how many gigs is too many?

[Cirrus]

I get what people are saying - that it'd not be good to play music so much that it stops being fun, but if I'm going to be stuck doing something more than I want to, I'd still prefer it to be music rather than sitting in an office or stacking shelves. Of course, the struggle is when you have to do both music and a full time job to actually make a living. If I wasn't working full time I'd be happy to practice/ record every day and gig 5 nights a week. Yes, I know it'd just become work with good days and bad days, but at least it'd be something I'm passionate about at heart - how many of us have had to pretend we really, really care about, like, customer care or high quality fitted kitchens or car insurance or whatever in order to get a job doing something we really don't give a {censored} about?

But when you've GOT to do that job to make money, and music happens in your free time, then the number of gigs a week you can bring yourself to do is reduced a lot. Because working full time and being in a band that is worth watching is {censored}ing tiring. You tend to find that you've not got time for anything else, and every time you stop to take stock of where you are you find out that a year has passed. It's scary. Someone I went to uni with commented last week that it was the 5th anniversary of our graduation, and that's scared the crap out of me because where has the time gone? I'll tell you - working all through the day wishing the time away so you can get on the road and on to the gig or practice or recording session. And those things are fun, so they fly by and next thing you know you're at work wishing the time away for the next.

Last weekend we played Friday night, Saturday lunchtime and again in the evening. This weekend it was just Friday, but next weekend we're playing sat/ sun at two festivals. I feel like that's a pretty good balance for an originals band because any more often and we're going to be spreading our own crowd too thin.

[Jenesis]

RoboSeif

[Bricks & Bones]

This thread is lol.
It's like Robo not only found the key to unlock the door, but he also found the stairs to come down

from his ivory tower :poke:

[RoboPimp]

Playing originals at such a solid tick is AOK, covers? That would blow.

 

approximately 90% originals I would say, some gigs like the 4th of july thing were 100% originals and the crowd response was amazing ... roars of applause for the stuff we've written was very humbling and like was posted above, I felt blessed to have this good thing going. We've put many years into doing our own thing and kept it going so you take each little thing like that and realize that's why you do it.

 

All in all went without a hitch, but did show me how out of shape I've gotten musically. Gotta pick up the guitar at home a bit more often! I felt fine physically but my fingers/brain were out of shape.

[smallsnd/bigsnd]

multiple gigs a week - totally fine. when i'm on tour i would prefer 7 shows a week, rather than have days off.

multiple gigs a day - sucks ass... especially at conferences/festivals.