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Cover charge dilemma
- Thread starter great bleudini
- Start date
Does your play list fit with what the built-in crowd will be expecting? If no, rethink or decline. If yes:
- do enough rehearsal, especially any rough spots in your list, so that you sound tight and polished.
- dress appropriately for the venue and the occasion.
- try to engage the audience, not just play at them.
- charge a $10 cover.
You'll be fine.
- do enough rehearsal, especially any rough spots in your list, so that you sound tight and polished.
- dress appropriately for the venue and the occasion.
- try to engage the audience, not just play at them.
- charge a $10 cover.
You'll be fine.
Is the cover actually collected upon entering the club or is it added to the customers bill?
Do you have to provide a person to collect the cover charge so that your band gets to control the money collected?
I say charge the 10 dollar cover if the patrons are used to that charge, just deliver a great performance.
Do you put out a tip jar for the band? Can you have someone pass the tip jar around the audience during your set?
I played one place where the owners were very upset that a patron had passed around our tip jar instead of leaving it in one place (the band had nothing to do with that) We got much more tips than usual but the owner told us never again.
Do you have to provide a person to collect the cover charge so that your band gets to control the money collected?
I say charge the 10 dollar cover if the patrons are used to that charge, just deliver a great performance.
Do you put out a tip jar for the band? Can you have someone pass the tip jar around the audience during your set?
I played one place where the owners were very upset that a patron had passed around our tip jar instead of leaving it in one place (the band had nothing to do with that) We got much more tips than usual but the owner told us never again.
Regardless of what the house is paying or collecting at the door, most bands I know that can put on a good show make MUCH more money selling nice merchandise. On a good night you can pull in $1000-1500 without much effort if you have good merch and present yourselves well.
You’re worrying about the wrong things and still thinking like a bar band. This is a different level venue with a different type of audience than you’re probably used to. With the way you described this place it’s going to be all all about your show.
Go ahead and charge $10. This venue’s audience isn’t likely to quibble over a ten buck cover charge. Just make damn sure the crowd felt like it was worth it at the end of the night. Because if they don’t, the venue isn’t going to bring you back even if you’re willing to play for free.
Time to step up to the plate and swing for the fences if your band is serious about moving up in the scene.
Or so I think anyway. Luck!
Go ahead and charge $10. This venue’s audience isn’t likely to quibble over a ten buck cover charge. Just make damn sure the crowd felt like it was worth it at the end of the night. Because if they don’t, the venue isn’t going to bring you back even if you’re willing to play for free.
Time to step up to the plate and swing for the fences if your band is serious about moving up in the scene.
Or so I think anyway. Luck!
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IF the 'collective you' doesn't believe you're worth $10 a head, why would anyone else ?
You got to have the mindset you're going to walk in there and OWN that stage. If you don't, come back when you do.
You got to have the mindset you're going to walk in there and OWN that stage. If you don't, come back when you do.
When he's not touring Dale Watson plays at the Continental in Austin on Mondays and it's never more than $10. When he plays the Opry next week it darn sure won't be $10 lol. Just goes to show you cover charges at bars can be arbitrary. Don't assume $5 will bring more people in and don't assume $10 is too much. If someone is going to the club you are booked at to see a band (covers?) they aren't going to walk away when the get to the front door.
Charge the $10. Around here, it seems most people don't really care who is playing or how much the charge is. The majority go to the same places they always go to because that's where they go. When I was gigging regularly, a handful of people would follow us and show up at different venues, but for the most part the faces I would see at "insert bar name here" would be the same faces as the last time (and the next time) I was there.
This
It's a cover charge. If you're not good enough for $10, then you aren't good enough for $5 either
(or at least not at THAT venue)
Back in the day when I still went out (late 90’s), we’d pay $10 to get into a nice venue and just assumed the band would be good…because the nice venues didn’t get rubbish bands to start with. If they have a built-in audience, they'll pay $10 whoever is playing.
If you're not worth $10, don't play.
If you're not worth $10, don't play.
We play a few gigs where a cover is charged. But it has nothing to do with us. We take the gig for X, and thats what we get, cover or not.
10 bucks for a cover seems about what it is, when it happens. Given what people spend during the evening, it doesn't seem like much. We have a couple of guys in the band who don't like cover charges because they think that it keeps people away, but I haven't noticed that.
The way we run things, I don't care if there is a cover or not. Pay is the same.
10 bucks for a cover seems about what it is, when it happens. Given what people spend during the evening, it doesn't seem like much. We have a couple of guys in the band who don't like cover charges because they think that it keeps people away, but I haven't noticed that.
The way we run things, I don't care if there is a cover or not. Pay is the same.
I hate cover charges, both as a band member and as a patron. Far better to settle on a cut from bar sales.
Best way to get people in the door is don’t change anything to get in the door. The bar will make far more because people didn’t spend their money on a stupid cover. It’s a win-win.
Best way to get people in the door is don’t change anything to get in the door. The bar will make far more because people didn’t spend their money on a stupid cover. It’s a win-win.
If the band before you charged $10 I don't see any reason why you shouldn't, people know what to expect.
I'm not a big fan of these arrangements.
I'm not a big fan of these arrangements.
How much of the door do you get? How many peeps do you need to pay the cover to get up to your normal fee?
If you normally get $100, but you're getting $50 plus all the door works a little different to you normally get $1500, but only getting $750 plus 6/10 from the door.
If you normally get $100, but you're getting $50 plus all the door works a little different to you normally get $1500, but only getting $750 plus 6/10 from the door.
