As a server..... I wish more people thought like this. Its unfathomable how many people have money for $300 shoes, leather jacket, Movado watch, Iphone8, calamari appetizer, two top shelf drinks... entree....dessert... then once the check comes theyre suddenly broke and dial their lavish behavior back to zero.
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It doesn't matter if the cover is $5 or 5 cents, people just expect some things for free.
The people who go to see new bands are often broke. People who can afford a cover charge go to see more established bands. This system made sense in the days when a large audience for a new band could lead to a recording contract. I'm not so sure about today.
It's only puzzling because you're still approaching the issue from the wrong angle. You're assuming that you are entitled to a paying audience and when you don't get one you think the people who aren't paying to see you are somehow "sketchy". Again, the real question is what are you bringing to the table that would make people want to pay that cover to see you perform when there are so many other options competing for their time and their entertainment dollar?
In addition the size of your market is also going to be a major factor. Let's assume for the moment that roughly 10% of your 6000 people are adults who care enough about live music to pay to see a local band play on a fairly regular basis. That estimate is probably on the high side, but it gives us 600 people as your potential market. Now let's say those 600 people on average will pay to see a local band play twice a month (roughly every other week.) That gives you on average 10 people per day paying to see a local band in your entire town. Now divide that amongst all the acts in your area and you can see why building a following in such a small market is going to be difficult. Even if you were the only act in town and had no competition from other groups you would still have to deal with the issue of oversaturation: only your most rabid fans are going to keep coming back to see you day after day and your potential audience is so small to begin with that you don't have enough people to rotate in to replace the ones who have seen you multiple times recently.
It was not the comment friend, it was the assumption and (incorrect) harsh judgement that was beyond laughable, almost as laughable as your attempt at damage control.
I'm thinking its either they don't want to "waste" $5 if it turns out they don't like the band. or maybe they are completely ignorant to why?[/QUOTE]
The psychological term for this is "loss aversion." If you pay to get into a club and the music isn't as good as you want, you've lost the amount you put up initially. People will actually pay MORE to avoid a loss, ironically. Loss aversion and how much we hate to lose - Psychology for marketers
I'd add that people really dislike being forced to listen to anything but their preferred style of music. If the opening act is one style and the following acts are different styles, that's gonna rub a lot of people the wrong way.
The psychological term for this is "loss aversion." If you pay to get into a club and the music isn't as good as you want, you've lost the amount you put up initially. People will actually pay MORE to avoid a loss, ironically. Loss aversion and how much we hate to lose - Psychology for marketers
I'd add that people really dislike being forced to listen to anything but their preferred style of music. If the opening act is one style and the following acts are different styles, that's gonna rub a lot of people the wrong way.
Mr.Ace
Bass players rule!
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I was out watching a band Saturday night. I saw multiple people walk out when they saw the door man collecting a 5 dollar cover charge. Seems like the bar would have made more cash if they had skipped the cover change.
Possibly cause now they have to carry cash, also with a cover you have to get a stamp or arm band. Otherwise if you leave you can't get back in. In a downtown area with several bars/venues You get hit with several cover charges. If you are bar hopping, and live music is not your primary reason to go to the venue, they feel like they are being charged that night because there is a band, and they don't care about it.
Skip charging a cover on live music night.
Charge a 2 drink minimum at the door EVERY night?
Skip charging a cover on live music night.
Charge a 2 drink minimum at the door EVERY night?
Because, even with a full house and a cover charge, the bar just "never seems" to do good enough to give the band a bonus. Cover charges are a scam and one would be naive to think one gets any part of it as a band member.
I won't pay cover charges and take my business elsewhere. I have a predetermined amount to spend when I go out for drinks and I will get my money's worth.
I think a lot of issue, people don't like to pay , "to get inside" is their mindset.
My grandma had to do that with an old truck topper that was sitting in the backyard for years.Funny little parallel in human behavior: Friends of mine took note that when they put a piece of furniture out by the curb with a sign that read "FREE!", they got no takers. So they changed tactics, and put a new sign that read "FOR SALE: $50".
That night, the furniture was promptly stolen!
I don't drink or smoke and I'm not a fan of bars in general. I'm part of the smaller first group, and would gladly pay to see a good band to perform at a place with decent sound, and where I'm not surrounded by drunks and cigarette smoke. But like you said those places are not so common.
I'd pay to see a good band no problem if I knew it went to pay the band. But with all the squandering in the world at every level these days, I think a lot of people get turned off by a general cover charge for that reason. No telling how much of it will actually go to the band.
