Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

No More Pubs Gigs


Recommended Posts

After getting home at 2am following a 60 mile round trip for £70 pay I've decided "no more pub gigs".

Lugging gear in and out through inebriated (or otherwise altered) customers. Moving tables and chairs out the way to set up. Having to keep a space clear so people can walk through to the toilets (which I could smell from where I was). Having to wait almost an hour post-gig to get paid - largely because of the big drug-fuelled fight that kicked off as we were packing away.Playing at silly volume - my amp was fully cranked up just so I could hear myself above the guitar. No monitors, cramped floor space, and worst of all - no lock on the toilet door!

At 55 I've decided I'm done with all that (and that was all from one gig!). From now own it's decent venues only, there's nothing to be gained round here from playing the pub circuit.

Remember - you can make a record without an organ on it, but it won't be as good

 

www.robpoyton.co.uk

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 69
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

There have been a few times I've come home past 3am pissed off and feeling it was just not worth it. I quit for a few months recently from 2 bands because hauling all that gear, and the setup and late soundchecks was too much, especially since I was doing triple duty as bass guitar + keyboards + sound guy.

 

Sometimes you just gotta say no to the crap, so you can enjoy the good times more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My go to saying for these issues: "That's Show Biz"

 

That being said, I often wonder about this- It seems that the only opportunities for playing (Besides church) are for people that drink. They usually are the most enthusiastic audience members (for better or worse).

 

 

Yamaha Motif XF6, Yamaha AN200, Logic Pro X,  Arturia Microbrute, Behringer Model D, Yamaha UX-3 Acoustic Piano, assorted homemade synth modules

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are so many places around me that should but don't have any live music. If they do it's open mic.

Last bar band I was in played blues to 2am and paid 50 bucks a person.

I guess I'm lucky to have a steady solo restaurant gig.

It's one of those disclavier pianos and the speakers don't work.

The owner is getting it serviced, asked me what it needs done.

I tune it monthly, but said it needs a tuning, hammers shaped and a regulation. I'd like to see his face when he gets the bill.

Don't think I'll be replaced by the disclavier, it was working before.

If I win the lottery I'd open some music spots.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to play pub (bar) gigs years ago. I haven't done it for a while for many of the reasons you've outlined. It just stopped being fun. Sounds like you've hit the same point.

 

Where I live, the two sources of good gigs are retiree clubs and microbreweries.

 

The retiree club gigs start at 6 or 6:30 and the place will clear out by 9pm. We're getting used to ending our last set playing to an empty room. I have yet to meet an aggressive drunk at one of these events. And no one yells "Freebird!" from the crowd.

 

The microbrewery gigs are a nice, mellow vibe. People come to drink expensive beer and nosh on a few victuals. More like 7-10pm. Again, I have yet to meet an aggressive drunk at one of these.

 

Anyone plays too loud at any of these, and you just won't be invited back. All gigs are in town, so no more than 20 minutes each way. For some of the retiree gigs, we get paid 100% up front as demand is high during the season. All venues regularly host groups, so the room is already set up for us, although we always have to bring our own sound and lights.

 

It all starts with who gets the gigs, and what kind of gigs are they. We then engineer the band to fit the gigs. So far it has been working pretty well.

 

Hang in there ...

 

 

 

 

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess you have to stretch and find some positives. The gig was an 'education '. Your gear did not get stolen. No one threw drinks at the band, etc

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love pub gigs.

 

Played a great one last night. Six guys crammed onto a tiny stage, long narrow room , packed full of hot sweaty bodies dancing, drinking, singing along, and having an amazing time.

 

 

Hammond: L111, M100, M3, BC, CV, Franken CV, A100, D152, C3, B3

Leslie: 710, 760, 51C, 147, 145, 122, 22H, 31H

Yamaha: CP4, DGX-620, DX7II-FD-E!, PF85, DX9

Roland: VR-09, RD-800

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Around here, there is a pretty wide range of venues from your tiny corner bar to large music venues and everything in between.

 

I gauge whether or not I'll play a particular place based on a few criteria:

 

1) What does the gig pay? Usually this is directly correlated to the size of the place. Larger capacity can pay more. I generally won't take less than $150/night but shoot for $200-$300 range. This automatically weeds out quite a few places because - say a 5pc band at $200/man, charging $5/head at the door means they have to get 200 people in there to pay for the band. Although some places do enough bar ring that they don't need to charge a cover or rely on that to pay the band. Usually those places charge more for drinks and may have a more upscale audience.

