General Music Chat

Around here (and I'm sure its everywhere else, too) the number of clubs/bars has dropped 90% since the early 80s. Drunk driving laws, and smoking bans killed their business. You can tie that directly to the fact that bands are getting paid the same these days as back then.
Places that have bands (or solo performers) these days are mostly 'pub' or restaurant places - they need to supplement income from alcohol sales with food sales, too. Even if it is really just a 'bar', they'll offer appetizers or pizza.

Yeah, the new band is stuck in a hard place, if the bar expects them to draw a crowd - then gives them a try-out on a weeknight. Even on a weekend night, the new band is not going to have a lot of 'followers' - just friends and family.
So the low turnout of paying customers "justifies" the bar paying crappy money the next time the band plays, and so it goes ...

Venues that get most/all of their income from ticket sales/cover charges are fewer and fewer, and most need to have established themselves over the long run in order to get a steady audience no matter who is playing. I wouldn't want to be owning/running one of those places these days, it's a constant struggle to keep in the black.

"You would think that those venues would have enough business sense to realize that even though they make their money from ticket sales for touring acts, developing new acts is also something the industry needs. "

So let me get this straight, george. Are you implying that venues should teeter on bankruptcy to establish and promote a group of total strangers who formed a band and then walked through their door groveling for a gig in order to promote the greediest musician hating slave driving industry around referred to as the "Music Industry?


I don't think so. I think most business owners have the business sense concentrate on a better bottom line, as opposed to spending more. But if the government established those venues you might be correct in your assumption.

You would think that those venues would have enough business sense to realize that even though they make their money from ticket sales for touring acts, developing new acts is also something the industry needs.

Many of them do that around here. But it takes years and years for those new acts to develop an audience (if they ever do). I've also been at larger venues where this local opening act is pretty much ignored by the audience, half of which are at the bar drinking, rather than in their seats to listen. Many of the bands that tour and play these smaller venues choose their opening acts from these openers, too.

So let me get this straight, george. Are you implying that venues should teeter on bankruptcy to establish and promote a group of total strangers who formed a band and then walked through their door groveling for a gig in order to promote the greediest musician hating slave driving industry around referred to as the "Music Industry?

Are you saying that if you have a major headliner booked who has sold out 5,000 tickets to a 5,000 seat venue at $30 a seat, and the headliner's "show" of the headliner's opening act start's at 9:00 PM, and the headliner comes on at 10:15, you'll go bankrupt putting a local act on the stage at 8:00 PM to warm up the crowd? How would that happen? You've sold $150,000 worth of tickets for the portion of the evening from 9:00 to 11:30 PM. Will opening the doors an hour early so that ticket holders can have an extra hour to buy overpriced concessions and snacks somehow take away any of the $150,000?

Oh, I'm sorry george. I thought this thread was about playing for food which wouldn't include stadiums and larger venues. Unless you may have thought some of those venues paid the performers in drinks and food. ( in keeping with this thread.)

better think twice if considering passing on playing for food..LOL
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/produc ... v0QAvD_BwE

better think twice if considering passing on playing for food..LOL
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/produc ... v0QAvD_BwE

What are you going to do with 36 lbs of steak? Try to hawk it outside after the gig to make gas money?

a smart person would re-sell it for profit

a smart person would re-sell it for profit

yeah, so play a restaurant on Saturday night and Sunday morning set up an easy-up at the farmer's market, selling $30/lb Kobe steaks?

i'd gladly play guitar for you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

You boys are all so high toned. The cops busted a New Year's gig I was playing in Auburndale FL and we had just a bit of warning. I grabbed one of my boys and told him, "Grab the buffet! Wrap it in that table cloth, we'll sort it out later!"

The rest of us loaded up the gear. I call that playing for food.

Talbot

You boys are all so high toned. The cops busted a New Year's gig I was playing in Auburndale FL and we had just a bit of warning. I grabbed one of my boys and told him, "Grab the buffet! Wrap it in that table cloth, we'll sort it out later!"

The rest of us loaded up the gear. I call that playing for food.

Talbot

In that case I'd be grabbing everything but the light fixtures!