Taboo or Not - Giving Your Free Beverage to Someone Else!

[MDBass]

Do you, or would you, give the free/comped beverages/food provided for band members (by the venue) to someone else? That is the question in a nutshell.

As a general rule, I do not give other people my band member "tickets/food/beverages" provided free by the venue (except my spouse). The venue is trying to get paying customers in the door, so I tend to avoid it. Obviously, some venues don't/wouldn't care, especially if they have a "cap/max or ticket" system in place to keep free band items limited.

Anyone had a bad/weird experience with this? Just curious.

Be well

The venue is giving you drink tickets in lieu of cash for drinks: they are literally the same as cash at the venue.

There is nothing weird about giving that cash to anyone else at the venue to buy a drink with.

No idea how anyone would even attempt to give free food to someone not in the band, since the band invariably orders from the owner/manager/bartender directly.

Ordering a hamburger you have no intention of eating just to give it to a stranger would indeed be pretty weird.

 

[G On Bass]

Beverages, yes (No alcohol at gigs for me). Food, he!! no. It's free food.

 

[Wasnex]

I would feel a bit weirder giving away comped beverages from an audience member. But the reality is I can't drink, so it either goes to someone else, or it goes in the trash.

 

[WillyW]

I don’t drink when I’m working, but I’m making plans for after….

 

[beaglesandbass]

I never have, and probably wouldn’t.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Different answers for different venues. Mostly it’s fine, but don’t draw attention to doing it.

 

[BlueTalon]

The way I see it, I'm there to help the business do business. I'm not helping them if I'm giving away product they could otherwise sell.

Related -- I make a point of always accepting when someone offers to buy me a drink. I don't always drink it, but the bar always makes a sale.

 

[definenredefine]

Clearly, you are driving the wrong car.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[5StringBlues]

What kind of cheesecake?

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Sorry. I have to put the turd in the punch bowl.

I don't drink alcohol (except two dates a year and I don't leave the house on those dates) and I have never done this.

If I want to buy a drink for a friend (on one of those rare occasions), I reach into my pocket; for two reasons ...

1) I believe band comps are a cheap(er) way for the venue to "give a little something extra to the band", kind of like - back in my salad days - I used to leave a penny on top of whatever tip I gave to a server. It was not an insult. It was a way of saying: "Your service was excellent and you deserve more. I just don't have it to give."

2) It's a much more personal thing to use your own cash to get the "gift" for them. Would you (the general "you") hand an unwanted birthday/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa present to someone else ("re-gifting")?

 

[Lesfunk]

I don’t drink. Well , maybe twice a year, but never on a gig.
I play at one venue that gives each member of the band two drink vouchers.
I give them to my wife (if she’s there) and she uses them. She tips the bartenders and servers generously
Everyone is happy.

 

[definenredefine]

If I'm not drinking the "band" beer afforded to me (which is pretty often), then I'll gift it to a friend or folks who are helping us with merch or whatever. I've also given a "band" beer to a guy who didn't have money for one. I don't see any problem with that whatsoever.

 

[CoffeeLove]

What kind of cheesecake?

Your choice. Blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry sauce topping maybe?

 

[juancaminos]

I do not give band comp stuff away that is rude IMHO.

On a related subject, at least to me...We have band members who insist on bringing spouses to every gig. Last weekend we played a private B Day party. The drummer called to get the number of the host to ask about his wife. The lead guitar player brings his wife everywhere regarless. Then they all pile on the food and drink like it's their last supper. I think it's disgusting. Gigs are not date nights or girls night out. It's a business for crying out loud.

On Friday we will be playing a repeat gig at a dance hall with limited seating. These same spouses will get there early to get seats/tables which will render the dance hall regulars (who pay a fee to get in) with out seats. Usually a few people get together and order pizza. Of course these spouses will get theirs. I just cringe and play...

 

[5StringBlues]

I do not give band comp stuff away that is rude IMHO.

