anyone do the full time “club circuit”?

VonBonfire said:
I only signed on to work with her cause it gave me a 3 show per week residency downtown at a venue that I liked. I had subbed enough there to where I knew all the staff so it was a good time. All the rest of the clubs on her roster were straight trash without a lot of tip potential so when that gig ended I walked.
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yup nice to have the steady gigs too!
 
dstroud said:
yup nice to have the steady gigs too!
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Agreed! Keeps the chops and the band sharp! I had 33 gigs in July of 18 and still had about five days off that month, that's my personal best. I did six three hour shows back to back in two days. It was brutal but when I was done I wanted another! I had a pocket full of loot! That year I saved all the one dollar bills in the tip jar and bought a Twin for $500 using them. :LOL:
 
It’s still average $100 - 200 a night here in PDX and surrounding areas for cover bands. We’re busy a good 5-7 shows a month but I’m doing some other side gigs too. The tribute bands are actually starting to slow up although there’s one guy who has most of them under contract (J- Fell), but audiences are dwindling. For sure there are more bands now than a year or two ago but it’s the same people getting the work. The casinos are still good for solid $$$. We’ll travel as far as Seattle, Southern or Eastern Oregon if it pencils out but I’ve never said fuck it and gone all in to travel and play for any extended length of time.
 
* velcro-fly * said:
It’s still average $100 - 200 a night here in PDX and surrounding areas for cover bands. We’re busy a good 5-7 shows a month but I’m doing some other side gigs too. The tribute bands are actually starting to slow up although there’s one guy who has most of them under contract (J- Fell), but audiences are dwindling. For sure there are more bands now than a year or two ago but it’s the same people getting the work. The casinos are still good for solid $$$. We’ll travel as far as Seattle, Southern or Eastern Oregon if it pencils out but I’ve never said fuck it and gone all in to travel and play for any extended length of time.
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that sounds like a decent location with options!
 
I missed the 5-6 night a week days. It was down to Thursday-Fri-Sat by the time I got out of college. Got in an original band first. We played quite a bit, had some good opening slots here and there. Bunch of “exposure” gigs that never pan out. Some paying gigs in between, was fun. We turned it into a Maiden tribute band and got a booking agent. Got some good gigs that paid well, but it lasted 6 or so months…that was a bummer, big production, pyro etc. just started getting into the A rooms. did the cover thing a bit then went to GIT for a year, came back. Jumped back in the same band and played Fri Sats from 96-08. Sometimes three bands at a time. Both original (instrumental band) and cover bands. Actually made a good bit of coin with the instrumental band. Never could figure out that one, people liked it for some reason. Took a break and went drag racing for 10 years…now back to getting my chops back together and playing out. Pay has gone up some, surprised about that. Now to get the hands cooperating again.
 
dstroud said:
It was a cool time, so glad I did. I don’t think the situation like that even exists now. As odd as it sounds, I think when vcr’s came out and home entertainment expanded, that whole scene died cause people stayed home instead of going to clubs 5-6 nights a week
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It was never even possible here to begin with I think. Glad that you had the opportunity! 👍🏻
 
The band I currently play in does the regional stuff around Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. We have a booking agent and he gets a 10% cut off of recurring gigs and 15% cut from one offs. Our pay depends on travel distance, show duration, whether or not we supply production or if it’s in house, and if lodging is provided. After overhead is payed we get between $300 and $600 a guy. There are situations where we get a bit less but those are at places extremely close to us or at venues that we really enjoy and treat us well.

One of the cool things about the gig is we’re fortunate enough to be able to take 100 watt amps and 4x12’s and actually turn them up. Most folks don’t have that luxury.

Winter is slower with about 3 gigs a month but summer gets absolutely nuts and and we will do 3 and sometimes 4 gigs a week, usually around the holidays. ( Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day ).
 
