When you know your band is playing it's last gig...

[NewImprov]

Since about 2012, I've played in a Bob Marley tribute band, it's usually 9-11 pieces with backup singers and horns, and all the players are amongst the best best in the area (except, of course, for the clown they allow to play keys). Up until 2020, we played about 3-4 times a year, the gigs were always really fun, the audiences loved us, the material is really fun (we play a mix of the hits and really obscure tracks from all across his career), and the people in the band are wonderful. We played one show in 2021, and haven't played since. This Friday, we're playing a big show at a local winery, a beautiful spot with a nice stage, and it's going to be our last show. People's lives and priorities have changed, there's no real conflicts, it just feels like it's run its course .

 

It's kind of weird for me to know that it's our last show going in to it, in 40 years of gigging this has never happened before. There have been times when, in the middle of a show, I knew the band was done, or at least I was done with the band. There have been a few post-gig fistfights. There have been those situations where, after a few years of no gigs and rehearsals, you realize the band was done.

 

We are promoting the heck out if this show, and it looks like we'll have great weather and a great turnout. We are having it professionally filmed, so I hope to post it here eventually. It's really a bittersweet feeling knowing this is the end. Of course, I'm kinda hoping we have so much fun that we decide to keep it going, but it feels like that's not going to happen.

 

This ever happen to anyone else?

[Baldwin Funster]

I've played shows where I knew I was gonna get out the door without even waiting for pay because I was so wound up about issues in ithe band and I basically quit in my mind a day or 2 before hand. 

I've played shows where I left the gig at the end of the night feeling good, only to have a couple knuckleheads in the band have a band ending blow-up later that night.

A farewell show with hugs at the end? No. I haven't had that.

[Reezekeys]

It's happening to me. I'm on the "farewell tour" of the band I've been with for 11 years. A band that's been together for 52 years.

 

Our last two gigs (as of now) are at casinos. I'm gonna miss this like no other gig I've ever done!

[RABid]

When I was in Louisville I was playing in one of the most popular bands in the city. The two singers had a falling out that brought an end to the band, but we were professional enough to do about a month of contractual gigs. Our last big week was a four night job at Phoenix Hill, the place we considered home. They went all out with a media blitz. "Come see The Names. Last chance to see them before they go away forever." The place was packed every night. Well, it was always packed when we played but this time they line of people down the block hoping to get in. On the last night there was a tv news team there and two radio stations doing live broadcasts. After the last show the manager of a Vegas headliner originally from Louisville introduced himself to the band, announced that the bass player was going to Vegas to be the new bass player in the show, and then offered me a job saying that they had been talking about adding a second keyboardist to handle the synth parts. It was a real whirlwind of a week that ended with us in a private dining room that I never knew existed being served food and drinks. A real special night. ... ... ... except ... ... ... that was not the last night. We had a Tuesday night job a a hotel the next week. Small crowd, sort of dead, and a real let down from the previous week. Then we all packed up our stuff and went home.

[Coker]

It is happening to me as we speak. The quartet I’ve played with for 57 years is playing its last gig in September at a winery. It’s being publicized by the winery as our last gig. Bass player has arthritis and can’t play more than about an hour without complaining. Drummer has to be dropped off by his wife because he has Alzheimer’s. The sax and I will play on as a duo or with other people. This aging thing is a real pain. 

[NewImprov]

7 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

It's happening to me. I'm on the "farewell tour" of the band I've been with for 11 years. A band that's been together for 52 years.

 

Our last two gigs (as of now) are at casinos. I'm gonna miss this like no other gig I've ever done!

It's so cool that you got to be a part of that legacy! But I imagine it's sad to see it end.

[niacin]

7 hours ago, Coker said:

It is happening to me as we speak. The quartet I’ve played with for 57 years is playing its last gig in September at a winery. It’s being publicized by the winery as our last gig. Bass player has arthritis and can’t play more than about an hour without complaining. Drummer has to be dropped off by his wife because he has Alzheimer’s. The sax and I will play on as a duo or with other people. This aging thing is a real pain. 

 

sorry to hear.  Some years back i was playing in a jazz quartet and the drummer, in his 60s and recently retired, was hit hard by Alzheimers.  He showed up to one gig and couldn’t remember how to set up his drum kit.  Pretty heartbreaking to watch.  And of course that was our last gig.

[yannis D]

I played my last gig with my band of almost 20 years some time before the covid hit us hard. So I did not know this was the end at the time.  We still kept on rehearsing during covid but only then I realized it was over.

No drama. That would have happened, the circle was closed, but at least we recorded four discs of original music and did around 150 gigs, so it was all nice.

