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I Don't Remember Getting Gigs Being This Tough

#161
There's a new local venue that is trying to promote rock shows on Thursday nights, and I recently had a conversation with the promoter about having us play. The deal was a 35 minute set, guarantee a minimum of 20 people at $10 each (either at the door or pre-sale tix), and the band gets 50% of everyting after the first 20 people. However, if less than 20 people show, the band needs to make up the difference out of pocket before they will be allowed to play.

I told them - very politely - to shove it. There's other places to play.

Although we could draw 20+ without too much problem, I wouldn't ask anyone I know to spend $10 to get in the door for a 35 minute set on a Thursday night. Also, having to guarantee that the everyone else makes money (bar, promoter, etc.) even if it has to come out of the band's pockets is not something we're willing to support - especially for this venue.

I'd honestly rather play for free beer, at a place with no cover, where our fans, friends, and family can realx and have a good time than support a pay-to-play venue.
 
#163
EricF said:
There's a new local venue that is trying to promote rock shows on Thursday nights, and I recently had a conversation with the promoter about having us play. The deal was a 35 minute set, guarantee a minimum of 20 people at $10 each (either at the door or pre-sale tix), and the band gets 50% of everyting after the first 20 people. However, if less than 20 people show, the band needs to make up the difference out of pocket before they will be allowed to play.

I told them - very politely - to shove it. There's other places to play.

Although we could draw 20+ without too much problem, I wouldn't ask anyone I know to spend $10 to get in the door for a 35 minute set on a Thursday night. Also, having to guarantee that the everyone else makes money (bar, promoter, etc.) even if it has to come out of the band's pockets is not something we're willing to support - especially for this venue.

I'd honestly rather play for free beer, at a place with no cover, where our fans, friends, and family can realx and have a good time than support a pay-to-play venue.
Click to expand...

Which one of the crappy LA venues is this? The Palmer Room?
 
#167
wooahh...I think i jumped into something i shouldn't have. warrior joe, i respect you alot. and few other guys commented on my post: "i'm the problem" and such.


i realized we have different perspectives.

I will admit, i'm younger than most all of you guys here. The bands that play my venue (NOT a bar, not a restuarant. its actually an art studio) are high-school age or myspace-born or regular bands. We dont do guarentees because many of the kids don't, or don't know how to, promote and get paid for bringing nobody. So thats the way my venue does things. As i read, and understood, most of you guys are actual "gigging" bands who play multliple sets, or multiple nights, etc. I apologize for not understanding this earlier. 100% of the bands at my place are one nighters. well, more like 45min. or less. Apologies around! especially joe.
 
#169
EricF said:
There's a new local venue that is trying to promote rock shows on Thursday nights, and I recently had a conversation with the promoter about having us play. The deal was a 35 minute set, guarantee a minimum of 20 people at $10 each (either at the door or pre-sale tix), and the band gets 50% of everyting after the first 20 people. However, if less than 20 people show, the band needs to make up the difference out of pocket before they will be allowed to play.

I told them - very politely - to shove it. There's other places to play.

Although we could draw 20+ without too much problem, I wouldn't ask anyone I know to spend $10 to get in the door for a 35 minute set on a Thursday night. Also, having to guarantee that the everyone else makes money (bar, promoter, etc.) even if it has to come out of the band's pockets is not something we're willing to support - especially for this venue.

I'd honestly rather play for free beer, at a place with no cover, where our fans, friends, and family can realx and have a good time than support a pay-to-play venue.
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+1!!!

$10 cover for a 35 min. set on Thursday...

That's crazy-talk.

Maybe these people need a benefit, 'cause I think they need meds!

Cherie
 
#170
aborgman said:
20-something average child age: no kids

30-something average child age: 1-2 kids, <10 yo.

40-something average child age: old enough to watch themselves.

--
aborgman
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1-2 kids < age ten...

Sitter. Once a month.

And, you know, its not that they're not going out and doing stuff. It just seems they're not supporting live music. My daughter's friends parents are about ten years younger than I am, for the most part. (I had her at 35.) They do go out. They play video games, they go line dancing, they go to canned music places. They see plays, they go to dinner parties. They do not come out for live music. Even if they have a sitter, even if they have the next day off from work...they do something else.

Cherie
 
#172
txbasschik said:
1-2 kids < age ten...

Sitter. Once a month.

