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PaperclipPerfector  12d ago (text post)   1730 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 2, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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The band I've been playing with did a short bar gig last night after a couple month hiatus. The pay was dogshit, but I had enough fun that the money was really just a bonus.

For the musicians out there - do you have any good tips and tricks for getting gigs? Are there any "nontraditional" venues that I might be missing?

Best way I know of is just to network with the bar staff and other musicians. If you have good friends that are well known or know bartenders/bar managers it’s waaaaay easier to get a gig.

I played in one locally popular band in college, and another that was better but didn’t draw. The trick to getting gigs is drawing a respectable audience relative to the size of the venue. I sincerely don’t mean to come off as dismissive by stating the obvious, but most people that manage bars don’t prioritize art over selling drinks.

There was one kind of venue that was particularly fun, and we played two of these — find a music venue in a nearby, small college town that is open just on Saturday nights. There’s not much to do in those towns so they were always full shows, and you didn’t even need to promote yourself.

There are some nonprofit cultural centers that will host all ages shows. If you go this route you’ll likely need to fill out the bill with other bands, yourself.

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