A Bar Owner's Craigslist Post

[Gainzilla]

Alot of that is common sense and alot of it is pure BS that leads me to think that this guy is a Jafoof that I probably wouldnt want to deal with. The way that I see it, its his job to sell liquor and mine to entertain the crowd and keep them coming back.

If he expects me to sell his booze , he should give me a cut above and beyond what hes paying in addition to giving me a percentage of the bartenders tip cup since I have to help them out with their job.

If I play a place and the dance floor is rocking and the place is packed for a good chunk of the night and we've engaged and entertained the crowd all throughout, Ive done my job. If for whatever reason he isnt happy with that or wants and expects more, thats his problem. Ill be damned if I ever take advantage of a fan offfering to buy drinks by making them order top shelf liquor even if I dont want it lol...

This guy is a scumbag IMO

 

[Woodsie]

Ill be damned if I ever take advantage of a fan offfering to buy drinks by making them order top shelf liquor even if I dont want it lol...

This is actually one part of the original article I didn't agree with. That is kind of a scumbag move.

 

[OldSkoolNJ]

I think the Bar owners post is just an honest expectation of probably what most bar owners expect..

Even though I am not into the part about the up sale of higher priced alcohol.

Business is Business on both sides of that coin and I think it was good advice for any one in a cover band wanting to actually be successful in making money doing it..
And to do that you basically have to disregard all of you're musical preferences and sell your soul to stuff that you wouldn't ever consider listening to or even playing.

 

[bigdaddyd]

Wearing blue jeans and a t shirt is not rock n roll.

Yeah, I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with that.

99% of the tools I see in clubs wearing "fancy shirts" while playing on stage look anything but rock n roll.

What makes you think fancy shirt is the opposite of blue jeans and t shirt for rock and roll? The wardrobe has to fit the act and be pro. If you are a glam band dress glam, if a metal band, dress metal. Don't phone it in. Steel Panther wouldn't work as well if they played the same and wore jeans and t shirts. It is part of the act. He is not saying, that Satchel should throw on a suit.

 

[bigdaddyd]

So lets get this straight as a musician it is your job to pack this guys establishment and sell the patrons as much alcohol (at 3-4 times the price they can buy it themselves at a liquor store) and keep them entertained,dancing and drinking all night.
I don't know, the "bar" business model seems flawed to me. People are supposed to get in their cars, drive to this place and sit in this "room" and drink alcohol that is marked up 300-400 percent or more. Your supposed to sit there and do what? Watch the game? Enjoy the awesome atmosphere while you drink said alcohol? Enjoy the patrons company?Then you need to get back in your car several hours later and navigate your way home without crashing,killing someone or getting a DUI. If you presented that business plan to anyone they would laugh you out of the room.
The only reason I'm going to a bar (it has to be smoke free) is to see a good band. While I'm there I may buy a few beers. I see this guys point but It's not the bands job to make his business successful.They are hired entertainment.Nothing more nothing less. IF I want to drink I have some friends over and hit the liquor store and have a party.

Yes. You might be going to the bar to see the band, but the owner didn't open the bar for you to see the band, he opened the bar to sell drinks. He just happens to have live music there. You have a backwards mentality regarding a bar. Some bars throw you out if you don't drink. Granted, that doesn't take into account live music, but it happens. There is a famous bar in NYC, McSorely's that will throw you the fuck out if you aren't drinking, or drinking fast enough. Well, at least that is how it used to be. I haven't been there in a long time, since it was always over crowded and not my kind of place. If you want to drink at home, stay home...but the only reason the bar owner hires a band is to draw people into his club to drink. That is the business model. If that doesn't work, they find another way to draw people into the bar to drink, dj, mp3 player, dart board, ladies night, drink specials, whatever...or they close the bar. Bars need people to drink in order to stay open.

I thought I would drop some other shocking news on you. Bar owners tend to hire hot chicks, some that even have big titties, in order to draw more guys into their bars...in hopes that they will sell more drinks...news at 11.

 

[guitarmike]

If playing "Mary had a little Lamb" backwards at 3/4th speed would sell booze all night, that is what you'd here in the bars. Most bar owners do not care about the band other than to make sure they make more money having a band than they would without a band. If what you are doing is popular and draws a crowd you should be fine in any bar. If you are in a band that draws 2 people and they are the sound and light guy, you need to change up what you are doing or go back to the basement.
When you play in a cover band most of the time you play for the love of performing, not the music you are playing. If you can handle that, you will be ok in today's cover band.

 

[bigdaddyd]

I think Kage had a point. To ask the band to actually shill drinks is one thing, but for me as long as the band is filling the bar, they are doing their job. If you are keeping the bar full and the customers happy, they will be drinking. Anything above and beyond that, you should be getting a cut, if you aren't already.

