[Dixielandjazz] Club & Restaurant Jazz Gigs>>A Survey

[Jim Kashishian]

>I know many bands work independently from the clubs they appear at and ask
for a door charge.
Bud

Bud asked for people to answer a survey (which I have done), and also
mentioned door charges & tips.  I realize I work in a completely different
atmosphere than most on the list, and my comments may or may not be
appropriate.  However, there has been a trend here in Spain to "take a cut"
of a door charge as a salary for the band.  This is a good avenue for having
huge arguments with the management on exactly how many people did actually
enter that particular night!

Our band has never, ever been even approached by club owners to do this, but
I understand a lot of younger bands are doing it.  It has upset the
applecart for a lot of other young bands who do not participate in this
activity, and can only drive down the rates offered to bands by club owners.
A slippery road, in my opinion.

Tips are a real no-no here.  It's unheard of, and would be in very bad taste
to have a "honeybucket" for such purposes.

We get drinks free in all clubs. If a wife or girlfriend comes along, they
are treated in the same way.  If you have to treat a table to drinks on
occassions, you will normally be given a special price by the club.  If it
is a restaurant, the dinner is provided.

What do we do in return?  We are spot on time arriving, playing & leaving.
(Some bands stick around after the gig boozing for free!)  We rarely have
more than one drink, and most only drink soft drinks when playing.  (Our
gigs are too dynamic for one to withstand much booze!)  We never, pass our
drinks on to friends. 

A lot of the above "do not's" are (we are told) what a lot of other bands
do, and that drives down a band's ability to ask for a decent price for the
band.