Bilbo Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I have had a dreadful year. 2008 was a great year and I had 120 gigs in 12 months. In 2009 I had 50, 2010 saw 40. 2011 has seen me playing 30 gigs. I have two more (making the 30) this month and NOTHING in December. I walked away from a regular gig I had in 2008 so expected some reduction but this is terrible!! Anyone doing well this year? PS anyone in a tribute band need not reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I'd say that on the gigging front it has been really pants for me! Lots of 'online band' projects and session stuff, but no where near as much gigging as I would have liked. Though I have to balance that with the rest of my music career that has been incredibly busy and exciting. The opportunities that have presented themselves in the last year have been amazing and I'm feeling energised.. And knackered! Lol. so I guess looking at it that way, I'm not down in the mouth about it too much; ive been working hard elsewhere. I certainly hope to be on the road again in the new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Not been a bad year gigs wise for my two originals bands. I cant help but feel that attendance has dropped though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Very poor for us. We had to train a new drummer. So lost a few support opportunities whilst getting him up to speed as well as during the time we were without a drummer. I think we managed about 6 gigs this year... o_O Still, on the up side I got an EB MM Stingray and an Ampeg PF-500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Mixed. Playing at church, attendances have gone up. The secular gigs have probably been similar in number (2 a month average), but I would say attendances there have gone down. The latter have been in pubs, playing a mixture of original/covers/traditional material Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Unfinished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Well started off this year with my then band splitting, and was devastated. In April was asked to dep for a bassist with some guys I know, and they liked my bass-playing so much they asked me to join, as well as the other bassist. We`ve since done 2 recording sessions, and am really enthusiastic about this band - The Tuesday Club, as the link in my sig. I also depped for a heavy rock band for a while, which was fun, but confirmed to me that heavy rock is the type of music I like to listen to, but no longer like playing it that much. And then, after much patience and strategy, I managed to engineer the band that split - The Daves, as the link in my sig - to reform. The original drummer wasn`t interested, but we`ve found a great drummer, and have our first gig of this new incarnation on 17 Dec 2011. So overall a fairly interesting year, musically, for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Well there's a coincidence. I was just updating my gig record only this afternoon, though I wasn't planning to share it - but what the heck. All I can say is that you're clearly in a different league to me Bilbo! 2009 : 10 gigs (one band) 2010 : 18 gigs (two bands) 2011 : 15 gigs so far (two bands), with a few more to go. So, looks like I'm fairly consistently just bumping along the bottom! Incidentally, my rehearsal sessions look like this: 2009 : 25 (one band) 2010 : 50 (two bands) 2011 : 34 far (two bands), with a few more to go Which means my rehearsal to: gig ratio is 2.5 : 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1320516015' post='1427887'] PS anyone in a tribute band need not reply [/quote] I haven't time to reply , mate. On my way out to the 5th gig in 8 days. The 6th is tomorrow. Funnily enough , none of them with the trib band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Haven't gigged for 2 years. Wasn't living somewhere there were any bass players needed. Where I am now is a different story but I have just bought a house so need weekends free to knock the place into shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 By new year's eve, I'll have done 63 'proper' gigs this year (not including open mics, etc.). Five or six different bands, original material and covers, all sorts of venues up-and-down the country. I could have done more, but I recently became a dad for the second time so I had to say no to a few things. It's been fun, and better than last year which was a bit of a washout. If there's one disappointment, it's that I didn't have many summer festivally things this year, which I enjoy but there's a few pencilled in next year. Yes, it's tiring balancing music, family and a 'proper' job, but I don't really know any other way. