Worked doubles for the past 9-10 years, early at a senior living facility later with a trio in a ballroom. This year, the late gig went away, so doing NH early and senior independent later in the eve ... The only time I get to wear my 'monkey suit'

Doing doubles today-both 3 hours!
Now using my SD40 and the M-Audio 49 key
Controller. Might be the best change I have
ever made!

Deane

Here in south florida, condos have cancelled most new years eve shows and have changed the date and called them holiday parties so they did not have to pay extra for new years eve. Very sad and a cheap move. For the first time in years none of the places I have played for years are having new years parties. They say there is not enough pre sales to warrant new years but they will have a dance the next week where people can celebrate the holidays.
MEL

Gonna stop at Wegman's, buy some Sushi, then go an old friends house to bring in the new year. No more gigs for this old codger.

Gary

I could have done a private party here in The Villages, it’s an outdoor neighborhood thing with about 50 people in attendance. They asked me too late we had already made plans to get together with some friends up the road in Ocala.

Played three out of last six years with band. As said earlier, the pay is good at double the usual, but a big undertaking. Stressful trying to please everybody as slow stuff pleases older crowd while young ones sit. Crank up tempo and young tables come alive while old folks have coffee and struggle to stay awake till midnight. Not so different from other gigs in that respect but it's a night you want to make every song work for everybody.
As also said, slow ticket sales at usual places force higher ticket prices following year which makes for slower ticket sales until it doesn't pay for venues to put event on. I share another previous observation that its just not a big deal as it was for the generation of our parents or us..
And not that you have to drink (but lets face it, it's common on this a party night), paying $100 a ticket to party but only having two drinks in fear of driving through a dui checkpoint is not worth it. Safer to stay home, and worry about your kids out there..

Well, my NYE gig is 'in the books' for this year ...
Had a really good crowd of about 100 people, dancing, singing like it was midnight ...
I had a playlist ready with a lot of the 'chestnuts' on it, and after 2 upbeat songs, a woman came up to me and asked for "Ol' Time RnR" ... after that it was mostly playing requests, some of which were on my list anyway ... really fun group ...

Finished a trio job (son-bass, grandson drums-me-guitar vocals and piano) for the city, went to a VA job-16 pieces, for a friend. Will do my regular country club job tomorrow, an emergency "fix" on a sound score in Louisville tonight, an afternoon job with a pick-up band at a local private club and the country club tomorrow night.

Will cut some activity out this year. Live play is the least lucrative, and I don't need to use it to "fish" for corporate work any more. National sound score recording for another production company is nerve wracking, because I'm the "hired gun", not the producer. Another option is dropping a group of 5 financial institutions as a client.

Happy new year, everyone!


R.

Who is going out amongst the masses to entertain the audience with their arranger keyboard to bring in the New Year 2020?

I'll be going out NYE with my 5 piece. I've been booked Fri and Sat since Thanksgiving. I'm looking forwards to some time off.