bit. But I forgot all about it and starting playing to my hearts content again. But I wish I never quit gigging when I did. Frigging idiot. If I could kick my own arse I would, but at my age I don't think I can take me anymore.
 
I keep thinking about this. Sometimes I think different genres have different qualities of gig. For example, I did my gigging as a death metal drummer. It was mostly bars regardless because death metal doesnt have the draw of, say, Maroon 5. Or Garth Brooks.

I did get to play at festivals, in theatres, and other large venues every once in a while. But it was mostly bars. That can really wear on a person, especially if you dont normally go to bars. Which I dont.

After the gig, everyone (host band, house, their friends, whomever) wants to party and stay up. That's not really my thing.

I have no idea the quality of gigs in other genres. I do know that even after being signed (I had left already), they still mostly played only bars.

Before I had left, I had strung up quite the list of other bands I had played with, lots being national acts. I've shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse for petes sake. It was in a bar.
 
I did get to play at festivals, in theatres, and other large venues every once in a while. But it was mostly bars. That can really wear on a person, especially if you dont normally go to bars. Which I dont.
I'm the same way, I never go to the places I gig at, except to play the gig. I don't really like going to bars any more, and the casinos we play at are depressing.
 
I keep thinking about this. Sometimes I think different genres have different qualities of gig. For example, I did my gigging as a death metal drummer. It was mostly bars regardless because death metal doesnt have the draw of, say, Maroon 5. Or Garth Brooks.

I did get to play at festivals, in theatres, and other large venues every once in a while. But it was mostly bars. That can really wear on a person, especially if you dont normally go to bars. Which I dont.

After the gig, everyone (host band, house, their friends, whomever) wants to party and stay up. That's not really my thing.

I have no idea the quality of gigs in other genres. I do know that even after being signed (I had left already), they still mostly played only bars.

Before I had left, I had strung up quite the list of other bands I had played with, lots being national acts. I've shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse for petes sake. It was in a bar.
Every metal show I ever saw was in either a bar or converted warehouse.
Sepultura, King Diamond w Mercyful Fate, Fudgetunnel, GWAR, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Flotsam & Jetsam, and Machine Head all at this little dump of a bar called Hammerjacks that is now the parking lot for M&T Bank stadium, home of the Ravens.
Saw Slayer, Pantera, Biohazard, and Coal Chamber (all the same show) at a warehouse converted to a concert venue.
 
Every metal show I ever saw was in either a bar or converted warehouse.
Sepultura, King Diamond w Mercyful Fate, Fudgetunnel, GWAR, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Flotsam & Jetsam, and Machine Head all at this little dump of a bar called Hammerjacks that is now the parking lot for M&T Bank stadium, home of the Ravens.
Saw Slayer, Pantera, Biohazard, and Coal Chamber (all the same show) at a warehouse converted to a concert venue.
Our local hangs that we played were a bar, a record store that was inside a small warehouse, and a skate park inside, wait for it, another small warehouse lol.

We would pack the 💩 outta that record store. The fire marshal would always show up when we played locally because the little ass venues were always stuffed.
 
I'm the same way, I never go to the places I gig at, except to play the gig. I don't really like going to bars any more, and the casinos we play at are depressing.
I dont like gambling so have only been to the same casino twice. I thoroughly enjoyed the casino part. It's like a game show with the lights and sounds and colors. I lost a small amount the first day (like $20 or something) and broke even the next. I'm not in any hurry to go back.
 
I keep thinking about this. Sometimes I think different genres have different qualities of gig. For example, I did my gigging as a death metal drummer. It was mostly bars regardless because death metal doesnt have the draw of, say, Maroon 5. Or Garth Brooks.

I did get to play at festivals, in theatres, and other large venues every once in a while. But it was mostly bars. That can really wear on a person, especially if you dont normally go to bars. Which I dont.

After the gig, everyone (host band, house, their friends, whomever) wants to party and stay up. That's not really my thing.

I have no idea the quality of gigs in other genres. I do know that even after being signed (I had left already), they still mostly played only bars.

Before I had left, I had strung up quite the list of other bands I had played with, lots being national acts. I've shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse for petes sake. It was in a bar.

same here!!!, and pretty much the same saga, except the genre was either prog metal, or Straight Edge hardcore

but still, I can't complain about any gig I ever did in hindsight. Every one was great

II currently play in a band whose genre is about as easy as it is to get people in the door, and still 8/10 gigs are to the bar staff, and family b/c people just don't pay to see live music where we mostly play. We do better at car shows and tractor pulls - but those are also more fun to be at than a dingy old used up bar.
 
I just checked my gig log for 2022.

I’ve played 36 gigs since January 1st of this year.

9 Church Gigs
8 Jazz Gigs
7 Cover Band Gigs
6 University Concerts
2 Orchestra Gigs
2 Middle School Concerts
1 Autism Awareness Event
1 “Jazz Assembly” at an Elementary School

I enjoyed each of them. I dealt with a nasty wrist injury that made the final set of three of the cover band gigs early in the year tough, to say the least. People still danced, and I still had fun, though. Everything else has been a blast! I am thankful to have the opportunity to play as much as I do.
 
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That's awesome. I wish I could say that. There's been no regrets. But wastes of my time? For sure.
This for me too.
The gigs where I’m playing for an empty bar and am being paid “a percentage of the bar take”, I know that was a waste of time.
 
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