And, you know, its not that they're not going out and doing stuff. It just seems they're not supporting live music. My daughter's friends parents are about ten years younger than I am, for the most part. (I had her at 35.) They do go out. They play video games, they go line dancing, they go to canned music places. They see plays, they go to dinner parties. They do not come out for live music. Even if they have a sitter, even if they have the next day off from work...they do something else.

Cherie
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I hear ya there!! I think I said this earlier in this thread, but we've literally played within walking distance of friends' houses, and they simply never show up. I swear people and "friends" go out of their way to make up excuses to NOT support their musician friends. Toward the end (I was in an acoustic duo for a time) we actually stopped telling friends that we were playing because we knew beyond a doubt that they would NEVER show up. Like you say, they always found time to do other things, but not come to a show. Either they don't realize how much bands need moral support, or they're not great friends. I suspect both.
 
#173
No problem man, I can understand where you are coming from. But I have to ask if you are making a significant amount more than any of these whole bands?

I understand it might be a little different if the bands playing don't have a person out of high school... but then again if I was 16 and $3 as a band to play a show I would probably be pretty discouraged. You can buy a pack of gum each.

iplaybasstexas said:
wooahh...I think i jumped into something i shouldn't have. warrior joe, i respect you alot. and few other guys commented on my post: "i'm the problem" and such.


i realized we have different perspectives.

I will admit, i'm younger than most all of you guys here. The bands that play my venue (NOT a bar, not a restuarant. its actually an art studio) are high-school age or myspace-born or regular bands. We dont do guarentees because many of the kids don't, or don't know how to, promote and get paid for bringing nobody. So thats the way my venue does things. As i read, and understood, most of you guys are actual "gigging" bands who play multliple sets, or multiple nights, etc. I apologize for not understanding this earlier. 100% of the bands at my place are one nighters. well, more like 45min. or less. Apologies around! especially joe.
Click to expand...
 
#174
WarriorJoe7 said:
No problem man, I can understand where you are coming from. But I have to ask if you are making a significant amount more than any of these whole bands?

I understand it might be a little different if the bands playing don't have a person out of high school... but then again if I was 16 and $3 as a band to play a show I would probably be pretty discouraged. You can buy a pack of gum each.
Click to expand...

Significant, no. and we don't pay the band $3. we pay then $3PER PERSON they bring. Like that night, one band brought 55 people; they got paid $165. another band brought 2; paid $6. In essence, its a push for them to know they have to draw. So its in their hands, how much they want to get paid.
 
#175
iplaybasstexas said:
Significant, no. and we don't pay the band $3. we pay then $3PER PERSON they bring. Like that night, one band brought 55 people; they got paid $165. another band brought 2; paid $6. In essence, its a push for them to know they have to draw. So its in their hands, how much they want to get paid.
Click to expand...

$3.00 per ticket they sell right? How much are the tickets m $ 10.00 probably. And they have a minimum # they sell before they get the $3.00 per ? Most of us seasoned vets. here call that pay to play.
 
#179
iplaybasstexas said:
nope. you are wrong in your assumptions sir.

If cover is $7, they get $3 per person they bring. No presale tickets, no minimums. If you bring 1 person, or 100 people, you get paid the same. Its not a pay to play.
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We need a place like you over here.


really the BEST way over here, in our scene is DIY, no we don't do pay to play Battle Of The bands, like emrgenza or supernova.


DIY, IE rent out a venue, all the bands split the venue fee and then we are our own promoters. So we make all the money from tickets and door, but we have to pay the rental fee.


That is the ONLY way we make money here, without doing pay to pla garbage.

Nobody promotes shows anymore, everybody wants the bands to do it....we hate it but since we have to promote ourselves anyways we might as well cut the middle man.


f there was a better way of doing it, believe me would jump on it, but we're a thrash metal band rying to get noticed when there are already a billion other freakin metal bands that suck around here. There are so many problems, kids are lazy too so not as many people come out to see shows.



our last gig, we got like 17$ profit outta it
 
#180
MatticusMania said:
Oh yeah, the terrace is one of those pay-to-play venues. I used to like the Old Towne Pub, until I got threatened by the owners friend and their biker gang.

I love playing the free places around town. Im all about the good time.
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I've had nothing but good experiences at Old Towne Pub. Our lead guitar player has played there probably 100 times over the years and has always had a blast in that little room. Something about those old bricks gets the mojo workin'. We're playing there again this coming Wednesday as part of the Rose City Rock Music Fest.
 

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