 

[Jammin'John]

Anybody that would just hands down agree with that bar owners rant must not have been playing in the clubs back in better days. Sure it's a business and a good band put's asses in the seats and makes the bar money..this cheap ass wants complete control and is very greedy.

I was there and those better days are long gone where I live.
I used to be in 4 and 5 piece bands that played every week. We didn't have to look for work.The bars were full.
Then they lowered the BAC to .08.
That killed a lot of business but not as much business as was lost when they banned smoking in the bar.
That's when the DJ/Karaoke Boyz took our gigs away.
A third of those clubs aren't around anymore.
Now I play mostly duo work.

JJ

 

[Zap]

Alot of that is common sense and alot of it is pure BS that leads me to think that this guy is a Jafoof that I probably wouldnt want to deal with. The way that I see it, its his job to sell liquor and mine to entertain the crowd and keep them coming back.

If he expects me to sell his booze , he should give me a cut above and beyond what hes paying in addition to giving me a percentage of the bartenders tip cup since I have to help them out with their job.

If I play a place and the dance floor is rocking and the place is packed for a good chunk of the night and we've engaged and entertained the crowd all throughout, Ive done my job. If for whatever reason he isnt happy with that or wants and expects more, thats his problem. Ill be damned if I ever take advantage of a fan offfering to buy drinks by making them order top shelf liquor even if I dont want it lol...

This guy is a scumbag IMO

I agree with a lot of what he has said, but you're totally right about the top shelf booze. Talk about engaging in general douchebaggery.

 

[DeezDemos]

I'd really like to know what this guy is willing to pay a band that meets his expectations?

 

[bigdaddyd]

I'd really like to know what this guy is willing to pay a band that meets his expectations?

A 12 pack of Bud. Maybe a case if you were really special.

 

[guitarmike]

I was there and those better days are long gone where I live.
I used to be in 4 and 5 piece bands that played every week. We didn't have to look for work.The bars were full.
Then they lowered the BAC to .08.
That killed a lot of business but not as much business as was lost when they banned smoking in the bar.
That's when the DJ/Karaoke Boyz took our gigs away.
A third of those clubs aren't around anymore.
Now I play mostly duo work.

JJ

I played in a club the first weekend smoking was banned, the place was dead. The people that were there spend all night in outdoor garden where they could smoke. You are right, this killed bar traffic for a long time.

 

[Flavatrocious]

Playing some 'great progressive jazz' will clear a room faster than a dog fart.[/quote

 

[MississippiMetal]

I'm fortunate enough to do mostly festivals and promoter-paid gigs these days. The bar scene is just dismal.

 

[Jammin'John]

Yea,there's another thread about backing tracks & some are completely against it.
We use a drum machine,he plays bass & runs it,I play guitar (tele) & we both sing.
They boyz against anything not human think you should just hire that drummer,organ,horns,whatever !
With WHAT ?
The clubs pay between 2 - 300 bucks and they don't care if there's 7 players,you still get 300.

JJ

 

[DeezDemos]

I'd really like to know what this guy is willing to pay a band that meets his expectations?

A 12 pack of Bud. Maybe a case if you were really special.

I disagree. If your band is as good as he expects, you should be able to negotiate something a little more "top shelf" than mini-mart domestic!

 

[cujo]

Well to the bar owner. We don't like to be treated like shit. We aren't there for free. We have professional ways we like to be dealth with. If you say your paying x amount then pay it. Don't change the tune at the end of the night. This goes both ways not just for the fucking bar owner. We also have to succeed n make profit n survive !!!!!!

There's a shit load of dead beat clubs put there that use "us the musicians" for free entertainment.

 

[Jammin'John]

"Open Mike Night" is a slap in the face to real players.
Free entertainment for mister bar owner.

JJ

 

[guitarmike]

Yea,there's another thread about backing tracks & some are completely against it.
We use a drum machine,he plays bass & runs it,I play guitar (tele) & we both sing.
They boyz against anything not human think you should just hire that drummer,organ,horns,whatever !
With WHAT ?
The clubs pay between 2 - 300 bucks and they don't care if there's 7 players,you still get 300.

JJ

I can get $40 - $75 per person net for a 5 piece band without much trouble. If you sell your band as entertainment you are competing against Karaoke, sports bars with 42 TV's, volleyball leagues, etc. If you offer decent entertainment you got a chance of making a few bucks. If you are selling you band as musicians playing great music, good luck. Just 10 years ago my pop cover band was pulling $1200-1500 per night. We were in rotation at the 6-7 bigger clubs that still focused their weekends on live music. Most of the clubs I played at are gone and $500-700 is the tops you'll get today. As much as we do not like it live music has been devalued by all of the other less expensive ways a club can keep its patrons entertained. Even JJ playing to tracks is contributing to the devaluation, along with DJ's, karaoke, etc. And no offense JJ, if I could sing I would do the same thing.

 

[cujo]

Also an FYI. I play in an original band so it's even tuffer for guys like us.