[Dixielandjazz] Free Gigs >> A Fact Of Life

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi Bud:

If indeed the guy is losing money when you are there, then obviously 
you are doing it in the WRONG VENUE, TAKE THE TIME TO GO FIND A MORE 
SUITABLE PLACE TO PLAY preferably one that will promote itself as a 
Music venue and not a Sports Bar.

Just my thoughts on it.

Musical content:   "Must a been in the wrong place at the wrong time"   
Dr. John.
Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: BudTuba at aol.com
To: barbonestreet at earthlink.net; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 14:02:41 EDT
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Free Gigs >> A Fact Of Life

   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?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
--------------------------
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
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