General Music Chat

Yeah, I hafta admit that you'e right, there, Kramer, but again - we as musicians have no control over the attitudes of others.

We can still make a positive difference, but only if we're willing to put in the effort to do so.

I can't depend on others to make the changes necessary. If that bar won't advertise my act, then I'll hafta handle some of that, too. I think our duties are expanding as others drop their side of things, but there are ways to get around it all, if we're creative enough, like JW, to solve these & other problems that we collectively face.

It's just like every other business out there. Even if you're working for someone else, the more you do, with less concentration on the negative aspects of what we face, the better you look to one & all, & the less likely you are to lose your job to others who ARE willing to put in that extra effort with that positive attitude. And, hopefully, when things start to improve, we'll be the ones at the top of the hill.

We've got to keep in mind that our services are needed & valuable to ppl, in spite of the difficulties involved in presenting them.

A friend owned a bar I used to play at. He refused to even paint the place, let alone update it or make it somewhere people wanted to visit. He also refused to do any advertising and depended on the bands to bring all the clientelle. The place is out of business now. You can't just take and not put something back in.

The bar business is having trouble in my area. I get out as often as possible just to scope places to play and places that two years ago were booming are way down. Sadly the ones that seem to thrive pay the lowest amounts for bands.

Jimmys numbers are pretty true around my area.

Aw, sh*t, JW! I was counting on you to back me up a bit. LOL

I guess it's tougher than I thought, eh?

Well, I ain't giving up yet.

Sadly the ones that seem to thrive pay the lowest amounts for bands.

Yep, the bars accept the least risk, yet gain the greatest rewards.

In contrast- the bands accept the greatest risk and gain the least rewards.

Welcome to the 21st century

oh, and for the record, I ain't giving up either. I'm personally committed to changing the scene in my area.

There is no try.

Kramer in my area it seems there are corporate bars, that is one company owns 6-7 that all feature live bands. We wanted to play one of them because we actually ahve a crowd base livng all around it. They put you on a 6 month probation to see how you do and start bands at 300 bucks. I know bands that at one point were getting $600 out of this place, so I thought if we go in once or twice we will work up. We had to take a Thursday night to start and had a pretty decent crowd, nothing like what we were used to but the waitress's were smiling cause they said ussually half the wait staff left at 11 on thursdays, where as when we there they stayed around til closing. So then he says I cant pay you more cause you are on probations so I book a sat night gig 5 months out for the same 300. We pack the place in fact they had to turn people away at the door cause there was nowhere for them to go. Our singer and I ussually roam the room we couldnt we had to stay on this tiny corner stage. So after the gig I say what about some more money, hes like we will have to run it thru corporate. Oh and by the way I need you to fill out a 1099 form. We ussually get $600 a night plus tab and here we are paying full price for drinks and ive got to keep up with this for my taxes. They have 6 in Memphis and one in Jackson and bands are just dieing to play there, but no us anymore. Its just not worth it to me.

oh, and for the record, I ain't giving up either. I'm personally committed to changing the scene in my area.

There is no try.

That' right there is the answer, no matter what the question.

Damn streight Keith !!!

We don't get paid to play. We get paid to haul all our stuff , set it up ,tear it down ,and replace what gets tore up . I still don't think I've ever made a dime playing bars. If so it probably would average ou to a dime an hour invested. But I'm a man who likes to blow my money my way !


In Paradise !!!

Playing "on probation?" Do they have a parole officer in the club that night? Are you on good behavior? Six months probation? What if you start drawing a nice crowd immediately? Would they shorten the "probation?" If some idiot bar owner told me I was on probation I'd tell them I was never convicted of anything...

Yeah, "probation" is corporatese for "we'll rip you off for 6 months, & if you stick around & make us lotsa money, we'll give you a little more."

I only give 'em one gimme as an "audition" kinda gig, & often not even that, as a rule. I figger if they can't see my entertainment skills & the effort I put in in one gig, they're blind & deaf & don't need my work.

If the bar isn't someplace that ppl like to go, there won't be any business no matter who you get to play there, locally. Bars need to learn that again. This new model sucks for everyone, even bar staff.

If they can't come up with 400$ for a really well-organized bunch of folks who do what they do well, it's not worth it.

I listened to a bar owner tell another guy that it's all about "whether I liked 'em or no", nothing about how many heads were there etc.

Contract anyone? Sign here or forget it.

Otherwise, I commit the sacrilege of playing for free in a little bar in the middle of nowhere that I have been playing in since the dawn of time.

Suits me fine, I love it and it really doesn't matter as it's not the way I pay the bills.

"F*ck the world, I wanna get off" lol Besides if it spins any harder, I may puke.