dstroud said:
anyone ever play the “bar circuit”? I grew up in a small Indiana town, gigged a lot in a band with my 2 cousins. We played roller rinks, school dances, mall parking lots starting when I was about 12. At 18 I wanted to go to MI, but the parents weren’t having it so I moved to Indianapolis to go to ITT. I was working Dairy Queen for $3 an hour. I was trying to find a band by posting at a local music store. A guy calls me to audition for his band. So i went, got the gig. Then he tells me he can get bar gigs and pay my $100 a night. I was like “wait, you’re telling me I get to play onstage, for 4 hours AND you’re going to pay me $100!!!” I was blown away lololol After I got out of ITT same guy says to me “I know a guy with a bus and PA, we can go on the road, play 5-6 nights a week, $100 a night”. So I did that for 5 years. Playing throughout the midwest, 5-6 nights a week. Usually a week at a time at a bar. Lots of hotel rooms, I did lots of practicing, was an awesome time. Had a buddy doing the same thing but he did Holiday Inns, that guy made killer money, had a rig with 3 Mesa’s and 4x12’s, but played mostly dance music lol Anyone else do those circuits back in the day?
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Did a full time road band thing once, way back in 1991-92. Lasted around 18 months total. We signed with GMA out of Mpls, and 'toured' Mn, Wi and did a trip down to Fla. One week per month we played a college bar in our hometown managed by our buddies. That gig was our own, no % to pay our agent. It was fun, lots of ridiculous stories to tell but it's a tough life hotel/motel/'band house' etc....but, we always met cool people that would take us boating, fishing if up north, and have us all over for a big dinner here and there.
We eventually broke up and each of us got into other bands and played weekends for years, with some festivals/casinos mixed in. Looking back, it was an adventure for sure...one time, on our way up to Duluth Mn in Jan 92 we hit an ice rut on the road and it snapped our trailer axle mounts .....luckily, it happened about 500 ft from a gas station/repair shop. Our drummer could weld/build almost anything, and the shop owner let us use his garage and welder for nothing...so we were on our way in short order.
Ahh the good times! :giggle:
 
I was in the Air Force from age 18 to 40 so never had a steady gig, but still found ways to gig. I was in a punk band in Hawaii and played the Pink Cadillac and a bar with live monkeys behind the bar (on a work night, lol). Played a bar in South Korea, Nebraska doing alternative stuff, etc. I always wanted to be a rock star and reality sent me to the military. I made both work and had a blast.
 
Greazygeo said:
I missed the 5-6 night a week days. It was down to Thursday-Fri-Sat by the time I got out of college. Got in an original band first. We played quite a bit, had some good opening slots here and there. Bunch of “exposure” gigs that never pan out. Some paying gigs in between, was fun. We turned it into a Maiden tribute band and got a booking agent. Got some good gigs that paid well, but it lasted 6 or so months…that was a bummer, big production, pyro etc. just started getting into the A rooms. did the cover thing a bit then went to GIT for a year, came back. Jumped back in the same band and played Fri Sats from 96-08. Sometimes three bands at a time. Both original (instrumental band) and cover bands. Actually made a good bit of coin with the instrumental band. Never could figure out that one, people liked it for some reason. Took a break and went drag racing for 10 years…now back to getting my chops back together and playing out. Pay has gone up some, surprised about that. Now to get the hands cooperating again.
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cool man I bet GIT was awesome!! pretty cool journey glad you are back at it!!
 
marshallmel said:
The band I currently play in does the regional stuff around Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. We have a booking agent and he gets a 10% cut off of recurring gigs and 15% cut from one offs. Our pay depends on travel distance, show duration, whether or not we supply production or if it’s in house, and if lodging is provided. After overhead is payed we get between $300 and $600 a guy. There are situations where we get a bit less but those are at places extremely close to us or at venues that we really enjoy and treat us well.

One of the cool things about the gig is we’re fortunate enough to be able to take 100 watt amps and 4x12’s and actually turn them up. Most folks don’t have that luxury.

Winter is slower with about 3 gigs a month but summer gets absolutely nuts and and we will do 3 and sometimes 4 gigs a week, usually around the holidays. ( Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day ).
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awesome that sounds ideal!!!
 
