£100 in your pocket and empty or £30 and packed?

[skidder652003]

If this has been done before, apologies, but here goes...
So I've noticed especially at this time of year, we are playing to pretty quiet pubs, Im talking perhaps 20 people in the bar at best, not always, but more often than not it's quiet. There's no way the bar has taken £300 but in some venues thats what they pay us, its never less than £200. We always get asked back, never been told not to return in 6 years at any venue. Personally, I can't see this business model surving for much longer, and some boozers do close, only to be reopened again by some bright new hopefuls.
Anyway my feelings are mixed.
I do play for the money, I need it, everything I earn at work (self employed), I never see, it goes straight on the family, so the gig money is my spends. However, playing to half empty pubs is dispirting. I often feel before the gig, whats the point? I usually enjoy it once we get going but when I look out at that empty bar, it saps you.
So...if you had a choice, the band gets £100 but its packed full of sweaty happy punters
or..... the band gets £300 but it's loyal old Fred and his dog

Which would you choose, and why?

For me I would have said when I started out, the former but now I need the dosh.

[warwickhunt]

Sadly you could opt for option #1 @ £100 and still end up with an empty pub!

[franzbassist]

For me, it's all about playing to people who are up singing, dancing and having a good time. I'd always take that over a larger wedge with no audience.

That said, I don't depend on gig money as a major form of income. If I did I might have a different opinion.

[RhysP]

I did plenty of gigs in the past that were packed out with drunken morons going nuts & never saw a bloody penny from it, there's no way I'd ever do that again. Give me lots of money & no audience any day.

[ambient]

I'd take the £100 every time .

[Coilte]

Like with the OP, it depends on whether you need the money to make ends meet. I'm with walbassist, in that for me, it's all about playing.. to lots of people.

Yes, you get hassle from time to time with drunks etc., but if you can't stand the heat......

[Derek1071]

It's a good point: if live bands don't bring in punters, why are we all still getting bookings? I think half the time it's the landlord and bar staff that want the bands in - Sometimes the audience appear to be just as happy with the jukebox. Not sure how long this can last though: I'm sure at some point the bean counters will notice and call a halt to our fun. Hope not though!!

[mikel]

As long as I am not out of pocket I would always go for the packed venue. The second option is ok for a few quid but where is the joy in playing to one man and his dog, or the future come to that? Music has always been about the love of playing, never the money, even when I was young and looking to get signed.

[Happy Jack]

We once played to an empty pub.

I mean empty.

Even the bar staff had gone outside for smoke.

No fun at the time, but we've spent years telling people about it ...

[Lozz196]

It`s always been about packed audience for me. Sure the money is nice, but when I was in a covers band having a load of people dancing to the band was great. Now I`m in an originals band we`re trying to gain fans so audience size is very important, especially as we make a fair bit of our money via merch sales, so the more there the better.

[ChunkyMunky]

I'd take the £30 on the premise that it's a friendly crowd and the right one for that matter.

[M@23]

£300, thanks. Not gonna pay for promo/new PA/gear/petrol with the warm feelings from a good gig.

Don't get me wrong, the crowd make or break a gig. But, ultimately, I'm in my main band or depping for the money.
If we have a quiet one, then forget it and move on to the next. Unfortunately, it's not too common here and pubs are usually busy.

When I played originals then the opposite applied and the money wasn't really a factor.

[Number6]

I'd probably play 4 hours for free.....

Oh wait sorry wrong thread.

[molan]

I spoke to a pub manager about this one night and he said the fact that he has live bands every week means that his customers keep coming back.

Many of them come on nights that bands aren't playing and he believes that if he lost the bands he'd lose these customers completely.

By 'investing' in music once a week he keeps his loyal customer base happy and, in a very competitive local environment, that's his livelihood.

[72deluxe]

[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]My gigs are always empty so £300 thanks! It's an opportunity to play so I enjoy the sound of my bass despite the invisible audience. [/font]

[interpol52]

£30 and a good night, otherwise its a waste of time. I have a full time job that supports me so gigs are extra. If gigging was my main source of income though I would give a different answer.

[cameltoe]

I'd always choose a good gig over a good pay day.

I know exactly what the OP means and we have had some very loyal venues payout when they have been quite sparse. Always makes you feel bad.

If it's a chance to earn mega-bucks then it's a more difficult decision, but generally I do this because I enjoy it. If it's sh*t, then I don't, and £40 in my pocket doesn't change that.

[mikel]

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1479583487' post='3177686']
£300, thanks. Not gonna pay for promo/new PA/gear/petrol with the warm feelings from a good gig.

Don't get me wrong, the crowd make or break a gig. But, ultimately, I'm in my main band or depping for the money.
If we have a quiet one, then forget it and move on to the next. Unfortunately, it's not too common here and pubs are usually busy.

When I played originals then the opposite applied and the money wasn't really a factor.
[/quote]

What I was getting at is that playing to an empty room for 300 quid will soon be a thing of the past, cos venue owners cant keep doing it. Economics. And, as I dont play to make a living, I would always chose the full house.

Edited November 19, 2016 by mikel

[M@23]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1479591754' post='3177776']


What I was getting at is that playing to an empty room for 300 quid will soon be a thing of the past, cos venue owners cant keep doing it. Economics. And, as I dont play to make a living, I would always chose the full house.
[/quote]

Yea, I agree. It's not sustainable. To be honest, you wouldn't get £300 for a pub gig where i am. Probably £250 max. But then, we're lucky that you're pretty much guaranteed an audience. There are a good few 'music' pubs which are known for it and have a good turnout every weekend.
Gigging is a good part of my income, so I'll always take the money, in the bands and situation I am in. But, i can see why and have been in the position where it wasn't a factor.

I actually dislike weddings for this very reason. It is usually a very boring gig.

[martin8708]

Music is my pleasure ,so a packed venue is far better than taking the money and running .

But then again,I don't rely upon gigging as an income .

[bazzbass]

your dilemma is similar to the dilemma over whether to play covers for $300 to a packed venue or play originals for free to your girlfriends and the barmaid.

Art for art's sake......

[SH73]

Don't know what the complaint is. Free rehearsal room.

[spectoremg]

I don't do it for money so packed every time.

[SH73]

Often the bands suck or the town has poor night time economy.

[skidder652003]

It seems the majority would take the lesser fee and a busy night then?
As most of us are probably semi pro that would make sense.
I liked the comment about how having one or 2 nights of live bands, even if its a loss maker, still brings in a few regulars through the rest of the week, gives me a bit of faith about the longevity of the business model!
I suppose the other elephant in the room is the material we play. As an old farts rock band, the punters are all pretty much getting older. If I was in a more contemparary setup playing chart sh*te its possible we might get to play in pubs for a younger crowd although I don't know if such places exist that want live music (or old men playing chart stuff!)
I think I have to accept its a "dying" demographic, evoloution and all that..