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 An interesting year. Fewer gigs, but well attended on the whole. We have spent £1500 on national newspaper advertising, which seems to have helped. It seems that people still want to see live music, but the venues need to promote it properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Dreadful year, not helped by band in fighting and personnel changes. I think I actually did more deps than gigs with my main band, but still not many all put together. Also a crap year at Ez Towers with bereavements and injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) Lightweight rock/pop covers band - 11 gigs by the end of this year. We had a change of drummer from a youngish girl drummer who was very popular but never available to a middle aged guy like the rest of us who is always available - so next year hopefully we will have many more. Heavy rock covers band - frustratingly only 3 or 4 gigs. A real roller coaster with guitarist 'Hokey Cokey' for some months - he was in, he was out, in, out. Now rehearsing with a new guy so hopefully onwards and upwards. I prefer this band - we play music I love to a higher standard. On a personal level my playing continues to improve and I have more of a clue what I am doing with my gear and what I want. Still on the steep learning curve, though. Biggest change is that I have upgraded from 'occasional bad back' to 'chronic back' which has affected most facets of my life over this past year. My work has slowed down, which I don't mind as my wife has just retired. Edited November 5, 2011 by Paul S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 sh*te..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 drummer frustrations [size=4] drummer frustrations [size=4] drummer frustrations drummer frustrations [size=4] drummer frustrations [size=4] [size=4] drummer frustrations [size=4] drummer frustrations [size=4] drummer frustrations [/size] [/size] [/size] [/size] [/size] [/size] [/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]I've had a reasonably good 2011, it's not finished yet though. It could still go bandy!! I've played lots of gigs, with lots of great players, travelled lots of miles, bought lots of petrol, and have very little to show for it, but gigs were up, good gigs were down, festivals were up, recording sessions were down and depping was down. The [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][size=4]high point[/size][size=4] was 2 excellent reunion gigs.[/size][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]For 2012; I’m playing some gigs in Scotland for the first time, 2 bands are looking shaky due to silliness and "politics", the leaders of 2 other bands are suffering some health problems, but the cover band is going from strength to strength, a second cover/function band is coming on stream and we're starting an instrumental Jeff Golub style band. [/font][/color][/size] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]Onward and upward! [/font][/color][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Well, after falling out with my playing partner, no gigs since February Made redundant after 14 years of service. BUT I am happy which I haven't been for some years! My playing has improved (to me anyway) and I have been writing new material. My new job is fantastic and I look forward to giging again next year with a new band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Playing related year - sh*t. Non-playing related year - sh*t. And all the signs are pointing to next year being even worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Gig wise I have played about 20 gigs, bought one bass as I have been skint most of the year and last week left the band I started in 2008 as the singer was acting like a complete tosser, always moaning about something or other. Still, I`m enjoying my saturdays off and am currently looking for a gig. Gotta be positive!! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 Good luck to those who are working. Commisserations to those who are not. Spent a lot of time composing for my sax/bass/drums trio so the time is not wasted but my drummer of choice hasknackered his back (really badly) and can't play so I am in limbo a bit with it (can't book it out or rehearse). Done some recording etc as well but still want to be playing as that is what keeps your chops up to scratch. Maybe 2012 will be better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Good, we're doing as many as wanted to do, ie about 4 a month. We've all got families and this suits us all. I occasionally do dep gigs as well, and our singer and lead guitarist both record their own material at home, and collaberate with online projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 My year has been great. My band have released our debut album, of which we have sold nearly 1000 hard copies and as yet an undetermined amount on iTunes and on other online outlets, and we've just finished the meat of the tracks for our second album which we intend to release on the 1st January 2012. We've gigged the songs up and down the country and over in Sweden, with great reception from many people and have garnered some attention, hopefully with this next album we'll have a bit more, fingers crossed. Life is very good for me right now and I'm tremendously grateful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) Gigs? Zero, but that was the plan. 2011 was supposed to be a year of re-balancing and that's how it's worked out. Farewell wasted 'rehearsals', tired covers and frantic ego-stroking. Lots more personal practice-time; consequently better skills; upgraded the recording side of things; the singing's improved and I've written scads of songs. 2012 - put a band together and control it. Edited November 5, 2011 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 In played a gig again, practically a solo gig, so this year has been pretty good compared with previous one. Also I have lots more amps this time. Stage confidence is much better, everything being much better isn't giving me much to draw upon for the Doom though. So disco project it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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