 

2) Are they set up for live music? Is there a dedicated stage and is it adequate size? Do they at least have an area that they clear out for the band and dance floor? Do they have house sound and lights? If I have to bring it, that gets tacked on to the price (See #1 above).

 

3) Is there adequate security? This tends to be for the larger and/or more rowdy crowds. If it's packed full of drunk patrons, I want the venue to have somebody ready to jump in if somebody tries to take the stage, etc.

 

4) How is the management's reputation with other bands. Word gets around when places start doing things like double book, try to short pay, take too long to pay, etc.

 

I'll tolerate shortcomings on some of these if there are other benefits. For instance, I'll do an acoustic gig at a tiny wine bar that only pays $100/man because it's a fun gig (5-pc acoustic with a local celebrity) in a "planned community" and all I have to do is bring my acoustic electric bass and a 1/4" cable.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Find ways to make it better. Tell the band to turn down or find a new keys player. Bring less gear. Play better bars. Where i live a gigging band is hard to find. If i walk away it might be months before im gigging again. Sometimes i net less than $50. I bring the absolute minimum gear .

FunMachine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having to wait almost an hour post-gig to get paid...

You got paid that quickly?

 

:roll::roll::roll:

 

Everything in moderation. I wouldn't be (and haven't been) happy only playing corner bars. But--or maybe, therefore--there is something downright fun about it as one component of a larger set of opportunities. It's one of the few places you can count on at least a couple of people staying the entire time and listening to every song you play, even if that listening sometimes looks like downing shots and hi-fiving over unfunny and too-loud bro-jokes. As long as I can keep the drunks away from the keyboard with their tilted glasses, I am fine...

 

Which, OT: one of my students made me a waterproof cover for my NS3Compact to put on during breaks. Which means I get to actually go outside instead of hover around paranoidly watching to keep people's drink arms over the floor and not my keys. Changed my life...

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Playing bars is not for everyone...

 

That being said, the UK (and I am not from there...) is a different bag depending on where youre playing. I remember doing a tour of the UK a few years back, and in some of the towns, the promoter warned us not to make eye contact with people on the street after the pubs cleared out. Bedford was particularly rough...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lifetime of bar gigs ... but at my advanced age I've gotten more picky. I'll accept low pay because the tradeoff is that I won't travel an hour to the gig and I won't do those 9:00 to 1:00 am gigs. Some local venues are doing 7:00 to 10:00 or 7:30 to 10:30. One does 5:00 to 8:00 on Sundays. Another does 8:00 to 11:00 on Friday night. They're within 15-20 minutes from my home. I just did a gig with a new band (new to me) from 9:00 - midnight and I got paid $80, but it was a Thursday night and a half hour from my home. Even that was a bit late for me. I've given up late night gigs that are an hour and a half away and pay less than $100/man. I've got one gig that's an hour away but it's from 5:30 to 8:00 on a Saturday and it pays well. I think the times they are a-changin' ...
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah some of my favorite gigs are the seasonal ones - various municipalities will have their own "summer concert series" which is usually an outdoor show that's earlier in the evening. Winery gigs are often in the afternoon which is nice - beautiful scenery, laid back. Happy hour gigs can be good - but tend to be more solo/duo acts.

 

Of course back in my more busy gigging days, we didn't restrict the gigs, but did them ALL....so it might be a Friday night bar, a Saturday afternoon winery, then a Saturday night bar, then a Sunday concert. Even though the gigs were good and the money was even better, it wears on you. Point being, maybe playing some of those gigs a little less often will remove some of the stress and make you appreciate them a bit more. Relative to my previous post, sometimes just raising the price a bit reduces demand enough that you play fewer gigs AND get paid a bit better. We did that with weddings. We didn't really want to do them for various reasons. Rather than just saying "no weddings", we instead jacked up our price for a wedding so high that we didn't think anybody would ever pay it. Well they did, but not as often. So we still played maybe 2-3 weddings per year and the money what phenomenal....all made it worthwhile.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can relate to the post. In the San Jose area where I perform, there are many more bands than venues. So it is tough to command a lot of money. The cover band I am in has found some private parties (hours much better, so is the pay) and a bar we play about every other month that pays decent, and has a good crowd. The tribute band I play in has made more progress commanding more money. I have my "Lethal Weapon" moments (I'm getting to old for this stuff...) when I finish up at a bar at 1:00 AM or 1:30 AM. But I would rather do that than stay home.

