I was just curious about this. About how long is your band's set and how many songs? We (The Unemploid) usually play between 8-10 songs, each averaging about 2 and a half-3 mins.. I know that most places you play (Launchpad, Burts) usually give bands about 30 mins. but we've also played some places that let some bands go forevvvvvveeeerrrrr. So let's hear it? ~B~

We have about a good 6 to 7 songs for a 30 min set. Our songs on avarage tend to be a lil longer, so we have about that and maybe 1 extra just in case. In cases in which we get a 45 min set, we can pull off sticking in 8 to 10 songs, including an "encore".

I think it kind of depends on the type of music you're playing... if the music is aggressive, loud and fast like you guys, then playing for an hour and a half would be too LONG of a workout.

If you're a jamband and your audience is high on LSD then maybe you could play for 3 hours.

We like to hit hard and heavy with the half hour set of 7-10 back-to-back songs.

We played for 6 hours one time but our normal is 45 minutes to an hour with 10-12, 3-4 minute long songs

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We like to hit hard and heavy with the half hour set of 7-10 back-to-back songs.

That's dope as hell, the past couple of shows we've kinda stopped all the chit-chat and just went straight to the next song. I think our next show (shameless plug) This Tues. Jan 31st with Kelpie, and Ellis, starting at 10 pm at Burt's Tiki Lounge, FREE (end of shameless plug) We're gonna try not to say a word until we have like 2 songs left haha.

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How long...?

Wouldn't YOU like to know!! *ba-dump-CRASH!*

But seriously, folks, we've got about a 45-minute set at this point.

35-40 min, 10-13 songs. Our songs are fast, short, and we like to play them back to back with only short breaks so we don't lose the audience or momentum. We can go over an hour if we plan our breaks and order our set just so. We can also tear it out if we have a tight slot and do 8ish songs in 20 minutes. If we were an indie rock band we could go all night, and honestly I could play for hours: my voice and Rexx's guitar strings go out way before the rest does.

I don't see the point in going over an hour though. I almost always get sick of any band after 45 min, no matter how good they are.

There are also bands that take a half hour just to set up, and then they play forever and you know they are going to take just as long to tear down and all of a sudden you realize your slot is pushed back to 15 minutes at 1:30 in the morning: I hate that.

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Originally posted by Levi Eleven:
There are also bands that take a half hour just to set up, and then they play forever and you know they are going to take just as long to tear down and all of a sudden you realize your slot is pushed back to 15 minutes at 1:30 in the morning: I hate that.

That's one of my biggest pet peeves. Seriously, professionalism is key, break down and set up in the 15 or so min the venue gives you. Can't stand when someone goes and sets up half their shit, stops has a cig, drinks the rest of their beer, mingles with the crowd for 15 more min. goes back up, sets up another piece of their equip. stops for another cig, drinks another beer, talks some more, etc etc etc

But ANYWAYS... back to our featured discussion. . . haha

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Originally posted by WebMonkey:
We like to hit hard and heavy with the half hour set of 7-10 back-to-back songs.

Fuck yeah!
More Rock
Less Talk

And anyone fucking taking forever to set up/breakdown when we are playing will be delt with harshly. No time/room for jerks. Show some respect or deal with the concequences...

I'd say our average set is around 30-45 minutes although my personal fav is to also hit it hard and fast with a short 3 song 15-20 minute set. Although Im all about playing long winded, dreamy atmospheric music, a fast and furious seriously loud and intense rock quickie is high-energy and so much fun.

The old saying "Ride 'em hard and leave 'em wet" comes to mind. I like leaving the audience pumped and wanting more instead of taking the audience to the point of rock n roll overdose.

i know from my guitarists point of view is that always play one song short of our time...we can play up to an hour+ if given the chance...but we really love playing the 30 minute set...fuck and run...(shades of liz phair)...rock n roll over load is quite taxing from any band...unless im really loaded...then obviously i dont care...but seriously...short of tuning...we play and play...one show at Atomic we got 2 encores...never happened before...the one song short of our set...i dont think the other bands dont mind going one song over as long as we arent playing the epic 10 minute songs we dont have to begin with...hahahaha...but thats my 1/2 half cent

sean
7of9
70f9rocks
sean@sevenof9.comackthpppbt1@aol.com

With Left Brain, our set is about as long as they give us- 45 min. If it were up to me I would love to play a double slot and give everyone the full experience.

NO BAND SHOULD EVER PLAY MORE THAN 45 MINUTES!

The Gracchi plays for about 30-40 minutes. We play about 10-12 songs. The time and song amount all depends on how much Laura and I chat it up with the audience.

Yeah. We usually do whatever the venue wants us to do. And I try to be really conscioius of the time. I HATE bands that overplay and leave others with no time. Trust me, nobody really wants to hear you go on and on for an hour plus. Not even your biggest fans. But we can do up to an hour 15 if needed. After that, we're pulling shit from our way back in our catalog, and that makes for some train wrecks on stage.

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Originally posted by sptough:
NO BAND SHOULD EVER PLAY MORE THAN 45 MINUTES!

.

Make that a Half Hour.

30-40 minutes is perfect length. Even touring bands shouldn't play for too long. If they're that good, then play a 45 minute set and then do a couple songs as an encore...

Agreed....30 mins is plenty of time. We usually play 4 songs, about 7 mins each. Thrash metal, 4 songs is about all the audience (and my body) can take.

I agree with most that a 30 minute set is perfect. Whether I'm performing or as a fan, I know that anything over 30 minutes is starting to get a tad difficult to keep people interested in your music while playing or listeing to others perform. I know especially that when you have a large bill with 4-6 bands on one night and give them all 45 minutes, I wanna get home before the sunrises, lol.

Before joining my band "Ishen Tree" I know they had an extensive set of about 2 hours worth of music. So basically we have 3 sets worth of music now.....We have our "Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma'm" set of 30 minutes with all of our popular songs, then we have the 45 minute set with our personal favorites thrown in which now brings our set list to about 16 songs and then we have a 75 minute set with songs that we may not have worked out the kinks out of or throw in our "Fan Sing-Along" song of "Santeria".....Normally we do the 75 minute set if we get booked alone or if we are the last band and we will close the bar or club. By then either the drunks or nobody is left, lol.

I think from past experience, our 30 minute shows come off better than any other.

Peace.
John
p.s. Band Plug: Ishen Tree @ "The LaunchPad-March 8th for Beto's B-Day Bash!
http://www.myspace.com/ishentree

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Originally posted by The Ya Ya Boom Project!:
Yeah. We usually do whatever the venue wants us to do.

Same Here