Your bass is definitely fine for playing gigs. I bought a second-hand Ibanez entry-level bass more than 20 years ago figuring I'd upgrade to a Fender in a few years. I eventually did get a Fender jazz bass, but Ibanez pickups are so punchy and clear, I still consider the Ibanez my primary bass for both playing live and recording. Since yours is active, you shouldn't have any problem at all punching through the mix of instruments at live shows.

I agree with the previous poster about Peavey bass amps, which can take a beating and still perform great. At most smaller clubs, the sound man will probably run your bass through the PA system with a direct box, so you'll only need your bass amp to be loud enough for you to hear on stage. For years, I played medium and large clubs with a 100-watt amp, since that was more than loud enough for me to hear myself. Most places that have their own PA systems will also provide the direct box, too, so you probably won't have to buy one.

There's a chain of music stores in the Northeast called Daddy's Junky Music that sells used equipment at great prices and I bought my current bass amp through their website. Even with shipping costs, it cost considerably less than I'd have paid otherwise. Craigslist is another place to check, since lots of musicians are hurting in the current economy and unloading their equipment at bargain prices. Here's a link to the Peavey combo amps at Daddy's:

http://www.daddys.com/listing.php?categoryId=1003&attributes=manufacturer:peavey;&verbose=peavey&query=

If you'll be playing really small spaces, you can even get away with lower wattage. I downgraded to a 40-watt Peavey (called Basic 40) when I finished traveling with bands and that's served me very well at small venues where I run through the PA.