 

With regards to stage volume .... I went to in-ears years ago (wired, and not expensive). I strongly recommend that approach (reduces the chance for feedback also....). Or demand your band mates turn down. Not worth going deaf over.

 

The cover band plays some wineries in the area that have much easier hours (done by 9 PM or 10 PM, or sometimes play in the afternoon). I sometimes wonder how many more years of playing bars with the super late nights I can deal with. Everyone has to figure out what the can/cannot tolerate and try to find gigs that match your preferences and bring you joy.

Korg CX-3 (vintage), Casio Privia PX-5S, Lester K, Behringer Powerplay P2, Shure 215s

http://www.hackjammers.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was younger, I loved pub gigs because hanging out in a pub with a live band until closing was something I was likely to do anyway. But instead of paying for my drinks and having to come up with clever lines to meet women, it's free drinks, $75-100 in my pocket, and super easy to meet anybody in the bar, women included. Honestly, I couldn't find much to complain about, except the load in. Pubs are often located in downtown areas where parking is tough. The logistics could be hairy at times.

 

Anyway, that was then, this is now. I'd only do a pub gig now if it came with all the right perks: reasonable load-in, decent food, done by midnight.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my experience, unless you're in a band of some amount of national success (i.e.: not limited to regional venues) there's not many options for making a decent income with a band. Even if you are regionally successful, your best hope is a large auditorium every 3 months, and no musician can make ends meet with that, alone.

 

A large percentage of the live music industry is fueled by either liquor sales, or God sales. Unless it's dangerous or overly obnoxious, I don't mind it at all. The only thing that pisses me off is I play in two venues that allow smoking. Even though it's illegal here, the owners slip the liquor commission some scratch every few months to look the other way. Corrupt as hell, and make all my equipment stink, but otherwise, it's probably the best paying regular gig in the state.

Puck Funk! :)

 

Equipment: Laptop running lots of nerdy software, some keyboards, noise makersâ¦yada yada yadaâ¦maybe a cat?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

God sales?

 

When I play a nice venue with a nice stage and FOH sound, I set up right in front of stage. When I occasionally play a less-certain venue without a stage or clear barrier to possible rumbling drunks, I set up in back to the side of the drummer to avoid spilling sloshers. Most of my gigs are on nice stages at decent clubs (even if small, they are set up specifically for bands).

 

Did a party last night that i could tell had a potential to get rowdy - just outside on the patio, no stage, no clear barrier to stop the drunk from deciding to sing along or want to high five band members mid-song. So I set up in back next to the drummer and told the bass player to set up his station in front of me. then I moved him up to create a front band wall a good 5 feet in front of me. Sure enough - the last couple songs the crowd got just out of control drunk and in a participatory mood, forming group dance-hug-circles of bouncing madness and pouring drinks and beer all over each other. Bass player got doused a bit, as did the lead singer. I was safely removed from the mayhem.

 

I currently have 3 keboards but I always bring minimal gear to gigs. I design custom layouts for every song so I can do the show with a single board. I bring no monitor if there is a FOH, couple pedals and a few cords. I do always bring my own DIs in case the houses gear is beat to shit. In the end, it doent matter how little or much gear I bing, and I dont get paid more for bringing more shit. The audience cant tell the difference which keyboard I am pressing keys on.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

About the farthest we go for a gig is about a 45 minute drive from my house. Thing is, it's a 3 minute walk for our guitar player.

 

Our bare minimum is $100/man, and most of the gigs are $125. But, I wouldn't call them "Bar Gigs"

 

We play mostly at restaurants, and a couple times a month at the local Harley Davidson dealers, one 5 miles from my house, the other about 50. Next Saturday we go to the 50 mile away Harley Davidson dealer, play for 3 hours, finish up there, tear down, drive about 15 miles, set back up at a biker oriented American Legion, and play for 4 hours. $100 each man, each gig. I don't mind driving that distance for $200

 

The only issue with playing the restaurants is they pay by corporate check, and it can be a few days before it gets there. Our bass player handles the money, and gives us a check.

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...My amp was fully cranked up just so I could hear myself above the guitar.