On a related subject, at least to me...We have band member who insist on bringing spouses to every gig. Last week end we played a private B Day party. The drummer called to get the number of the host to ask about his wife. The lead guitar player brings his everywhere. The all pile on the food and drink like it their last supper. I think it's disgusting. The gigs are not date nights or girls night out. It's a business for crying out loud.

On Friday we will be playing a repeat gig at a dance hall with limited seating. These same spouses will get there early to get seats/tables which will render the dance hall regulars (who pay a fee to get in) with out seats. Usually a few people get together and order pizza. Of course these spouses will get theirs. I just cringe and play...

Oh man, that's terrible. Taking the seats from the regulars is bad enough, but no way in hell do you bring guests to a private party gig. Maybe if the party hosts are all personal friends of the band, but otherwise? No.

 

[juancaminos]

Oh man, that's terrible. Taking the seats from the regulars is bad enough, but no way in hell do you bring guests to a private party gig. Maybe if the party hosts are all personal friends of the band, but otherwise? No.

I've been with these guys for 1 1/2 years and they always do that. When I lived in the city and was the BL, there is no way this would be allowed.

 

[QweziRider]

I do not give band comp stuff away that is rude IMHO.

On a related subject, at least to me...We have band members who insist on bringing spouses to every gig. Last weekend we played a private B Day party. The drummer called to get the number of the host to ask about his wife. The lead guitar player brings his wife everywhere regarless. Then they all pile on the food and drink like it's their last supper. I think it's disgusting. Gigs are not date nights or girls night out. It's a business for crying out loud.

On Friday we will be playing a repeat gig at a dance hall with limited seating. These same spouses will get there early to get seats/tables which will render the dance hall regulars (who pay a fee to get in) with out seats. Usually a few people get together and order pizza. Of course these spouses will get theirs. I just cringe and play...

I can't even. I just can't. In 32 years of being together, my wife has been to fewer than 5 shows of mine. I don't go stare at her on her job and eat all the employer's food, she doesn't either with my job. It's just respect.

The worst I ever experienced along these lines was a private gig where patrons paid a lot for seats and food. The band has a table set aside for us to eat before the show. Hangers-on of this band all made the trip, got their food, by gosh, and took up the whole table. The guitarist and I (I have no clue where the drummer went) got some fine seating on road cases back stage with food in our laps on paper plates. He got the fork, I got the knife. Rarely have I been so livid over the rudeness.

 

[JonathanPDX]

No, you absolutely do not give away comped services. Why? Because you are effectively reducing the venue's income by making that many people not pay for drinks/food. Food is the worst, because it costs the server time and resources to manage for someone who isn't even paying.

If your spouse wants to hang out in the bar all night they should be paying just like everyone else. They take up a table that a paying patron could sit at. They take the staff's time to serve. Just because you are on stage doesn't render your spouse a zero-net guest.

Same with drink tickets. If your buddy comes to hang out and you give him your tickets, that's not just the value of the tickets they comped you, that's that many drinks less this guy will pay for, despite taking up space and resources.

Professionals don't do this stuff. Period.

 

[el murdoque]

If I get a coupon for a drink, I regard it as part of my pay and do with it as I see fit.

In my neck of the woods, bands often get free drinks all night. I'd never pass these out to customers.

When there is something like a band fridge with beverages in the backstage area, I'd also keep those to the band members.

 

[MtManiac]

Do you, or would you, give the free/comped beverages/food provided for band members (by the venue) to someone else? That is the question in a nutshell.

As a general rule, I do not give other people my band member "tickets/food/beverages" provided free by the venue (except my spouse). The venue is trying to get paying customers in the door, so I tend to avoid it. Obviously, some venues don't/wouldn't care, especially if they have a "cap/max or ticket" system in place to keep free band items limited.

Anyone had a bad/weird experience with this? Just curious.

Be well

It depends. Am I “buying” someone a drink, perhaps a promoter, a merch company rep, someone from a band I want our band to attach to?

I don’t think it matters to the venue, tbh.