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So the bar "overpaid" us...

#41
Any time the amount paid is not what was agreed on we discuss it with the owner right away, that night, before leaving.

To this day it's always been a tip for doing a good job. Doesn't happen all the time but nice when it does. No reason to take it and run without settling it. It's hard enough to get gigs without taking someone's $$ after a mistake was made.
 
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#42
+1 to working it out with the bar.
+1 on the guy should have communicated with the rest of the band what he was doing
+1 on the money itself not being nearly as important as your reputation

OP's dialog indicates that perhaps the bartender is skimming form the bar and getting a kickback:
"why is your drawer short?"
"I tipped the band $100 - they were great last night!"

Tuesday he's $50 richer when the kickback is delivered

The bar owner needs to be aware of these transactions. Maybe it was legit, maybe not. If it was you need to have a talk with your money guy. His actions, as described here, were not cool. If it wasn't, you guys buy a boatload of integrity points from the venue and you don't let the money guy handle your money anymore.
 
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#44
Too much missing from the OP to be sure, but me thinks the BL was closer to right than the OP. I have had both situations in my work life regarding overpayments. Sometimes it is a mistake and the payer is appreciative of the honesty. Sometimes it is a tip and the acknowledgement is appreciated by them also. In either case taking the situation to the table with the payer is ALWAYS a win for ALL involved.

Trying to figure out why the OP is so pissed over $10. The $50 tip placed by the BL may go a LONG way depending on the relationship with the venue. I once heard this quoteable - 'You can buy ALOT of cooperation with a box of donuts'. Maybe that applies here?
 
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#46
Any tip would have been given with some kind of explanation, "Here, the bar had a great night." or, "You guys always bring a great crowd." Call me tool, call me boy scout, call me *** you want to but i would have checked to make sure it wasn't a mistake as well. If the singer is foolish, it's because when someone other than the regular payer handed him $100 seperately from the rest, he didn't say "what's this for?"

Mugre
 
#47
Bass Man Dan said:
For the record, I fully believe it was a tip. He said someone gave it to him separately. And as anyone would figure, the person you dealt with Saturday night is likely not the same as the one you find on a Tuesday evening. He split our tip with the bar.
Click to expand...

So....as someone else said, I'd check with the owner (or whomever it is that paid you). Since the "Tuesday" person was not the same, they may have pocketed it just as easily...
 
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#50
I’m not saying it’s right, but maybe consider the singer didn’t tell you guys because he knew you wouldn’t even entertain the idea of bringing it back?


Allow me to speculate wildly...

Obviously we don’t know you, your band members, or the people at the bar, but that’s one scenario I’d be worried about. A lot of people here are saying that honesty and reputation are worth more than the money. If the singer honestly didn’t even think to tell you guys first, that’s one thing. But if he thought about it, and decided it would be too hard to convince you guys that that’s right thing to do, then that says a good deal about how he views you, as well as your relationship as a band.
 
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#53
To me it's about the long-term relationship with the bar. If I was given too much money compared to the contract rate, I'd mention it immediately to the payer to see if it was intentional. If they notice later they paid too much, and call you on it, it looks bad for the person who accepted the surplus and didn't mention it. You look like an untrustworthy opportunist that can hurt your relationship and reputation.

At the same time, if they short-pay me I'm the first one to stand up for what was agreed.

Agreements are everything when it comes to repeat bookings and mutual trust.

I don't think the band gets a say in what happens to the extra money if it was just a mistake. If it was intentional the owner overpayed, then how much I split, and what I tell the band depends if I got paid for that gig (band leaders sometimes work for free or a loss if there are good reasons for it). If I got a fair share, then I'd split it evenly among us. If I didn't get paid at all, and the overage puts me even with the other musicians I'd keep the whole overage.
 
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#57
Bass Man Dan said:
My "pissed"ness stems from him taking it back to the bar like an 8 year old cub scout and splitting our tip with them.
Click to expand...

If more people were like your band mate it'd be a better world.

I would have said something on the night as soon as I realised you'd been paid too much. It would have been as simple as "$100.... that's a nice tip, thank you". If they then said "oops, that's meant to be split with the bar staff" then you split it and all is good in the world.

You're acting like your bandmate gave away $100 per band member. Looking at it from your side the band is out $50 which is $10-15 each depending on how many in your band. If you play there again you might find the bar staff really like you for (your bandmember) being honest and you'll find a few free drinks and a feed on-the-house.

Finally, being a venue manager myself for over 20 years, it's the recommendation of the staff that gets a lot of bands rebooked. If they like you there's a good chance you'll get more gigs.
 

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