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

[zubrycky]

I like to drink but it's not really something I want to do regularly.
One of my bandmates died because of alcoholism and some friends of mine had many problems with alcohol.

So, most of the time, I don't touch any alcoholic beverage.

Besides that, I have a very low tolerance to alcohol and even a small dosis affect me greatly, making me pretty much unable to play. So, no drinks to me when I'm playing.

(The low tolerance thing has its benefits too because I can get drunk fast and easily without spending a lot of money)

I usually gave them to another bandmate, to another friend, to some lady (if I'm chatting with one) or request to the bartender some non alcoholic beverage for myself.

 

[Medicine Man]

Handing out comp drinks? Bad form at best.

 

[Corigan]

I was backstage at a suicidal tendencies show in the late 90s. Mike Muir walked up to me and asked if I drank. Knowing they were straight edge I was wondering where this was coming from and expected a confrontation with one of my favorite frontmen. I responded, "Yes, from time to time. However, if you don't want me drinking back here I will refrain." Mike looks at m thanks me,, and says 'Its not like that. They gave us all this beer on the rider and we don't drink. Please feel free to grab some free beers."

Mike Muir, always cool..

 

[BarfanyShart]

I was in a band for a long time where basically nobody drank (except, of course, whatever drummer we were about to fire), so our drink tickets mainly got used to upgrade our meals or to get a round of shots for mailing list people that showed up. One time we played this venue attached to a brewery that gave us a ridiculous number of tickets (I guess the booze doesn't cost them much) and we had a fan handing a ticket out to anyone who signed our mailing list, and we (perhaps unwisely) announced that from the stage. Apparently the venue wasn't happy about that, but did they REALLY want a five-piece band chugging 60+ pints of high-proof craft beer?

 

[Savage_Dreams]

if they give you a couple drink tickets, or something similar that has a limit, sure. its no different than if they pay you and you give the money to someone else. if its an open bar thing to the band, then most likely no. thats starting to take advantage if youre sharing all kinds of drinks with other people.

 

[Geogio]

I thought about it. And I came to grips with my own feeling of waste by realizing that it all was going into the toilet eventually anyway.

Momma used a rainhat to put allyoucaneat prawns in her purse... baggies were invented later. She was a piney through and through.

Ever thought about a nice consolidation container?

 

[bolophonic]

I don’t drink, so having any portion of my compensation paid out in beer is kind of annoying.

 

[IanStephenson]

The only time I'd say its NOT OK is if its an unlimited/open tab and you're encouraged to take as much as you want. In that case giving out free beers/food to your friends all night is abusing it. However taking more than one or two drinks on an "unlimited" tab is also not very professional.

I may have been known to overdo it on a "help yourself to the buffet", but I'll make sure that the paying guests have had plenty before going anywhere near it, and happly hoover up whatever left.

If they tell me there's a free drink for me, then I'll probably drink it at the end of the night, but its baked into what they're expecting to spend, and if I give it away I don't see any problem.

 

[Fynn]

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

I'm wondering why I would want to give someone else my food or beverages. But if that situation were to arise I would surely give them a drink, or maybe a little to eat. Hell, at most venues they even offer other people extra stuff. Our drummers ex girlfriend was even offered a full meal at some point. They knew she didn't do anything, but they didn't want her to be hungry.
So, if someone seems really hungry and I like that someone, for whatever reason, I would surely give them something from my free stuff. I would probably not order an extra meal or something like that, but if we have beverages there (which we usually get in bulk), I would give them something.

 

[bucephylus]

No “one-size-fits-all” for this Q. None of the Poll answers fit all of the situations.

IME, nightclubs and social clubs are each and every one of them small businesses, running along lines determined by their individual managements. Each of those management people have their own distinct personalities. In the “service” or “animal”clubs, management rotates; and the character of the the people hiring the entertainment shifts as those people change.

The main element to keeping a band busy is keeping the band booked. Gigs keep bands together, and generally nothing else. So, understanding or at least dealing with these factors is pretty important to being able to practice the craft.

Being gracious with club management is a good idea. A good starting point is to communicate. ASK the club manager or bar tender about any questions along the lines of the OP. One big part of being gracious is being kind; and that means not surprising people.

