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Bar gigs

Ric5

Ric5

Inactive
Jan 29, 2008
29,772
30,452
Colorado
www.3dentourage.com
Disclosures
I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
#1
So a local bar here in the Denver area is advertising they want a band to come in and play on an off night. Then if they draw an extra 20 or 30 people they can move into a weekend spot.

If the band can draw people like that they will already be playing a better venue on the weekend. Also if the bar needs a band to bring people in then they are not drawing now. That means the word is out and people don't hang there. The bar is looking for a band to solve their most basic problem ... people don't go there.

This scenario has fail written all over it.
 
#2
I agree, man. When I first started gigging I was sick of having no to very little crowd if the bands didn't bring it themselves, even on friday and saturday night. Then I realised we were just playing crappy venues and you've got to be really good to get into the venues that don't require you bring the only patrons
 
#5
Ric5 said:
So a local bar here in the Denver area is advertising they want a band to come in and play on an off night. Then if they draw an extra 20 or 30 people they can move into a weekend spot.

If the band can draw people like that they will already be playing a better venue on the weekend. Also if the bar needs a band to bring people in then they are not drawing now. That means the word is out and people don't hang there. The bar is looking for a band to solve their most basic problem ... people don't go there.

This scenario has fail written all over it.
Click to expand...

I agree, you could tell them your band only plays paying weekend slots. They will get the message.

blue
 
#7
I've found that having confidence in the talent level of ones band goes a LONG way. When I first begun booking my group, bar owners tried to play the "you bring the crowd" card. My response was to tactfully ask what was preventing the bar itself from drawing a crowd? In the end both my group, and the bar owners made plenty of dough, all by adjusting weekend drink specials, and their approach to promotion :)
 
#9
Phalex said:
What's the gig pay?
Click to expand...

This.
Is this a NEW establishment?, or under NEW ownership/management?

Is it possible the place is attempting to build a reputation for a cool joint to go to, that always has GOOD live music.

OR
Is it a dump that nobody likes to go to, has crappy bands,
[ because they won't pay for good bands] ?

Answer these questions, and you will have your answer.
 
#10
puddin tame said:
I agree, man. When I first started gigging I was sick of having no to very little crowd if the bands didn't bring it themselves, even on friday and saturday night. Then I realised we were just playing crappy venues and you've got to be really good to get into the venues that don't require you bring the only patrons
Click to expand...

+1 The crappy clubs want or expect you to bring the crowd. The good clubs know they get people in the door with good drinks ,service and food and the band is there to be entertainment the customers for the night.

If your band brings more people in..great! If not they will support thru their service and buisness.

I have had owners apologize to our band more than once for a low turnout on nights we played at their clubs and we only brought a handful of people ourselves.
This is kind of club we like to play. Most of time is a decent crowd but the owners are never satisfied and want it filled all night and work to do it all the time. These clubs are doing well because the owners don't expect anything they go out and work for it.
 
#11
Like others have said, what does the gig pay for the "off-night", and what does it pay for a weekend?

All the other discussion is irrelevant until these facts are known. For example, even if I was in a band that had all our weekends for the next year booked, I might be VERY interested in picking up a Tuesday or Wednesday night here and there, for the right price. Further, if I thought I really could draw the extra 20-30 people and I needed weekend gigs and the bar pays well on the weekend, I would do the off-night (but not for free).

So, what's it pay?
 
#12
I guess it could also be some form of "audition" so as to not have uncertainties about the performance quality on their weekend nights. "If they draw and extra 20-30 heads" could just be a poor way of saying "did not scare away 20-30 heads". Maybe they just want to avoid having crappy bands have high hopes of playing the weekends. They may not truly require you to bring your own crowd. If they like your performance, they might introduce you to their weekend crowd regardless of your pre-existing following. Although an argument could be made against a venue that has trouble communicating it's intent properly.

It could also be the worst case scenario that everyone else is mentioning. It wouldn't exactly be unheard of. We've all seen enough of that tripe, but I'm still hesitant to systematically assume the worse.

I would cautiously look into it. Maybe a website visit, or Facebook search.
 
#13
Be careful of the off-nights. Sometimes they are off nights for a reason. Like a big street fest going on in town or lead-in to a vacation weekend. We did the last Friday in Aug here at a local club in NC and everybody goes to the beach for the last weekend before school/college. As I was driving into town, everybody was leaving. Turnout was terrible.

If club owner knows he's going to have a down night right at the get-go so they will push for one time bands that can bring a following in hopes of boosting their take. This is often when they will do an Afton or other pay-to-play show just to get bodies in the place and bump their covers. Basically cut their losses on a down weekend.
 
#15
One of my local music dives uses off night bookings to audition up and coming bands trying to get exposure into the cover band circuit. I can see the clubs point of view.....why take a chance on an unknown band on a Friday or Saturday night where they earn most of their income in a few short hours. Some of the bands we have to compete with for weekend gigs have been together for 10 years or more......one band over 20. If your an up and coming band trying to get established.....I would recommend doing it. Don't worry about how much your getting paid.....use the opportunity to take pictures / videos ....spread the band "brand" around. Put up a nice poster on your facebook page...all good. If your already the top band in your market and you have more weekend bookings then you can handle then playing an off night might not be all that attractive. Also some bars in my area sometime do off night promotions with niche market bands...original, punk, metal, emo etc. A local bar has a night called the Rock Residency....an up and coming original rock act plays this venue every Monday night for a month (after football). A few other places have old guy blues bands every Wednesday night. Most clubs around here book top 40 rock / dance bands for the weekends. Old guy blues bands and their fans have a place to go see them during the week.
 
#16
A few years ago when I was about 18 the band I was in managed to get countless gigs and we were shocked to find how easy it was to get a gig when we had heard such bad things.

The thing was we would always play in front a big crowd but the crowd was entirely made up of people we had invited. These bars were obviously going down hill and would charge everyone who walked through the door to see us 10 bucks and we would get about 2.50 of that even though we are essentially doing all the work.

Being young and naive at the time we just saw any money whatsoever as good money and happily took it without questioning anything but now looking back it was ridiculous how willing these bars were to swindle you.
 
#18
It's the same old crap.....after 20 years of playing bar gigs 6 nights a week, in cover bands, tribute bands and show bands, from Boston to Key West, the story is always the same.

Owners say "If the crowd is down........the Band sucks".......
if it's a good crowd turnout........."The crowd is here because of my club......not because the Band is good."

Any excuse to pay the Band less. At one joint we played for the door cover charge, we had to post a member of the road crew at the door to keep the club honest.

We used to play a club in Rehobeth Beach DE. and Ft. Lauderdale Fl. owned by the same people. They told us under no circumstances were we to announce the name of the band, to take down our stage back drop (with the bands name on it) and to cover up or tape over any of our gear or road cases with the bands logo on it !!! They said to us "People come here because it's Pete and Lenny's Supper Club, not because of the band that's playing here !!" I kid you not, but they payed top dollar................so we did it :D

Played another joint in Michigan where they told us "If you want to play here again, stop playing that FUNK MUSIC, we don't want to attract that type of crowd." We never played there again, we didn't play anything but funk music except our floor shows.
 
#20
Itzayana said:
It's better than playing in someones garage.
Think of it as rehearsal with benifits.
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Well, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. I don't mind playing in a bar with five customers, if two or three of them dance or applaud and act like they are having fun. If the bartender is friendly so much the better.

But if it's an empty restaurant in a bad neighborhood with a surly manager, I'd rather just jam in my basement.
 

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