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Getting gigs at crappy bars?

#21
if what you say is true and you bring over 100 people to every show you play - then i'd simply tell these bar owners that you'll guarantee them 75 people (to play it safe) or they don't have to pay you. i couldn't possibly imagine them telling you no. if they do, then they're not going to book you - period - move on.


i still have to re-iterate that there's something about your attitude in these posts (that must spill over) that i have a feeling keeps them from booking you. you seem to think you're too good for (or above) these places and want to only use them for your own needs. if the other bigger clubs are begging you to play, then practice 2X a week and book a solid string of gigs with the those clubs. why bother driving yourself crazy to play where they don't want you and where you have no respect for the people anyhow. they're not bothering you. perhaps you should leave them alone.
 
#22
Metal Mitch said:
Mostly I agree with Slater on this one. But Schwinn hit the nail on the head - drink there. Stop by some of these places for a beer at least once a week and get to know some of the regulars and the folks that work there. Make sure you always tip the bartenders. Go check out some of the other bands that play there and talk to them on breaks. Sit in for a couple of tunes if they offer. Eventually people will start asking "how come your band doesn't play here?"
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Thanks Mitch....Actually something similar to what you described has happened to me. I went into this small local bar in Virginia last summer just to have a beer and get some lunch. Well the guy sitting next to me was the singer in the local band that always plays there. We got to talking and I stayed around the rest of the night and got to be friends with the bartender- nice girl! - and met others. I met the bass player in the band later that night. Although, my band was on hiatus at that point, the guys from the local band were interested in hearing us and putting something together. It didn't actually pan out with a gig, but I felt like I could have easily booked the place if I wanted. If I had just walked in as an outsider it would have been much harder.
 
#23
My band plays A, B and C circut bars. We started off with the A bars so Id say just go for it. We just like to play so we will play just about anywere. Some of the C bars pay as much as the A bars. We Dont have any promo or a demo and if the bar wont pay us for a fri or sat night we offer to play for free on a 'week' night so they can hear us. Like Joe said, if you bring people, they will book you. I dont know about your area but arround here if you bring 100 people to a C bar then you will easily get $400 a night.
 
#24
Joe Nerve said:
I agree with just about all the above, and I've got a little to add....

The ONLY thing they care about is how much money they're gonna bring in at the bar. Chances are they have regular bands that play there and there's no reason they should take a gamble on an unknown band - ESPECIALLY when you yourself say you look as if you don't fit. You also said you need to tighten things up before you hit the bigger bars. That doesn't sound like a band I'd want to book. even if you're not saying that, I venture to bet something about your attitude is - and they can smell it.

If you want to play these places you're going to have to give them a GOOD reason to book you. Offering to open for another band for free just so they can hear you is a good idea and could be very much worth the time investment. Something we recently started doing that's working really well is selling ourselves to the same types of bars for $240. we're 3 peice so it comes out to $80 a man. we've been asked back every time so far. they seem willing to take a gamble when you cost a lot less than the other bands they're booking.

I've also learned that you need to be very friendly, accomodating, patient, no, relentless, and NOT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY. i flat out can't do it, thank god my guitarist Randy can. i've gotten hung up on in mid sentence 3 or 4 times and i want to burn the bars down and kill the idiot bartenders that do it. Randy somehow laughs it off and tries again the next week. it really isn't anything personal. half the time they're drunk, and they get lots and lots of calls from unkown people wanting to play their bars. they get burned a lot with bands that suck and empty the places for them on what would have otherwise been a good night. they also then have to deal with a band that wants to get paid for emptying their bar and is probably going to give them a hard time.

i'm learning lots about this and i'm beginning to see where they're coming from. if you go into it with the above understanding and you're a good, tight band - i think you'll do alright. your looks won't matter.
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This deserves repeating.

And get tight before any gig. No gig is "too small" or should be used "just as a warmup or practice." Treat every gig with the same level of professionalism.
 
