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Booking troubles...

F

Fli

Apr 30, 2007
295
0
Birmingham, AL
#1
srry if this thread is in the wrong forum.
In my band everyone has a day job. we basically play shows on the weekends. Every time we manage to find a new bar to play that will accompany our "metal" style, they want us to play a show during the week, usually wednesday or thursday before booking us on a weekend... this really sucks as it's hard to get people out during the week and we all have to take off work the day after just to play it. Is this something we can expect to have to deal with every time we find a new place to play? Are they just bullshitting us to see how many people we can bring out?
thanks
 
#4
we had to do a couple of Wednesday nights to get a really cherry gig downtown on the weekends. As it turned out everybody hated loading in and out of the 3rd floor on the service elevator so much that we declined playing there after a while.
 
#6
Fli said:
srry if this thread is in the wrong forum.
In my band everyone has a day job. we basically play shows on the weekends. Every time we manage to find a new bar to play that will accompany our "metal" style, they want us to play a show during the week, usually wednesday or thursday before booking us on a weekend... this really sucks as it's hard to get people out during the week and we all have to take off work the day after just to play it. Is this something we can expect to have to deal with every time we find a new place to play? Are they just bullshitting us to see how many people we can bring out?
thanks
Click to expand...

I don't want this to come off the wrong way....but I have to ask why you guys need to take off work the day after. Is it because you have to travel far to play the show? If it is a matter of losing a little bit of sleep, I have to tell you that you're just gonna have to suck it up and get used to it.

I have a full time job as well and there are nights where I don't get home until 2 AM and then wake up at 6 AM to go to work. If you want to perform in prime slots, you have to pay your dues just like everyone else.

And yes....the venue is "auditioning" you. If you can bring a respectable amount of people on a weeknight show (they're not expecting weekend crowds obviously) then they can probably rely on you to bring a crowd on a weekend. They're operating a business and aren't going to take risks on busy nights with an unknown act.
 
#7
lamonica78 said:
I don't want this to come off the wrong way....but I have to ask why you guys need to take off work the day after. Is it because you have to travel far to play the show? If it is a matter of losing a little bit of sleep, I have to tell you that you're just gonna have to suck it up and get used to it.

I have a full time job as well and there are nights where I don't get home until 2 AM and then wake up at 6 AM to go to work. If you want to perform in prime slots, you have to pay your dues just like everyone else.

And yes....the venue is "auditioning" you. If you can bring a respectable amount of people on a weeknight show (they're not expecting weekend crowds obviously) then they can probably rely on you to bring a crowd on a weekend. They're operating a business and aren't going to take risks on busy nights with an unknown act.
Click to expand...

yeah last time we played during the week 2 bands played before us and didn't start til like 11. by the time we did sound check and started playing it was like 1:00 AM. 1 hour set + take a few shots + load up + drive back and unload... I didin't get home til like 4 AM and had to get up at 6.
I did go to college and had many sleepless nights so I tried that my first few times we played, but the combination of no sleep + free bar tab does seems to do me in every time... guess I'm just gettin old
 
#8
When we play I usually have to work the next day. One day won't kill you, and unless you work in a dangerous job there's no reason to take the next day off......
It is harder to get people to come during the week, definetly. But, the bar wants to make sure you're not "wasting" their weekend slot- can you really blame them?
 
#9
We got around this by playing our 1st gig free at one particular bar. after that, good reviews by word of mouth set us up for all the other gigs. We live in a small town & next door town is only slightly larger & word is getting around. We manage 2 gigs a month. 3 of our members are active duty Navy & the rest of us work for the Navy. Going to work with little to no sleep is not an option at my age.:D
 
#10
Lemoore-on said:
We got around this by playing our 1st gig free at one particular bar. after that, good reviews by word of mouth set us up for all the other gigs. We live in a small town & next door town is only slightly larger & word is getting around. We manage 2 gigs a month. 3 of our members are active duty Navy & the rest of us work for the Navy. Going to work with little to no sleep is not an option at my age.:D
Click to expand...

Where is there to play in Lemoore and Hanford?
 
#13
I have a zookeeper in my band. His days off are Tues and Wed. He has to be to work at 8. We once played on Thurs, Fri, and Sat in one weekend.

I commonly get home from gigs at 3 or later in the morning. My son is knocking on my bedroom door at 7:30. If you can't stand the loss of sleep, it will be very difficult in this business. To me the loss of sleep is worth it.
 

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