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#200684 by jw123
Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:58 pm
I ran across this letter on a friends page on FB, thought I would share it here.


The letter I have copied below was posted on Tampa Craigslist by a bar owner, but it was flagged for removal before I could provide a link or credit the author. But I managed to copy the content. So here it is, and I agree with a lot (although not all) of what he has to say. If more musicians clued into this perspective, the club scene would be much better:

A bar, that is, an establishment that earns its revenue primarily from selling alcoholic beverages, measures its success by the ounce and the accounting is done everyday because we mostly live on the edge. So we spend our time trying to figure out how to sell more ounces. It’s not just how many people are in the house or how great the atmosphere is (that’s certainly important), but how many drinks, preferably premium, we sell in a day. That’s it.

Live music is important to most of us (if we have that kind of venue). But it is a significant expense and is only worthwhile if it produces more than it consumes, just like advertising and anything else we spend money on in order to sell more ounces. But so many of the bands that come through here have no clue what their job is. Your job is to sell booze. You’re not here for any other reason.

There are some truly awful bands that actually chase customers away. But there are also some bands I would call mediocre who do a fantastic job of selling my product. There are also some really good bands who rock the house but not the cash drawer. While I appreciate good music and would never have an interest listening to that mediocre band’s lame CD, they’re coming back next week. Here’s why:

1. They play simple music people recognize. People don’t dance to brilliant guitar solos or heady changes, they dance to the hook lyrics of a simple chorus. (If you’ve ever wondered why pop is popular, that’s why). When the ladies want to dance, the guys show up and everybody drinks. Simple truth.

2. They don’t ask me for drinks, they ask my customers. This is a subtle art and if it’s done well, the band can more than pay for itself. Here’s a few obvious techniques: If someone offers to buy the band a round, you order shots of top-shelf. Even if you don’t drink it, ask for it anyway. If someone asks for a request, try to make a deal with them. If you buy (your date, your table, the band) a round, we’ll play your song. Some bands beg for tips, and that’s fine, but it’s not what I’m paying you for. (Try to play request anyway. At least you wont chase them off.) We had one front man hold up a mixed drink and make a wonderfully cheesy but impassioned pitch that you simply had to try this because it was, as he put it, “a glass of pure happiness”. It resulted in over a hundred bucks in the drawer in just a few minutes. Those guys are busy.

3. They may not be the best band in town but they look and act professional. I cringe when I see a supposedly professional band wearing frayed khaki shorts, flip flops, mildly offensive t-shirts and greasy baseball caps (the standard bro uniform). I don’t care if you’re bald, a baseball cap is unacceptable. Live music is a visual form of entertainment. If you dress well, even if it’s hipster, funky, weird or flamboyant, as long as you look like you care about your appearance, and show a little self respect, you’ll go over better with my customers. The good bands also respect their gig and the customers. They show up on time, they don’t make a racket while they setup (hint: keep your drummer quiet especially when the jukebox is on.), they choose their set list carefully, they pace their sets well and stay engaged with the audience (don’t stop playing if the dance floor is full), they don’t get hammered and and they don’t leave a mess. All this adds up to what we call retention. Customers don’t leave. You would be surprised how many customers leave because of the band. And it’s usually not because the band is awful, but because it’s too loud, it’s the wrong repertoire, it’s rude and dismissive, it’s not engaged and basically no fun for anyone else but themselves. And here’s a little tip: Your continued employment is directly dependent on my bartender’s opinion of you. That’s probably true for every single bar you play.

One last thing. It’s hard to find work. You might be surprised at how much competition you have. I get emails, voicemails, regular mail, fed-ex packages left for me, all with earnestly concocted press kits and demos and I ignore almost all of it. I get walk-ins who, if I’m there, I’ll give a few minutes to. Again, you’d be surprised how many show up in their bro-clothes, tell me how awesome they are, and hand me a business card with a URL to their reverb nation page or YouTube channel. They probably go home and wonder why they don’t get a call, but I’m not going to visit your website or listen to your demo. You’ve got maybe 60 seconds to make your “elevator pitch” and just a few more minutes to make it stick. There is a sales technique I’m seeing that’s impressive, stands out and really works, but out of respect for the bands that figured it out, call it a trade secret.

Bottom line: A bar is a business. My bar is my business, my life, my success or failure. What I do in my business is entirely up to me because the risk is entirely mine. If I have a jam night, an open mic, solos, duos, bands, karaoke, or just a jukebox, that’s up to me and no one else. Whatever helps make the most revenue. I have great respect for working musicians and would rather not hire them at all than to short-change them.

The open mic and jams that seem to get so much criticism here are not about me getting free entertainment, they are about bringing in paying customers and keeping them here. People who play and sing, but not in a professional band, like to get out, get a little stage time, have some fun, bring their friends and I offer them the place to do it. And yes, these nights are pretty good for the bottom line. If having bands was better, I’d have bands every night. It’s just reality, man.

#200689 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:20 pm
Where do I start? wow

"Simple music people recognize"?
lol Oh a "cover" band? Oh I get it now..
(F u, you fat old miserly drunk of a bar owner)

"Get your crowd to buy you drinks"... check-check. (shrug)(he's so tight he squeaks when he walks.)
I feel the presence of the ghost of Christmas past, "Jacob is that you" LOL

I agree with the "have some sort of performance attire other than what you usually wear".

