[Dixielandjazz] "old folks spend no money"

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi Richard;

  Many Old folks indeed spend lots of good money, however many of them 
spend it more discriminately than younger audiences generally do, we 
all need to work harder to get the two groups together more on the same 
dates and shows. NOt always easy but it can be done especially if we 
all work at it. The Bus is an excellent outside the Box promotion for 
them to feel safer since they tend to be more conservative than the 
younger set Hell bent on having a good time.

  The good part is we have music that can and will appeal to both 
audiences if presented to them correctly.

 Cheers,

 Tom Wiggins

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Richard Stevens <richard at thejazzfactory.net>
 To: 'Steve barbone' <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
 Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
 Sent: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 07:22:57 +1000
 Subject: [Dixielandjazz] "old folks spend no money"

 Hi Steve,
  I have been talking to some of our younger jazz musicians in Australia 
about
  the age issue. Many have expressed their concern about always playing 
for an
  "old folks" audience. I have been telling them to find the old "rich" 
folks!
  Our Jazz club car park with a full house last Saturday was full of 
high end
  motor vehicles and the "Budget Bar" took almost $2,500. The music was 
not to
  shabby either with jazz legend Bob Barnard on trumpet and 20 something 
Y.O.
  Jason Downes on reeds. A lot of "old folks" spent the extra to be 
bussed to
  the show so they could have a good night without the drink- drive 
concern.

 regards,
 Richard Stevens
 www.thejazzfactory.net

 -----Original Message-----
 From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
  [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Steve 
barbone
 Sent: Monday, 10 April 2006 6:44 AM
 To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
 Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Venues that can't support the band.

 BudTuba at aol.com wrote (polite snip)


  > 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 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."

 Hi Bud:

  I sympathize, but when the people we bring in don't spend any money, 
then we
 need to figure out how to bring people in that do spend money.

  15 years ago I worked a few joints like that. Old folks who spent no 
money.
  That's why I targeted younger people. I found, like Wiggins suggested, 
new
 venues and new (read young) audiences that will support the band.

  If the people who supposedly "love" Dixieland can't spend a few bucks 
to
  hear it, we are all in deep do do if we continue to play upon playing 
free
 where these people congregate.

 Cheers,
 Steve





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