Gig "offer", they still do this??

[MDBass]

So a band that my drummer knows reached out to us via FB, asking us to open for them at a particular club. I asked about the details, and he said "check the message in our inbox".

This is what I found:

View attachment 3071451

First thought I had was - What club charges acts for the soundman anymore? I thought that crap stopped long ago. You want to run a live music venue, then having a pro PA and a guy to run it is the cost of doing business, IMHO. And, lets just say for the sake of argument, it's a bad night and not enough people come in the door to cover the soundman. Do the bands make up the difference? I remember doing that once - my first gig ever, back in 1987.

A 90 minute set, for a percentage of the door, after the first 30 heads?

 

[Nephilymbass]

So a band that my drummer knows reached out to us via FB, asking us to open for them at a particular club. I asked about the details, and he said "check the message in our inbox".

This is what I found:

View attachment 3071451

First thought I had was - What club charges acts for the soundman anymore? I thought that crap stopped long ago. You want to run a live music venue, then having a pro PA and a guy to run it is the cost of doing business, IMHO. And, lets just say for the sake of argument, it's a bad night and not enough people come in the door to cover the soundman. Do the bands make up the difference? I remember doing that once - my first gig ever, back in 1987.

It’s actually very common around here although it’s never near that expensive. Fee for the soundguy is normally $50-$100 off the top of the door, most we’ve seen was $150 for a venue with in house PA. Only times we’ve ever seen more than that was for companies to actually bring out a nice PA system, not just run one that’s already there. Hell for $400 here you can hire a production company to bring out a decent PA and you get a foh guy and a monitor guy. I would have an issue with a soundguy getting $300 if the PA is already in house. That’s just rediculous imo.

 

[Fxpmusic]

So a band that my drummer knows reached out to us via FB, asking us to open for them at a particular club. I asked about the details, and he said "check the message in our inbox".

This is what I found:

View attachment 3071451

First thought I had was - What club charges acts for the soundman anymore? I thought that crap stopped long ago. You want to run a live music venue, then having a pro PA and a guy to run it is the cost of doing business, IMHO. And, lets just say for the sake of argument, it's a bad night and not enough people come in the door to cover the soundman. Do the bands make up the difference? I remember doing that once - my first gig ever, back in 1987.

My band pays half of the production fee only when we get 100% of the door. Anytime there’s a “percentage of the door after production fee” I run.

 

[Jimmy4string]

Our last gig was this type of deal. Sound was great. However at the end of the night we ended up with $25 each.
paying for parking and a couple of beers, by end of night we were out about -15 each.
Not a good night....

 

[keith1r]

How does one sound man make $300? Does every band member make $300. A 4 piece getting $1200? Sound man shouldn’t make more than each band member

 

[Ironbar]

I'm not even IN a band and that sounds fishy to me.

 

[jshinal]

From those photos, I doubt they are going to get a $10 cover out of their clientele. Even in Winchester, which does have some money sloshing around.

 

[electracoyote]

The club I last worked FOH in typically waived the bands' doorman and sound man fees if they ended up putting the band's agreed deal in the red. I always made my flat fee, no matter what. Depending on the the band's deal any individual member sometimes could make less than my fee, or many times more. Some bands offered me a share in the lottery, but I always passed. Most touring bands got a guaranty vs. the door minus sound and doorman. It was not all all uncommon for them to make 3-5 X the guaranty. And often times hotel rooms and a meal or two was part of the deal too, which can be a big deal to a touring band.

A lot of people suggest using your own doorman. In my world the doorman is very often also the bouncer, which opens up a pretty substantial can 'o worms as far as liability. Also IME, many civilians have a tendency to not know all the nuances of fake IDs and requirements for checking IDs in general. But that just depends, and our club was pretty flexible on that score. External promoters did usually handle the door and security, for instance. And any band was welcome to have someone audit the door situation, at the least.

Yep, there are a lot of creative ways to channel the money, that's for sure. Usually what I see in these situations is everyone is increasing the odds or guaranteeing themselves to make money that evening...except the band. The band has to take a "wait and see" approach. There are exceptions, but to OP's point, that's the long and short of it more often than not, and it's a business model still in practice (to some degree) in most large metro areas.

If you have a way to get these venues to actually pay the band a fair wage when production costs, cover charges, liquor sales, and door men are involved, you have beat the system.

