I want to start gigging, but I'm am unsure of how much material I would need. The music be kind of like hip hop but with singing, so no DJing, and no full rock band with me. It's just me and my recorded tracks that I would sing/rap to, along with a few acoustic tracks. Obviously it's not song after song. How much time does the bantering take up usually?
I've never played before. So how long do gigs last for starting out musicians?
On a side note, what are the divisions for breaks? Do most hour long shows have a break in the middle? For how long? What about shows that are 45 mins, or 1.5 hours?
How Much Music For a Gig?
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
As a very rough guide...
Originals:
20 mins - 1st act of a long night! 5/6+ acts
30 mins - 1st act of a slightly shorter night - 3/4 acts
45 mins - 1st/2nd act in a 3 act night.
60-120mins (and beyond) - headline act, with reputation and following.
All the above set times are with no breaks.
Covers:
45 mins, 15 min break, 45 mins. Minimum.
Most acts would do somewhere between 2x 45min sets and 2x 60 mins.
My punk/rock covers band usually does 45-50 minute first half, 20 minute break, then just over an hour in the second half, including encore. However there are a few venues which are now starting to ask for 3 sets - these are usually 45 mins on the nose, and we charge more.
But to make sure you get it right, contact the places you're interested in playing. Find out how they book acts, what is expected, what the money is (if there is one!) and whether they expect you to bring a following!
Originals:
20 mins - 1st act of a long night! 5/6+ acts
30 mins - 1st act of a slightly shorter night - 3/4 acts
45 mins - 1st/2nd act in a 3 act night.
60-120mins (and beyond) - headline act, with reputation and following.
All the above set times are with no breaks.
Covers:
45 mins, 15 min break, 45 mins. Minimum.
Most acts would do somewhere between 2x 45min sets and 2x 60 mins.
My punk/rock covers band usually does 45-50 minute first half, 20 minute break, then just over an hour in the second half, including encore. However there are a few venues which are now starting to ask for 3 sets - these are usually 45 mins on the nose, and we charge more.
But to make sure you get it right, contact the places you're interested in playing. Find out how they book acts, what is expected, what the money is (if there is one!) and whether they expect you to bring a following!
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- Stef Andrews
Regular -
Posts: 438 Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:00 am
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Contact:
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
If you are playing for an hour or less, I would not expect a break. If you are playing longer, about a 10 minute break every hour is typical.
Some venues are strict on timing while others are quite loose. So check with the venue. Also I expect there are regional variations.
For a 50 minute set, you will want between 8 and a dozen songs. More if you songs are all short, like standard radio length for example. You don't want to spend much time talking between songs - if you are talking to pad you are doing it wrong and you will lose your audience. You really want a bit too much material so you can cut from the middle of your set list if things are going well, or cut a song or two short if people are not dancing. Always put your best stuff at the ends of your sets and cut from the middle.
Some venues are strict on timing while others are quite loose. So check with the venue. Also I expect there are regional variations.
For a 50 minute set, you will want between 8 and a dozen songs. More if you songs are all short, like standard radio length for example. You don't want to spend much time talking between songs - if you are talking to pad you are doing it wrong and you will lose your audience. You really want a bit too much material so you can cut from the middle of your set list if things are going well, or cut a song or two short if people are not dancing. Always put your best stuff at the ends of your sets and cut from the middle.
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
TWO! Things you must know how to play, or you will wish the ground to open up to hide your embarrassment are...
Happy Birthday and God Save the Queen..NOT the punk version!
Dave.
Happy Birthday and God Save the Queen..NOT the punk version!
Dave.
#They did not listen, they are not listening still...Perhaps they never will?#
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
Learn "Feelings".
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- Exalted Wombat
Longtime Poster - Posts: 5847 Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:00 am Location: London UK
You don't have to write songs. The world doesn't want you to write songs. It would probably prefer it if you didn't. So write songs if you want to. Otherwise, please don't bore us with beefing about it. Go fishing instead.
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
Exalted Wombat wrote:Learn "Feelings".
Heh! And "My Way"...."I Shall Survive".. No matter really, you will inevitably get lambasted for "You don't know THAAAAAAAT?")!
I remember watching my son on guitar tracking a very drunken Irish gentleman through 3 keys and GAKs how many time signatures of "Danny Boy"!
Peter Sellers told a very good joke about a pianist and a request on Parkinson. Who can recall the song "That's what you are"?
Dave.
#They did not listen, they are not listening still...Perhaps they never will?#
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
Two halves is the norm if you've any amount of stuff to get through, so the 45-60 minutes a half is about right. It will depend on the chat between numbers; you're not going to want to segue an hour's worth in one go!
