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Multiband /open mic ideas


Kevin T

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In light of the current live music scene slump I want to offer bars /clubs a 2-4 band show as an alternative to DJ karaoke or bands with poor followings.

The supply of bands that are experienced & talented but can

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My first thought is that you're hoping to charge $200 for a product that has little or no value....and could potentially have a negative impact on the club.  

I'm sure some of the bands you're talking about will be decent bands....but in my experience, when a band is willing to play for free, you get what you pay for.  If a couple of the bands are terrible and run customers off, then you're doing more harm than good.   Customers aren't going to sit patiently and hope maybe the next band will be better;   they're going to another bar, and taking their money with them.

It also occurs to me that most clubs that have a DJ probably aren't interested in hiring bands in the first place.   DJ's and bands generally attract completely different crowds...and a place that caters to the DJ crowd probably isn't interested in alienating their existing customers in hopes of attracting new ones.

 

But if you can find a club whose owner isn't worried about alcohol sales and is willing to change his club's format to save a hundred bucks....I say go for it.

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n9ne wrote:

 

My first thought is that you're hoping to charge $200 for a product that has little or no value....and could potentially have a negative impact on the club.  

 

I'm sure some of the bands you're talking about will be decent bands....but in my experience, when a band is willing to play for free, you get what you pay for.  If a couple of the bands are terrible and run customers off, then you're doing more harm than good.   Customers aren't going to sit patiently and hope maybe the next band will be better;   they're going to another bar, and taking their money with them.

 

It also occurs to me that most clubs that have a DJ probably aren't interested in hiring bands in the first place.   DJ's and bands generally attract completely different crowds...and a place that caters to the DJ crowd probably isn't interested in alienating their existing customers in hopes of attracting new ones.

 

 

But if you can find a club whose owner isn't worried about alcohol sales and is willing to change his club's format to save a hundred bucks....I say go for it.

 

 

Those are great points. For it to work, the bands need to be good. If there are quality players that have it together, that really just want to get out and play half a set... I can see that a being a cool thing though.

 

It could be akin to a jam night but for cover bands. Taking the best of the jam night idea and improving on it If run properly, you could have wall to wall rockin' goodness. Or completly boring and inept bands slugging up and down the stage. 

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My currnt band is no loser all great players. We are on a foced hiatus for 6mosa because after 7initial sucessful yrs we have ZERO gigs

I would gladly do this thing than end our band. I believe we are not alone.

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Kevin T wrote:

In light of the current live music scene slump I want to offer bars /clubs a 2-4 band show as an alternative to DJ karaoke or bands with poor followings.

The supply of bands that are experienced & talented but can

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Yet another concept that leaves out keyboard players?  Do we got DI with our own monitor mix? (assuming we're willing to lug a board and stand.)

If this venue is a destination that has a track record with hiring good bands and you're doing this during the week, MAYBE I'll consider it if I think there's a reasonable chance of being hired.  Otherwise, no.

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Kevin T wrote:

 

The problem is the business model is broken! 

 

 

.. that may or may not be true.. but I'm fairly certain that playing a set of music for free in lieu of doing a night at the normal rates would bankrupt my business in record time.

 

I'm sorry.. but I really have trouble as seeing this as anything other than a horrible idea. You're giving the club the idea that bands have little to no value (or you're reaffirming the notion they have that way in the first place).. and you're also going to give the idea (or reaffirm) that a "live band" sucks, because the majority of the bands you'll get to do this won't be pro level cover bands.

 

If the place hires pro DJs... pro cover bands are the "apples to apples" comparison, but people don't think that way. My guess is that doing this will cause this venue to continue to equate "live band" with "old people that play Skynyrd all night"... and I don't even really see much long term success or incentive in it for you do it.

 

tl:dr.... I think you'll destroy any chance of this club ever taking live bands seriously, and I don't see how you'll gain anything from doing it. YMMV, of course.

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Kevin T wrote:

 

The venue provides.... discounted drinks/food for Performers.  

 

FYI.. that part made me cringe a little bit. Imagine... getting a plumber to fix the bar's toilets... a mechanic to fix the owner's car... a sign guy to make your bar's sign.... a local brewery to make you a special beer for your bar... or any other craftsperson to do anything else, and then tell them "we'll give you discounted drinks and food".

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How to fix the scene? Be more entertaining than the DJ's! How you do that is on you I suppose, but it can be done. Look around on this forum and you will see multiple suggestions on how to be a more entertaining, more in demand act.

 

As to your OP, the multiple band act isn't a bad idea, but you gotta find a way for those guys to get paid, not sure how you justify taking $200 to run sound while bands are bringing 20 paying customers and only getting drinks! I wouldn't ask for huge money to play one set, but Just on principal, if someone is making money off me I want a reasonable cut!

