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Even in my 5-piece wedding band I have three people on standby and I'm the only member who's done every single gig over the last five years.
They could do it without me with some preparation but it's the only scenario which hasn't cropped up yet.
The only one I'm aware of that's still going is called The London Showband, which I retired from a few years ago.
I think most big corporate function bands probably operate in the way you describe to a certain extent.
Good advice to share your cv with some agents but I’d also have a look for local function bands and offer your services - the more you do and spread your name around the more gigs will come as people who with with several bands might hear of someone in need.
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In terms of finding it - bands like this usually only publically advertise as a last resort. If I'm booking deps or putting something together for an event, I've got a bunch of guys I'll always call on. If the regulars aren't about, everyone's got their own set of well trusted deps. If a dep gig gets posted online, it's often because the usual immediate network of people has been exhausted, in my experience.
So - how's your network with those sorts of bands? Putting the feelers out through people you know that you're actively looking for the work and getting a recommendation that way is going to be the most effective route, if you've got connections to do it.
its quite common for covers bands
We had a Xmas meal once for the core band + all the deps. There were about 20 people there and it was a five piece band!
I've done a lot of that kind of thing, reading music isn't necessary .... in fact with stage lights you wouldn't see to read the gig half the time BUT the ability to change key on the fly is vital as different singers prefer different keys.
In my experience it's mainly a common pool of songs like Uptown Funk, Shut up and Dance, Valerie, Brightside etc with some more modern stuff from people like Ed Sheeran, James Bay, Rag n Bone man etc.
Basically it's turn up - choose key and sort intros and ends (tops & tails)
Most people on the 'circuit' I know are involved in similar things and everybody can interchange as required.
All great musicians but none read music, or at least not as part of this, in fact nobody tends to have any sheets and I always try to avoid bringing just chord sheets to gigs as it goes straight into memory when not written down.
I'm on the periphery, I've depped but more often get depped as I have a full time job and need to spend a bit of time that isn't work or gigs.
But yeah, like Danny says above, as long as any decent player knows the name of the song, key and has one run through or a quick discussion before the gig it should be a smooth transition.
Most cover gig songs are really easy, I find just doing that blunts my knowledge more than twiddling at home, which currently I don't do enough of......