Venue tv's with the volume *on*...

[txbasschik]

So, we played this new-to-us venue on Saturday. Very swanky part of town. Nice place, really big. There are tv's everywhere...in the dining area, in the bar...everywhere. So maybe we should have expected this...

The freakin' boxing match was on, and the freakin' baseball game was on, and the venue left the sound on. We asked multiple times for the sound to be turned off (tv on, use the mute button), but they wouldn't do it. They turned the tv's in the bar down a bit, but would not mute them.

It was *very* annoying! Every time we reached a rest in the music, we could hear the tv!

If people wanted to watch the fight or the game, they could have gone into the bar, which had a glass wall between us and the area where you could drink at a table. There were seats in there where they could have watched the sports with the sound on. But nooooo. No, the band's gotta put up with the tv volume being on. Its not enough that we have to fight for the crowd's attention from the tv...no, they have to have the sound on, too.

How often do y'all encounter this? Is there any magic word we can say to make venues turn the freakin' tv volume off? This isn't the first time its happened, but it *is* the first time a venue has refused our request to turn the tv volume off.

Cherie

[Lex P.]

Have never been turned down for requesting the volume to be cut.

I did see a strange sight on Saturday night though. I went to see a friends band play at a VFW. The band was set up in a corner and right behind them was the Twins baseball game on a huge big screen TV. No sound, but very distracting.

Lex

[pointbass]

We don't work in joints where the TV volume is on. If they can't turn it off then they usually aren't interested in the music (in my experience).

My band doesn't take a gig until we see the room in full swing and get a feel for what the venue is like. If it's a younger, harder rock room, we know we'll do poorly there. If it's a big sports bar, we know that'll be a problem, as well. So we just avoid those places, telling the venue management that they'd be better off with a different band.

But we're kind of lucky to be booked regularly, so we can sort of pick and choose our places. We find our best locations are restaurants that have a bar/lounge .... that seems to fit our music (older classic rock) and we've been really fortunate to have secured a steady circuit of places to play .....

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Lex P.

Have never been turned down for requesting the volume to be cut.

I did see a strange sight on Saturday night though. I went to see a friends band play at a VFW. The band was set up in a corner and right behind them was the Twins baseball game on a huge big screen TV. No sound, but very distracting.

Lex

Ewww, that *is* distracting! There was a huge tv screen behind us, too, but thankfully, it wasn't on.

I do understand people wanting to keep up with a game, or whatever. But if they want to hear the sportscast, too, they should watch at home.

Cherie

[txbasschik]

We get lots of gigs. Since I joined the band almost a year ago, we've had 100 gigs.

I asked one of the regulars at this bar whether they always leave the tv volume on. He said not always, but if it is a slow night and the customers seem more interested in the game on tv, then they are allowed to have the sound on. Since there was a lot going on in Austin this weekend (Cinco de Mayo, Pecan Street Festival, a big golf tournament in the area we played in), and the crowd was much thinner than normal, they figured people wouldn't pay attention anyway.

We did have a group of people who were there for the music, but they all left early because they have kids at home with babysitters. Understandable. Also, a lot of people stopped to listen, coming out of the restaurant, but they had kids in tow, and so didn't stay long. Such is a restaurant gig.

Drummer (who books the gigs) and I talked about this. We've decided that if at the next two gigs we play there, we have to battle the tv volume, then we won't book more.

I've just never, ever played a place that kept the tv volume on while the band was up. I think its very rude, and wondered whether other places did this, too, or if it was unique to this rather nose-in-the-air bar.

Cherie

[KeithPas]

I regularly play at a large casino that has a drop down screen for watching sports events. We finally reached an agreement with the casino to just wait until the sports were over to start playing. We have ended up playing one or two less sets because of this in a given night. The way I look at it; they hired us and if they are foolish enough to pay us handsomely to watch baseball then thats fine with me.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by KeithPas

I regularly play at a large casino that has a drop down screen for watching sports events. We finally reached an agreement with the casino to just wait until the sports were over to start playing. We have ended up playing one or two less sets because of this in a given night. The way I look at it; they hired us and if they are foolish enough to pay us handsomely to watch baseball then thats fine with me.

Hubby's band used to play a place that made them wait 'til the game was over before they played. They quit booking there. Expressly for that reason.