 

[obimark]

Yep, there are a lot of creative ways to channel the money, that's for sure. Usually what I see in these situations is everyone is increasing the odds or guaranteeing themselves to make money that evening...except the band. The band has to take a "wait and see" approach. There are exceptions, but to OP's point, that's the long and short of it more often than not, and it's a business model still in practice in most large metro areas.

If you have a way to get these venues to actually pay the band a fair wage when production costs, cover charges, liquor sales, and door men are involved, you have beat the system.

or just don't play there. if there weren't so many desperate bands this carp would end.

 

[mcnach]

So a band that my drummer knows reached out to us via FB, asking us to open for them at a particular club. I asked about the details, and he said "check the message in our inbox".

This is what I found:

View attachment 3071451

First thought I had was - What club charges acts for the soundman anymore? I thought that crap stopped long ago. You want to run a live music venue, then having a pro PA and a guy to run it is the cost of doing business, IMHO. And, lets just say for the sake of argument, it's a bad night and not enough people come in the door to cover the soundman. Do the bands make up the difference? I remember doing that once - my first gig ever, back in 1987.

soundguy gets $300, band gets who knows what but likely a lot less and they don't even choose the sound guy either...

yeah... I'll be there. Not.

 

[MrLenny1]

Smells fishy.

 

[arbiterusa]

It's a great opportunity...for the club. Not for you.

 

[BassWaffle]

I'm used to playing at clubs and getting paid per head, but what's weird to me is that the sound guy is also getting paid per head. Who does this? Most soundguys I've ever met are either employed by the venue or a stand-in for an employee and are being paid a fixed amount

 

[Spectrum]

It's Blue Fox Billiards in Winchester (not exactly NoVa by the time you get out that way.

Blue Fox Billiards, Bar and Grill

Invalid Link Removed

My band has a really good, but lazy drummer. He doesn't like to drag his gear around if he doesn't have to, and he doesn't want to drive long distances unless we are getting paid. His talent keeps him in the band (plus he's a cool guy TBH). His laziness keeps the band from accepting some of the dumber offers we've gotten. He'd definitely laugh at this one and tell us to pass on it.

 

[electracoyote]

or just don't play there. if there weren't so many desperate bands this carp would end.

Not only would the carp end, but the crap would end too.

It does serve as an opportunity for bands that are desperate for a stage. And there is something to be said for that, because if you don't take a stage, you don't improve as a band. In the early days of my start-up three years ago, we needed video, pics, and a stage to work out the bugs. We did a few freebies and "mystery payday" gigs. As soon as the video/audio/pics were up on our internet presence, the better gigs and guaranteed paydays started rolling in. That's when we stopped doing rigged gigs. Fortunately, it didn't take us long, because I know bands who do it for many months, even years, and there is a lot of frustration there.

 

[baileyboy]

We avoid these types of gigs. Our experience is the door will let a lot of their friends in for free and you will end up getting screwed. If bar can't pay a flat fee, we pass.

 

[bikeplate]

Sounds like crap

 

[guy n. cognito]

So a band that my drummer knows reached out to us via FB, asking us to open for them at a particular club. I asked about the details, and he said "check the message in our inbox".

This is what I found:

View attachment 3071451

First thought I had was - What club charges acts for the soundman anymore? I thought that crap stopped long ago. You want to run a live music venue, then having a pro PA and a guy to run it is the cost of doing business, IMHO. And, lets just say for the sake of argument, it's a bad night and not enough people come in the door to cover the soundman. Do the bands make up the difference? I remember doing that once - my first gig ever, back in 1987.

Not even remotely uncommon.

 

[SactoBass]

"Jefe, would you say this proposed deal has a 'plethora' of unknowns?"

"Oh yes El Guapo, it has a plethora!"

 

[40Hz]

With an offer like that it’s important to understand you’re not being hired. You’re being invited to join in a speculative business venture.

The big question is why does the soundguy get hired in this “deal”? He has a guarantee. Why him and not you? The answer is quite simply because he’s really a hidden additional percentage you’re being charged by the venue.

So…you have zero control of anything but still agree to take on all of the risk of a loss on top of that?

Sounds to me more like the main band is looking for somebody to split their potential loss with more than anything else. Otherwise why two bands?