I've played plenty of wallpaper gigs,and plenty of gigs where the band was treated as "the help." Part of why I ranted lol.
Also, that type of gig is very different from a wedding, private party, or corporate party.
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Private party gigs and meals
- Thread starter Dwsmit
- Start date
Also, that type of gig is very different from a wedding, private party, or corporate party.
This might be a regional thing. Where I am (Charleston, SC area which is actually a very popular year round wedding and corporate party destination), we almost always get fed. I would say at least 9 out of 10 private gigs we (and the rest of the help, photographers, etc) are fed, as stipulated in the contract. Sometimes it is a boxed sandwich and chips, sometimes it is a big pasta dish that we all share, but most often we are getting the same food that the guests are eating. If we are getting the same food as the guests, i would say half of the time the caterers make us plates that we eat in a back room, and the other half we are walking through the buffet line and eating wherever we want, again this is all stipulated ahead of time either in the contract on verbally with the event planner. Often times we are at these events for up to 7-8 hours (loadin-soundcheck at 4, play 7-10ish, packed up by 11), so it really is pretty important for us to eat or else we’d all be pretty miserable by the end lol! All that being said, I definitely would not jump in the front of the buffett line, I certainly wait my turn and try to be respectful about it. But if I’m offered food at an event, I’m definitely eating it. I actually considered it part of my pay.
Please let me know when you're back in town for a visit - we'll meet up for a beer on me. FYI , I just got a RS112 to pair with the RS115. Candefinitely shake down the walls nowMy son goes to CMU, freshman year. @bherman was kind enough to have me to his crib impromptu when I visited last summer simply because I saw GJ in his info and asked about some gear he had.Cool ass place, GJ.
I'm talking about the kind of gig where the band keeps the party going. Of course not necessarily, but the majority I've seen and played in the band has at least some interaction with the crowd.
This kind of gig is different than a wall paper gig. I've played tons of both kinds.
Just don't eat the electric brownies (Yeah it is a western states thing nowadays).
Musicians do get fed and if not that's what Larabars and Cliff bars are for so you have enough energy to pack and drive home. If offered, be gracious, don't overload plates and eat like a fashion model.
Musicians do get fed and if not that's what Larabars and Cliff bars are for so you have enough energy to pack and drive home. If offered, be gracious, don't overload plates and eat like a fashion model.
Details always ironed out before hand. Always be polite and appropriate. Fire the drummer.
I would eat, but not jump to the front of the line! I too feel like if we are hired for a space of time that covers a normal mealtime, some arrangements for food need to be made. If the hosts are not feeding me, then I hope they don’t mind when I drive off in my car to go get some food. I cannot play well when light-headed or hangry due to missing a meal.
But bringing your SO to a corporate gig is a serious faux pas - he should stop doing that!
But bringing your SO to a corporate gig is a serious faux pas - he should stop doing that!
Our BL books senior RV park gigs during the summer months. There is always food offered to the band. Our BL will stop the band and almost run toward the food, his wife in tow, once it's announced that the food is ready. One place in particular always has a band table set up for band members and wives. My wife refuses to eat their food but the drummer and BL wives pile it on. It' embarrassing. The rhythm guitarist and I always wait until the guests are done.
In bars there are a few that offer food and/or drinks for the band. The BL and his wife always eat.
I'm going on my third year with them and just finding out about the comped meals! I've been paying for my own food or drinks at a few places. After about a year at one place the bar tender asked me why I pay for my drinks "you get one drink per set". I had no idea. Another place, a great outdoor gig, the outdoor bar tender told me to stop paying for food and beer because the band is always comped. I ask the BL wife (supposedly our equal pay manager) and she gets a bit huffy about it..."well of course we get meals and drinks but you have to go thru me". This has happened at other gigs. We all think that the BL and wife (manager) are eating our share of the comp $$. Who knows! The rhythm guy just buys his own drinks and never eats, he tells me it's to avoid the whole thing. In a way I really don't care either but the drummer is livid about it.
In bars there are a few that offer food and/or drinks for the band. The BL and his wife always eat.
I'm going on my third year with them and just finding out about the comped meals! I've been paying for my own food or drinks at a few places. After about a year at one place the bar tender asked me why I pay for my drinks "you get one drink per set". I had no idea. Another place, a great outdoor gig, the outdoor bar tender told me to stop paying for food and beer because the band is always comped. I ask the BL wife (supposedly our equal pay manager) and she gets a bit huffy about it..."well of course we get meals and drinks but you have to go thru me". This has happened at other gigs. We all think that the BL and wife (manager) are eating our share of the comp $$. Who knows! The rhythm guy just buys his own drinks and never eats, he tells me it's to avoid the whole thing. In a way I really don't care either but the drummer is livid about it.
This reminds me of an understandable yet major mistake I made a couple years back at a wedding gig. We were playing during the cocktail hour, background music in a corner of the room. During our set, a caterer brought a few boxes of food and told me it was our vendor meals, set them on a table right next to me. A minute later another caterer brought a plate with this beautiful little mini cake thing on it. I assumed it was part of our meal. It was not lol. It was specially made for a specific picture the bride and groom were taking. The caterer came back a couple minutes later for the cake, and the plate was empty. She got freaking pissed! I apologized and I owned up to it but in my opinion, she should not have put it on the table right next to the band and our vendor meals. 
I'll eat at a gig. But either happens before I go on, or after the guests have eaten. It always happens away from the stage and out of sight of the audience.
Years back I played a high class wedding at an art museum, which at the time had catering provided by a very big name in the restaurant business. I remember being told by the bandleader "Yup, we're getting fed. During the speeches section of the reception, we'll have a 30 minute break for dinner". So we played during the cocktail hour and the first part of the meal, watching folks snack on appetizers and then some amazing looking filet mignon and salmon. We were then led off during our break to what I assumed was going to be a smaller green room/dining room space and... nope. Coat closet. Where our box lunches were waiting for us. To be fair, it was a fairly decent ham sandwich.
Some of my best gigs were fueled by electric brownies. Not a fancy corporate party gig or one where I had to be precise, but plenty of jam, jazz, and more relaxed parties of course
Stuff like that is usually ironed out in the contract negotiations: food arrangements, parking, band guests, etc. Rule #1, whether it’s in the contract or not is ‘Never become a spectacle offstage.’
I’ve even played country club gigs where the band didn’t eat the same food as the guests, spend breaks among the guests, or use the same restrooms.
Common sense should hold sway in any event.
A contractor (let’s face it—that’s what we are here) rushing the food table (buffet or whatever) shows no class, and is likely to alienate someone you’d rather have as a booster (or a future client).
I’ve even played country club gigs where the band didn’t eat the same food as the guests, spend breaks among the guests, or use the same restrooms.
Common sense should hold sway in any event.
A contractor (let’s face it—that’s what we are here) rushing the food table (buffet or whatever) shows no class, and is likely to alienate someone you’d rather have as a booster (or a future client).
I have never played a gig in my life, but if and when I do; this will be my modus operandi as well.
If offered at the time of negotiating, then fine, if not, you can adjust your fee if food is going to be an issue. If local, eat beforehand unless otherwise agreed.
But, courtesy suggests you are invited, you don't steam in in front of guests or paying customers.
But, courtesy suggests you are invited, you don't steam in in front of guests or paying customers.