To start out, then, I'd say get about 50-60 minutes of music and plan for a single session of around that time, which if you do a bit of talking between numbers will leave a a couple of pieces over, which you can consider as encores if you wish, or as back up if one or more of the pieces in your setlist suddenly don't seem as appropriate when you meet your audience.
When I do light music programmes for wind bands and the like, most pieces are in the 3-4 minute range, but I estimate the running time from the scores - a 4/4 bar at 120bpm is 2 seconds - and in fact most of my scores now have a time pencilled on if there isn't already one printed there. I add 1 minute between numbers for talking to the audience and other delays - often it's not that long, but if we're getting too far ahead and might run short of music there are several things I do, such as:
A longer talk (bad luck if you've ever had my Freeview monologue);
Repeating an item we've just played (it it went well, it's an encore, if it didn't, I say we can do it better ...)
Stick in a spare piece;
Play a previous number again because a fictional person has just arrived and particularly likes that one (difficult with sub-20 person audiences!);
Adjust the interval to suit;
Have a rehearsal (even I can't get away with rehearsing ordinary numbers at a concert, but if you have a number that could include audience participation, you can rehearse their bit and then do the number.
... and so on. In fact, the minute gap per song seems to work pretty well and I seldom run out of music.
That said, I also play in a function band, and the function invariably is dancing, so we segue most of the stuff into blocks or 2, 3 or even more songs. Doing it like that burns up nearly 40 songs a gig. It really is true that talk is cheap.
To start out, then, I'd say get about 50-60 minutes of music and plan for a single session of around that time, which if you do a bit of talking between numbers will leave a a couple of pieces over, which you can consider as encores if you wish, or as back up if one or more of the pieces in your setlist suddenly don't seem as appropriate when you meet your audience.
When I do light music programmes for wind bands and the like, most pieces are in the 3-4 minute range, but I estimate the running time from the scores - a 4/4 bar at 120bpm is 2 seconds - and in fact most of my scores now have a time pencilled on if there isn't already one printed there. I add 1 minute between numbers for talking to the audience and other delays - often it's not that long, but if we're getting too far ahead and might run short of music there are several things I do, such as:
A longer talk (bad luck if you've ever had my Freeview monologue);
Repeating an item we've just played (it it went well, it's an encore, if it didn't, I say we can do it better ...)
Stick in a spare piece;
Play a previous number again because a fictional person has just arrived and particularly likes that one (difficult with sub-20 person audiences!);
Adjust the interval to suit;
Have a rehearsal (even I can't get away with rehearsing ordinary numbers at a concert, but if you have a number that could include audience participation, you can rehearse their bit and then do the number.
... and so on. In fact, the minute gap per song seems to work pretty well and I seldom run out of music.
That said, I also play in a function band, and the function invariably is dancing, so we segue most of the stuff into blocks or 2, 3 or even more songs. Doing it like that burns up nearly 40 songs a gig. It really is true that talk is cheap.
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
as back up if one or more of the pieces in your setlist suddenly don't seem as appropriate when you meet your audience
Super-important.
Also... if you play your songs twice as fast they last half as long. Not a problem with backing tracks, although you may find you've recorded them too slow, but drummers and overexcited fiddle players do have a tendency to launch in at 50 in a 30 zone.
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- shufflebeat
Jedi Poster - Posts: 10112 Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:00 am Location: Manchester, UK
“…I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career” - (folk musician, Manchester).
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
Yup, and drummers (ok, and guitarists.... i.e. me) if you ever work with them. It's usually fine if they can keep up when it gets hectic at the end but if they ain't up to it......... Pub gigs in the UK always used to be 2 x 45 min spots (typically around 12 songs each) with an encore or maybe two, licensees get more nervous if you run late rather than finish a few mins early (ask them what time you really have to be finished, then ask again at closing time, they'll often go for another encore if the punters are shouting, that way it's them who are risking their licence not you). These days it's a bit more varied with some pubs asking for three 45 min sets but, if you do a good show they'll usually be happy with what you've got so if you say you do 2 x 45 mins you'll mostly be ok (and bear in mind this is all from a UK local pub circuit perspective), Stef is pretty much on the ball regarding the local festival scene around here.
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22916 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status 
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
Also, make sure you can go quickly from one song to the next. Think ahead what's next in your set list, so that if banter dries up or isn't going well, you're able to get straight in without faffing about. If it's a band, then that applies to all band members so you're not hanging about while the guitarist/keyboards change settings etc. Always be thinking ahead, while also staying in the moment.
Re: How Much Music For a Gig?
On the other hand, backing tracks mean you can't take another chorus if you need to stretch or if the dance floor is full. With partly improvised music you can always stretch or shrink songs to match the time available.