It is good to end such relations without drama, thing come to an end naturally 

 

[Brad Kaenel]

I've only ever played with the one band I co-founded back in the 80's. They're still gigging once a month, but I gave up my chair over 20 years ago.  I did have the "last gig" experience, and then I think we all went out to dinner afterwards; bittersweet, but all love.  The guys gave me a little plaque commemorating my "years of service", which I still have -- it's precious to me.  I still attend a gig once or twice a year, and they're all still glad to see me -- they even let me sit in!

[Delaware Dave]

19 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

It's happening to me. I'm on the "farewell tour" of the band I've been with for 11 years. A band that's been together for 52 years.

 

Our last two gigs (as of now) are at casinos. I'm gonna miss this like no other gig I've ever done!

 

I'll be at the one in lansdowne pa. in November.  2nd level, first row.

[eliot888]

39 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

 

I'll be at the one in lansdowne pa. in November.  2nd level, first row.

Wait you are going too?? I'm on the 1st level, a little in the back..

[stoken6]

Have a great Lansdowne gig and rest of tour Rob @Reezekeys

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Reezekeys]

Thanks guys. It's turning put to be a pretty busy late summer and fall for us. We're going out with a bang!

 

If I can be allowed a little selling, here's the itinerary so far: https://www.averagewhiteband.com/tour

 

I'm hoping some dates are added - we have nothing in December as of yet. Once the clock strikes 12:00 on December 31, that's it.

[eric]

I will say it might be harder when you DON'T KNOW your band is playing its last gig. I've had this happen twice.

 

First time was in 2010 in my longstanding wedding/party band and our amazing female vocalist Monica passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. The very last show we played with her was actually a milestone surprise birthday party for me. She died a few days later and it rocked us pretty badly. This had been our last gig in that format. The band did not immediately fold. We had a year's worth of wedding gig commitments and that would have been a bad look. So we scrambled and used a couple of backup vocalists to do the shows, while debating the future of the band. We decided it wasn't the same without Monica and decided to close up shop on the band. 😢

 

The second time was more recently (last year) when my longstanding cover band had made the decision to do a "farewell tour" of sorts, based on a couple of members being ready to retire from playing gigs. This was originally planned to span the last 6-8 months of the year. We announced this and started seeing bigger turnouts at our shows, as people realized this would be some of the last opportunities to see the band. Within weeks of announcing the farewell tour, one of the primary members of the band was diagnosed with cancer requiring immediate and significant treatment. We would not be able to play any more shows unless we used substitutes, which did not feel like the right thing to do. We needed to keep the matter private at the time, so we quietly canceled all of our remaining shows. It was kind of surreal as fans were asking lots of questions and just had to say "for personal reasons, we aren't playing these shows." 😢

 

Fast forward to 2024 and our band mate has cleared the cancer and is doing great, still not fully up for playing shows and it's unclear if we will do any more. We've been talking about reviving the idea of another small farewell tour to properly close up shop on this band.

 

Best of luck to everyone wrapping up their various projects! It seems very bittersweet. 🙂

[Bill H.]

Out of the dozen or so bands I've been in, I can only think of one where it was a big deal.

 

Truly the last gig of a very successful band. We all knew it was the last gig, billed as the last gig. 

 

It was bittersweet for sure - hugs, tears, with members putting their personal issues aside for a few hours. But it had just become too much... a failed relationship between the singer and guitar player, a failed coup to oust the leader, members squabbling about musical direction...

 

This happened 45 years ago, but I still remember it to this day. Most of my other bands played their last gig without realizing it. 

[Reezekeys]

Maybe this merits a new thread but how about the topic "when you don't know you've played your last gig with a band!" 🙂 That happened to me with my old wedding band around 20 years ago. The leader decided he had enough of dealing with clients and turned over the reins to our drummer. Turns out the drummer had a buddy he wanted to play keys with the band. After not getting any emails for a while regarding new dates, I got curious so one day went to the band website and instead of my picture it was someone else – I guess that's one way to find out you're fired! 🙂 After a few more months and some disputes over travel money, the rest of the original band quit and the drummer continued on, after changing the band name and hiring new personnel.

[El Lobo]

I've been in more than a few Last Gigs, although I didn't know that any of them were the last gigs at the time. I'm looking down the road and I can see the end of the band I've had for 22 years ... so far. My own limitations and the health problems of one of the key players may end the band ... or I may end before the band does. It's the worst part of getting old. 

