[Dixielandjazz] Free Gigs >> A Fact Of Life

[BudTuba at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/9/2006 10:48:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

I asked  if the gig was a paying gig and got no response.

Point being, if a band  works in a restaurant, and helps draw customers, the
band should be paid a  living wage. E.G. at least union scale for starters.
To give the music away  as above is a horrific waste of talent and further
dilutes the market for  paying live music gigs.

Gee whiz, restaurant owner, charge a $5 music  fee per lunch and give that
money to the band. Why can't the customers pay  $17 for lunch/music?
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Steve, I luv ya and your comments and insight and happy to see you're  
successful in the music business, but "expecting" to get a living wage is a pipe  
dream today.
 
Most restaurants are happy with the number of meals they serve without  
entertainment.  A band in today's world has to justify its addition to the  patina. 
 We play two gigs a month during the bleak months on opposite  sides of town 
to keep our mailing list patrons happy.  We do not get scale  or even close to 
it.  We get $100 and free meals for 8 guys and a  vocalist and we pass the 
hat for another $80-100 bucks..  We bring in  about 40 people who would not 
otherwise be there (and on some cold winter's  nights even that attendance not 
met).  If we asked for scale (what is  it now --$65 for 3 hrs?) that would be 
$520 not including a leader's bonus of 1  extra.  Those 40 people would have to 
spend $13 each to hear the  show.  Won't happen.  So we could reduce the band 
to 4 pc (or 3--2)  but that ain't dixieland anymore. 
 
One of the two restaurant owners (who loves our band) responded when I  
suggested we get $200 said:  "Actually, I'm losing money when you guys come  in.  
Your patrons are happy to order a meal and coffee and sit there for  the rest 
of the night sipping water.  When I flick on the sports'  stations I get people 
spilling out the door and running up $20 bar bills."
 
We justify our appearances as:  
 
1)  Better'n rehearsing in somebody's living room, and more effective  in 
assessing the impact of changes in arrangements and song  selection.
2)  Keeping our vital core of patrons happy, and that leads to private  gigs.
3)  Being able to say in our band brochure that we do play regularly  at XXXX 
and YYYY. 
4)  We do get a free meal and gas money home.
5)  Sometimes young players stop in to sit in and we have a chance of  
perpetuating OKOM through them.
6)  Listening to old recordings of the band reminds of us of clams we  made 
that cannot be erased.
7)  Occasionally someone producing a REAL gig shows up and we stand a  better 
chance of landing it.
 
Where's my beer??? SOB
 
 
 
 
Roy (Bud) Taylor
Smugtown Stompers Jazz Band
'we ain't just  whistlin' dixie!"
585-415-3985 Cell