Yeah, I guess its ok to get paid to watch baseball, so long as you still finish at the scheduled time and get the same pay. Unless, like me, you can't stand to sit around watching sports. If I have to wait 'til the game's over, I'm leaving. I didn't hire a sitter so I could watch a baseball game, you know?

If you do have to play during the game, do they turn the tv sound off?

Cherie

[KeithPas]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

Hubby's band used to play a place that made them wait 'til the game was over before they played. They quit booking there. Expressly for that reason.

Yeah, I guess its ok to get paid to watch baseball, so long as you still finish at the scheduled time and get the same pay. Unless, like me, you can't stand to sit around watching sports. If I have to wait 'til the game's over, I'm leaving. I didn't hire a sitter so I could watch a baseball game, you know?

If you do have to play during the game, do they turn the tv sound off?

Cherie

Every venue I have played at have turned the volume down at the bands request. The volume of those stupid slot machines is really loud at alot of casinos I play at. Those darned things sound really annoying and are alot louder than any TV I have heard. I'm willing to put up with it because they pay us well, treat us pretty well and the gig is close to home. 15 minutes after I get done playing I'm logging couch time.

[Ricky Daion]

We played a bar a couple of weeks ago that didn't want us playing until after the Vancouver-Anahiem playoff game was over. There we're a bunch of Canuck fans in the crowd. We had no problem with it as my partner and myself are both hockey freaks. The only real problem was that the game went into double overtime and we didn't start playing until midnight. We were only supposed to play until 1:00 a.m. but we went until about 1:15 when a party of about 20 people showed up and sat right in front. They wanted us to keep going and bought a jug of beer for us to give us incentive. We played another six or seven tunes and were ready to call it a night when a girl in the party came up with a hundred bucks she collected from the crowd and asked us to keep going. We played until quarter after two when the bartender came up and gave us the cut off sign. All in all a good night.

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

I've just never, ever played a place that kept the tv volume on while the band was up. I think its very rude...

+1 I've had them leave it on by accident, but they always turned it down when asked/reminded.

Originally Posted by KeithPas

The way I look at it; they hired us and if they are foolish enough to pay us handsomely to watch baseball then thats fine with me.

+1 I can live with that!

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by KeithPas

Every venue I have played at have turned the volume down at the bands request. The volume of those stupid slot machines is really loud at alot of casinos I play at. Those darned things sound really annoying and are alot louder than any TV I have heard. I'm willing to put up with it because they pay us well, treat us pretty well and the gig is close to home. 15 minutes after I get done playing I'm logging couch time.

Yeah, slot machines are *awful*. I can't stand the sound of them. My husband loves to gamble, but I always end up with a headache because of all the "bing-bing-bing-bing" of the machines.

I'm sure happy I don't have to play casinos! But it does sound like y'all get paid real well.

When we go to Tunica, I always try to find the casino band and hang out and listen to them. The slots bore me to death, and I'm just not a person for playing games at all. But it gets me out of my MIL's house and out for some drinks, so I go. And, hey, those Tunica casino bar bands enjoy it when they have someone paying attention, not just killing time until they're ready to go back and gamble again. We're there during the holidays, so the crowd is really thin, so I tip them and applaud and give 'em WHOOTs!

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Ricky Daion

We played a bar a couple of weeks ago that didn't want us playing until after the Vancouver-Anahiem playoff game was over. There we're a bunch of Canuck fans in the crowd. We had no problem with it as my partner and myself are both hockey freaks. The only real problem was that the game went into double overtime and we didn't start playing until midnight. We were only supposed to play until 1:00 a.m. but we went until about 1:15 when a party of about 20 people showed up and sat right in front. They wanted us to keep going and bought a jug of beer for us to give us incentive. We played another six or seven tunes and were ready to call it a night when a girl in the party came up with a hundred bucks she collected from the crowd and asked us to keep going. We played until quarter after two when the bartender came up and gave us the cut off sign. All in all a good night.

Yeah, that's kinda like playing a gig at a sports bar when UT has a football game on tv. Impossible. May as well enjoy the game (thank God I like football) or go somewhere else 'til its over.

But, unless we have some girl (or someone) giving us a hundred bucks to stay and play late...we ain't playin' late. Ain't our fault that the venue booked a band on a UT game night, ya know?

