[Dixielandjazz] Re: New gig

[Elazar Brandt]

Thank you, Bill, and Shalom to everyone,

Thank you for some useful advice.

Here's my problem. At this time in Israel, the economy is really lousy because
of the war. Restaurants, hotels and stores are dropping like flies. To open a
new restaurant in a time like this takes someone of the caliber of Moses. Our
Arab peace-partners have done enough PR to scare away most of the tourists and a
lot of the Israelis from something as simple as going out for dinner. There is
not actually fighting in the streets or anything. Just an occasional dramatic
event that is enough to keep people off balance.

So if I can come to a restaurant owner and tell him I can deliver an audience of
paying customers on a regular basis, his eyes start lighting up. My guys and I
have access to email lists of hundreds of people, maybe over a thousand, who
know us either personally or musically or both. But Israelis tend to plan things
at the last minute, and we have not had enough lead time, or a long enough run,
to generate a substantial turnout. Friends and family will come on opening
night, and occasionally thereafter. But we need to train our groupies. Maybe I'm
asking too much, but I have hopes to be a blessing to some restaurants and
businesses in Israel economically as well as musically. That's why I try to make
the extra effort to produce an audience of paying customers. And I figure if
that works, then my band can command a better pay package.

I meet people all the time who lament that there is no place in Israel to go
dancing or to hear good jazz. I take their email and phone numbers, and I invite
them to our gigs, and hardly anyone shows up. The places are not expensive where
we play, and so far no cover charges. So I don't know what the problem is. I'd
be happy to hear anyone's helpful thoughts.

As for the $30 a head, it's not terrible in Israeli terms. If it were regular,
it adds up to a meaningful figure in our economy. It should be $50 or more plus
tips if the situation were more stable. But the real money is in the gigs one
can potentially get from being heard in the weekly venues. Soon we'll have a CD
to sell, which should help boost the income.

I suppose in the end we just need to keep up the PR and the good music. "If you
play it, they will come"... maybe?

Elazar

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Haesler [mailto:bhaesler at nsw.bigpond.net.au]
> Sent: Sunday, 19 January, 2003 04:36
> To: larryb at actcom.co.il
> Cc: dixieland jazz mail list
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: New gig (was minority musicians, waste
> of timemusic)
>
> There you are. From an oldie. Probably everything you already knew.
> But you did ask!