A question of etiquette

[puttz buster]

If the band sucks, I'm splittin'.

Hello dolly. I am with munjibunga, if they are poop, nite nite, And another point, if you play first, do the band playing last come and see your band play first? I worry about what my band is doing, If I am tired at the end of a gig, I leave. If i want to stay, I stay. No one should be holding a gun against your head on this issue.

 

[no4mk1]

If I know the band, or I am interested in cultivating a relationship with the band in order to do future shows, then hell yes I'm going to stick. Otherwise it all comes down to whether or not I am interested in their music.

I guess when I think about it, it comes down to that in the first case as well, since why the hell would I want to do a show with a band that sucks?

I play music for fun, and I listen to music for fun. If I had to stick around and listen to crappy bands, then, well... That would be WORK. I get enough of that during the day thank you.

 

[SuperDuck]

For the record, we stuck around for all the bands tonight. It was a long night.

 

[Mo'Phat]

Funny (sad) story:

A band I was in was just starting and we had friends in a pretty established band (200+ draw). We finally had the opportunity to close the night of their CD release party. The place was packed, their set was huge, and when they finished their 2nd encore, the singer said, "After party at My place, we're leaving right now, c'mon everybody." We went on to the bouncers putting the chairs on the tables and some guy sweeping up.

I show respect to all bands, but if they cop an attitude, they don't get **** from me.

 

[thrash_jazz]

On the other hand, I don't think hanging around encourages the band to find it's own following. If these are original bands, which I imagine they are, one of the band's main jobs MUST be finding people that like the music. There should be advertising, word of mouth, etc. A real effort to get people to shows. Hanging around out of courtesy could give the band a false sense of status. It may make them believe they're getting more people than they are.

If I play first, then two more bands play before the final band, and the entire crowd has dissipated, then that should serve as a wakeup call to that final band. Bands are hard work, they take a lot of effort and business sense to make successful, and things don't just generally fall into people's lap. If I'm that last band and there are no people there, instead of whining at other bands and asking them to stay out of courtesy, I'm gonna make damn sure I find people who WANT to hear the music to be there, whatever it takes.

Good point JB, but I'm having a bit of trouble seeing a band get a false sense of status because another band on the bill stayed to hear them. If anything, it's more of a networking thing - to see how well their material fits in with yours, a chance to make contacts and get opinions on the show. If I were opening for a big act, I'd definitely want the chance to pick their brains, and to let my brain be picked if the situation is reversed.

You make a good point: demanding that other bands on the bill stay is a far bigger breach of etiquette, IMO, than leaving during their set. I have dealt with and played with some band leaders around here that practically beg people to go to their gigs, and it's downright embarrassing to be around.

 

[cassanova]

On the other hand, I don't think hanging around encourages the band to find it's own following. If these are original bands, which I imagine they are, one of the band's main jobs MUST be finding people that like the music. There should be advertising, word of mouth, etc. A real effort to get people to shows. Hanging around out of courtesy could give the band a false sense of status. It may make them believe they're getting more people than they are.

If I play first, then two more bands play before the final band, and the entire crowd has dissipated, then that should serve as a wakeup call to that final band. Bands are hard work, they take a lot of effort and business sense to make successful, and things don't just generally fall into people's lap. If I'm that last band and there are no people there, instead of whining at other bands and asking them to stay out of courtesy, I'm gonna make damn sure I find people who WANT to hear the music to be there, whatever it takes.

I agree 100% with all of this and thought it should be said again because it is too true.

 

[Thor]

I always left when the beer fund ran dry ...

 

[Palomorado]

the NYC club scene sucks so hard that i show up for soundcheck and leave when i'm done.

it is ridiculous how they do it. take the Continental. everynight they have 5-7 bands playing 40min sets. none of these bands have a similar sound and you are paid only if you draw the most people. so it pays to leave and be there only when you play.
of course you have to come back at the end of the night to get the cash IF YOU GET PAID!!!

i always have to get paid upfront and the "leader" takes a loss paying me my fee. it is %90 of the time more then what the whole band gets at a NYC club gig.

of course i always ask to play elsewhere.

NO ONE EVER SHOWS UP AT THE NYC SHOWS!!!

 

[JehuJava]

Just out of curiosity, around your parts, is playing last considered to be good, or is it the middle spot that everyone wants?

I've been playing shows in NYC lately and the middle spot seems to be the best one. When the final band goes onstage at 11PM on a weekday there usually isn't a whole lot of people there to see it.

Not to mention when there is a crap load of venues on the same strip you better be big or most people have migrated to their "spot" by the time the last band comes on.

the NYC club scene sucks so hard...it is ridiculous how they do it. take the Continental. everynight they have 5-7 bands playing 40min sets. none of these bands have a similar sound and you are paid only if you draw the most people. so it pays to leave and be there only when you play.

NO ONE EVER SHOWS UP AT THE NYC SHOWS!!!

I agree, there is way too much diversity in any given show at an NYC venue. No band sounds the same at all. So you never know what you're gonna get. Pianos ( www.pianosnyc.com ) on Ludlow and Stanton is a much better venue with regards to quality venue and getting paid.

Al