set lengths and interval timings - how long to you play for in average pub gig

nickp

we have two one hour sets.  which currently we play at all venue's and are going to bring stuff on line to get us to close to three sets over the next year so we ahve some variety and choice and stuff

played for 2 hours last night in a known venue and they thought we started early and played for a long time.  

assuming we have an 11pm finish what would you usually deliver?  2 x 45 minutes??

have to say, midweek, it left me knackered!!

cheers

nick

koneguitarist

2x45mins is the normal in pubs round here. Clubs are longer on average, approximately 2 and a half hours. The country circuit I used to be on was always 3x45's.

not_the_dj

2 x 1 hour, plus encores if needed (maybe 30mins of those). In one band I play in with have a lot more songs than needed we can pull out the bag, in the other we tend to repeat stuff from early on if we have to.

EricTheWeary

8 hours, no breaks.

Or two x 45 minutes plus encores.

maltingsaudio

Till the last person leaves so 1 x 35

Danny1969

2 x 45 is bare minimum normally, some places 2 x 60 mins plus encore, Clubs and corp stuff 3 x 45 mins 

PolarityMan

Last time we played 1x 1h20, 15 min break 1 x 1h15 overran curfew (midnight) by 3 mins. Thats our half covers / half originals set though.

All orginals is anywhere between 30 mins and an hr depending on how many bands on the bill etc.

TheDarkLord

When in a pub, we (the infamous and revered Daphne Don't Float) generally do 2 x 55 mins with a 15 minute encore. Usually 10 mins between sets.  Some pubs are asking for 3 x 45 minute sets nowadays .... for the same kind of money.  We can do that, but we do wonder who the hell wants to listen to the same band for nearly three hours?

We try to do something different when we play three sets ........ e.g. the first set as an acoustic set with the drummer on a Cajon.  You can do some fun song covers that way.

Roland

It varies a bit because some places only have a music licence until 11:00, and some go on until midnight. We have two sets, 60 minutes and 75 minutes.  Normally, with a 15 minute break, we run from 9:00 until 11:30.

Some places worry about a break, saying that then's when they lose their punters. Our view is that, if the band is any good, the audience will stay. Our audiences always stay until 11:00 or 11:30, but only the hardcore stay until midnight. Probably something to do with last buses, chip shops, or baby sitters.

EricTheWeary

TheDarkLord;227681" said:

When in a pub, we (the infamous and revered Daphne Don't Float) generally do 2 x 55 mins with a 15 minute encore. Usually 10 mins between sets.  Some pubs are asking for 3 x 45 minute sets nowadays .... for the same kind of money.  We can do that, but we do wonder who the hell wants to listen to the same band for nearly three hours?

We try to do something different when we play three sets ........ e.g. the first set as an acoustic set with the drummer on a Cajon.  You can do some fun song covers that way.

I saw a blues band where we were staying on holiday and they did a short acoustic set and then a longer electric set. That worked well.

Monkeybone

On Easter Sunday, we played a 4 hour set, no breaks (apart from a small, one song break where the singist and keyboarder did a quiet one.

Even at normal gigs, we don't tend to have breaks now.

John_P

2 x 45 is the normal pub gig deal but we often end up playing longer - it's worth a double check about times as some gigs vary the start or finish time - especially if they have any issues due to complaints from neighbours...

Cirrus

We tended to do either an hour, 20 min break, then an hour and 15 or so, or we'd do 3 45 min sets with 15 min breaks in between. It just depended on what we felt like. Our performance is quite energetic so the 45 minute set never felt lazy.

nickp

well there's a mixed bag of replies - bit like asking how long is a piece of string.  I should have known.

it would be nice if the venues were more prescriptive.  When asked what time do you want us to start and finish, what is usual, etc then I frequently get left with a blank look. 

FFS it is their pub and their customers.

anyway we will aim for 3 x 45 minute sets of rawk so we have another 10-20 mins of songs to sort out and then maybe we'll look at some slightly different stuff, or some acoustic songs to learn

bobblehat

usually 1 x 45 the 1 x 60 mins 

Cirrus

nickp;227887" said:

anyway we will aim for 3 x 45 minute sets of rawk so we have another 10-20 mins of songs to sort out and then maybe we'll look at some slightly different stuff, or some acoustic songs to learn

In the beginning, we found that one way to stretch out the setlist was just that - a couple of acoustic songs, because then only one or two band members actually need to be confident with the material. Or, a full electric song that has an instrumental middle. We tended to put a cover of "The End" by the Doors in. I knew it well to sing and play guitar to, the bassist and guitarist could bumble through (it's only a couple of chords) and we'd put it after sections that were hard on our vocalist so he could go and recover for a few minutes.