Ever do a show, and nobody came?

[rrrefused]

My first 18+ show was made out to be a huge deal because it was in a fairly popular venue that some bigger bands had played at.
We played for a couple old barflies, and the weak nu-metal band we opened for, and 3 of their friends.
Ended up not even getting paid. Massive waste of money with no positive side to it.
It was funny though, we stopped caring and played ridiculous covers.

[Reconsiderate]

we stopped caring

that's always
where the best music comes from
anyway

[b_jets]

I did a show at a night club, and there was only one couple there the entire night.

That was odd in a different way.

[betti]

[hasya108]

Just noticed tis string, which I see started in 2006---this indicates the
ETERNAL nature of the "nobody shows" experience. An oft-told story from
the 80's is the debut tour of the POLICE, who traveled/slept/ate/and
shlepped their own gear from a van, which they took turns driving, and
many gigs were attended only by the bar regulars.
I have a small ray of light to share on the 'performing' experience. I got
started the way any Hi-Skool kid does and by senior year had the band
going, knew it wasn't gonna be college, and lit out for NYC before my
17'th b-day. Fortunately (for me) this was 1966 and the so-called A&R
guys at the time with the biggest labels did not have a clue what was
the focus/direction of the new counter culture hippie music. They were
literally grabbing groups on the basis of their sons and daughter's
crushes and raves! Cool! I had a band that played only originals and we
actually followed the changes with discipline and zeal, even tho the main
concern in ALL circumstances was: do we have enough dope for the whole band and we'll time it so we're "coming on" for the first set.
We had worried executives herding us into recordings and gigs with
anxious inquiry like: Are you boys sure this is the latest thing? I mean
you boys are really "happening" , right? We've GOT to get more
product for the mid-west, no one knows whats going on out there any
more! Of course we reassured them that our middle name was John
Paul George Ringo Beatle, and all we needed was more $$ to "break out"
Back to big-gig/little-gig:
So two years into this my humble band is the opening act (house band)
for every band that plays the Village Theatre in NY. It seats close to 4000
and when there's no headliner the owners let us pick a batch of local
acts and put on a chaos-fest. So the point is going from coffee houses
w/guitar and harmonica to hangin with the Who and Procul Harum etc
seemed natural and yes, thrilling too, but all life is change and to demand
from Providence a packed house is not realistic. At that time there was
not this "security obsession" so dear to us all, and the biggest bands
yes even Jimi, went from place to place looking to enjoy life by meeting
new people. So by spending time backstage with a " big successful"
band and then playing to the same audience a few moments later I
came to understand that we the people are really quite the same, in
many more ways than we are different, and the real satisfaction in this
game of music is to strive for your own artistic goal and THAT has to be
there FIRST. The crowds will come and the crowds will go the crowd is
fickle, the crowd is slow...wait was that a Koan(?) and if you don't really
like what you can do w/your art in your living room, the big arena full
of spectators wanting (virtual) blood will not complete you.
So now decades later I and my band--when they can make it-- play
for no guaranteed audience and I like to go to these 'Bar Jams' where
it's just musicians and alcoholics...and it's still the best part of the day
Time will change you, and it is good to want to change for the better.
With art, unlike almost any other field of material endeavor, this is a
distinct possibility. Now if I could only learn to say this in three or four sentences...

[Rebelicious]

I love it when these venues book you to play and expext you to bring out 100 people on a Thursday night, yet they dont advertise in anyway shape or form...unless you count the flyer above the urinal as advertising.

It amazes my how they want you to bring in all these people and still pay you like you played a back yard party.

[Class6]

Haha i definately can relate...when we were first starting out, we played a good amount of shows in coffee shops and such, for no audience but the employees. It can put a damper on the event, but i guess you should never pass up a good chance to have a hands-on dress rehearsal practice.

-James, Class 6
www.myspace.com/class6live
www.twitter.com/class6live
www.facebook.com/class6

[musicfan]

I'm not a performer, but I wanted to reply, because it's an interesting topic. I think this is a perfect opportunity for two things.

1. Ensuring that you are comfortable on a stage. I just read somebody's post about stage fright, and a show with little or no people would be a nice transition.

2. For whoever may be there (even just one person), focus on them and entertain them. Don't ignore your audience even if it is just a few people. Play your heart out and entertain them. You never know, they could be looking for the next great act to sign.