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learning to be The Man


pogo97

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This afternoon a local cafe owner asked me if I'd be interested in booking some evenings for his cafe. He wants, quite specifically, musicians who DO NOT play the usual covers and he wants musicians who make good wallpaper music -- decorative but not the centre of attention. People like me, apparently. I'm thinking jazz, classical, maybe latin, maybe even intelligent country (not actually a non-sequitur).

 

Now, in this little town of mine, there are about four fairly regular "solo +" kinds of venues that hire people who play pop music for the most part. It seems to be a general practise to play "you hire me and I'll hire you" and, as everywhere, there are far more applicants than dates.

 

How does a fella balance getting the best acts -- of the right kind -- with not pissing too many people off? I'm very aware of what it's like to feel locked out of the loop and I'm also aware that some of 'the establishment' are much better salesmen than musicians and that they will bring real pressure to bear to get a gig. Lucky for me, I don't owe any of those bastards anything.

 

Ever been the booker? Any thoughts on how be be fair, or at least not a sleazebag?

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Years ago I assisted the manager of one club in narrowing down the list of potential local bands; it was impossible for her [good business person, but not musically aware], and pretty easy for me. Made a list and four categories: 1) Book, 2) book if can't get first group band, 3) too run of the mill, 4) they suck ...she laughed but used the guidelines. No one, thankfully, knew I was 'coaching' her on her choices, since I knew most of the members of these local bands, either directly or indirectly.

 

Make it clear to all potential applicants EXACTLY what the venue wants, in no uncertain terms. Then make them audition [either live or on video], submit a song list and then you have a level playing field...or at least a battlefield. :)

And give the 'losers' feedback on what kept them off the date! They will benefit from being clued in to their ignorance, weaknesses, whatever. That is my general complaint about booking agents: they just tell you NO, but not why it was NO.

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I used to run an after hours gig where the manager and I booked the "headliners". Even if I made a call on who was playing, I would always give the impression it wasn't my call to make. Maybe somewhat similar to daddymack's example.

 

If you are going to be the visible booker, in a small town, then you might have to limit the music genres to effectively prohibit some of the run of the mill CCR folks. Nothing wrong with CCR - but it doesn't sound like that's the venue's direction.

 

For instance: "can you do a night of Cole Porter, Gershwin and Van Heusen tunes - no... oh well, that's what he's looking for". "How about a night of Jobim, Michael Franks, and a little Hot Club of Paris - no... oh that's too bad". "Far's Waller, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden - no, oh well I'll call you when he's looking for Mumford & Sons".

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Exactly. Although there are some very broad MOR guys who'll do anything -- and still manage to strip it of all musicality. I've been mulling over the notion of booking instrumental only. I could cover that and maybe one or two other of the local players, but it would also maybe mean recruiting some fourth-year music students from Queens U. Still pondering.

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Musicians aren't dumb. If they aren't a great fit for one reason or another, you should be able to keep their respect if you just are up front about what the venues are looking for and that there are other acts who fit their environment better. I can't stand these guys personally. I'm pretty raw, but I get people moving in the right environment. But there's a disconnect between where I fit in and the venues these guys book. It's fine. I just don't like that after they make the introductions, they keep on making more money on a typical weekend then the actual musicians. Once a venue likes a musician, there just isn't a reason for the middleman anymore. My opinion. Could be mildly jaded, I don't know.

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Musicians aren't dumb. If they aren't a great fit for one reason or another' date=' you should be able to keep their respect if you just are up front about what the venues are looking for and that there are other acts who fit their environment better. I can't stand these guys personally. I'm pretty raw, but I get people moving in the right environment. But there's a disconnect between where I fit in and the venues these guys book. It's fine. I just don't like that after they make the introductions, they keep on making more money on a typical weekend then the actual musicians. Once a venue likes a musician, there just isn't a reason for the middleman anymore. My opinion. Could be mildly jaded, I don't know.[/quote']

 

Well, honestly, in my experience, many band leaders are totally ego-centric, and assume that you have something against them personally if you didn't book their 'top notch' band...regardless of whether they are a fit for the venue...

In the case where I was advising, I didn't get paid for sifting the chaff out [well, she comped my bar tab on occasion], and in many cases the bar manager does the booking, as opposed to an independent booking agency. The agencies I worked with in the past were probably double dipping- a percentage from the band, a fee from the venue...but if all parties were satisfied, no harm, no foul. We typically made a lot more in tips than we were coughing up for the agency fee. Plus, we were working steadily, and could concentrate on the music. There may not be 'a reason for the middleman' as you suggest, except the band signed a contract, and the venue signed a contract, and there is the reason.

So the next question is begged: absent the agent, could you have booked your band in that room? My current band has opted to self book, rather than use agencies, and we don't work so much anymore...and the sharp [note that I didn't say 'good'] agents do their level best to sew up every venue in their area to get that control [read: stranglehold] on local bands.

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Yeah, that was a really silly generalization on my part. Indeed many musicians are dumb. The band goes through independent promoters, who are usually there taking the financial risk. They're more of a necessary... not even evil really.

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I saw a club that had just changed hands go from interesting music to just another club with the same old crap. Pity, because before the change over, people, including my family, would come have dinner a drink and good interesting different music and the place was always full on weekends. New owners killed that in a few weeks. (And closed the bar/restaurant shortly after.)

 

Starbucks did the same thing with their CD sales. Used to be very obscure but good music that they actually played in the shop. Someone in upper management got a wild hair up their butt and changed over to the stuff that's easy to find in Walmart. Still good music, but dropped the status of Starbucks from a boutique coffee shop to just above a 7-11. Cost them much more than a few CD sales. It cost them a loss of coffee sales because of loss of prestige.

 

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Recently heard the following pitch to an owner : x is the brother-in-law of y and wrote songs for y; y has signed on with some hotshot promoter and is going places; you HAVE to hire x or you will have missed out on this rising star. No mention of the quality or fit of x as a musician or entertainer. And it worked -- the owner pulled rank on the guy who normally hires and hired x. Clearly, we are herd animals.

 

What a business.

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the old brother-in-law ploy...around here we have so many second and third generation entertainment people, that name dropping is normal. I've been bumped by the 'grandson or nephew of [fill in the blank]' so many times, I just learned to accept it as part of the deal working in LA.

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