molan Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Played at a nice pub last night. Decent sized venue, good beer, nice people - problem is there were hardly any of them there! We'd been told it was busy venue and probably not worth dragging lots of friends and family along because it's always so busy and gets very crowded. We couldn't believe how quiet it was. At one point there couldn't have been more than 20 people in Chatted with the landlord afterwards and he said it's always quiet for him this time of year. He gets a big summer crowd and end of December is busy but November is always a bit dead. One of the locals told us that he does absolutely zero promotion for his live music - there's a blackboard outside with the name of the band on and that's about it. It's a country pub so very little walk-in traffic and most passing vehicles won't see the flimsy blackboard. The odd thing was that the landlord said he was really pleased, sang along all evening, smiled when he paid us £200 and said he'd happily have us back in the New Year! All seems very odd to me - why not do a bit of local promotion to drum up trade? If he'd even told us to drag some people along we'd probably have doubled the audience size. In the end it was like a paid rehearsal, useful for us as a 2nd gig but I felt a bit of a fraud taking his money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Many landlords rely on bands bringing an audience to their otherwise unpopulated pubs. Used to be you`d be playing to the locals, plus whoever you`d brought along - nowadays with many the only customers are those the bands bring. In The Daves, being a covers band, if offered a new venue we`ll check it out a few times, see if there is for one a crowd, and secondly familiar faces each time we go, indicating regulars. Then we`ll agree a gig. Not that we don`t have followers, but we don`t want to rely on them - we play new places to play to new faces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 How much promotion did the band do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385298121' post='2286498'] How much promotion did the band do? [/quote] Website promo, band email to subscribers, FaceBook page, Twitter feed. In all honesty we didn't really push it because the person who booked us told us not to bring that many friends because he said it's always rammed. Quite how he got this impression I don't know but we'll certainly ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I think it's worth checking venues beforehand. It happens, even when bands do a push through their own social media etc. At least he paid. In my younger days we were forever getting ripped off by underhand landlords changing the rules if they weren't happy with the turnout. I'm older and wiser now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Your gig coinciding with the 50th Anniversary Dr. Who special probably didn't help with punter numbers much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1385299619' post='2286512'] Website promo, band email to subscribers, FaceBook page, Twitter feed. In all honesty we didn't really push it because the person who booked us told us not to bring that many friends because he said it's always rammed. Quite how he got this impression I don't know but we'll certainly ask! [/quote] Fair enough. IMO you should never assume that anyone else is going to do any promotional work even if they say they will. Always do as much as you possibly can and then the blame for low turnout can never be levelled at the band's efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 In my experience, pubs and clubs very rarely, if ever, promote gigs. Half of them don't even bother putting up the posters we send. It would seem that they aren't bothered who turns up, if anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1385303029' post='2286573'] Your gig coinciding with the 50th Anniversary Dr. Who special probably didn't help with punter numbers much. [/quote] And it's probably one of those pubs that look smaller on the outside than they are inside. *Hollow laugh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I was out playing last night and it was initially pretty quiet compared to our usual turnout. They all turned up after Dr Who had finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1385304493' post='2286598'] They all turned up after Dr Who had finished. [/quote] And there was me thinking Dr Who was a kids' programme. *Hides behind sofa* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385304545' post='2286599'] And there was me thinking Dr Who was a kids' programme. *Hides behind sofa* [/quote] It's almost as childish as middle aged men pretending to be pop stars..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1385305003' post='2286603'] It's almost as childish as middle aged men pretending to be pop stars..... [/quote] Live fast, die young - then have a nice sit down with the paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote]....Why do some landlords not promote gigs?....[/quote] Because they are pub landlords! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 (edited) [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1385305003' post='2286603'] It's almost as childish as middle aged men pretending to be pop stars..... [/quote] I thought that last week when they were talking on the radio about men who sail model boats. The pub we played last night didn't put our posters up. Strange. Maybe they think our posters don't look good in their pub. In fact most pubs we play don't. Pubs seem to be closing and the pubs aren't thinking of new ways to compete with Dr Who, Strictly, Jungle and X-Factor. They seem to have a fixed mindset of quiz nights, kareoke and Sky football as the way to get people in. They're missing a trick somewhere. Edited November 24, 2013 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385304067' post='2286591'] Fair enough. IMO you should never assume that anyone else is going to do any promotional work even if they say they will. Always do as much as you possibly can and then the blame for low turnout can never be levelled at the band's efforts. [/quote] I must admit I would normally have done a bit more to cajole people along had I not been told it was likely to be really full. The pub was quite a distance from my house and I didn't scope it out beforehand. The last similar venue I played at was one where I got lots I people to come along - that one was packed and lots of my friends ended up stuck round a corner and able to hear us but couldn't see anything. On the basis if that one I didn't want to repeat the experience when we have 2 more local gigs that I can get friends along to. I guess it's 'sod's law' in a way I'll know better if we play there again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1385307474' post='2286645'] Pubs seem to be closing and the pubs aren't thinking of new ways to compete with Dr Who, Strictly, Jungle and X-Factor. They seem to have a fixed mindset of quiz nights, kareoke and Sky football as the way to get people in. They're missing a trick somewhere. [/quote] The previous gig we played had footy on before the band and was rammed. About half of the footy fans left at the end of the game but the rest stayed for at least the first set and, partly because they'd already been drinking for 90 minutes, were a good crowd. The place last night offered food and a separate dining area but the only person I saw eat was the landlord so that wasn't exactly very succesful either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Same as TimR we send out posters. Some put them up but just as many don't bother. A lot of them have Face book pages which they don't use to promote the gigs. Got to say a fair few of them just don't help themselves and yet still moan when the gig isn't well attended. On the plus side some are very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Odd one... for new gigs, people were always asking if we had a following but now we only pick the pubs we fancy and that way, we know what trade they have. But yes, nothing worse than a poor turnout but that is the thing with new bands, tbh..unless you slaughter your mates with invites which gives a false impression as you can't and shouldn't rely on them every gig. It sounds as though you just played this one wrong.... As an aside, I couldn't understand an originals gig berating the promoter for not getting anyone to their gig.. as though the bands have no responsibility whatsoever... Round here, gone are the days when pubs would be packed on wed and sundays..it is now a fri/sat gig but we can't or wont take pub bookings on a sat during the summer season. Winter, we tick over with a couple a month and a few parties. Pubs and venues really need to share getting people to the gig... it is tough work all round, but worth it. I never take a crowd for granted...and you need a good one for when you put the rates up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkandrew Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I remember once playing a new venue near the halls of Goldsmiths College in South London (I can't remember its name) - we too were promised a pub full of punters. Anyway, we sound checked then hung around a bit and it soon became apparent with half an hour to go that the only people in the bar were us, the landlord and the bar staff. We quickly ran around the halls giving out flyers but it was too little too late. You've just got to put things like that down to experience and hopefully learn from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1385305003' post='2286603'] It's almost as childish as middle aged men pretending to be pop stars..... [/quote] The main difference being that you don't need an audience to make a fool of yourself in front of when watching Dr Who... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1385307474' post='2286645'] Pubs seem to be closing and the pubs aren't thinking of new ways to compete with Dr Who, Strictly, Jungle and X-Factor. They seem to have a fixed mindset of quiz nights, kareoke and Sky football as the way to get people in. They're missing a trick somewhere. [/quote] They certainly are. If I enter a pub that has a quiz, karaoke or Sky football I walk straight back out again. Counter-productive if you ask me. I go out to get away from the bloody telly, not to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 November always seems to be quiet. We had a gig at one of our regular busy venues at the start of the month and it was dead. December is usually surprisingly busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Yep we didn't take many bookings for November but that was partly deliberate as we knew up front we had a busy schedule in December and it was nice to have a bit of a rest in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) [quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1385323201' post='2286947'] ... the only people in the bar were us, the landlord and the bar staff. [/quote] Done that. Bottom of a 3 band bill. The other two dropped out. We outnumbered the barstaff in a 500 capacity room - the whole upstairs at [i]this[/i] ghastly dive in Park Royal, when it was called Phae Tingo's. Worst tumbleweed moment ever. : Edited November 25, 2013 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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