Contemplating my strategy

Now that I have no residency and no ties to one venue, I'm left with an interesting choice that I've never really considered...

The hunt for a new residency begins in January as everyone is sorted over the Christmas period.
The thing is: do I even bother? You see my agent has control of several hundred bars and nightclubs up and down the country. They send me gig lists every day of venues needing cover. I could just take the work when I wanted to.
So if I wanted a Saturday night off, I'd just not bother getting a job that night and go hit the town. All I'd need to do is make sure that I cleared a certain level of regular income each week, give or take a hundred quid for nights off here and there.

The idea is appealing to me because I'd be the master of my own fate. I turn up, do my sweet funky groove thang, and leave. Do it four nights a week for example and I'm set.

Residency
They're great. Regular work, you make friends, the people begin to know you and you look forward to seeing them.
You get familiar with the music they ask for. In fact, some people used to ask for their music by just giving me a thumbs up from somewhere on or near the dancefloor. It was predictable, easy work.

The downside is that people begin to know you.
You get familiar with the music they're asking for. In fact, some people used to ask for their music by just giving me a thumbs up from somewhere on or near the dancefloor. It was predictable.

Freelance
I could breeze into a venue, nobody would know my name or my history. I could be whoever I wanted to be.
I'd be the Phantom Man.
The downside is there might be a slow period of work. Where I could have a residency getting paid to play to an empty bar for a few months until things pick up again, I might not be able to get the work during those times.

Who knows anyway. I think a chat with my agent is in order and see what my options are.