Making pronouncements on TB doesn’t get it done. Be kind. Communicate.

 

[fhm555]

1) Had a singer sit in a bar on Friday night after we finished for the night and take advantage of an open bar for the band, snagging drinks for a couple women he was trying to pick up until the bar closed at 05. He ran up quite a tally. The next night we got drink tickets. The singer was at a loss as to why.
2) Went in to play Saturday and the club owner said our singer (different from example one) had severly abused the band’s open bar privilege the night before, drinking over $150 worth of beer. When I broke the news to our singer he said that was BS, that he only had a few beers and he didn’t have any liquor because beer didn’t get him drunk. I reminded him that about halfway through Chitlins Con Carne the night before, he grabbed a cowbell and started beating the poopie out of it while singing Black Magic Woman.
3) On one of the rare nights wifey came out with me, i got her a beer. The band got free drinks and she wanted one. Some time later the bar manager pulled me aside and said I owed the bar for the beer wifey drank. This was not the same place where example one occured.

Since I don’t drink I always find out which bar service minion will be taking care of the band and tell them if someone buys a round for the band, bring me juice or diet coke and charge the patron for a mixed drink. That let’s the buyer see me drinkiing and puts a little extra in our server’s kitty. I realize i’m participating in a deception, but i’ll chance getting caught because after pissing off a guy by politely refusing a drink offer, I figured the illusion of compliance was preferable to dissapointing someone trying to pay me a complement, and I never got any agita from the bar staff when I asked them to participate in my scheme.

 

[gln1955]

Four pages in and no reference to Bob's Country Bunker. I'm disappointed.

 

[JRA]

Different answers for different venues.

No “one-size-fits-all” for this Q. None of the Poll answers fit all of the situations.

i agree with rich and bucephylus. the answer(s) to the question isn't a binary.

my policy is to behave in a way that guarantees the owner/operator has a good experience with the band, wants us back, becomes a sucker for our requests for raises, and generally becomes more generous to the band...even if it's just more smiles and nods and thumbs-up of appreciation!

some 'bosses' are way generous, some are tightwads, most are rationally in-between, but all of them are folks that we're selling to, consistently/constantly, so they're worthy of some respect, right? following the venue's rules really isn't that difficult.

 

[micguy]

I play church gigs. The drinks, while very small, are free for everyone.

 

[mdogs]

Four pages in and no reference to Bob's Country Bunker. I'm disappointed.

Good point. Free drinks for my main band never ever last long enough to be given to anyone other than other band members. Usually, we have to write out a check on the glove box door to cover the damage.

 

[ole Jason]

When food is comped I always get it to go and take it home to my SO. It's a bad look to pass comped food while at the venue, IMO. With drinks it really just depends on the venue, if nothing else you should tip on comped drinks if you're passing them to someone else. Don't stiff bartenders.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Can't remember the last time I was given such a voucher. If asked we request only soda as part of our price to play. I usually have one beer at setup time that I pay for.

But if the vouchers were intended for us in the band, my opinion is to use them only for band members. As has been said by others, the important thing is to be sure that venue owners are happy with the whole experience of hiring us. Be on time, do our job to the best of our ability, don't take advantage of any food or drink offers, and get out quickly.

 

[AceOfBassFace]

I wouldn't think twice about it. If losing a few bucks on one or two drinks is an issue for the bar, they have bigger problems.

 

[yodedude2]

is it "free"? or is it part of the payment? of course it's not "free". they wouldn't give me the comp if i just walked in, so, since i am working, it is part of my payment.

i will do as i wish with my pay. if i give it away, so be it. if the venue don't like it, raise my pay and take the comps away.

remember to tip your co-workers ...

 

[Artman]

26575424[/URL], member: 27113"]Always. I don't drink and it's part of my pay and very inexpensive for the venue. If I have drink coupons etc...I'll use it to buy the sound man a drink or a friend etc. Meals? Hard to say, I usually skip those but it would be mine to share if I chose.

This. Another non drinker and healthy eater here. If the venue doesn’t like it, they can pay me the $6 they usually charge for each drink/beer ticket and the $12-16 they typically charge for a greasy burger and greasy fries instead.