General Music Chat

I've been to a few major cities and I noticed that surprisingly FEW have a really active club scene, you know, where a band can make a little change over the weekend.

So my question to all my brother and sister musicians is... What are the best cities for new bands. Where can we be heard?

Thanks for your response.
LENDALE

pretty bad when someone in Chicago is looking for a scene!

whats that tell ya?


www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
www.myspace.com/445175001
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/6039/

"putting your head in a hole means you left your ass is in the air"

LA, Seattle, Austin, Nashville, and Miami are all pretty happening right now.

Certainly there are others.

Well, the music scene around Fort Smith, AR is coming back even though the payscale isn't. Fayetteville too, although I don't know what they're paying. In Fort Smith, when I moved here in '84, clubs paid bands $500 and up per night. Now it's anywhere from $200 to $300. But there are a lot of clubs with live music now. There are just so many good musicians and bands in the area that the competition is tough and most clubs will hire whomever will play for those rates. Little Rock, AR is the same way. There are some casinos over in Oklahoma that pay a lot better, but it takes a certain kind of band to play those places, classic rock, top 40, and country showbands. Might give that a try once I get back into the live gigging.

Kramer has it right, Austin has always had one of the best music scene's in the country.

Kramer has it right, Austin has always had one of the best music scene's in the country.

100% agreed! Austin is where it's at right now.

I played in the L.A. area for years, and to be honest... you have better luck in rural West Virginia for getting new ears to hear your music. Many of the cities with a "big scene" also are oversaturated with bands/musicians looking for a gig. L.A. is the best example of that. Way too many artists trying for the same few minutes of stage time. And making a little change? hahahaha... not in L.A. You're lucky if you don't have to "pay-to-play" in Hollywood.

The only time I we were paid for playing was when we opened for Mastodon at the Knitting Factory.

Well, the music scene around Fort Smith, AR is coming back even though the payscale isn't. Fayetteville too, although I don't know what they're paying. In Fort Smith, when I moved here in '84, clubs paid bands $500 and up per night. Now it's anywhere from $200 to $300. But there are a lot of clubs with live music now. There are just so many good musicians and bands in the area that the competition is tough and most clubs will hire whomever will play for those rates. Little Rock, AR is the same way. There are some casinos over in Oklahoma that pay a lot better, but it takes a certain kind of band to play those places, classic rock, top 40, and country showbands. Might give that a try once I get back into the live gigging.

Something is wrong with this picture, which by the way seems to be happening all over the USA. In '84 bands got $500, today bands get $200-$300. Uh, what happened to inflation?

What happens is, bands started undercutting each other (a club owners dream) and most of the bands that would play cheap weren't that good. So the people that used to come from far and wide to Fort Smith because all the clubs had good professional (local) bands, started paying the same cover charge they were used to, but heard bands that had crappy PA's and lights and only knew 20 songs so did a lot of repeats, didn't put on a good stage show and so on. So people quit coming from far and wide. So the band scene dropped off and once that happens, it's hard to get it back. So then the clubs weren't getting a crowd and then the club owners could tell the good bands that since they weren't drawing the crowds, the club couldn't pay more. Now the business is picking up, but clubowners can get the better local bands without paying more because there's so much competition and bands will play for that cheap just to be playing. All and all it sucks because if the better bands held out for more money, they could get it.

That is what the better bands should do hold out for more money. If you sell your band to the club owners and managers as a cheap band that is exactly what they will give you. This is the problem IMO, is that most people get a band together and I mean even the good ones and then they want to play out and make money, well people, this takes as much patience and time as getting the right members, p.a., song list and all the other problems you have to overecome. We as musicians are doing it to ourself's really we are! don't play for little or no money in your area and of course not gigging can break up a band so us musicians are not known for being patient. You each and everyone of you must have a strong resolve and resist the urge to get out there and play just for the sake of playing (hell, you can play for free in your rehearsal room) and you don't have to lug all that gear around. And then there are the want to be's and the I don't care if I don't make much money I'm just doing this for fun anyway well, you guy's are making this scenario too. So have some consideration for the rest of us that either count on the income from gigging to either supplement our income or as our actual living.

