Is it tacky/bad form...

[BazzaBass]

Tip jar? Not here in Noo Zeelund. Not the done thing.

Half the bars I've played in, if you put a seeded tip jar out at the start of the night, at the end of the first set it'd empty.

Must be like Aussies, no concept of tipping

 

[Jack]

I'd love to have a tip jar. Maybe you Americans are weird, maybe it's us instead.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I’ve never done this in a band, so I’m not sure how I feel about it from that perspective.

But, as an audience member, I’m not offended in the least by an act having and calling attention to a tip jar.

The only time it bugs me is when acts (usually street performers) use high pressure tactics on the audience to get tips.

 

[Flamingo21]

I see it as a service to the audience.

There's always going to be at least someone in that room who really wants to help you but doesn't know how to do it. You'll do them a big favour by pointing out the tip jar.

 

[BassBrass]

Tip jars are not always appropriate. When they are, money tends to find its way to the jar without instruction.

And the meek will inherit the Earth, although I'm not sure which part. My favorite outrageous tip jar is when out of work singing actors in NYC take over a subway train for one stop and then demand a buck. I'm happy to oblige.

 

[Steve Dallman]

We have a clear tip jar. I have some fake bills in it so it doesn't look empty at the beginning of the night. I also have some color changing LED's in it. It is mounted on my mic stand in small places.

We don't mention it, but we often remind people to tip their bartender. That is enough to get people thinking about tipping. Works for us.

We've even had enthusiastic people take our tip jar through the crowd, when the place is packed and most can't get through to the stage area.

 

[BwanaDust]

I think it's quite tacky for a band to put out a tip jar and I never do it for solo gigs either. If I am getting 200 - 300 for three hours of work, I don't feel right "hustling tips." That's one thing that kept me out of the piano bar scene, when the opportunity arose. That whole gig seemed like a hustle for tips. They would get the audience to bid against each other as to whether they would do a song. Drunk people do silly things with their cash.

Of course, if someone comes up to me and hands me money to play a few extra songs, I might accept it. But that's just me.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I think it's quite tacky for a band to put out a tip jar and I never do it for solo gigs either. If I am getting 200 - 300 for three hours of work, I don't feel right "hustling tips." That's one thing that kept me out of the piano bar scene, when the opportunity arose. That whole gig seemed like a hustle for tips. They would get the audience to bid against each other as to whether they would do a song. Drunk people do silly things with their cash.

Of course, if someone comes up to me and hands me money to play a few extra songs, I might accept it. But that's just me.

lt depends on the gig.

If you are getting $200-300 I agree. Most bar bands are not getting that much per member.

 

[RustyAxe]

It depends. In our trio we'll sometimes donate the tip jar to a charitable cause close to the hearts of those attending. We'll mention that before and after every set, and the tip jar/bucket/boot is clearly marked. We donated year's worth of tips to a local food pantry a couple years ago. But my five piece country band never puts out a tip jar.

 

[Tony In Philly]

If the wait staff is getting tips, so can the band. It also serves as a subtle reminder to the venue management that the band often generates more drink sales than they let on to you.

 

[lavmonga]

A band I was in used to do this on the road. We were broke kids and we absolutely hated asking about the tip jar, so tacky, but we usually go some money for gas out of it.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I don't mention it directly, but will say, "If you have a request, write it on a $10.00 bill and drop it in the "request jar. We will play it if we know it. If we don't, we'll give you a $5.00 back."
This way, you point out the jar, make a little joke (old and tacky for sure), but it does work.

 

[nightchef]

Some friends of mine are in a band where not only do they put out a tip jar and promote it, but they even have a little bell next to the tip jar, and when somebody puts money in the lead singer taps the bell with a little mallet, "angel getting its wings" style. It's charming and funny as hell.

 

[rtslinger]

Yes don't point out the tip jar to the crowd it is in bad taste. It is okay as most have pointed out if it is a no cover gig or your not being paid or not getting paid well, it certainly can help. A tip jar itself screams out the band accepts tips

 

[mark roberts]

Every place I played that had tip jars for the band had no cover charge and the band played for the tips. IMO, under those circumstances, mentioning the tip jar(s) is ok. Certainly when included with complimentary declarations about the venue, the crowd and the staff.

 

[selowitch]

One guy has a tip jar labeled "Vasectomy." What a character!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

My rule of thumb is ' if I'm wondering if something is tacky/out of line/bad form - then it probably is'. That being said - on a no cover gig, a tip jar is certainly acceptable - and you can find funny ways to mention it without sounding like a numbnutz.

I tend to try and run on that line too, if I'm questioning it than I opt out.

That being said, more and more bar owners at our gigs have put them out for us without our asking. And those are paying gigs. Funny that it only takes playing one request from the audience, you point it out that "so and so" wants to hear "______" and people hit the tip jar.

We've never put one out on our own. But we have been giving away a hat at our gigs and we ask people to put their name on a small piece of paper for the drawing and people leave tips in there too, sometimes with their names on it, probably trying to increase their chances of winning?

 

[waveman]

Private parties/Weddings/Festivals - no tip jar - though we have been tipped by the hosts for doing a good job. Bars - whether there is a cover charge or not, definitely point out the tip jar at least once a set, more so later when people have a buzz. We have had people ask where the tip jar is many times if we forgot it.

 

[Marc valero]

We have a tip jar, but don't mention it.
At a few places we play we sometimes have different people (not connected with the band, but a fan of the band) carry the tip jar around. This is not initiated by the band.
About a month ago we got $321 in tips in one night and the next week we got $221 at one place. We are a 5 piece classic rock band. When you do three or four shows a week the tips can add up to about $50 to $80 per person. We played a Thursday tiki bar gig for the first time a month ago and the owner tipped us $100 and booked us in once a month on a Thursday for the rest of the year.

 

[Kevorargh]

I have done a tip jar at the suggestion of a band member - didn't mention it during the show but we made a few extra bucks. It worked for me. If you have not seen it, the TED Talk that Amanda Palmer gave, it's pretty interesting: Invalid Link Removed

and gives a good rationale for asking fans for money. I know she caught a lot of (imo) well-deserved crap for asking for horn players to jam with her band on tour but not paying them after she had raised a million dollars on her GoFundMe page (or whatever the platform was), but that's a different story.