Racerxrated said:
Did a full time road band thing once, way back in 1991-92. Lasted around 18 months total. We signed with GMA out of Mpls, and 'toured' Mn, Wi and did a trip down to Fla. One week per month we played a college bar in our hometown managed by our buddies. That gig was our own, no % to pay our agent. It was fun, lots of ridiculous stories to tell but it's a tough life hotel/motel/'band house' etc....but, we always met cool people that would take us boating, fishing if up north, and have us all over for a big dinner here and there.
We eventually broke up and each of us got into other bands and played weekends for years, with some festivals/casinos mixed in. Looking back, it was an adventure for sure...one time, on our way up to Duluth Mn in Jan 92 we hit an ice rut on the road and it snapped our trailer axle mounts .....luckily, it happened about 500 ft from a gas station/repair shop. Our drummer could weld/build almost anything, and the shop owner let us use his garage and welder for nothing...so we were on our way in short order.
Ahh the good times! :giggle:
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yeah man sounds like my experiences too!! Once after a gig a dude said he owned a pizza place. we all went there at 3am with him and started cooking pizzas. about 6am a dude (the real owner) shows up and says what the hell is going on!! Turns out the dude we were with was a guy that had a key and was supposed to be doing some remodeling lolol
 
romanianreaper said:
I was in the Air Force from age 18 to 40 so never had a steady gig, but still found ways to gig. I was in a punk band in Hawaii and played the Pink Cadillac and a bar with live monkeys behind the bar (on a work night, lol). Played a bar in South Korea, Nebraska doing alternative stuff, etc. I always wanted to be a rock star and reality sent me to the military. I made both work and had a blast.
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heck yeah man when you love it you make it work!! very cool :)
 
dstroud said:
cool man I bet GIT was awesome!! pretty cool journey glad you are back at it!!
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It was. Wanted to do it right after high school. Reality is I wouldn’t have been good enough to get in then. Was going to go after college then got the chance to do the original band, tried out for them before college and wasn’t quite good enough yet. Played with them from ‘89-95. Finally had the chance to go, applied and headed off. Really helped me alot in more ways than just the music. No car, no tv and didn’t know anyone. Jump in the fire! 😄. It was totally worth it for me.
 
* velcro-fly * said:
It’s still average $100 - 200 a night here in PDX and surrounding areas for cover bands. We’re busy a good 5-7 shows a month but I’m doing some other side gigs too. The tribute bands are actually starting to slow up although there’s one guy who has most of them under contract (J- Fell), but audiences are dwindling. For sure there are more bands now than a year or two ago but it’s the same people getting the work. The casinos are still good for solid $$$. We’ll travel as far as Seattle, Southern or Eastern Oregon if it pencils out but I’ve never said fuck it and gone all in to travel and play for any extended length of time.
Click to expand...
sounds like a great area for gigging!!
 
dstroud said:
anyone ever play the “bar circuit”? I grew up in a small Indiana town, gigged a lot in a band with my 2 cousins. We played roller rinks, school dances, mall parking lots starting when I was about 12. At 18 I wanted to go to MI, but the parents weren’t having it so I moved to Indianapolis to go to ITT. I was working Dairy Queen for $3 an hour. I was trying to find a band by posting at a local music store. A guy calls me to audition for his band. So i went, got the gig. Then he tells me he can get bar gigs and pay my $100 a night. I was like “wait, you’re telling me I get to play onstage, for 4 hours AND you’re going to pay me $100!!!” I was blown away lololol After I got out of ITT same guy says to me “I know a guy with a bus and PA, we can go on the road, play 5-6 nights a week, $100 a night”. So I did that for 5 years. Playing throughout the midwest, 5-6 nights a week. Usually a week at a time at a bar. Lots of hotel rooms, I did lots of practicing, was an awesome time. Had a buddy doing the same thing but he did Holiday Inns, that guy made killer money, had a rig with 3 Mesa’s and 4x12’s, but played mostly dance music lol Anyone else do those circuits back in the day?
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Are you talking back in the late 70's-mid 80's by chance? I'm old, and that's when the circuit club bands existed in New England where I live. My girlfriend who I bought my house with in the late 80's did that for years as a lead singer in a circuit band, and my current bassist for the past 30 years did it as well. . Not me, as I played since 1979 but only in the same type places I play today 3 nights /month or so! Our local Burlington VT big bars then had a band play 4 nighters many times and give them housing and food. Paid way more than today too.. . I'm not sure if the guys talking about club circuits in 2000 know what it was like 20 years earlier. . BIG PA's, full stacks or double full stacks, Hammond organs, etc. Loved the whole scene.
p.s. on a sad note, some of these guys are starting to die off, and we lost 1 of our originals "Jimmy Carter" a few months back. . His bandmates ended up in W.A.S.P. which I'm sure a lot of guys on this forum would've loved
 
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