Do you finish your last set if the bar is empty?

Oh! Henry · #1 10-01-2007, 11:06 AM

What does your band do when your doing your last set of the night, and the only people left are your family, friends and maybe some regulars that aren't even listening.

We were in this situation this weekend, and our singer wanted to end it half way. We insisted to stay on a little longer, but then she eventualy announced this is our last song (which the guitar player sings) and left the stage!!!! we were 4 songs short of finishing our set. So we filled in with a couple of other songs that she doesn't sing, and no one noticed.

What does your band do? Do you continue until the end of your set or do you cut it short? My theory is that if the bar pays for 3 sets, then unless the owner tells you to stop, you owe them 3 full sets.

Tony G · #2 10-01-2007, 11:08 AM

I played a gig this past friday where the entire bar was cleared out by 1am, and we where supposed to play untill 2am. We stopped playing at 1am, took a $50 pay cut on the night from the total pay, and went home.

edit: just to be clear, when I say the bar was cleared out, I mean it was cleared out. The only ones left were the bar staff and us. We agreed to take a $50 pay cut so the bar staff could clean up and go home.

LowDown Hal · #3 10-01-2007, 11:09 AM

I agree with your theory.

If you're paid for three sets, you play three sets.

scothar · #4 10-01-2007, 11:09 AM

I play as long as I have fun on stage.

Phalex · #5 10-01-2007, 11:12 AM

I play as long as the contract says I play.

CamMcIntyre · #6 10-01-2007, 11:14 AM

I agree with Phalex.

Most of the time, i'm having fun while playing-so it doesn't matter to me if there's 1000 people or an empty room. If i'm contracted to play for X hours, i'll play for X hours or until released from the contract by the owner/manager. Who knows-one of those regulars might be someone who has a friend there who wants to book you for another gig. Not likely, but it could happen.

lpdeluxe · #7 10-01-2007, 11:17 AM

I have played gigs where there were more of us on the stage than out in the audience.

But I'm a musician. People play me to play music, not count noses.

I'd always rather have a full house (and, we usually do), but if you want to be a pro, you have to act like a pro.

mjolnir · #8 10-01-2007, 11:20 AM

Yup, if you're paid to play, you play 'till the end.

BigLoopDuke · #9 10-01-2007, 11:37 AM

Yeah, I'd play to the bitter end too. Half of the fun of playing live is the interaction between the bandmates. If our lead vocalist ever annouced we were done early and walked off, the after-the-fact conversation would lead to a fist fight. (I'm only sort of kidding.)

superbassman2000 · #10 10-01-2007, 11:42 AM

my band has been in that situation and we play to the end...thats what we are paid to do. However, when there is a crowd we play songs for the crowd--if it is just us, we just have a few more drinks and kick back and have a fun time...we'll take longer solos, maybe throw in some extra verses, throw in some songs we normally wouldn't play for the bar crowd

Oh! Henry · #11 10-01-2007, 11:44 AM

There was some band drama happening that night as well and she was pissed off. We weren't expecting for her to actually walk off though. there won't be a fist fight, but there will definatly be a very serious discussion!

Fretless1! · #12 10-01-2007, 11:46 AM

I'm there 'til the end unless the owner cuts it short.

dgelting · #13 10-01-2007, 11:59 AM

I bet that the staff would have preferred that you end early. At that point, the bartenders aren't making any more tips and that last set will feel really long to them, especially if you're loud.
I'm in this situation often (as a sound engineer) and the staff always prefers a band to stop if nobody's there. But where I work, the bands are playing for the door so there's no contracted set length for them to uphold.

agreatheight · #14 10-01-2007, 12:12 PM

In my book, it's the bar owner's call to cut a set early, not anyone's in the band. So if we are playing 3 50 minute sets, so be it. If it gets dead and the bar owner wants to call it, cool. If If it gets dead and they want us to play to the bitter end, cool. It's their dime, and they get to make the call. But sure, if it's empty it's time to break out the fun and/or self indulgent stuff!

lpdeluxe · #15 10-01-2007, 12:17 PM

There you go.

+1 on the idea of loosening up when the crowd's thin, too. In the clubs where we play, a lot of time attendance is pretty sparse for the first (never the last!) set, and we have been known to stretch out and have fun until the dancers show up.

One time, a lady drunk got under the skin of our lead player, and he cut a song short to end the set...but that was once out of many gigs. Not the usual practice at all, and he apologized to us after.

BillMason · #16 10-01-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xgabriele

I played a gig this past friday where the entire bar was cleared out by 1am, and we where supposed to play untill 2am. We stopped playing at 1am, took a $50 pay cut on the night from the total pay, and went home.

edit: just to be clear, when I say the bar was cleared out, I mean it was cleared out. The only ones left were the bar staff and us. We agreed to take a $50 pay cut so the bar staff could clean up and go home.

I wouldn't take a pay cut - if they want me to go home, they can pay me earlier, not less.

Tony G · #17 10-01-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillMason

I wouldn't take a pay cut - if they want me to go home, they can pay me earlier, not less.

Eh, we didn't mind. It was only $50. The place was dead most of the night as it was since we started at 10pm. By 1am there was nobody left, so we asked the bartender if he wanted us to keep going or what he would like to do. I didn't specifically talk to him, but all I know is we walked away an hour earlier and $50 less.

guy n. cognito · #18 10-01-2007, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agreatheight

In my book, it's the bar owner's call to cut a set early, not anyone's in the band. So if we are playing 3 50 minute sets, so be it. If it gets dead and the bar owner wants to call it, cool. If If it gets dead and they want us to play to the bitter end, cool. It's their dime, and they get to make the call. But sure, if it's empty it's time to break out the fun and/or self indulgent stuff!

Ding Ding! We have a winner. I just can't believe it took 14 posts for someone to have the right answer to this simple question.

Whenever we're faced with this situation, we discreetly ask the bar owner or manager if they want us to continue. Some do, some don't. One asked us to keep playing for the staff while they cleaned up since they were enjoying our music so much (it was a dead night because of a UT football game.)

SteveC · #19 10-01-2007, 01:35 PM

It depends on the club and the night. There have been a couple times where we have stopped a little early as it was just us and staff. The staff wants to get out early and that's fine as that gets me home earlier, too.

We have never taken a pay cut. It's usually only a matter of a half set or something so they are fine with that. We have a pretty good relationship with the managers at our usual venues.

Tony G · #20 10-01-2007, 01:38 PM

I guess what my band did was wrong then...