Would you play for a % of bar

PopaWoody · #1 03-16-2011, 01:34 PM

Booked a local gig, where they are offering a solid %30 of outside patio bar sales. 8-11pm on a Thursday night.

We have no idea of what kind of crowd might wander in as its outdoors / covered patio in late April. The owner says a lot of people are out having dinner and we could get them in.

It's in a very popular and bar crammed area of Tampa. Ybor City.

We have to bring our PA. Would you?

fenderhutz · #2 03-16-2011, 01:44 PM

No.

How do you know exactly what the bar sells?

If they are hesitant ask for a minimum and bar %.

If you normally charge 400 for 3 sets. Ask for 200 then a % if you are trying to get a foot in the door.

If I don't know or trust the bartender or owner (which is hardly ever for us), I wouldn't do it.

shadow_FIX · #3 03-16-2011, 01:49 PM

In those situations I usually try to swing a guarantee out of them. I don't know what the scene is like there, and you said that it's an area that packs bars, so those details sound promising. In my area the bars don't start filling up until 11, so this is a gig I would probably turn down without a guarantee.

WJGreer · #4 03-16-2011, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

No.

How do you know exactly what the bar sells?

If they are hesitant ask for a minimum and bar %.

If you normally charge 400 for 3 sets. Ask for 200 then a % if you are trying to get a foot in the door.

If I don't know or trust the bartender or owner (which is hardly ever for us), I wouldn't do it.

+1. The problem isn't that compensation model as much as it is getting them to honestly disclose their bar revenue. You are completely without leverage there.

Richland123 · #5 03-16-2011, 01:49 PM

Never

BigOldHarry · #6 03-16-2011, 01:51 PM

depends on the bar
depends on the gig

I do this for folding money & fun, not a living, so I'm pretty flexible.

pbagley · #7 03-16-2011, 01:55 PM

I'll say it depends on the establishment. We play one bar with a guarantee and a %. One Friday night we ended up taking nearly all of their nights receipts. On the other hand, they did better then the previous Friday when they had $0 in the till between 9 and 1 according to the bartender. No band, no customers. I felt kind of bad for the owner, but he has proven to be a real stand up guy and has earned our trust.

- Paul

Martin89 · #8 03-16-2011, 01:59 PM

I've been to Ybor and they do have pretty good(and usually full) patio sections depending on the actual place. But unless they're going to run their register in front of you(ie the big printoff of every transaction at the end of the night including the one for the credit terminal) I have a hard time imagining it being figured out fairly. I'm going to +1 on the idea of some sort of minimum and maybe a smaller percentage.

oldbassplayergu · #9 03-16-2011, 01:59 PM

that's what you want is a % of the bar. But how can you trust a bar owner? Do you really think he's going to be honest with your band. How about a $5 cover on top of the %. Now thats a little better cause you get a bit of a pillow so you don't get screwed. It could be $3 or $4 dollars if the owner has an issue with covers. When an owner sez % of the bar BEWARE!

JustinFerrari · #10 03-16-2011, 02:00 PM

yah, you have to ask for a guarantee!
then try and get a cut of the bar as well.... what if the nights dead?
and you have to bring your own PA? I'm not sure the Promo/Booking manager at that venue knows what he is doing..

MattyH · #11 03-16-2011, 02:05 PM

Never. Too many bad experiences with that. If you can't meet our base price, we can't book with you! If you're talented, and know your stuff, you shouldn't be expected to fold for people. Most people don't know it takes a lot to set up, play and break down. You gotta go early and you're there late. It can be work sometimes!

And NO, this dosent mean I'm struggling to find gigs. YES I'm gigging every weekend. Getting giant paychecks from our wedding company really spoiled us

But don't let people take advantage of you. Especially if you don't know how the bar does on an average night. I hate it when I would get screwed, and I don't like seeing it happen to fellow musicians.

Passinwind · #12 03-16-2011, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin89

But unless they're going to run their register in front of you(ie the big printoff of every transaction at the end of the night including the one for the credit terminal) I have a hard time imagining it being figured out fairly

That's exactly what every place I've done that sort of deal with does -- show us the Point Of Sale computer print outs. We've always had some guaranteed fallback rate in place too though. I'd take that deal in a heartbeat, flat rate structure sucks around here and gives the bands no incentive at all to self-promote. Cover charges completely don't work for local bands here either.

stubborne · #13 03-16-2011, 02:08 PM

Hell yeah.. with my friends, I could retire the next day.

SteveC · #14 03-16-2011, 02:12 PM

Nope. Never. Either we're worth our price or we aren't. I may agree to a reduced rate for a first gig as a "foot-in-the-door" thing, but that's it.

**Freddels** · #15 03-16-2011, 02:46 PM

If it's a closed in patio area, I'd ask for $5 a head and have a friend stand at the entrance with a clicker and count everyone that enters the area. A hand stamp (after ID check) is good for not double counting. That way if 100 people show up, well . . .
and the risk is on both sides as to a good night or not.

The bar has to be able to get more than $5 out of each person there.

MNAirHead · #16 03-16-2011, 06:26 PM

Sure.. start at 5:30 until 9:00 .. same terms.

mcm · #17 03-16-2011, 06:28 PM

yes, try it once, if it doesnt work, dont do it again. go play your ass off and dont worry about the rest.

ducknturtle · #18 03-16-2011, 06:38 PM

I would say yes as well, if you really want the gig.

bluewine · #19 03-16-2011, 06:49 PM

It's up to you, but like the other guy says, unless the patio is deadsville you won't know what kind of $s they brought in.

Supose you notice the patio was packed, say 75-100 people all buying drinks at 5 dollars a pop and he hands you 50 bucks at the end of the night.

Then your gonna get this;

oh yeah I forgot to tell you...... (some BS story)

WJGreer · #20 03-16-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddels

If it's a closed in patio area, I'd ask for $5 a head and have a friend stand at the entrance with a clicker and count everyone that enters the area. A hand stamp (after ID check) is good for not double counting. That way if 100 people show up, well . . .
and the risk is on both sides as to a good night or not.

The bar has to be able to get more than $5 out of each person there.

Great model, win-win. Except at the end of the night, the bar manager doesn't care what your guy's counter says and pays you whatever he thinks you should get. Argue too much and you don't play there anymore.

Revenue and risk sharing models work at venues that stock and trade live music and might get the occasional or frequent national or regional act. But they don't work in bars because most of the managers are rats or cowboys and the more profitable they can show their bar, the longer they keep their jobs. Screwing you, the earnest local band, is no problem for their conscience.

There are exceptions, but this is normal.