barneyg42 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We are a 5 piece female fronted classic rock band, mostly going out for £250-300, typical weekend warriors with the occasional wedding/festival/party added on. We've just taken our 34th gig for the year and there are still others to be added. I think we are doing quite well, into our 6th year, apart from drummer problems which seem to be sorted now it's been the hardcore four plus whichever drummist happened to be on the books!! Without blowing my own trumpet we get a great response wherever we are, exceptional singer, and I feel the best musicians I've played with. So that's my little boast for the year, I'm not trying to score points but I'm wondering how other people in similar bands are getting on? We have lost a couple of great gigs over the years, one turned into a coffee shop ffs but others pop up and keep the diary flowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Dunno really. My band's real niche stuff (NWOBHM), so we only appeal to rock and metal bars. I've been on the phone most of the day trying to get gigs, and have decided to put together an e-press release, single page website with photos and sound samples, since that's what most places seem to want. That's my job for tonight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We too are a general pop/ indie / rock covers band in our 6th year together, now back as our original line up after a couple of drummer changes, I have insisted that we cut back on the gigs this year with no more than two a month, we are struggling for decent venues but have enough to fill the dates we wanted, musically the guitarist and drummer have come along way as this was their first band....we were dead lucky? with our singer....much as he is still a pain in the butt he is also probably the best vocalist around here playing in a covers band and, he was the first guy to answer our add for a vocalist as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Spooky..6th year and the drum position has been the most fluid... We hit the ground running as we were a good band from the off... so much so that the local music mafia wouldn't come and see us. This year we crashed their local party ( it took them 5 years to invite us ) and they loved it so it was all a bit silly for so long, but there you go. We don't really measure ourselves against others so much but we can at least hold our ground against anyone round here, tbh. Gigwise, we stick to a handful of pubs..which we like and they are a shop window, and we look for bigger and better gigs. If the band stays still or goes backwards then that is the time to stop, so as long as we have the energy and desire, ..onward..!! The only gig I think wehaven't gotten in yet is a local Pizza Express which does very well with certain acts that can charge for tickets, but we do a few tickets shows they don't so roundabout and swings... and tbh..seliing tickets too often can be a bit stressful. Wintergigs are 1-2 a month, summer is double that and sometimes 2 gigs a day but you have to be careful about family life with certain members so you only 'flog' them for good payers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 This month's pretty dead for me. Starts to pick up in February, peaks in June with a couple of real corkers and then a couple a month through to the Christmas/NYE onslaught. We're only a week into 2015 though, so it'll accelerate from here on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Only 3 for me this month, then it takes off cos' from the 30th Jan I'm in 3 cover bands. So far got 51 gigs in the diary and hoping for more. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) We're a rock covers band and we had a great year last year with a total of 44 gigs completed (previous years averaged about 32/35 per year). We take the whole of August off for family holidays. And this year is turning into a monster already - we have 46 booked until Christmas with a load of new venues coming onboard. I think we have about another 10 that will come in from regular venues if we can fit them in. At this stage last year we had about 30 booked. We're at the point where we are offloading the cheaper less fun gigs in favour of new bigger payers. Most of the new gigs are coming in from venues contacting us after their customers had seen us elsewhere and recommending us. Life is good........ Edited January 6, 2015 by Mudpup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 January is a slow month for most bar bands over here. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenYork Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My main band (pub covers) now in their 9th year have 58 gigs this year with more being added, then my soul band have 21 so far. Pretty busy year for me, I think I did about 80 gigs last year with various bands. Not bad going considering I'm taking August off for a honeymoon. The drummer who books all the gigs has also got both bands 4 gigs for 2016 already! I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow, let alone next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 We are in negotiations to add another venue which we've played a few times before but now they are talking about us doing about 6 for them during 2015 on top of the ones we are currently committed to. This will probably mean them being Friday gigs as we will be already booked on the closest Sats to when they want us. I'm not a big fan of Friday gigs, if I've been working all week I like a non working day before I play on an evening. I'd also like to do fewer gigs with the band this year anyway to free up time and do a possible 2nd project with other people to get more variety. There's another BC member who could hopefully dep for me and I could do 2 bands but it might end up with me just leaving permanently for fresh ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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