#25
Joe Nerve said:
if what you say is true and you bring over 100 people to every show you play - then i'd simply tell these bar owners that you'll guarantee them 75 people (to play it safe) or they don't have to pay you. i couldn't possibly imagine them telling you no. if they do, then they're not going to book you - period - move on.


i still have to re-iterate that there's something about your attitude in these posts (that must spill over) that i have a feeling keeps them from booking you. you seem to think you're too good for (or above) these places and want to only use them for your own needs. if the other bigger clubs are begging you to play, then practice 2X a week and book a solid string of gigs with the those clubs. why bother driving yourself crazy to play where they don't want you and where you have no respect for the people anyhow. they're not bothering you. perhaps you should leave them alone.
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Thanks Nerve you make a lot of sense, maybe I should have worded this a little different, maybe said b, or c bars verse crappy bars but I rarely talk to these guys actually when we promote. I take every gig seriously Joe, big time. I don't care what bar it is I owe it to my following and the bars themselves. Once we get into the A club circut we will play in those places most of the time. I just don't think the guys in my band are completely comfortable yet to do that effectivley. This is why I want to play at the B,C type venues and my bandmates all agree. If we bring in 100 people and they are use to 45 then the main criteria will be meet, the bar will make money and our following will see a good show! Everyone had good suggestions about how to get over this. We aproached three bars, it's a numbers game too, they may be booked already or something else going on that they arnt sharing. I really don't think it's my attitude, but I am not close minded and ruling that out, you mentioned that several times so I will take notice. We have spent time scouting all these bars we approached and talked to people, had some beers, talked to the bands playing there so we were prepared going in to what they are use to, we try to our homework. I really don't think we look at this as using these establishments, they make money, prolly more so then they are use to, hear good music etc. I like two of these bars a lot because they have open jazz and blues jams that I have been going to, meeting new people and bass players that are into blues and jazz more and I enjoy watching these guys they are very talented. But my main reason was seeing how you guys approach your marketing and cracking the nut and breaking into these tougher to get into venues, these are musicains bars, not kiddie bars...that's why I want to play there. But the bars where the kids go is where the money is and we want to be super tight for when we play at these places, if these bars that are being difficult don't want us thats fine, I will take everyones advise that has kindly benn given to me, talk to 10 more bars, book a show, bring our fans and have a heck of a time anyway!!! thanks everyone
 
#31
SMASH said:
Congrats ! Is that March 6th in a crappy bar? Saturday night's alright for fighting, after all.

Have fun.
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No Smash it's not as crappy as I was hoping for. I went to a couple of crapy bars and saw some great bands, for some reason crappy bars equals good or better music than the younger bars. But what the hey a gig's a gig we are all very excited!
 
#34
Congrats on the gig man......hope it go's well

Something i stand by is "you're only as good as your demo" .......1st impressions count for alot. So if you approach a bar owner with a mediocre/slightly-half-assed sounding demo, chances are, he'll toss it to the bottom of the pile and give you the "we'll get back to you" rant.

I think its important to have a professional sounding demo. People have gotten by without them though, so i guess its not the be-all and end-all, but imo its important
 
#35
RicPlaya said:
Thanks for your suggestions...Got a gig March 6th! The very next bar I talked to we booked a show!!!!!
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You get work when you have work as the saying goes...
Here's another one, Strike while the irons hot, i.e. get out there while you have two on the books and turn it into a dozen!
And don't devalue the product by playing for nothing.
Good Luck
 
#36
Slot said:
Congrats on the gig man......hope it go's well

Something i stand by is "you're only as good as your demo" .......1st impressions count for alot. So if you approach a bar owner with a mediocre/slightly-half-assed sounding demo, chances are, he'll toss it to the bottom of the pile and give you the "we'll get back to you" rant.

I think its important to have a professional sounding demo. People have gotten by without them though, so i guess its not the be-all and end-all, but imo its important
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Yeah man!!! thanks a lot Slot. We got a good demo working for us now. I think it could use some remastering but we will get back in the studio with it and re EQ a few things and clean it up a bit. I'll let you know how it goes! I'm still a little worried about our drummer but what the hey we will hget up there and give it heck!!!
 
#37
mcbassdude said:
You get work when you have work as the saying goes...
Here's another one, Strike while the irons hot, i.e. get out there while you have two on the books and turn it into a dozen!
And don't devalue the product by playing for nothing.
Good Luck
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Yeah this gig is paying our sound guy and maybe paying for a couple beers, that's all I care about man I just want to jam! I think your right too, I want to keep the ball rolling. We are inviting other bar owners out to our show to book a few more.
 
#38
RicPlaya said:
You would think that. We bring in over 100 people per show more tham most locals bands and some still won't book us because we won't appeal the the regulars..or so they think.
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not to be mean. but may i state and ask: bands friends and wifes sometimes get them in trouble with regulars...I.E. "im with the band and who the F4CK are you attitude. could that be a problem?
 
#40
RicPlaya said:
No Smash it's not as crappy as I was hoping for. I went to a couple of crapy bars and saw some great bands, for some reason crappy bars equals good or better music than the younger bars.
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Crappy bars equal rock'n'roll, plenty of beer and slutty chicks.. can you think of anything better? :smug:
 

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