Here's one for you.

[Munjibunga]

OK, there's a bar in a small town around here in which we've played maybe a half-dozen times. The bar was shut down for a while because the owner's wife was embezzling money from her workplace, and her husband (the owner of the bar) was helping her somehow. Well, they both went to the slammer, but someone bought the bar and called our leader and asked if we'd play there. I'm sure it's because his patrons asked for us. She told him, "Sure," then he says, "The only thing is, if you're going to play here, you can't play at that other bar two miles down the street." He's afraid his crowd will follow us to the other bar, which they will, because they like us.

So she says, "OK, but it'll cost you an extra hundred a night." Oh, that torqued his jaws. But what a doof. Think about it. We either play only at the other bar, and take "his" crowd all the time, or play at his bar sometimes, and keep the crowd there sometimes. Anyway, we're playing at the other bar this weekend, and it looks like we're getting a lot of our crowd up there. That's pretty good, because the town is slightly remote, up in the hills.

I really like not doing this for a living. It makes "shove it" so much more simple.

So there you are.

 

[Eyescream]

That's a good way to do it, I think. If he wants exclusivity, he should be willing to cough up the extra dough to make it happen.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

Your leader did the right thing. As a band, you are being contracted to offer your services/skills to a club. I would never dream of telling my wholesalers that they aren't allowed to sell to my business competitors. She's right, if the club is telling you not to play at an opposite place, (which is pretty damn unethical, IMHO) you should get more cash, or a guaranteed house gig once a week.

 

[Slater]

[Yosemite Sam Voice]
"Bar owners is sooo stupid!..."
[/Yosemite Sam Voice]

 

[odie]

Munji- If you dont mind me asking. What kind of tunes are you playing? What age group watches?? How much to you get paid?

We are in the same boat. A bar is asking for an "exclusive" gig. There is 4 places we could play on a regular basis.

 

[Munjibunga]

Munji- If you dont mind me asking. What kind of tunes are you playing? What age group watches?? How much to you get paid?

We are in the same boat. A bar is asking for an "exclusive" gig. There is 4 places we could play on a regular basis.

Around here $250 to $350 a night is the average for the dives we play in. The crowd is from 21 to 75. We play all covers from the '60s to current. Sheryl Crow, Pretenders, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, AC/DC, Creedence, Santana, Etheridge, Rascals, Los Lonely Boys, Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, 'Retha Baby, Dwight Yoakam and, yes, one Skynyrd song (no, not F*** B***). And much, much more. The crowds seem to like us.

 

[thrash_jazz]

Just curious - how would they have stopped you from playing at the other place? Did they want a written contract?

Hahaha, laughably stupid anyway. Those managers have a few things to learn.

 

[Edwcdc]

We just went through the same thing around here. What I didn't get was that the bar we were playing didn't want us playing the "other" bar but a few of the other bands played both. We asked our agent why other bands could but we couldn't and I don't really think we ever got a straight answer. I think we have always been reluctant to make waves while some of the local bands don't take much s**t. We draw pretty good around Baltimore and could play every night if we wanted so it just kind of got to us and we decided to take a stand.
Recently we played at the first bar's anniversary party and announced after the show that it would be our last there. We were cool about it and were not disrespectfull but the manager was a real ass to us all the time. Word got out quick and 2 of the "other" bars contacted us directly to book shows.
Sorry agency you won't get part of this one.

 

[Munjibunga]

Way to hum.

 

[odie]

We are getting asked the same question tonight. We are booked to play this place one weekend a month thru October(we even got the coveted Halloween gig). The manager wants us to play exclusively there. We can out of towners but no in towners.

We get payed $1100-1200 a weekend( 4hrs on Friday, 4 hours on Saturday). We are thinking about him upping the pay a bit. Maybe to $1400 a weekend. But we will see.

 

[Eric Moesle]

Also consider asking that in return for a exclusive radius, instead of more money, just more gigs. A guarantee of two nights per month, yada yada yada. Worked for us sometimes to keep us away from the competing club down the street. Bar owners understand it better when you explain that you have to keep your calendar full or else starve . . . its easier for them to accept than just paying more money.

 

[odie]

Also consider asking that in return for a exclusive radius, instead of more money, just more gigs. A guarantee of two nights per month, yada yada yada. Worked for us sometimes to keep us away from the competing club down the street. Bar owners understand it better when you explain that you have to keep your calendar full or else starve . . . its easier for them to accept than just paying more money.

Good point. That is something to consider.

 

[Munjibunga]

Also consider asking that in return for a exclusive radius, instead of more money, just more gigs. A guarantee of two nights per month, yada yada yada. Worked for us sometimes to keep us away from the competing club down the street. Bar owners understand it better when you explain that you have to keep your calendar full or else starve . . . its easier for them to accept than just paying more money.

Good advice, except one thing. The band already plays more gigs than I want to. So getting more gigs isn't good for me.

 

[leanne]

Around here $250 to $350 a night is the average for the dives we play in.

They should be happy they can hire a band for that amount in the first place.

Lame.

Sorry you (and way too many others) gotta deal with that crap.

 

[Slater]

When these club owners want you to play for them exclusively, if you ask them, "Are you going to pay us to stay home and not play down the street?", sometimes that little light will go on over their head...

 

[puttz buster]

It's great to have the option, the ball is in your court. Won't surprise me if the "snoozer" from bar 'a' gives you a call soon Munj. realizing the error of his folly.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

Another think to keep in mind, is you are already playing at bar "B" on a regular basis, which means you have a relationship with that club. If you quit playing there because the bar up the street wanted you exclusivley, you would probaly damage the existing relationship with club "B". This relationship could still be damaged when your current band is long defunct and your new band is trying to into club "B" for the first time.

 

[Munjibunga]

Another think to keep in mind, is you are already playing at bar "B" on a regular basis, which means you have a relationship with that club. If you quit playing there because the bar up the street wanted you exclusivley, you would probaly damage the existing relationship with club "B". This relationship could still be damaged when your current band is long defunct and your new band is trying to into club "B" for the first time.

Well, we've played many times in both bars. Keep in mind, they're both pretty much dive bars. I don't care whether we play in either of them. I do prefer bar "B", even though it is unquestionably the most nightmarish stage for sound that we've ever played. The people really like us, and shake their respective booties.

The thing is, if the crowd knew we were playing at bar "A" down the street, they'd be there. The de facto condition is that bar "B" has us as an exclusive in that town, without even asking.