Pub Gig Set Length

bobblehat

For those who play regularly , how long do you play for on a typical pub gig?

Back in the day it used to be 2 x 45 mins but with longer opening hours I assume that doesn't cut it anymore?

Got a pub gig next month so trying to sort out the set.

Cheers

Cirrus

When we did those kind of gigs semi-regularly we'd do three 45 min sets with 15 minute breaks, starting around 9 and aiming to be in the middle of playing our last song as midnight hit, then maybe with one more in the bag for an extra encore.

It worked well, we tried two longer sets a couple of times but it felt like a slog and it was hard to keep the energy up over three hours. With three sets you can bunch similar moods together, have a little acoustic slot at the end of set 2, let the other singers in the band do a couple and just generally shake things up a little.

Ossyrocks

2 x 45 minute sets, standard. If they want more, it's more money.

My last set usually runs on for nearly an hour though, especially if we are enjoying ourselves.

Rob

Maynehead

We do about 35 songs in 3 hours with a 15 min break.

not_the_dj

Usually 2 x 1 hour sets, plus a bit extra for genuine encores. 

EricTheWeary

2x45 mins, second set longer if it's going well. I'm fairly sure any longer and punters find it fatiguing. 

FWIW I still like the 'greatest hit' approach, if you don't know that many songs, where if you have something strong in the first set you can use it to close the second or for an encore. By the end of the second set ( this is pubs rather than functions) you may be playing to different people or same people but more drunk and there's been a decent gap anyway. For encores you can re use songs from the first set.

Anywhere we've played with extended hours they usually have a DJ on until the wee hours rather than the band. 

Vaiai

We do 3x45 too with 15 mins between each but in some cases we do 2x1hr - singer seems to prefer the longer sets

Voxman

Varies,some gigs are 2 x 45 mins others are 2 x 1hr depending on venue.

bobblehat

Thanks for all the replies. Currently looking at 1x45 and 1x 60min .

"I'm fairly sure any longer and punters find it fatiguing."  never thought about that but I think this is very true.
IMHO most punters only really care about the last 20 mins of the night and then complain when you finish.

John_P

45-50min first set and 1hr second is pretty normal - sometimes slightly more but fees go up for more than that.  

bbill335

bobblehat said:

IMHO most punters only really care about the last 20 mins of the night and then complain when you finish.

They don't give a shit as long as some music is happening. I enforced a policy of, as soon as we finish our absolute last tune, something else has to start playing. Whether that's the jukebox, a DJ or just somebody's phone through the PA, something has to happen. No complaints.

Roland

Depends on the pub. Some have to finish at 11:30 because of noise restrictions. Some want to continue until 12:00 or later. We generally start at 9:00, and take a short break. That's 30 to 35 songs played, with another 15 to 20 ready to go if the audience is leaning a particular way.

ash96

We do a mix of 2 x 45 or 2 x 60 minute sets for pub stuff, depending on the pub, more than that needs to be more money as pubs don't usually pay nearly what they should, especially down in brighton!

Sporky

bobblehat said:

IMHO most punters only really care about the last 20 mins of the night and then complain when you finish.

What most people remember of any given experience is the best bit, the worst bit and the last bit. If the best bit wasn't great, or the worst bit wasn't awful, they don't remember that either.

PolarityMan

We do somewhere between 2x1 hour and 2x1.5 hours.

stratman3142

bobblehat said:

Thanks for all the replies. Currently looking at 1x45 and 1x 60min .

That fits with my general experience of pub gigs. Corporate functions used to be about an hour for the first set and sometimes longer for the second set, but it varies a lot.

frictionfraction

As they years have gone by the length of the sets has increased now tend to do 1 hr first set and 1 to 1hr 30 second set depending on the venue. So pushing 40 odd tunes on a long gig 

mudslide73

We do 1x45 and 1x60 with maybe 3 encore tunes. We've done 90 minute second halves a few times when it's been going well. It's hard not to get swept along when they're enjoying it.

skaguitar

We normally start around 9-15 and do an hour first set and about an hour and 20 minutes second set...15 - 20 minute break in between...ending around the midnight mark...most pubs want punters out by about 20 past midnight round our neck of the woods.

p90fool

An hour for the first set, anything from 1 to 1 1/2 hrs for the second. 

To us the hassle is driving there, loading in and out and setting up, once we're there we'll play as long as anyone wants us to within reason, playing guitar is not the shitty part of gigging so I see no point in rationing it. 

We do have two lead singers though, so stamina is not an issue for us. 

bluechargeboy

Two 45's is standard in North Wales. We will go longer on the second if the dancefloor is going mad and we are not hurting too much!

We go 2 x 1 hour if requested (for more money), but we would physically struggle to play longer than that.