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What keeps coming back to me as I read this thread is the Rainbow on Sunset, where people (paid) pay(?) increasingly higher covers to ascend to greater levels of (alleged) coolness. Certainly there are people willing to pay to be seen in a hip place. And then there are people who expect the band to comp them for coming out to be seen in a hip place. The Troubador -also in West Hollywood - comes to mind for that.
A reasonable solution I've seen is to come up with base price for the band and then pay the band extra based on drinks sold.
Cover charges will always put people off unless it's band (usually with some name recognition outside of a local area) they want to pay for way in advance. There are very few exceptions.
Also, the type of venue is important. Original band venues are more apt to charge a cover because they kind of have to based on their business model. Cover band joints are more for the band to hold existing patrons wandering expecting a decent band
Cover charges will always put people off unless it's band (usually with some name recognition outside of a local area) they want to pay for way in advance. There are very few exceptions.
Also, the type of venue is important. Original band venues are more apt to charge a cover because they kind of have to based on their business model. Cover band joints are more for the band to hold existing patrons wandering expecting a decent band
One of the most popular music venues in my area is a crap hole in the wall that never charges a cover. They just pay the bands a fee every Friday and Saturday night. They almost always book decent rock bands. The patrons are regulars who show up to see rock bands. Many of them are cheap, of course, but they spend lots of money on beer and the place does okay. If you show up and don't like the band, you haven't wasted any money and you can upstairs to the other bar and pool room to listen to the juke box and hang out. If they charged a cover it would change the vibe of the whole thing.
I have had gigs where part of the pay was based on "drink sales" some of those gigs, I feel we were told the "drink sales" were far less then what they probably were. Bottom line, most people watch their money, and every body tries to get as much bang for their buck as possible. Some people try to get over as much as they can, club owner, patron, or who ever. I realized along time ago, I probably wasn't gonna make money, hand over fist, doing the music thing, the rewards have to come in other ways, and, and its has to be enjoyable, for the most part.
where's GG Allin when you need him?
I'd actually get out and pay money for that, probably ruin my clothes and get in fight, risk getting shot or stabbed, have a flat or car wreck along the way, get a ticket or pay the impound fee, deal with cops and jail / bail, possibly make it home with everybody still intact and no new diseases, just to have a good time and create some foggy memories. who knows ...it might still be fun!
I'd actually get out and pay money for that, probably ruin my clothes and get in fight, risk getting shot or stabbed, have a flat or car wreck along the way, get a ticket or pay the impound fee, deal with cops and jail / bail, possibly make it home with everybody still intact and no new diseases, just to have a good time and create some foggy memories. who knows ...it might still be fun!
When I fronted and was BL for an all-originals band, years ago - years when nobody had YouTube, nobody had Facebook, nobody could share anything online because there was no internet - a nominal cover was accepted by all.
The way to check out bands, a great way to get together with friends to drink and dance, and the way to get on the scene: These meant going to nightclubs where bands would perform.
"A buck a band" was easy.
"Two bucks per band" yielded zero turn-aways at the door.
Times have changed. Yet, if the cover seems "nominal," people will pay, like showing their ID at the door.
The way to check out bands, a great way to get together with friends to drink and dance, and the way to get on the scene: These meant going to nightclubs where bands would perform.
"A buck a band" was easy.
"Two bucks per band" yielded zero turn-aways at the door.
Times have changed. Yet, if the cover seems "nominal," people will pay, like showing their ID at the door.
Here's a thought: Don't call it a 'cover charge'.
EXAMPLE: You and, say, 5 of your peeps go to T.G.I.F. to put on the feedbag. You KNOW that they're gonna nail you to the cross for a minimum 'gratuity' for the under paid wait-staff because of the size of your group.
So be CREATIVE - call it a surcharge, or an admission fee, or a venue gratuity... Most local governments charge an entertainment tax on establishments that provide entertainment.
In fact, in Lombard Illinois the local G imposed an entertainment tax on the new shooting range. It gets passed along to the public that frequent the place. It is what it is.
Sell tickets for the UPCOMING 'venue' in advance at a discount (regular cover charge price) and a jacked up charge at the door (who doesn't do that) - for instance a door charge + two drink minimum paid in advance for 'house drinks only'.
Pretend you're running a church - pass the plate for the band.
Back in the day, IIRC, Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Chicago would hit you up for a two drink minimum AND a door cover charge of $2.00. Yup, the drink prices were jacked! If you drank water or a soda pop it still cost you $2.50 for each one.