There was a post on craigslist down here in Houston, a Heights area bar had a post that has infuriated the local musicians go to craigslist Houston Tx. then the musicians section and read it, the ad reads bands needed for live gigs. this is a non-paying gig but we encourage you to put a tip jar out. WTF. So someone r.e.'d the post scolding the club owner and he or she r.e.'d back I don't understand why bands get so upset when we ask you to play for free. what a dumbass, but this is the mentallity that has developed and we have allowed it to happen so don't sell your band short leaving money on the table set your minimum price at $500.00 and don't go any lower because when you do you are only hurting the rest of us and yourself's later on down the line

I agree J-Haley, but the real kicker around here is that there's always going to be those bands who negotiate down, and the bar owners still haven't seemed to have gotten the clue that crap money=crap bands=crap business. They somehow seem to think the $$ has nothing to do with it, and blame both the bands (all bands) and the patrons.

It's a horrible revolving door.

And then, like you said, when you mix in the better bands who negotiate down, it just makes everything else worse.

Memphis area has around 150 clubs within a 2 and a half hr drive that have live music on weekends. Most clubs pay $200 to $300. Good bands can still get $500 plus, but you have to put people in the house. In this area its all about the draw and making money for the clubs. There is also a casino circuit south of Memphis. If you are in it for the money thats the route to go.

Mid town Memphis has a very eclectic original music scene going on. Theres no money for originals but there are venues to be heard in.

I really think there is a scene anywhere you look around a major city. You just have to get out there and find it. Like I said we found close to 150 clubs that have live music, only about 30 will pay what we want to play.

I run a couple of business's outside of music.The reality where I sit is that there is no real money to be made playing music. Its just chump change, relocating from Chicago cause you think the grass is greener is no answer. Im sure theres plenty of places to play in Chicago. Youve just got to find the scene that you fit in.

ummmm....Long Island?

I changed my mind... the most happening city for rock n roll is whatever city Crip is playing on any given day

The best city to play live is wherever you are, as long as you're good. Seriously, I know of bands that play for free to bands that get $1000 a night. Check out www.fiftyampfuse.com; these guys are booked solid for the next year and pull in a minimum grand a night. But they are really, really good (they do "Bohemian Rhapsody" exactly like the record). Read the testimonials.

There's a lot of factors that lower what bands are paid these days. I remember in the mid seventies there were numerous clubs all over New Jersey. Just about any of them were PACKED with people. The drinking age was 18 I believe then. Most of the clubs I went to didn't ID anybody. I remember going to a bunch of clubs before I was 18 and getting in. Raising the drinking age and the much tougher DUI laws has lowered club attendance. The recent smoking bans have also lowered attendance, at least around K.C. As much as I dislike smoking I'd rather play to a nice crowd who smokes then see my favorite gig venue close up (which happened to us). There's LESS places to play and MORE bands trying to play in the fewer places. It's a basic econmic supply and demand. The bad thing is when the really good bands are willing to play for free or next to free. Somehow we need to reinvigorate the live music scene. This may come down to revising legislation among other things. I think the smoking bans are actually unconstitutional if you ask me. It should be entirely up to the venue owner whether smoking is allowed or not. Also it's ridiculous to maintain the drinking age when the law is rarely enforced. A large percentage of those attending clubs years ago were 18-21 years old. We need to figure out a way to get them back in the clubs. They also buy a good percentage of the CD's for sale. One of the reasons I don't attend jam sessions is the host band not getting paid or making peanuts. The bar owners can now pretty much dictate what they pay based on the economy. I've said this ad nauseum (that means until you puke in latin) that YOU HAVE TO STOP GIVING AWAY YOUR HARD WORK. If everybody said enough is enough the situation would change.