Gigging out

[d1469d]

Wow what a weekend. Played to a great crowd Friday night in a big city . Saturday I had a gig about 40 min out of town and I think there was something in the water or something. Not one person at the gig had a full set of teeth and a few people were wearing bib overalls. My parents which are in their seventies showed up and some guy freaking hit on my seventy year old mother! My band mates went out on break to get some fresh air and some weirdo's just came up to us and glared at us for about ten seconds not saying a word and then walked away. Then around 12:30 A.M it seemed like someone flipped a switch and the bar was empty. At one point the bartender vanished for like ten min. There was only two people in the bar for the last part of our set. We were loading up our gear and about 7 people I don't even recall in the bar told us how great we sounded and what songs they liked. At the end of the night the bartender told me people just hang out outside when it is nice out and that is why they leave the doors open. Strange. We got paid and I am still scratching my head wondering if I was on some prank T.V show or an episode of the twilight Zone.

 

[IceMan]

lol.....yeah, I feel your pain, man. Back when I was gigging frequently and would sometimes do 3-nighter weekends, it was RARE to have 2 good nights in a row. It happened occasionally, but more often than not we would play to a full house one night, and then play for the bartender and waitresses the next. It's impossible to predict sometimes. And it's SOOOOOO hard to not get down on yourself when you're on stage playing and there is like one guy in the corner. It's just not as much fun to play for an empty room. But just remember to take the bad with the good and try not to let it bum you out.

My band would either use the opportunity to try out new songs or we would jack around with each other onstage to just try and have fun and not think about nobody being there. Even if it's a couple people, if they perceive you as having a blast anyway, it will spread to the room and you'd be surprised how fun it can be with no pressure. Those couple people WILL tell others how much fun they had and that can only help in the long run.

 

[Alex Stanley]

Did you use the 'ello Cleveland!!!!!!!!!!!!! line?

 

[guitarmike]

lol.....yeah, I feel your pain, man. Back when I was gigging frequently and would sometimes do 3-nighter weekends, it was RARE to have 2 good nights in a row. It happened occasionally, but more often than not we would play to a full house one night, and then play for the bartender and waitresses the next. It's impossible to predict sometimes. And it's SOOOOOO hard to not get down on yourself when you're on stage playing and there is like one guy in the corner. It's just not as much fun to play for an empty room. But just remember to take the bad with the good and try not to let it bum you out.

My band would either use the opportunity to try out new songs or we would jack around with each other onstage to just try and have fun and not think about nobody being there. Even if it's a couple people, if they perceive you as having a blast anyway, it will spread to the room and you'd be surprised how fun it can be with no pressure. Those couple people WILL tell others how much fun they had and that can only help in the long run.

+1

Play every gig as though your career counted on it. You never know who the 2 or 3 people are. I scored a killer gig that way. The owner of a local car dealership stopped in the bar we were playing at (around 10 ppl) and was very impressed that we played like we were playing to a full house. He booked us for his company picnic, it paid $2000 plus we ate for free. You never know....

 

[thawn5150]

Agreed sometimes it just seems no one cares what you do. Played lots of places and you have to always give it your all, you just never know. Once a friend even played a set with his pants down ,no one noticed lol.. But for the times when you play to people who enjoy what you do no matter the size of the crowd always feels good. I don't care if there are 10 people or 1000 if the people like you and are having a good time that's all that matters. Geez Alice Cooper came to our small town a few years ago, full show etc.. there seemed to be about 500 people in a 5000 venue the show was awesome . I was embarrassed about the lack of support , but he gave everyone who went it all. That's my benchmark!

 

[hatrick00]

Unpredictable!

 

[strungup]

There is a club we play at sometimes like that. The have mains throughout the bar into different areas and mains into an outside area. When it's really nice out we see people going to the bar then back outside. Its weird playing to only a few people but knowing there is a crowd outside. The end of the night they usually come back to dance floor though.

 

[El Mariachi]

Loved reading this. Made me feel like we're not the only ones!
Thanks for sharing!

 

[Kevin11]

Loved reading this. Made me feel like we're not the only ones!
Thanks for sharing!

Agreed. You don't wish nights like that on any band, but unfortunately they've been known to happen.

We played one cold, snowy Minnesota night years ago. One of those "stay in your home unless it's an absolute emergency" type of nights. The evening started with a small handful of patrons and dwindled down to us, the bartender and soundguy. At the beginning of the last song of our second set, the bartender and soundguy went out side to have a smoke. We were the only living souls left in the building and were literally playing to nobody. We barely finished the song we were laughing so hard. After the din of that last song died, we hear this banging on the back door. They'd locked themselves out and were fenced in from going around to the unlocked front door. After we let them in, the bartender says, "I think we should call it a night."

