How many songs per set?

[dburns]

Curious to see what the average number of songs the typical bar band is playing per night/ per set.

After our first few gigs our band is now typically playing 3 sets of at least 12 songs. We usually start around 9 and go until 1-130am. We may do a few longer and 'jammy' songs, but for the most part the tunes are the typical 3-4 minutes. It just seems like a lot to me and that we'd be better off cutting back and trimming a few tunes here and there. Quality or quantity.

So, is 35-40 songs a normal night? If it is, fine. Just curious to see where we are in relation to other bands.

 

[Paul in Colorado]

Depends on the gig. We usually do two hour shows so two 45-50 minute sets is the norm with a ten minute break between. But we don't do typical bar gigs. Festivals are usually 45 minute to one hour sets. But ten to twelve songs seems about right depending on how long they are. We time sets when we rehearse before a gig.

 

[JoeNeri]

8 or 9 songs per 45-minute set.

 

[Skub]

Around 40 songs for a 3 hour set.

edit,just noticed you asked for bar bands,sorry that's not us very often,we normally do weddings and functions. The set is always changing depending on what the bridal party has specified,but the actual number of songs remains roughly the same.

 

[bettyseldest]

For pub gigs and parties we tend to do two sets of 15 songs followed by a final set of 18-20. Which brings us to three hours including breaks. Today we played a single festival set of 25 songs over and hour and twenty minutes.

 

[Frodebro]

We generally did eight or nine songs per set, five sets per night @45 minutes per set.

 

[Dunzie]

We seem to have settled on sets of 12... With breaks ranging from 5-15 minutes.

 

[String Tree]

Curious to see what the average number of songs the typical bar band is playing per night/ per set.

After our first few gigs our band is now typically playing 3 sets of at least 12 songs. We usually start around 9 and go until 1-130am. We may do a few longer and 'jammy' songs, but for the most part the tunes are the typical 3-4 minutes. It just seems like a lot to me and that we'd be better off cutting back and trimming a few tunes here and there. Quality or quantity.

So, is 35-40 songs a normal night? If it is, fine. Just curious to see where we are in relation to other bands.

Right in the pocket for the bands I play with.
I prefer shying away from Jammy songs as much as possible.
Leave those for Jam Night.

 

[dburns]

Thanks for the input. So it seems we're pretty much in line with the average. I guess the issue is just finding the time to rehearse more so we can be as tight as possible on every song. We get together as much as we can, but our singer now lives in Virginia so it can be tough.

And as 'far as 'jammy' songs, to clarify it's more a case of medleys. Or we sometimes extend things instrumentally for band introductions and whatnot. Other than that, we do like to keep it concise.

 

[RollingBender]

I play classic country and most of those songs are quite short. We do 3 sets of about 20 songs for a total of 60ish tunes for a 4 hour booking.

 

[Martin R]

I was in a Grateful Dead cover band once. We'd have five or six songs a set.

 

[soulman969]

For 45-60 minute clubs sets it's usually been anywhere from 8 to 12 depending on the tunes, how extended the solos get, and whether or not people are up dancing and you want to extend one or two to accommodate that. For concert type stuff it's usually 10-12 per hour long set.

 

[rockabilly96]

I envy the people in this thread! My band plays 50s/60s rock n roll for a three hour bar gig on a regular basis. We have an hour set, fifteen minute break, then a marathon set of an hour and forty-five minutes. It takes about twenty-five songs to fill our first set and then about forty to fill our last long set.

 

[Leon Grizzard]

We don't take breaks on two hour gigs and do about 30-35 tunes.

 

[Big John Studd]

So, is 35-40 songs a normal night? If it is, fine. Just curious to see where we are in relation to other bands.

Sounds about right for a bar gig. I sometimes adjust where the breaks come based on the crowd, previous experience at the bar, bartender's advice, etc. rather than what the set list says.

 

[dburns]

Not complaining, with few exceptions playing out is really fun...still, sounds like we all need to be paid more ; )

 

[Big_Bend]

For most 4 hour gigs, we do 3 sets, each an hour long, with about 15 songs per set... and two 30 minute breaks.

 

[charlie chitlin]

Thanks for the input. So it seems we're pretty much in line with the average. I guess the issue is just finding the time to rehearse more so we can be as tight as possible on every song. We get together as much as we can, but our singer now lives in Virginia so it can be tough.

And as 'far as 'jammy' songs, to clarify it's more a case of medleys. Or we sometimes extend things instrumentally for band introductions and whatnot. Other than that, we do like to keep it concise.

So...you have a band member who lives at least 3 hours away?
And this is a bar band?
Sounds like a doomed long-distance romance!

 

[dburns]

So...you have a band member who lives at least 3 hours away?
And this is a bar band?
Sounds like a doomed long-distance romance!

Yes we do. She's from PA, but is in the National Guard and took a job in DC. Surprisingly it hasn't been as much as a hinderance as it sounds. Her family and friends are all up here and she travels back n forth often. She's also very good with letting us know her availability for rehearsals and gigs. There's also Skype.

Don't get me wrong, it's definitely inconvenient at times, but she's a good singer and teammate so it's been worth it so far.

 

[Chritty]

I like to start with a 1 hour set followed by 2x50mins