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Booking Dilemma


msmooth

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Since 2014 my wife (vocals, percussion) and I (guitar, vocals) have been playing in an acoustic trio along with an upright bassist (very limited backing vocals). We play 2 gigs a month, sometimes 3 gigs. The bassist is also in two other bands, so occasionally my wife and I book as a duo. We wife and I feel that we are at our best as a full trio. We play venues that also employ solo/duo acts, so we don’t make a lot of money.

 

We are currently attempting to break into the local winery/brewery scene. There are probably 20 such places within 45 miles from my house, including 2-3 that are less than 10 miles. Most of these places hire solos and duos. Some of these places don’t have enough room for a trio and some of them don’t want to book trios as they think we’d be too loud, like a rock band. I am sure I could book many of these places as a duo but I don’t want to cut Chuck (bassist) out. He has put in as much hard work as the rest of us. We don’t have an issue booking as a duo when he is booked with another band, which is what I am trying to do to get our feet in the door. I am hoping that we do well as a duo then I can try to bring bassist along, if there is enough physical space. Any thoughts or ideas?

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If you continue to do the two or three gigs a month with your bassist and are simply adding one or two gigs a month without him, I don't see a problem. Where he might get annoyed, is if you are doing duo gigs instead of the regular trio gigs and/or doing a bunch of duo gigs and just a few trio gigs. I guess you would cross that bridge when you came to it.

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Few of the places i play solo provide a stage, let alone room. Usually, they shove a table out of the way and I literally have room for 1 speaker on a stick behind me, the powered mixer beside me, and a stool to sit on. Space is at a premium in a lot of these places, and the way one venue owner explained it is that for every table he has to take away, he loses X amount of income each table generates. Thus, besides what he pays me he has to factor that in as the cost of live music. This is why they don't provide a lot of room. If i showed up with even a duo, let alone a trio in some of those places, I'd never be back. Too, there is the issue of pay. These places pay what their budget can afford, and I can play for 150 plus tips plus a meal or I can play for 75 plus tips and an appetizer or I can play for 50 bucks, 3 way tip split and no food at all.

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I think you need to explain the situation to 'Chuck'. This isn't about him, or you, it is about the venues and what they want.

 

Or....

 

You could play it as a mix'n'match.

Yes I see that puzzled look...do it as a duo with just you and Chuck once, and once without Chuck, just you and the Mrs. Smooth, and gauge the reaction.

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Few of the places i play solo provide a stage' date=' let alone room. Usually, they shove a table out of the way and I literally have room for 1 speaker on a stick behind me, the powered mixer beside me, and a stool to sit on. Space is at a premium in a lot of these places, and the way one venue owner explained it is that for every table he has to take away, he loses X amount of income each table generates. Thus, besides what he pays me he has to factor that in as the cost of live music. This is why they don't provide a lot of room. If i showed up with even a duo, let alone a trio in some of those places, I'd never be back. Too, there is the issue of pay. These places pay what their budget can afford, and I can play for 150 plus tips plus a meal or I can play for 75 plus tips and an appetizer or I can play for 50 bucks, 3 way tip split and no food at all. [/quote']

Have to agree with all that Pat, this is about the smallest space I have been squeezed into, it was when one of the diners asked me to pass the salt I knew I would never play there again.

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