 

[Badronald]

Loved reading this. Made me feel like we're not the only ones!
Thanks for sharing!

Agreed. You don't wish nights like that on any band, but unfortunately they've been known to happen.

We played one cold, snowy Minnesota night years ago. One of those "stay in your home unless it's an absolute emergency" type of nights. The evening started with a small handful of patrons and dwindled down to us, the bartender and soundguy. At the beginning of the last song of our second set, the bartender and soundguy went out side to have a smoke. We were the only living souls left in the building and were literally playing to nobody. We barely finished the song we were laughing so hard. After the din of that last song died, we hear this banging on the back door. They'd locked themselves out and were fenced in from going around to the unlocked front door. After we let them in, the bartender says, "I think we should call it a night."

Man, that's a great story! I've played gigs to the bartender and waitress, but never to a completely empty house! Awesome.

 

[Racerxrated]

Loved reading this. Made me feel like we're not the only ones!
Thanks for sharing!

Agreed. You don't wish nights like that on any band, but unfortunately they've been known to happen.

We played one cold, snowy Minnesota night years ago. One of those "stay in your home unless it's an absolute emergency" type of nights. The evening started with a small handful of patrons and dwindled down to us, the bartender and soundguy. At the beginning of the last song of our second set, the bartender and soundguy went out side to have a smoke. We were the only living souls left in the building and were literally playing to nobody. We barely finished the song we were laughing so hard. After the din of that last song died, we hear this banging on the back door. They'd locked themselves out and were fenced in from going around to the unlocked front door. After we let them in, the bartender says, "I think we should call it a night."

Played up in northern Mn back in 92, same scenario....this is back when clubs would book 5-6 night gigs and set you up in a motel/band house for the week. Oh the stories...anyway DEAD for the first 3 nights, ended up watching the big screen TV while I was playing for most of those first 3 nights lol. Then the weekend hits, place was packed from 7pm till 1am. Gotta take the good with the bad.

 

[El Mariachi]

LOLOL

That is awesome!

Love this thread!

Loved reading this. Made me feel like we're not the only ones!
Thanks for sharing!

Agreed. You don't wish nights like that on any band, but unfortunately they've been known to happen.

We played one cold, snowy Minnesota night years ago. One of those "stay in your home unless it's an absolute emergency" type of nights. The evening started with a small handful of patrons and dwindled down to us, the bartender and soundguy. At the beginning of the last song of our second set, the bartender and soundguy went out side to have a smoke. We were the only living souls left in the building and were literally playing to nobody. We barely finished the song we were laughing so hard. After the din of that last song died, we hear this banging on the back door. They'd locked themselves out and were fenced in from going around to the unlocked front door. After we let them in, the bartender says, "I think we should call it a night."

 

[UDTBUDS]

Thats show biz ..... wait till you pickup a fat chick with green teeth.

 

[romanianreaper]

LOL!

I played a gig once in this bar and there were like 15 people there (including the other band). They had this big glass case behind the bar with live monkeys inside. When we started playing, the monkeys stopped and were looking over at us from behind the case and it was freaking me out.

 

[UDTBUDS]

 

[Kevin11]

This thread has potential written all over it cause I know there have to be some epic stories out there. Let's hear em! Green teeth, no teeth, monkeys, bring it on!

 

[74JMP]

Thats show biz ..... wait till you pickup a fat chick with green teeth.

Holy shit charveldan FINALLY got a date!

 

[ChadVanHalen]

Gigs with places to hang out not right by the stage are odd, like I get having a normal sized room and the bar being in the back but so many places have like nooks and crannies people can go hang out in or this new place in Salt Lake is pretty big and the dance floor is long with the bar at the very back so people hanging out there you can't even see on stage with the lights... Couldn't even imagine places where it's nice out and they keep the doors open for the music so everyone's outside and you're on stage playing for people you can't see

But ya same thing every time, people suddenly appear and compliment you on the set or give you a few bucks in tips or whatever and it's like hey, I appreciate the compliment, but you guys and the hot girls with you maybe stand by the stage next time? It makes us feel and play better haha

 

[guitarmike]

There is a club we play at sometimes like that. The have mains throughout the bar into different areas and mains into an outside area. When it's really nice out we see people going to the bar then back outside. Its weird playing to only a few people but knowing there is a crowd outside. The end of the night they usually come back to dance floor though.

I played at a club the first day of the no smoking ban in WI. It was early June I think and everyone was outside on the patio and we played to the bartenders for 4 hours. It seemed like the no smoking ban was going to kill live music.