just a call from the singer in my band
we played a gig last friday in a pub, and the guy basically wants us to play the 5th, the 12th and every Friday in October

for £200 a time

this seems quite good, but I feel puzzled by it. We have about 40 original songs, but we basically have to play all of them to fill the time slot....
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 20:05, 12 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I would generally
never play the same venue more than once every couple of months if that. The crowd get bored. Landlords like a band that bring in the crowd so I presume you had a good night the other night. When we were young a nieve the landlord of a pub made us play three weekends on the trot for good money but by the third week no-one was coming and we were basically told "fuck off im not paying"
( Peej, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 20:11, Reply)

I agree
Tell them you'll do the 5th and two Fridays for £500 total, and if it's successful you'll happily do a slot or two a month *




* may be vodka-fulled bollocks
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 20:32, Reply)

When I used to go to gigs and pubs a lot
back in the dark ages ,) I would see bands play often if my friends were in them or if I really liked the music. But if they played the same stuff time after time then I'd go elsewhere. So I agree 2 nights a month max.
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 20:44, Reply)

*cough*
*naïve*cough*

it's a sickness
( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 21:16, Reply)

^ great tune to play on the guitar tho
*drunks*
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 29 Aug 2008, 21:48, Reply)

play the same set twice
if they're original songs then people won't realise until they've heard the songs a few times

if it's a pub then punters come and go during the night, not everyone there will hear the entire set twice

or do different arrangements of the songs, play them faster and slower, no one will mind really
( Gilgamesh gazed in wonder as Frampton came alive, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 2:58, Reply)

you've pretty much come up with what I was thinking
trouble is, the other guys in my band don't seem to see it like that...

however, we only play original material so we can mix things up a bit.

some of the songs are sort of made up jams as well, so they are different each time.

the other thing is that it is very much a place where people are going to the pub, which happens to have a band, rather than a place where people are coming to see the band.

our aim at the moment is to make enough cash from pub gigs to get into a proper studio and record a decent demo and this would basically let us do that.

so I guess we might end up doing it just for the money.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 10:29, Reply)

Don't do it!

Philipjoe's answer at the top of the show was spot diddly on.

I have had many offers from desperate landlords who know nothing about what an audience wants...simply throwing money and weekly gigs at us because of one great night.

And I used to nearly always take it.

It.never.ever.works.ever.

One of the worst things you can do is oversaturate your market...as the audience interest dwindles, so can that of the band...you start to ask yourselves 'why did they enjoyed it so much the first time but now can't be arsed to applaud?'...and that can lead to trying to look too deeply into the simple problem that they don't care anymore...people are fickle.

When it's your music it's so personal to you - the result of your own hard work and talent.

Imagine if it was a song put on the jukebox once a night, nobody would have a problem stating they're piss bored with it.

Once a month is the absolute maximum I would play a pub.
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Sat 30 Aug 2008, 15:40, Reply)

You already got the best answers
PhilleJoe and Pooflake are spot on

Coming from both sides having, a very long time ago been in a band with ambition, but sadly short on the talent to match, and for a few months, manager of a city centre nightclub that had live bands 7 nights a week I must agree with Phill And Poof.

Over exposure is almost as bad as getting caught with a couple of thousand pictures of naked kids on your PC for your Rock 'n roll image.

Having also done a bit of work in my youth as a trad pub landlord (fuck me I have been around the block a bit!) I can assure you that there is a local landlord mutual support network in every town and city the length of the country. Tell the landlord you will do 2 nights a month max, and explain why ... if you know any other good local bands looking for a gig, turn them on to him, and ask if he has any mates in the trade looking to book a band as well. Mutual backscratchery

totally off subject ... you went to Cardiff Uni, Engineering dept? Remember Sid S?, good mate of mine.
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 16:30, Reply)

£200 a time
Is that for the whole band? Forget it.

Especially, as others have said, you'll soon reach saturation point with your audience, which is not good.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 16:35, Reply)

As a techie...
Clients know sweet FA about what an audience wants. I've had to fight tooth and nail to get the right conditions for acts, and the payoff afterwards is tremendous. What everyone else said; do the two nights of the same set, and chances are people will pick up on you guys if you're good (which sounds to be the case) and you'll ultimately end up with more gigs and money than if you go for the cash in the short run, as everyone will lose interest.

I know it's cheesy, but the old line "always leave them wanting more" is true.
( Madam Marlboro wonders if you've found her yet, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 17:37, Reply)

you've all voiced my concerns
now to get this across to the rest of the band...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 30 Aug 2008, 20:14, Reply)