Anyone Have Issues With Under 21 Band Members

[tycobb73]

Got a decent looking 19 year old interested in joining my band. Any of you have any resistance from bar owners?

[moten33]

I'll be interested in the responses. We just added a 20 year old singer after a search that was turning up not much else. He has been in a popular local band before us though so he at least has played out and knows a lot of the local bar owners at least.

[JonnyAngle]

If you keep it on the DL, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you say, "Hey, Bar Owner, is it OK if we bring our 19yo singer?" Then they will say no.

[hdracer]

How old are the rest of you?

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by JonnyAngle

If you keep it on the DL, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you say, "Hey, Bar Owner, is it OK if we bring our 19yo singer?" Then they will say no.

That!

[tycobb73]

39, 35ish, 50

[Piggy8692]

I've had owners escort younger players in for the show and then escort them out after. If your planning on multiple sets, make sure he/she is prepared to stand outside during breaks.

Or, have him grow out a beard. Nothing says 'I'm old enough' like sparse unattended peach fuzz.

[inthevelvet]

Got a decent looking 19 year old interested in joining my band.

Looks never hurt, but is this what's important to your band?

[tycobb73]

She would look really funny with a beard. Looks do play a part in it but we have other older candidates that bring other things.

[Mo Jiggity]

Originally Posted by Piggy8692

I've had owners escort younger players in for the show and then escort them out after. If your planning on multiple sets, make sure he/she is prepared to stand outside during breaks.

Or, have him grow out a beard. Nothing says 'I'm old enough' like sparse unattended peach fuzz.

This but seriously ... I teched a show for my buddy's band at a bar when i was 19 and they didn't come close to carding me because 1) I knew my way around the mixer and walked in with the band 2) Had the Jeff Lynne look going on 3) was drinking pitchers of Sam Adams instead of Wooodchuck. Had a good evening.

[intheory]

My son, age 19 when he joined my band, is now just 20 and has played 100+/- shows wish us since he joined the band; almost all of those gigs were at bars (some at restaurants).
We keep it on the downlow, but also don't lie about it. We also make sure that he doesn't try to get drinks at the bar

I'm in SW Florida (Sarasota/Port Charlotte/Ft Myers area for giggin)

-Dan

[dukeisdog]

Earlier this year I didn't have ID for a show my band played locally in winnipeg (Canada) legal age is 18, I'm 19, didn't plan on drinking, loaded my gear in, and got Id'd bringing in my basses on our second trip downstairs.

Moral of the story: do it if you don't mind being without a bass player for a gig..

Luckily I had just joined the band and the vocalist knew all bass parts (had a blast playing through my rig), but the guys weren't too happy. They knew before hand I didn't have ID and all of them told me I wouldn't get ID'd because I was in the band. Maybe things are different in the states, but I wouldn't chance it if nobody else knows the parts.

[iriegnome]

For the most part, if you don't say anything about it, club owners won't know the difference unless she goes bellying up to the bar and is drinking.. Then there would be an issue. As long as she sticks with band stuff, does order alcohol, and is part of the band during set up, she should be good to go.

[fjadams]

It depends where you play. Some states allow under aged players, some don't. In Nebraska you can be underage and play in bars. How it is handled seems to be up to the bar. In my boy's first bar band everybody was under age, early to mid teens. A lot of bars had a "band table" where at least one adult had to be sitting at all times. No alcohol, and at some no smoking at table. The band had to be sitting at the table when not on stage. A couple had Green Rooms, and some had no policy at all.

When we were out in Portland in the mid 80s, Oregon didn't let underage people in bars at all, made it hard for young bands to get jobs and exposure.

[fjadams]

Just going and playing without telling the owner about underage member(s) could result in fines and punishment to the people involved and the bar owner. Check your local state laws, and check with the bar as to their policy. Spending a night in jail and paying a fine and/or getting a bar fined or closed won't do much for your marketability.

[fdeck]

Every state has its own laws, and some states have exceptions for performers working in bars. In Wisconsin, your parents can buy you a drink in a bar.

[tbirdsp]

Back in the day when I was 18 (early 80's) I played in a band in NE Ohio where everyone else was older (late 20's-early 30's). The owner of one club where we had played for years was NOT pleased when someone announced my 21st birthday - after he had been serving me for 3 years

Of course that guy did some time later for insurance fraud (torched another bar he owned for the money) so I don't think serving a minor was too big a deal for him...

[tycobb73]

In MI you can be 18 to enter bars. But a lot of bars still don't let anyone under 21 in because they don't want the risk. Has anyone run into this with a band member?

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by tycobb73

39, 35ish, 50

Is he your only option? I've never been in a band with that big of an age gap that didn't eventually result in there being problems and yes, sometimes I was the youngest.

[guy n. cognito]

Bars around here that are 21 and up will make a big deal about an underage musician.