Another gig where we quit early because the crowd left.

[five7]

Get a wireless and a db meter and find out for yourself if it is too loud.

 

[Pocket Dave]

There's always "early drain" this time of year with the time change and days getting shorter. Any bar that's been doing this more than a minute knows and plans for it. If the venue's keeping you in their rotation, they probably get it.

They may even respect your relationship and have the cash reserves to weather the short storm.

Last night's venue had us play 7-10 rather than 8-11, as they're doing with all bands since the time change. We had a reasonably good crowd till the end, despite the venue's decision to have us play the larger outdoor area in cool (low 50's f) weather vs indoors. In hindsight, probably a good call.

Otherwise, we try to keep our last break short. You might try 20 minutes first break and 10 for the second.

 

[richntiff]

There's always "early drain" this time of year with the time change and days getting shorter. Any bar that's been doing this more than a minute knows and plans for it. If the venue's keeping you in their rotation, they probably get it.

They may even respect your relationship and have the cash reserves to weather the short storm.

Last night's venue had us play 7-10 rather than 8-11, as they're doing with all bands since the time change. We had a reasonably good crowd till the end, despite the venue's decision to have us play the larger outdoor area in cool (low 50's f) weather vs indoors. In hindsight, probably a good call.

Otherwise, we try to keep our last break short. You might try 20 minutes first break and 10 for the second.

More venues need to get onto this scheduling. Many by me still book us for 9-1. Not many people stay out that late anymore

 

[Gravy4001]

This is not going to solve your particular problem but over the years I've had much better luck doing the 3 hour show in 2 x 75 min sets. That second late break is almost always a crowd killer.

 

[Grinderman]

Cuss more. And cut down on guitar solos.

 

[Killing Floor]

Sorry. Rough night.
Do they have good wings? Take the money and have a conversation with the band about excessive soloing.

or tell them “there’s 2 of you and I’m going to solo half as much as you 2 combined if you don’t dial it back”.

 

[Pocket Dave]

More venues need to get onto this scheduling. Many by me still book us for 9-1. Not many people stay out that late anymore

Around here the late night 4-hour gigs are mostly urban-center bars with high rent and property taxes to cover, theirs or the landlord's. They want to sqeeze every dime out of every legal-open-hour.

Around here, these are also typically the same places that pay the same crappy $100/musician they've been paying 20+ years.

I play 'em if there's nothing else booked.

Though I'd rather take a little drive for better pay and earlier, shorter hours.

 

[Killing Floor]

Cuss more. And cut down on guitar solos.

I don’t think I could cuss more.

Great song reference though

 

[ELG60]

My favorite source of Talkbass irritainment. Same as the complaint of 03/17/2022, Or was it 09/27/2021 or was it . . .

 

[badinage]

I think a banjo orchestra would be more interesting and less annoying than a bar-grade two-guitar-hero distorted-guitar-assault. You might suggest it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

We played last night at a restaurant/bar where we have been playing regularly. It's about an hour away and has a house PA and sound man. Gig was from 8-11. BL decided to take my suggestion and play an hour, then a 15 minute break, then 45/15 after that.

We had a good crowd when we started but toward the end of the first set about 1/4 to 1/3 of the crowd had left. We took a break and a huge table of people, maybe 20 people, left. Second set we had maybe 1/8 of the crowd we started with. When we went back after our second break there was hardly anyone there. I saw the sound man talking to the BL and it was decided, or the BL decided, that we would play about thirty minutes, as there were only 4 people left, and they were at the bar.

I think that the soundman has us cranked too loud FOH and it is running people off. In particular the BL's vocals, which were so loud in my monitor that I turned it away from me with my foot. And maybe it's us, too. We play lots of really old music and have a lot of extended guitar battles, having two guitars that both like to play and like to play loud as well.

However, nobody else in the band seems concerned about us not holding a crowd and we keep getting bookings in these same clubs over and over so I guess I should just take the money and not worry about it, either.

Sounds like you may have an issue with sound level. You may want to talk to the owner and or manager ans see if he has any feedback to offer or if he is getting feedback from customers.

One other thing. We are a Motown Review band that unsurprisingly attracts the age range of 70 and up. Not only does our audience tend to clear out after 10:00. The ones remaining are usually are asleep. Heck, half the time we have wake up band members when a break is over... The good news is we don't have to worry about volume. They just turn down their hearing aids..LOL!!!

Hope you get this sorted out soon. Gig are hard to come by.

 

[Five or Six]

Does anyone in your so called "band" ever take a gander out front to see what your sound is? Prolly not, or this post would never have happened! Sounds like volume wars and a free for all. No wonder the crowd left. BL needs to do his job!

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I feel your pain. Rock music for a dinner crowd.
Our last bad outing was in Spartanburg 2 months ago. Club owner was super pissed he couldn't have a conversation at the bar, so during our 2nd set we went down to chamber music volumes.
I think what's happening is culture shift. Rock is dead, but nothing has really replaced it when it comes to local live music. The club owners are stuck in the same rut the bands are.
It's not 1999 anymore.

 

[Slater]

…has a house PA and sound man.

To be fair, the sound man is responsible for the overall volume. If the guitars are too loud, tell them to turn down or the power will be cut.

 

[DJ Bebop]

You nailed it for me. Too much volume and solo's, I'm out.

 

[GreyBeard]

9 times out of 10, band is too loud when this happens.

 

[eee]

Lmao

 

[Cave Puppy]

Did you drive them out or did they bail out of sheer boredom? Were you playing the restaurant or the bar? If a bar, was there a dance floor? Did the staff receive complaints and, if so, were they passed-on to you?

Susan & I refuse to patronize restaurants that have live music at the opposite wall or TV's blaring all around...we can't hear ourselves think half the time. I don't need to be entertained during mealtime...okay, maybe an Italian accordion
player.

Riis

The cover band I recently left played dinner shows (7p - 10p) at a family restaurant. We played our usual, boring crappy sets, including ‘90s rockers. I was almost embarrassed for us (a few times I WAS embarrassed, thinking what am I even doing here?). I felt sorry for the patrons and couldn’t wait to leave those gigs and that band.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

so I guess I should just take the money and not worry about it, either.

You've solved it yourself! Crowds grow and shrink for all kinds of extraneous reasons. Many of our regulars stayed for a set, then went off to see whoever else was in the neighborhood. (I am still mind-boggled by the active live music club scene around Hartford CT).

 

[Michael Eisenman]

To be fair, the sound man is responsible for the overall volume. If the guitars are too loud, tell them to turn down or the power will be cut.