[El Lobo]

11 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

"when you don't know you've played your last gig with a band!" 🙂 ...  After not getting any emails for a while regarding new dates, I got curious so one day went to the band website and instead of my picture it was someone else – I guess that's one way to find out you're fired! 🙂 

I've been fired the same way. No gigs for a little while, then I see a video clip of the band's most recent gig with a different keys player. Thanks for letting me know. 

[stoken6]

I've been quiet-fired from a band in the past - kind of. They couldn't find a full-time keys player but I was their first-call sub (I couldn't do the massive number of dates they had). Then they found a full-time guy. Ddin't tell me - the phone/email just went quiet.

 

Then they found the hang was too hard with the new guy. "Mike - how many dates CAN you do?"

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Brian of Ann Arbor]

This has been a fascinating thread to read. I was curious and that's what took me here. What do people do after the farewell tour? Do they quit forever? Or do they keep practicing for the next chance they get to play? Minus those who are incapable to playing who really did quit. Thank you.

[yannis D]

3 hours ago, Brian of Ann Arbor said:

This has been a fascinating thread to read. I was curious and that's what took me here. What do people do after the farewell tour? Do they quit forever? Or do they keep practicing for the next chance they get to play? Minus those who are incapable to playing who really did quit. Thank you.

I guess this is question of age and work situation for most of us. 

For me (55 to 56 y.o.) it was a way to do other things where I was less emotionally attached. Less interesting musically, but less stressy. More work as a gun for hire.

 

Do I miss my "creative days"? I sure do, but I do not miss the hussle of keeping the thing together, do the judge, do the babysitter and do the secretary work. Everything comes at a price.

 

 

[wineandkeyz]

On 8/15/2024 at 11:31 AM, Reezekeys said:

Maybe this merits a new thread but how about the topic "when you don't know you've played your last gig with a band!" 🙂 

 

A guitarist, drummer, and I made something like that happen to a couple of bandmates years ago. The three of us had been doing all the work -- chasing down most of the bookings, lugging and setting up the PA, scheduling practices (in fact, I hosted most of them at my house), etc. The lead singer and bass player did the bare minimum, typically showed up for gigs at the last minute (which meant they weren't there to help load in), and slipped out as soon as possible when we were done (so they didn't help load out either).

 

At one point, I had hernia surgery so I couldn't lift anything over 20 lb. We had a gig lined up, though, so I told the singer and bass player specifically that they needed to be there for load in that night. Of course, they didn't show, so our guitarist and drummer did the heavy lifting while I was relegated to running cables and other light duties. The singer showed up about 5 minutes before our scheduled start and, instead of apologizing, immediately started complaining that we were set up inside, instead of on the venue's outdoor stage (the venue moved our show inside due to impending weather). The bass player showed up 15 minutes after our scheduled start and also never apologized. I was so mad I could spit, but did my best not to show it onstage.

 

We played one more show -- a wedding reception for our guitarist's niece -- after which the guitarist, drummer, and I "quiet quit." We never called or emailed anyone about practice or gigs and no one called or emailed us to see what was going on. Basically, the band died of neglect.

[Dave Bryce]

Okay, get this:

 

This past Saturday, I played a gig with a blues/rock band at a bar I've been playing at for a long time - maybe more than any other club I've ever played.  It's pretty far from my house, on a pier - a second story place with a long narrow staircase.  Long haul from the parking structure, too.  Major pain of a load-in/out.

 

It was a slow, boring Saturday night.  The lead singer was trying to work a chick singer in (without having gotten the band's buy-in), but we kind of weren't digging it (mainly becuase she just wasn't that good).  Both singers were not getting the job done, though.  The PA was too loud.  The lead singer was trying comic shtick that just was NOT going over.  One of those gigs where you're praying for 1AM to roll around the way you used to wait for 3PM at school.

 

We were trying to figure out what to do with the last song or so of the evening.  Then, one of the patrons walked up to the tip jar, dropped in a $20, and asked for Free Bird.

 

...and we did it.  The long version.

 

I honestly can't remember the last time - if ever - that I've played that song on a gig.  Certainly not since I move to LA three decades ago.  We pulled it off pretty decently, though.

 

Now, here's the funny part: the guitar player and I decided during breakdown that it was a sign, and that we should never play another gig with this band or in this bar again....and honestly, it feels really right to stick with that call.   

Unexpected band breakup.  Gotta say though - I felt really good driving home. Still do. 😊

 

I dunno...maybe I'm just getting too damn old to play in dive bars.

 

dB

 

 

[RABid]

5 hours ago, Brian of Ann Arbor said:

This has been a fascinating thread to read. I was curious and that's what took me here. What do people do after the farewell tour? Do they quit forever? Or do they keep practicing for the next chance they get to play? Minus those who are incapable to playing who really did quit. Thank you.

