Simply ... “that band over there, those guys, not us”Interesting thread. Okay.. after 27 pages...can someone tell me what hack band is?I got the idea what it is, but not sure if I'm right.
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CRAZY perspective I got from a long-time DJ last night
- Thread starter two fingers
- Start date
Perhaps one effect of all of this is that more of us will play for the sheer pleasure of learning and creating music, rather than what else we can get out of it.
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I will agree with Two Fingers on this point. There really are a lot of lame bands out there playing for money that years ago would not have been able to get the gigs. Is that a subjective opinion? I don't think so. I get his point. The talent pool has been greatly diluted and it is a sign of our times. I accept it and move on. If you take that personally, well then maybe it is not directed at you, because you care at least that much and maybe you aren't playing rock gigs in cargo shorts and sandals. Sorry to point out to some that Objective Reality does exist in the real world.
Do these hack bands have a right to be "out there?' Absolutely, all the more, especially if the clubs can't tell the difference and are willing to pay them peanuts, food, tips, etc. Good for them. Even better for them if they fill the seats with their friends. They should keep getting the gigs and undercutting the bands who take themselves so seriously that they will not lower themselves to accept the lower paying gigs and join in on the competition. That sense of elitist entitlement will get them what they deserve. If that's your goal, seek out the corporate gigs, but be ready to hash it out with the DJ's who show up with two speakers on a stick and a phone.
Get over it and see that the cheese has indeed moved. It is the reality of our chosen hobby/profession. I take part in it too. I have lowered my expectations and claw it out with the good and the hack bands alike. Seems to me we are all in the same boat. No point in denying it, if you want to change it you are fighting a losing battle. Kind of reminds me of the movie Idiocracy in a sense.
Does TF has a right to express his opinion? Hell yeah, is he going to enrage a couple snowflakes in the process? Maybe. Does that make him wrong? Not in my opinion.
Do these hack bands have a right to be "out there?' Absolutely, all the more, especially if the clubs can't tell the difference and are willing to pay them peanuts, food, tips, etc. Good for them. Even better for them if they fill the seats with their friends. They should keep getting the gigs and undercutting the bands who take themselves so seriously that they will not lower themselves to accept the lower paying gigs and join in on the competition. That sense of elitist entitlement will get them what they deserve. If that's your goal, seek out the corporate gigs, but be ready to hash it out with the DJ's who show up with two speakers on a stick and a phone.
Get over it and see that the cheese has indeed moved. It is the reality of our chosen hobby/profession. I take part in it too. I have lowered my expectations and claw it out with the good and the hack bands alike. Seems to me we are all in the same boat. No point in denying it, if you want to change it you are fighting a losing battle. Kind of reminds me of the movie Idiocracy in a sense.
Does TF has a right to express his opinion? Hell yeah, is he going to enrage a couple snowflakes in the process? Maybe. Does that make him wrong? Not in my opinion.
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The people who stop aren't necessarily musicians. Duh.
Yeah, they can't all be pearls of wisdom like your ramblings. Not that you are arguing, of course... that's what the other guy does.
Are you not getting paid?
I have found that, if you treat the bartender good, that'll treat you good.
Don't you tip for drinks and food? Do that as a regular somewhere you frequent?
The last band I was in we always did that and we were remembered for it and treated like kings. Got gigs because of it
What have you learned, Dorothy?
The points I have learned here can be:
Don't worry about the the other bands the bar hires as long as they hire you.
Don't worry about the quality of the other bands as long as your band is at the top of it's game and prove your bands worth to the club.
Use the advice found here and elsewhere about networking, promotion.
Get your people out, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter heck, My Space everybody to come out!
Dress nice!
I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?
That's all it is!
The points I have learned here can be:
Don't worry about the the other bands the bar hires as long as they hire you.
Don't worry about the quality of the other bands as long as your band is at the top of it's game and prove your bands worth to the club.
Use the advice found here and elsewhere about networking, promotion.
Get your people out, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter heck, My Space everybody to come out!
Dress nice!
I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?
That's all it is!
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I figured that @Frankie Fender had it all down pretty good -however in my mind I am going to replace the word "snowflake" (which conotes politics and is less imaginative) with kangaroos.
I like the thought of a mad kangaroo typing in a online bass community.
I like the thought of a mad kangaroo typing in a online bass community.
Interesting thread. Okay.. after 27 pages...can someone tell me what hack band is?
A band exactly like yours, but without you in it.
Was he talking about tipping? I got the impression he meant sharing his pay with the bartender and sound man.Are you not getting paid?
I have found that, if you treat the bartender good, that'll treat you good.
Don't you tip for drinks and food? Do that as a regular somewhere you frequent?
The last band I was in we always did that and we were remembered for it and treated like kings. Got gigs because of it
If I am tipping, I am sharing my pay, if everybody in the band tips we are sharing our pay :/
After our gig, we'd all kick in to the bartender, sound or wait staff serving us. Most places we did our own sound so...
I've played thousands of bar gigs and never tipped the bartender/waitress except for our drinks/food like a regular patron. Maybe a regional thing?
No, I guess it was just our thang.
We weren't big artists playing thousands of bar gigs so, we didn't know any better, unlike you :0l
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We weren't big artists playing thousands of bar gigs so, we didn't know any better, like you :0l
No big artist here. Just a weekend warrior playing other peoples songs for fun and to make a couple extra bucks to fund my GAS.
It's open to debate whether the band should even tip, since we are working there as well. I just figure it helps to curry favor with the wait staff since in this shady system their income is imputed with a certain percentage of tips. So they lose money if you don't.
I say it's pay back. DJ's started to ruin our work load in the 90's.
Prior to that DJ wave I could make $500 per weekend playing
function gigs. I doubt that a 3 pc band is cutting into his work that much.
Prior to that DJ wave I could make $500 per weekend playing
function gigs. I doubt that a 3 pc band is cutting into his work that much.
Ouch. Generally even if i get a free food/drink or discounted food/drink i will still tip the staff. They worked to get you that food/drink. I just see it as a good gesture and it's always good to have the waitstaff on your side. I see where you are coming from, but i don't necessarily agree that we shouldn't be tipping.
Edit: totally misread this post, my bad
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I agree with tipping the waitstaff if you buy something. Of course, that is a given. My question is about tipping the sound man (woman). I know of bands that tip them and I am like, why? Don't they already get paid? He gets paid too from the same establishment and many times in my experience he was making more than the band!
I generally tip based on the value of what I get even if it's free. Most of the time, if we have beer or whatever included in the rider (and by rider I mean the email exchange before we did the show) I'll give the bartender a $20 or something. I've never really considered tipping the sound guy other than bringing him something for his birthday or whatever. They usually make decent money on a gig and it's not common to tip them around here. Back to the waitstaff, I guess there are times when I haven't tipped because you get a drink from different people throughout the night, so I write that up to being one of the crew that night. If there's one person that hits us up, I make sure they get a tip.
Please read my post again. We always tip generously for food and drink. I was responding to DJ Bebob who has tipped just for being there which I've never heard of before and I was curious of the rationale behind it.
Sorry..coffee still kicking in, haha. I'm with you my man. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Reading the whole sentence definitely helps, lol.