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Lazylion

+1 I've had them leave it on by accident, but they always turned it down when asked/reminded.

+1 I can live with that!

Yeah, us, too. 's why we were freaked. No one's ever refused to turn the sound off before! "Down" ain't enough. We want it on mute, or at least down so low we can't hear it at all.

Oh well. Unless this venue starts producing a decent crowd, I don't think we'll fiddle with it much longer.

Cherie

[KeithPas]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

Yeah, slot machines are *awful*. I can't stand the sound of them. My husband loves to gamble, but I always end up with a headache because of all the "bing-bing-bing-bing" of the machines.

I'm sure happy I don't have to play casinos! But it does sound like y'all get paid real well.

When we go to Tunica, I always try to find the casino band and hang out and listen to them. The slots bore me to death, and I'm just not a person for playing games at all. But it gets me out of my MIL's house and out for some drinks, so I go. And, hey, those Tunica casino bar bands enjoy it when they have someone paying attention, not just killing time until they're ready to go back and gamble again. We're there during the holidays, so the crowd is really thin, so I tip them and applaud and give 'em WHOOTs!

Cherie

The casino gigs in my area pay about 2-3 times what the local clubs play so I am willing to put up with a few minor inconviences to play there and, like you, I am not a gambler. I swear after playing a casino gig I have the sound of those danged slots in my brain for a week.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by KeithPas

The casino gigs in my area pay about 2-3 times what the local clubs play so I am willing to put up with a few minor inconviences to play there and, like you, I am not a gambler. I swear after playing a casino gig I have the sound of those danged slots in my brain for a week.

Oh, I'll bet you do, for sure! It'd drive me crazy. They must pay *really* well! LOL! Couch-and-tv-time would be the only cure.

The nearest casinos to us are out in the Gulf, or on the Sabine or the Mississippi, or wayyyy out west on the Mescalero rez. Too far, thank the gods.

Cherie

[QORC]

Once played a place where we were booked for 9, but were informed at 9 that most of the patrons wanted to watch a U of Maryland football game that was playing on the west coast and could we please not play until the game was over.

at 11:30

that sucked.

happened again last year at a local bar which wanted to completed "Ultimate Fighting" pay-per-view first (do you really need to hear the sound???). ended at 12:25 am. We were asked to play "one long set until 2". I was really pissed off.

[rusty66]

It really pi@#es me off having to fight either the background music, the Jukebox or a TV screen when you are booked to play. Our PA guy has a CD player in his Rack, so If the venue refuses to turn these items off whilst we play, we put on some free Jazz CD's really loud whilst we have our breaks. The venue manager usually see's our way and complies!!
Cheers,
Rusty

[rusty66]

Also, Dj's that wont shut the hell up and you spend 15 minutes waiting on stage for him to finish, so you can start. That usually after he has played all the songs on your set list. I hate DJ's............1.....................2........... .........3 ahhhh feel better now.

rusty

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by QORC

Once played a place where we were booked for 9, but were informed at 9 that most of the patrons wanted to watch a U of Maryland football game that was playing on the west coast and could we please not play until the game was over.

at 11:30

that sucked.

happened again last year at a local bar which wanted to completed "Ultimate Fighting" pay-per-view first (do you really need to hear the sound???). ended at 12:25 am. We were asked to play "one long set until 2". I was really pissed off.

Oh, that *does* suck!!! Especially being postponed for freakin' UF. No, you really don't need to hear the sound for that. Jeez!!!

As for football...

When I watch football at home, most of the time, I have music on, and am doing something like folding laundry, where I can stand there and keep and eye on the Longhorn game. Or Dallas. Or the Texans. Or the Titans.

Now, if I can do all that and still know when UT's gotten a first down, or had a bad call, why can't people let our bands play during the game?

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by rusty66

It really pi@#es me off having to fight either the background music, the Jukebox or a TV screen when you are booked to play. Our PA guy has a CD player in his Rack, so If the venue refuses to turn these items off whilst we play, we put on some free Jazz CD's really loud whilst we have our breaks. The venue manager usually see's our way and complies!!
Cheers,
Rusty

Free jazz...wonderful idea!!! Drummer keep a cd player in the gig trailer, just in case we need to fill dead air during a break.

BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!!! Turn off the tv, or its free jazz for 15 minutes!!!

Cherie