Following my story above I had three options.

 

1. Move 2000 miles west to Vegas and play for a headliner. Nice opportunity. VERY far away from home.

 

2. Accept an offer from a band with a steady gig on a cruise liner. Nice way to travel. Not sure I would be happy living for months in what ever small room they assigned to the band.

 

3. Stay around Louisville where I had built a good reputation.

 

It was also a time for soul searching. When I moved to Louisville I lucked into a popular band playing the biggest clubs. But it was time to face reality. Before the move I was playing 3 nights a week in rural areas for almost the same money, plus working a day job at a coal company that paid really well plus provided insurance, retirement and vacation. I was used to financial security and living well. You don't get that playing clubs in the city. I still remember being in a store with my mom as she shopped for school supplies for my older sister. The vision is a 3 year old me picking up a little toy car and asking my mom if we could afford it. I already knew the answer. My parents worked really hard to move us up the ladder and I wasn't really interested in sliding back down while playing the starving artist. I stayed around Louisville for a few months, then went back to school for a degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics. I still wonder what might have been if I went to Vegas, but i don't regret the decision I made.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

3 hours ago, wineandkeyz said:

after which the guitarist, drummer, and I "quiet quit." We never called or emailed anyone about practice or gigs and no one called or emailed us to see what was going on. Basically, the band died of neglect.

 

Hah love it. "Quiet quit" such a good term. 

[Reezekeys]

Given the circumstances described, I would have quit loudly!

[HammondDave]

14 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

Given the circumstances described, I would have quit loudly!

yeah… quitting loudly is a lot more fun! I did that many years ago to a band that refused to learn their parts before rehearsal.  I just told them that rehearsing with them is a waste of my time.  But I have been lucky during the last 25 years that I have played in So Cal. Maybe it’s the competition. All I can say is that you will not last long out here if you do not act professionally and with pride. 

[Stokely]

I hate confrontation to my own detriment sometimes.  I'm an amateur so that may have played into it...but when you go to practice after practice and never seem to really grow the set list--people forgetting songs you've already learned, losing members--mostly due to having no gigs because "we aren't ready"....yeah, not ever doing that again if my current band of 12 years hangs it up (or uses tracks lol).   My "professionalism bar" has been set very high now that I've seen how well professionalism works and my list of requirements (like, I need to use my in-ears, everyone learns the songs, no political discussion and so on!) might make it hard for me to find something.

As far as dive bars, I really don't get why bands play to 1am, or even later.  I've played literally hundreds of those gigs and it's rare if any have a crowd much after 12, at least for the ones around here.   

[Threadslayer]

18 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

 

This past Saturday, I played a gig with a blues/rock band at a bar I've been playing at for a long time - maybe more than any other club I've ever played.  It's pretty far from my house, on a pier - a second story place with a long narrow staircase.  Long haul from the parking structure, too.  Major pain of a load-in/out.

Starboard Attitude in Redondo Beach?

[Piktor]

19 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

….The lead singer was trying to work a chick singer in (without having gotten the band's buy-in), but we kind of weren't digging it (mainly becuase she just wasn't that good).  Both singers were not getting the job done, though.  The PA was too loud.  The lead singer was trying comic shtick that just was NOT going over.  One of those gigs where you're praying for 1AM to roll around the way you used to wait for 3PM at school.

 

Oh, that sitting in thing can be a problem. I played with a steady group of folks for a number of years. Musically and personally, we got along just fine. In fact, I really appreciated that these were just really great people. However, every once in a while one of the band members would invite some friend or colleague to sit in with the band, and a couple of times even to join the band. No discussion. No vetting process. Not even a rehearsal. Fifty percent of the time it was awful. I could not understand how, after decades of being in the game, a person could think that inviting your amateur colleague from work to come up and sing a couple of tunes at the most prestigious gig we had at the time was a reasonable idea. FFS! 
 

As I suggested, the other band members are older than me and in our last year of gigging, health issues became a real problem. There were a couple of gigs where one member was unable to finish the night. (“Let’s invite so-and-so from the audience to sit in for the last set.” I’m not in compassionate, but Sheesh!) I knew that our last gig was the final one when said member told us a few days before the engagement that he couldn’t make the gig, due to a health issue. At least we had time to hire a good sub and have a good final show. 
 

I still love the guys and am proud of some of our better moments over the years, but I wish that we had pulled the plug a year or two earlier than we did. Incidentally, the original band with the original keys player reunited for a reunion show a couple months ago. I did not attend, but I did lend them my rig.