Do you get your drinks comped?

[jive1]

Back in the day, I remember getting all my drinks comped, at least well and draft. Then clubs cut it down to one a set, or a set tab. And nowadays, I always seem to get a tab at the end of the night.

Is it that way for everyone else?

 

[Matt Dean]

I usually get 2, sometimes 3 drinks, depending on where I'm playing and how well I know the bartender.

 

[billhilly66]

Depends on the venue and sometimes the bartender. I bring a flask just in case...........

 

[stoneboy26]

We get non-alcoholic beverages for free. Gotta pay for the hard stuff.

Not a major issue though as our band doesn't drink when performing - in fact, none of us are big drinkers (2 are non-drinkers) anyway.

 

[badstonebass]

Most places we paly don't comp alcohol. A couple places do BUT they do it with tickets or wooden nickels with a limit of 6 or so.

Soft drinks usually free...I don't do alcohol.

 

[N.F.A.]

I don't drink alcohol, so I can say that I usually get my soft drinks comped.

 

[SouthPawGary]

Rule number one is always bring the flask ! Nowhere that we play pays for 100% of your drinks and I needs me a couple nips before the first set. After that it's pretty much beer (plus drinks from patrons) till the end of the night ( usually )

That Being Said. We have one bar that gives us a $50 tab for the band to eat and drink on. Another that gives one drink of anything per set. And I've found most places that the bar staff will buy you at least one round at the end of the night.

I'm in the middle of our busiest 2 weeks of the year: Shows last Thurs/Fri/Sat (3 different towns 180 miles apart) and this Wed/Fri/Sat (same town at least) Fun Times for sure but I'm kinda looking forward to lemonade on the couch this Sunday

 

[Jefenator]

On most bar gigs I do, I can enjoy a cocktail or two if I want. And they usually don't make a fuss over something a notch or two above "well". (Let's face it, they don't really pay us what we're worth in money, so I'll take what few perks remain.)

Back in "the day" it used to be more limitless, and I know some colleagues of mine used to take way too much advantage.

 

[nicoli]

My most regular gig these days gives us (duo) a $50 bar tab for the night, which is usually more than enough. I've certainly played for the range over my eight years of gigging, everything from as much as you can drink for free to nothing fo free.

I used to tour with an irish/celtic punk band and we had all our booze comped on most of our riders. One place we played at said we drank $850 worth of alcohol in one evening (7-piece drinking Jamiesons and Guinness) - they loved us though, and still only capped us at $600 or something like that the next time we played there. I'm pretty sure a year and a half in that band must've done some permanent damage to my liver.

 

[Big Daddy Mac]

Way back in the early 80's, we used to get some "open bar" gigs, as much as you could stand. I can only remember one gig where the drummer took advantage of it and barely made through the show.

Now....not so much. Soft drinks, water and coffee are usually free, although some places put the coffee on at noon and offer it until closing time. Mmmm.

I bring a flask since I like a sip of Jim Beam every now and then while playing. Just a sip or two. I figure if I'm getting paid by some place to play, I just might get paid again to play there another time. I know a couple of bands that will never get that second call since they got trashed during the first gig. And some club owners do this on purpose to see who should get a second (or third) call. Oh yes, they do !

 

[lonote]

Back in the day, they were all free at most places I played. Some actually had a tub of beer on ice and a decent spread set up in the green room. Those days are gone and, in a lot of cases, the problem was bands who couldn't resist the urge to get embarassingly drunk. These days I seldom have more than 2 or 3 beers a night anyway so it is no big deal to me.

 

[deekay911]

Most bar gigs we ask for a band tab, usually $50, sometimes a little higher. It doesn't go that far..

 

[Rickett Customs]

Used to, but the singer screwed that up

Damn Jager shots!

 

[ericw]

We usually get a $50 tab as well.

 

[knumbskull]

it varies.

some places do riders (usually domestic beer), some do free drinks tokens, typically 2-3 per musician. some none at all.

 

[BluesWalker]

We usually get all our drinks covered (we don't drink that much) and a free meal before the gig starts at the bars that serve food.

 

[megadan]

The average for me playing in a 5 piece band was usually 2 - 3 drink tickets, depending on the place.

 

[pharmakon]

Depends on the place we play. One venue gives us a 10 dollar tab. yeah, that lasts long. good thing I drink water! Another gives us dollar drafts of PBR or Coors. Our gig on the 13th supposedly gives food, so I'm really down with that!

 

[guroove]

Usually we get the drink tickets. I don't drink so I used to give mine to my trombone player. Most of the people in my band don't drink so much, so I never even ask about it. Usually they give us dinner at places that serve food.

 

[joshmat]

some venues provide unlimited keg beer and some are a handful of drink tickets. we've got one gig out of town that always has a cooler of some cheap domestic beer iced down for us when we arrive... now that's a good venue!

i'm a big fan of free beer, so we try to book at those places more frequently.