Elevator pitch ??? LOL Wow someone is "constipated".

I bet this guy is some old, fat, "Mr. Whipple" jerk who's wife beat's him within an inch of his life on a nightly basis.

I bet he's all about you having fun, just as long as he gets to charge you $ for every single second of it.

Sounds like Mike Ballard from the Full Throttle Saloon.

"Total middle finger action there, chuck".. lol

Play mustang sally/wonderful tonight/raw hide circa the blues bros..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdR6MN2jKYs

"duck that fump". lol

#200694 by RGMixProject
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:25 pm
One thing is for sure, he ain't talking about places like this...
Image

#200697 by jw123
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:29 pm
RG I resent that statement, Ive played in plenty of places just like the picture!

Sounds great with those brick walls, you dont have to add any reverb to the mix, thats for sure!

#200699 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:29 pm
I'd rather play there..

No one would even notice if you accidentally burped..or intentionally..

(The house PA is working) lol

#200701 by RGMixProject
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:36 pm
jw123 wrote:RG I resent that statement, Ive played in plenty of places just like the picture!

Sounds great with those brick walls, you dont have to add any reverb to the mix, thats for sure!


Dude, I played these bars and still do!

This was a reinforcement reality. Sigh....

#200702 by gbheil
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:37 pm
Very insightful.
And precisely why I don't play bars.
I'm not insinuating it's wrong for everyone.
Just sayin it's wrong for me.

#200704 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:41 pm
Gimme a small bar atmosphere where you can swear, drink and have a good time.

You can have all the ambiance in the world, but if ya got a$$holes, you got a$$holes.

(just take our wallets at the door and be done with it)

#200707 by jimmydanger
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:44 pm
Bands like to play what they like to play. Bar patrons like to hear what they like to hear. Fortunately these two circles do overlap however briefly. Finding the songs that you don't hate to play and that audiences like to listen and dance to is the trick. All that other stuff counts but this is the fundamental truth.

#200712 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:50 pm
Gee and they pay so little in some areas..wonder why that is?
(CHEAP-CHEAP=CHEAP)
Gee and who else is involved in a bar business, JW? lol

(It's you guys, right?)

"If you remove the fun factor from playing, it isn't fun anymore".
If you can't have any fun, why do it at all?
The $ isn't enough to make it all ok.

Situation-all the fun= staying home.

#200717 by jw123
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:59 pm
Capt I do chose to stay home these days way more than I did when I was younger, and it is about the money.

I thought seeing that a bar owner wrote that letter it should be shared, some folks dont get it, I know there are venues that cater to original music which is different, but all the time I see people on here saying Im gonna play what I want to play, dammitt, f**k em if they dont want it, but in the end, guys that write letters like this one are the guys you have to cater too.

Yeah my band plays a lot of stuff that I might not want to play other than I enjoy the guys I play with, and we kinda take the songs and do what we want with them, plus I have my solos to either follow the song or do whatever I want to with so it suits me.

Anyone that wants to wade into the cover area of playing in clubs should read this letter, and try to have a song list that will cover thier ass in case thier pet songs dont quite go over like they think they will. Ive had friends practice for monthes, and not have any gimme songs in thier list and then wonder why they cant draw a crowd, or get a gig from a club.

This sh*t aint rocket science, if you want to be liked, then you got to give folks something they like or you will either be doin it for free a lot, or not playing out at all.

#200718 by RGMixProject
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:00 pm
Chief Engineer Scott wrote:Gee and they pay so little in some areas..wonder why that is?
(CHEAP-CHEAP=CHEAP)
Gee and who else is involved in a bar business, JW? lol

(It's you guys, right?)

"If you remove the fun factor from playing, it isn't fun anymore".
If you can't have any fun, why do it at all?
The $ isn't enough to make it all ok.

Situation-all the fun= staying home.


What, no bow tie band for a bow tie club for you :lol:
Image

Ok ok.... I'll go back to my cave now :P

#200723 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:13 pm
Play what you want to play and match your venue to what you think your setlist is going to be.

If you need a bow tie to play somewhere, you need to make that call on a per individual basis.

I might wear something to entertain you, but it would NEVER be a tux or a bow tie.

( F U Nerds) lol

Let your music do the talking...
If you don't think that selling beer is priority #1, then maybe that pit of a bar isn't for you.

I know a couple of bars where they are very small.
The owner is always there.
I can rehearse, write, jam or whatever my heart desires.
I drink a couple of beers for free if I am in the mood.

In short, they treat you like an old friend they haven't seen in a while, even if you were there only yesterday.

Those are the places I like.

"To each, their own".

But I personally think that the main idea of anything I participated in would not be "max beer sales". (frown)

Go get a jukebox..or karaoke, we got other places to go where they want you to play and treat you like family.

This ain't no damn resort !!!

But I agree with you, JW. It sure is a different scenario and if you want to play in those types of places, you need Mustang Sally and the other stuff. (eccch)

(I feel faint) lol

#200727 by jw123
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:22 pm
For the record Aint Yo Mama hasnt ever played Mustang Sally, lol YET!


I actually like the song and doing the RIDE SALLY RIDE backups in my best Bon Scott Falsetto.

#200728 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:24 pm
Nah JW, I am not downing you..

I'd actually enjoy listening to your band.. It's the regular cover bands I don't like....at all.

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