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Kevin T wrote:

 

Ok great feedback but how would you fix the bar scene . Where can cover w some origs play! in rural suburbia today. If I knew ide be writing about my active weekend insted of this

 

 

Like it was said below me... be more entertaining than the DJs. Be valuable.. have something of value to sell before you sell it.. because the truth is that anyone booking a band is a salesman for a product.

 

Ultimately.. the question in any business is whether or not there is any kind of a demand for the product you are selling. If there isn't.. thanthe product itself is flawed, not the business model.

 

 

A lot of musicians can't seem to detach from being musicians. You can be the best band in the world, but if you're playing obscure classic rock songs.... why would 99 percent of people want to go party with you, instead of with a DJ spinning nothing but popular hits that most everyone would know? This is excluding bands who have made whatever genre they do a "show" in and of itself... but they are few and far between.

I'm not saying you have to play nothing but modern pop... but ask yourself honestly.. how do you measure up with the other bands in your area? How do you measure up with the DJs? Can you create a more "fun" atmosphere? These are hard questions to ask yourself... and from experience, I know that I'm not always happy with the answers. But I know that those answers tell me EXACTLY how to right the ship, and I always come away from it better off than before.

 

It can be done with horrible musicians.. college trained musicians... people that play country, pop, rock, 80s, or whatever else... a Steely Dan tribute band.... it really doesn't matter. The one reason why live music is suffering is simply because no one wants to take the time to create a product worth selling.

Think about it. When I say the bar down the street from you is going to have an original metal band tonight, what do you think of? I IMMEDIATELY think of a group of washed up burnout junkies with long hair, playing in ratty black t-shirts and jeans, with broken down, out of tune instruments, playing original songs that are lackluster and unfinished.. and while the band members may have some talent, the band will most likely sound horrible, out of sync, and lack any sort of professionalism. I'm sure there are metal bands on the local level that have it all together.. dress "stylishly" for the genre, have original creative songs with some appeal to a wider base, and are professionals. Is it fair for me to assume? No.. probably not, but the stereotype has proven itself time and time again. 

 

Getting "dad bands" to play for free is just going to make it harder for the bands that actually DO take this seriously.

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:-) The reason I think it could be a cool idea is because anything that works is a cool idea. If you make it work.

 

Whether or not the idea would be implemented with any professionalism is something I can't say, but if it were run like similar gigs I've been a part of it could be fantastic.

 

First of all, someone is getting paid. The organizer. Pretty shrewd if you ask me. Get a bunch of guys that can pull off four songs in a row well and move onto the next bunch of guys before they start wheezing and gasping like the old bastards they are. :-)

 

And seriously the idea probably wouldn't work. But only because the talent pool most likely sucks. But you're right, I'm not a live performer anymore. I have no vested interest in this. I'm not biased. I happen to think it would be awesome if it did work.

 

To quickly illustrate, I've played gigs one in particular recently where we were doing a special event for Johnny Cash's birthday. All the top performers from current to 20 years before in San Diego got up and blasted through two songs each of Johnny Cash's best. We reworked our two to fit into a jangle pop sorta sound. All the performers were pros and got up and off the stage in seconds flat. It worked like a whirlwind and was a hell of a blast for everyone involved. And as an extra added bonus Johnny's guitarist Jim Soldi showed up and jammed as well.

 

Will the idea work? I guess that depends on if the performers suck or not!

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Mod can rag on me all he wants because he's clueless about what I do and what I've done. I've made a full time living playing as both a band member and a solo musician for a major part of my life. People like Mod are in a complete different world than singers,guitar players, piano players and song-writers. They're normally on the outside looking in so people like him tend to compensate through ridicule and lenghty signatures that include all kinds of gear that nobody cares about.

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I think from your perspective and the bar's, it's pretty foolproof. I do feel for the bands who have to follow you though. It's one more incentive to not hire a band in the future, if you can do it for half. But worrying about the competition isn't really your job.

 

What might save them, and the one downside of this, is if people come to see their friends and then leave. You get forty people or eighty or whatever in the door, but if they aren't there for more than just the one band, it won't help as much. If the bands stay and hang out though, most of their people probably will.

 

I think though, I would see if you can get more from the bar, particularly in the future if it goes well. Good luck!

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If you're willing to put in the work then go for it.  I agree you will probably have a hard time finding bands to play, but if you've already got bands lined up then that part will be easy.  

There are certainly a lot of bottom feeder bands, but if you're looking at things purely from business stand point then you'll recognize a lot of companies compete by selling a product at a lower price than their competitors.  Consumers might not end up with the best product, but they are paying the lowest price.  It's a common practice.

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