http://www.std.org/russ/tips.html

Good stuff. Been there, got tee-shirt, recognize all situations mentioned (including the fight).

I especially agree with point that gaps between songs are to be avoided.

Having said that in my duo situation we don't use a set list as such, however by the end of a song we will have decided what the mext one will be so we can start promptly and not suffer from the 5 seconds of death. As there are only the two of us we can get away with this approach.

By contrast I also gig with a 5 piece band for which a set list is essential. You've got no chance making a decision about the next song when there are 5 people involved, most of them too busy being noisy to cope with having to think! Regrettably even with a set list the gaps are excessive (and drive me mad) but I'm working on that.

Of course if we play a song and it bombs then we may not hurtle blindly into our usual next somg but may take the opportunity to engage with the audience in some way just to get a feel for the sort of things they like. This can be especially useful if you have a small audience in a more initimate environment.

With my 7pc band years ago we never had lost time between songs...we always had SET MEDLEYS that lasted 45 min continuous one song into another. Most bands in the Casinos in AC here, etc, work that way also. Absolutely NO in-between song time lag...
4 hour gigs.....45min continuous on-15 off all night....
keep em dancin.

The link reads as if it was written by a disgruntled sound man that also plays guitar with a band. We've all played with bands at one time or another, most of us have dealt with fights, crazoids, drunks, arrogant people, etc..., and that was sometimes the band members. If you ever played in a smoke-filled, redneck, honky-tonk bar on the outskirts of Baltimore, that was just a normal night 40 years ago. How things have changed over the years. The smoking has been outlawed in bars and restaurants here, the rednecks pretty much are ancient history, if a person gets drunk, they arrest the bar owner, and I haven't heard of a bar fight in years. The only thing that didn't change was the pay rate - it still sucks!

Dead time between songs is obviously a no-no, but a 45-minute medley - nah! Not for me. And for tonight's job, I'll do two hours straight, no breaks, and because the dancefloor will be packed with just about every song, that two hours passes very quickly. Tonight, I'm filling in for a friend that is back in the hospital with severe cardiac problems. He said this might just have to give up playing out if his conditions doesn't improve. I told him I hope he gets better because I really don't like the low pay scale of nite club jobs. I figure if he gives it up, and the club asks me to take over, I'll hit them up for a big raise and that will pretty much be the end of it.

Cheers,

Gary

the 45-minute medley is for a band situation not a solo act Gary I'm sure you will make a lot of tips at that restaurant gig....

Ironically, the tips are not all that good, Donny. Most of the people come to dance, they eat the least expensive thing on the menu, most are over 80 years of age, on a fixed, small, retirement income. They're really nice people, love to dance, but places to dance to the music we play, in this part of the world, are few and far between these days. There are about a dozen ballroom dance locations around, but that's a totally different deal, and they don't tip at all. At the most, I'll pick up $30 in tips tonight - that's it! And the job, because it's just two hours, pays only $75. If this were not a favor for my friend, I wouldn't have even considered it.

Cheers,

Gary

One thing for sure...quite a few of those situations were gone once I started playing solo.

In my restaurant gig, I always took a bit of time between songs, unless it was a medley.

Constant music may be good for dance floors, but not for listening.

Ian

Ian, I always schooze with the audiences as much as possible, mainly before and after the job begins.

Gary

Schmoozing is very important, Gary, and certainly takes us further away from being just a player and closer to an entertainer/player.

Ian

Please reread.... BAND SITUATION NOT SOLO OMB GIGS!!

... too much espresso today Donny??? ...

Try and relax a tad, Donny...I couldn't see where "band situations only" was stipulated in the first post or topic name.

I'm guessing there are far more solo arranger players here than those working in bands...it is a General Arranger Keyboard Forum, yuh know.

Nevertheless, carry on.

Ian

Espresso yes 3 cups today....lol
Dance club gigs require continuous high energy music.....Iv'e done enough to know thru the years.

A band is a band, is a band, is a band, is a band, is a band, is a band, is a band, one man, two, three, cha cha cha.

Gary

Gary go to any casino club and watch the bands play dance music...45/15 baby non stop.....Once you get the set medleys in your head it's pretty easy to knock em out..
the trick is "the lead in intro chain-link" to each song makes it flow one into the other all thru the set. When I was musical director on the 50's Oldie tour back in the 80's with a 9pc show band we did 2 shows like that every night on land & sea.
Works out good as long as everyone is in Sync.

Donnie, I'm not playing casinos, I'm not playing for people that frequent casinos, I'm playing for the same crowds you play for - older people that still enjoy dancing. I'm playing lots of Latin music, some big band, lots of 50s, 60s, 70s stuff, and they actually touch and hold their dance partners when they dance. It's amazing!

All of my audiences pretty much have gray hair, most are married, some are widowed, or widowers, they love what I play, and they tend to love my approach to keeping the music flowing. My dead time between songs could well be a medley, I guess. One songs ends and another begins within a second or less. Sometimes I announce the song, but most of the time it's not necessary - they know the song when the hear the intro. The only time I screwed up tonight was when I performed Hot Hot Hot - only a handful of people formed a conga line, but that's OK. Everyone still loved the performance.

As for the tips tonight, they sucked - $13. Big deal. They all said they'll be back in two weeks, no gig next Monday night because of passover.

Another fun night in Paradise,

Gary

Gary......lol....$13.00? at least you made Toll money for the way home and a cup of coffee...life in the trenches !!

When our band played the animal places and the VFW's and such the management wanted time between songs so the patrons would buy drinks. We would play 4 tunes then get up 4 more many of which would be requests. Some places you would know every request and who would request it before you even walked in the door.