I never used to count but when I cranked up the gig going a few years back it was a question I was getting asked. I thought I’d better have an answer, for myself at least. But what counts as a gig?
Yup, it doesn’t matter but as a gigaholic I think you need to know. It’s like counting your units of alcohol. Whether that leads to you moderating your behaviour is another matter.
So I have my rules. To count a gig I have to purposefully go to see the gig and know who I’m going to see. It doesn’t matter if it’s free. I don’t count seeing a pub band just by wandering in somewhere without knowing who’s playing.
One gig may include any number of bands/acts. When counting bands/acts as a separate tally I have to see a significant proportion of the performance (OK, a bit vague but you know when you know) …. oh and I need to know who I saw… obviously!
Then there are festivals. My gigaholic counting rules make one day at a festival one gig. Two days is two gigs etc. Rules on counting bands/ acts still apply.
Comedians and acts without a substantial musical content don’t count. Writing out these rules I’m now thinking of Al Murray and his “You’ve gotta have rules…where would we be without rules?”(France) line. (…and too many rules? Germany!)
What prompted this obsessive output on rules was last night. I was out around Poole with friends (TEv, TGi) and caught four acts in four different pubs. I didn’t count them, given the rules, but always pleased to catch up with the locally legendary Lady Winwood’s Maggot in The Lord Nelson.
Duo Samantha and Paul sounded good in The Stable. Only caught a few songs.
Nine Eyes were playing classic rock in The King Charles and The Kings Head had an open mic. My tally for the night 0 gigs 0 bands – that’s my rules.
Gigs with Ivan 