Gig "offer", they still do this??

[ThePez]

$300 for full production, full PA, monitors and lights... is typical around here. most bars don’t have band pa’s so the band is expected to provide their own production. my last band always hired our own sound. the benefit is not having to set up and tear down or cart our PA gear around town. we only did it once for a door deal. ONLY ONCE. we played for free that night. our sound guy got paid, and we never played there again... despite being asked repeatedly.

if i have to guarantee that my production team gets paid you need to guarantee that my band is going to get paid. I wouldn’t be against doing a door deal if I had one of my people at the door and the venue paying for production.

 

[JMacBass65]

Screenshot of TM from drummer with personal detail redacted.

Hey - they have the best soundman in three states.........why wouldn't we do the gig??

 

[sean_on_bass]

Best soundman in three states...how could you even make a statement like that with a straight face? I mean, i can see some of the enthusiasm for the gig. They seem to have a stage with built in PA and lights, and if your band doesn't usually get that treatment it might be fun. You won't be playing a very long time too. But the idea that this gig will somehow lead to greater things might be naive, although who knows, even a crowd member might want to book you for a private event.

You guys are a cover band right? IMO cover bands should be able to afford not to play these sorts of things. When you're a commodity band like that, you can usually negotiate a flat rate, even if only $150. Then you build yourself up to venues that can pay more. But if your an original band, then this gig deal is actually not too bad, but not good either.

 

[JMacBass65]

Best soundman in three states...how could you even make a statement like that with a straight face? I mean, i can see some of the enthusiasm for the gig. They seem to have a stage with built in PA and lights, and if your band doesn't usually get that treatment it might be fun. You won't be playing a very long time too. But the idea that this gig will somehow lead to greater things might be naive, although who knows, even a crowd member might want to book you for a private event.

Exactly. Usually we are schlepping our own PA (and I get to run it.....swell), and bringing a handful of lights. once in a while it's an outdoor festival w/ PA. But yeah - there is some appeal. I I have a real issue though, with the $300 soundman.....and this is coming form a guy who used to run the house PA at a music venue in Washington DC for a number of years. I have no problem with a guy making a buck, but I have no doubt the venue is padding their revenue with this fee. The place I worked, the bands played for the door, the bar paid me (and the guy who owned the installed gear). And yeah - the bigger and better part is laughable. It's just a gig.

You guys are a cover band right? IMO cover bands should be able to afford not to play these sorts of things. When you're a commodity band like that, you can usually negotiate a flat rate, even if only $150. Then you build yourself up to venues that can pay more. But if your an original band, then this gig deal is actually not too bad, but not good either.

Yeah, and we used to get $300-$500 per gig. But we don't play enough of what people want (we do heavy blues stuff), play too loudly, and don't work the crowd well enough. All things I have raised as issues, but after enough time I have accepted that they won't change. It's OK, I'll have some fun and make $100/gig. That's fine.

But again, this one looks to be a freebie. Last time I was willing to do that, it was with a different band, at this place:

 

[Bass Viking]

Screenshot of TM from drummer with personal detail redacted.



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Hey - they have the best soundman in three states.........why wouldn't we do the gig??

“The best sound man in three states” LOL! sounds like something Yosemite Sam would say:

“The roughest, toughest, rootinest, tootinest, orneriest soundman in 3 states!!!”

 

[Al T.]

Just say no.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

So...what happened? Did you guys take the gig? Did you pass?

...are you working up an epic TalkBass rant thread...?

 

[dtripoli]

Sounds like too many unknowns but then again there are bands out there willing to 'Pay to play' so this is mot that far out of the norm.
Take the world famous Whiskey a Go-Go in Hollywood CA where many famous bands got their start; Eagles, Doors, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Cream and on and on. It is 100% pay to play now.

 

[JMacBass65]

So...what happened? Did you guys take the gig? Did you pass?

...are you working up an epic TalkBass rant thread...?

Sorry, this thread fell off my radar.

No real epic rant, which could have been fun. This just kinda became a non-issue.

SO my drummer was getting all kinds of agitated with me for not just agreeing, and finally suggested I speak with the other BL (dude who offered us the opening slot) and voice my concerns and so on. I couldn't get him on the phone so I sent him a thoughtful note, thanking him for thinking of us, and outlining my concerns.

Took him a couple of days, but he got back to me and said the booking agent (for the club) had "clarified things" for him. They didn't really want his band to headline, but wanted them to open for a national act sometime in the near future.

So POOF, it's a non issue. I wished him luck and suggested he report back to us about the experience. He's a good dude so want to keep those lines of communication open.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Sorry, this thread fell off my radar.

No real epic rant, which could have been fun. This just kinda became a non-issue.

SO my drummer was getting all kinds of agitated with me for not just agreeing, and finally suggested I speak with the other BL (dude who offered us the opening slot) and voice my concerns and so on. I couldn't get him on the phone so I sent him a thoughtful note, thanking him for thinking of us, and outlining my concerns.

Took him a couple of days, but he got back to me and said the booking agent (for the club) had "clarified things" for him. They didn't really want his band to headline, but wanted them to open for a national act sometime in the near future.

So POOF, it's a non issue. I wished him luck and suggested he report back to us about the experience. He's a good dude so want to keep those lines of communication open.

Good to hear that it became a non-issue for you guys, and hopefully y’all will go forward having a good relationship with this other band!

 

[QORC]

its not that uncommon. plenty of bands will play under those circumstances. more established bands? maybe they will, maybe they won't. it's a big risk.

 

[Lownote38]

Why the shag am I learning an instrument when I can make $300 a night as a sound man?

Because you have to fail at learning an instrument first, and then you become a sound man.

 

[jdthebassman]

the fact that they allow smoking inside and will not give guaranteed pay to the band I would pass.