My band doesn't play many bar gigs. The venues in town just seem to be biased against rock cover bands, so instead we play concerts in the park, charity events, food truck rallies, etc. – we manage to stay pretty busy. A friend of the band manages a small basement bar in town that usually has a DJ after 10PM. She offered us a 8-9:45 slot last Saturday, as their regulars don't show until late.
It was a nice touch seeing our poster on the marquee...
I was stoked to find out that the house soundman is one of the best engineers in the area. I normally run sound from stage, so it was a luxury to have someone running FOH for us and knowing the sound was spot on.
The club was smaller than I remembered it. Capacity is only 60 people. Doors opened at 7:30PM, and we hit at 8:00PM sharp. By 8:03PM, the bar was at full capacity (and then some!), with a line up the stairs and down the sidewalk. Let's just say it's a good thing the fire marshal didn't show up. Unfortunately, it sounds like a bunch of people weren't able to get inside. The vibe was fantastic from downbeat and the band was really feeling it. In the final tally, 110 people paid the cover charge. After we paid the soundman, the bar tab, and babysitter costs for the band members with kids, we each pocketed about $7. We all had a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat. Turning out a big crowd gives us leverage to get into a larger venue down the street. As a nice footnote we've already been approached by one of the guests who wants to book us for a country club event, which would be a nice payday for us.
Tech notes: '86 Fender Jazz Bass Special (that I purchased new in high school), GK Fusion 500 / GK 112, and a $20 Kokko compressor pedal I just bought off Amazon (surprisingly decent).
Food notes: Half a Cubano sandwich from next door and a few Shiner Bock's.
Photos courtesy of my wife.
It was a nice touch seeing our poster on the marquee...
I was stoked to find out that the house soundman is one of the best engineers in the area. I normally run sound from stage, so it was a luxury to have someone running FOH for us and knowing the sound was spot on.
The club was smaller than I remembered it. Capacity is only 60 people. Doors opened at 7:30PM, and we hit at 8:00PM sharp. By 8:03PM, the bar was at full capacity (and then some!), with a line up the stairs and down the sidewalk. Let's just say it's a good thing the fire marshal didn't show up. Unfortunately, it sounds like a bunch of people weren't able to get inside. The vibe was fantastic from downbeat and the band was really feeling it. In the final tally, 110 people paid the cover charge. After we paid the soundman, the bar tab, and babysitter costs for the band members with kids, we each pocketed about $7. We all had a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat. Turning out a big crowd gives us leverage to get into a larger venue down the street. As a nice footnote we've already been approached by one of the guests who wants to book us for a country club event, which would be a nice payday for us.
Tech notes: '86 Fender Jazz Bass Special (that I purchased new in high school), GK Fusion 500 / GK 112, and a $20 Kokko compressor pedal I just bought off Amazon (surprisingly decent).
Food notes: Half a Cubano sandwich from next door and a few Shiner Bock's.
Photos courtesy of my wife.
