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How long did it take for your band to get a big enough draw to headline your gigs? Did you play original, or cover songs? Inquiring mind wants to know.

Kruliosis wrote:How long did it take for your band to get a big enough draw to headline your gigs? Did you play original, or cover songs? Inquiring mind wants to know.

Yeah.
Took about two years to get to a solid level for head-line stuff.
All originals.

It's not all it's cracked up to be IMO, unless you happen to get famous and start raking in good money. (At least I would imagine.)

Bar band stuff is fun, because you are the whole show all night long and you make some money. But it's cover songs.

Two years for originals seems to be the average to this day. I've seen a few bands really take off in about six months time...which is really rare.

So why is it not all that it's cracked up to be?

Kruliosis wrote:How long did it take for your band to get a big enough draw to headline your gigs? Did you play original, or cover songs? Inquiring mind wants to know.

Actually, I mostly headlined from day 1. I've been in bands that were on bills where the club double-booked on top of what our lineup was supposed to be. 12 bands in one night? f**k THAT! But, maybe it's the places I've played or dumb luck. Of course, it would've been nice to get PAID more frequently, instead of clubs playing games with us.

BTW, I NEVER played covers in ANY paying gig!

The Farleys rarely jump anyone's bill, usually I book it and enlist the bands I want to play with us. I just booked a show for the day after Thanksgiving and now I need to secure 2-3 bands that compliment us. We're at the point where we have the club calling us offering gigs; another place we play at regularly wanted us the same weekend and we had to turn it down; we only play one show a month.

3 times.

It wasn't all that, but it was fun. Twice in a band, & once as a solo.

Crowfeather (the way it is now) has only done 2 shows in the past 3 months, but we headlined both of them right out of the gate. All original as well. Just added another new tune to the list last night called "Castle Tall".

The next show is the night before Thanksgiving at the biggest venue in Erie. We're not headlining it though since we were asked to jump on Black Lung Orchestra's bill. But the way that we work things around here...we'll headline the next show with them. They wanted us to do it for this show, but Jay said no because they set the show up. That's fine with me anyway...I'll get home before 4 AM, LOL!

Toys For Rita
It was absolutely insane

Thru the years Ive done a bunch of headline gigs in both cover and original bands. One of my old metal bands did a deal at a ball park, I think there was around 2500 people there. Not Woodstock, but we did headline with a mix of cover and originals. The band was formed from 3 other bands and we did this gig in a couple of monthes of forming.

I dont think there is any timetable you can go by.

We did a few multi band deals a couple of years ago. We were sandwiched in the middle, and I gotta say as Older Hard Rockers there was nothing more satisfying than going out there and kicking some young bands asses. In one of those the headliners guitar player came over after we palyed and was just saying Who are you guys? Why havetn I heard of you before? Im like just keep at it!

The only time I've ever play with other bands on the bill is in a festival. I just don't get picked up for multi band gigs ... there's no money in it.

And I don't play for exposure ... I've heard that you can die from exposure

For some reason I fell into a circuit where I was playing a duo, 4 hours shows of all original music, with no other acts. So yes I headlined.....

Only in mi big fat head.

Chippy wrote:Only in mi big fat head.

It's always the best in a perfect world, ain't it?

The only time I was ever a headliner was when I filled in for another band...obviously not as triumphant of a feeling as when it's actually a band you're solely dedicated to. Interesting experience none-the-less.

Most bands I've been in were headliners, unless we were opening up for some real big act or we were doing a 1st time debut.... Even the last 2 bands I was in were the headliners on their debut...