 

This was my experience at the last bar gig I played nine years ago. We were at a rib joint/bar set up on a postage stamp stage facing a brick wall. At load-in the drummer and guitar player got in a heated argument because the guitar player didn't bring a baffle for his amp like he was told to. To mitigate the effects of a Fender Super Reverb pointing at brick, he aimed it at me. Ten feet away at most. I wore foam earplugs but it didn't help. About half way through the final set I told myself that if this was the last live gig I ever played it would be just fine.

 

It was and it is.

9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After getting home at 2am following a 60 mile round trip for £70 pay I've decided "no more pub gigs".

Lugging gear in and out through inebriated (or otherwise altered) customers. Moving tables and chairs out the way to set up. Having to keep a space clear so people can walk through to the toilets (which I could smell from where I was). Having to wait almost an hour post-gig to get paid - largely because of the big drug-fuelled fight that kicked off as we were packing away.Playing at silly volume - my amp was fully cranked up just so I could hear myself above the guitar. No monitors, cramped floor space, and worst of all - no lock on the toilet door!

At 55 I've decided I'm done with all that (and that was all from one gig!). From now own it's decent venues only, there's nothing to be gained round here from playing the pub circuit.

 

At least you got to 55, gave up last year at 42, for (and more) those reasons. Some people are desperate to play in public anywhere anytime for any money. That was true of me when I was young, but I just dont feel the need to perform to that kind of crowd and get home at that time of night which puts you on the backfoot energy wise the following day.

 

Im not sure what its like in other countries but pubs and clubs are dying a death here in the UK, and if they can get karaoke on theyll do it, also jam nights with free pints for players.

 

Some people cant understand why Im not interested in gigging, but Id rather do something more constructive with my time than play to a pub crowd.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can relate. A few months ago I took a gig at a prestigious venue (London's Borderline), despite:

- The midnight start time

- Lack of parking

Big mistake. I try and get my gear on stage only to be told to get back down, "band only on stage". :facepalm: Then a sound engineer who couldn't identify a disconnected monitor. By the time we started most of the crowd had gone home.

 

Lesson learned: take gigs based on convenience.

 

Cheers, Mike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

At least you got to 55, gave up last year at 42, for (and more) those reasons. Some people are desperate to play in public anywhere anytime for any money. That was true of me when I was young, but I just dont feel the need to perform to that kind of crowd and get home at that time of night which puts you on the backfoot energy wise the following day.

 

Im not sure what its like in other countries but pubs and clubs are dying a death here in the UK, and if they can get karaoke on theyll do it, also jam nights with free pints for players.

 

Some people cant understand why Im not interested in gigging, but Id rather do something more constructive with my time than play to a pub crowd.

 

All very true. There's a lot more open mic nights and karaoke in pubs here now. I have to say I struggle to think of many pub gigs in the last fifteen years where you come away thinking "that was a great night!" A couple, perhaps.

Half the problem is when you play a club/venue or theatre, people are actively coming to see the band. Pub crowds tend to be a lot more random. People drift in and out, no one listens to the first set, by then end of the gig they want three encores because "you're the best band I've ever heard."

So now the focus will be on small/mid size venues with my originals band and theatres for the tribute work.

It's interesting how some bands try and appeal to your ego to get you to play with them. The first thing I want to know for those type of gigs is "what's the pay, how far is it, what's load in like?".

I had a Purple tribute asked me to dep a short while back, a backstreet pub gig in Coventry. Part of the sales pitch was "they have their own security staff on the door!" Wow...thanks but no thanks! :laugh:

 

Remember - you can make a record without an organ on it, but it won't be as good

 

www.robpoyton.co.uk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We play mostly at restaurants, and a couple times a month at the local Harley Davidson dealers, one 5 miles from my house, the other about 50. Next Saturday we go to the 50 mile away Harley Davidson dealer, play for 3 hours, finish up there, tear down, drive about 15 miles, set back up at a biker oriented American Legion, and play for 4 hours. $100 each man, each gig. I don't mind driving that distance for $200
Yeah, we've got a few military biker charities locked in too, probably do about 3-4 a year. Always Sunday afternoon so it never conflicts with anything. They're not hard (lots of breaks for raffles) and they're easy to squeeze in. But I'll admit, as a full-time keyboardist I always feel like dead-weight at those events, they're not really much of a keyboard crowd. I've often though it would be best if I bail on those gigs so my mates can make a little more scratch and just hit the guitar rock.

Puck Funk! :)

 

Equipment: Laptop running lots of nerdy software, some keyboards, noise makersâ¦yada yada yadaâ¦maybe a cat?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...