Gigging ambitions

[arthurhenry]

If like me, cruel fate has somehow robbed you of international touring and recording success, what more lowly gigging ambitions do you have? Playing every county of England, or possibly the UK seems like a realistic challenge for me. I've managed 27 so far.

Edited April 2, 2013 by arthurhenry

[Lozz196]

I`m not even as ambitious as that. I`ll just happily gig as much as possible, although I do have a few no-go`s:

Religious gigs
Political gigs - either left or right
Charity gigs where the charity has political affiliations
Places which are populated by "local hard men" - don`t want our audience involved in punch-ups thanks

Other than that, no particular targets.

[flyfisher]

My international gigging career is into 2 figures. Er, OK, more like just the figure 2. Well, Wales is a country isn't it?

[neepheid]

That's a nifty challenge. So far I've managed ... 4 Scottish council areas (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Glasgow). Must try harder

[lojo]

I just like a good party atmosphere , dont mind if it's a pub or a private function. No real ambition beyond that these days.

[Roger2611]

By international I assume you mean outside Northamptonshire!

[SpaceChick]

I've toured France and China as an Oboeist in my youth.....




..... As a bassist, I just want to gig..... No aspirations to gig beyond South Wales

[lojo]

I did my perfect gig a while back, no hour drive home after, it was so close I even ran home during the break to say goodnight to the kids.

First gig I've actually drunk at for a long time.

[seashell]

My goal ATM is just an actual gig , rather than just jam nights
I'm feeling quite optimistic about the 'side project band' tho, and I reckon we could get there eventually.
Main band is a lost cause.

[Dingus]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1364927427' post='2032843']
I've toured France and China as an Oboeist in my youth.....




.....
[/quote]

Is that some kind of involved euphemism , or did you indeed tour France and China whilst playing the oboe ?

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

One gig to coax me ot of retirement, Anne Sommers /playboy party. I'll go back to sleep now.....

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364929646' post='2032912']


Is that some kind of involved euphemism , or did you indeed tour France and China whilst playing the oboe ?
[/quote]

PMSL.... No I did genuinely tour France and China whilst playing the Oboe aged 14 (France) and 15 (China)!! Nothing will ever beat the memory i have of performing live at the Chinese State Circus venue in Beijing infront of 5000 people! I even appeared on Blue Peter

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1364927603' post='2032848']
I did my perfect gig a while back, no hour drive home after, it was so close I even ran home during the break to say goodnight to the kids.

First gig I've actually drunk at for a long time.
[/quote]

I live in the middle of York so I've got a couple off venues within walking distance if I don't have to bring a cab. The pedal board gets heavy after a while though. :/

[Raymondo]

Having never thought about this until this thread appeared.......

I was surprised to realise that I have played in (at least) ten English counties,two Welsh,played half a dozen military camps in Germany and lived and played in Tenerife!
Makes me sound quite good doesn't it?..........


I don't feel it

My actual ambition ,once I realised that Burke Shelly wasn't ever going to leave Budgie , Was to play the main stage at Rock City in Nottingham.

I managed it by cheating ....we did some charity gigs there ....but hey ,It was still a blast having 1500 people cheering every song!






I will make sure that non of you get the wrong impression here........


Almost all of the above was achieved playing in either covers or tribute bands

[Dingus]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1364930320' post='2032942']
PMSL.... No I did genuinely tour France and China whilst playing the Oboe aged 14 (France) and 15 (China)!! Nothing will ever beat the memory i have of performing live at the Chinese State Circus venue in Beijing infront of 5000 people! I even appeared on Blue Peter
[/quote]

Session ace Jerry Meehan who plays bass with Robbie Williams used to be ( and probably still is ) an oboeist . I would imagine having that background helps with learning to play the bass .

[TheRev]

I played in London on Sunday night - that was a personal first. Otherwise it's just been the south west. The band has aspirations to play north of Gloucestershire, but as our genre is very west country specific, I'm not sure if that will happen.

[dudewheresmybass]

I have had a few ambitions over te years. The most memorable one for me was to play the Ruskin arms.
As an avid maiden fan, this has been a pinnacle.
There have been an will be a few more, but I'm keeping tight lipped on them

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='Raymondo' timestamp='1364965801' post='2033344']



Almost all of the above was achieved playing in either covers or tribute bands
[/quote]

So what?! You stood on stage and played music to people. It all counts!

[JTUK]

Not sure that these are ambitions, tbh.

A good gig is a good gig and there are certainly more on the list to avoid that go after.
I try to evaluate what benefit the gigs brings and how interesting it can be.
I've done the dives and the travelling... so am done with that but if a special sounding gig can look after you, then
that counts for more.

[4 Strings]

Since a schoolboy it has always been my ambition to cause a traffic jam. I used to work at Hammersmith Odeon (now Beer Apollo or something) and marvelled at the problems with traffic caused by people coming to see the bands. I suppose with traffic controls etc nowadays this would be less likely (people coming by tube etc).

The nearest I got was in the 80s when I turned up at a gig and there was a queue outside!

[Lynottfan]

I used to have the rule"if there are a' payin, I'm a playin!" I have player some festivals, Football/Rugby grounds, had roadies once, also played to an empty Bar of two people and got changed in the outside loo, had the good and bad, but I have to say that at the end of the day a gig is a gig, if two people clap at the end of your song or twenty thousand its still more than I got alone in my rehearsal room.

[RockfordStone]

i'll play wherever and whenever i get chance to, i just love gigging. not gigged since march last year, so starting to get annoyed at not having a gig