Backstage With the Band

[Kramerguy]

Well... Interesting for us, anyways.

At a local theater, set up for plays, screenings, etc.  They now do a "Friday Night Concert", every friday.  Here's their arrangement:

Venue does promotions, posters, prints tickets, lists in 4 local papers, two of which are the "big" ones.  The band is also responsible for doing their fair share of promotions, but venue will provide all printed materials and also deliver digital posters and stuff for online promo.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.  Venue gets first 20 ticket sales at 100%, then split goes 70% to the band and 30% to the venue.  The venue capacity is 240.  Concert is 7pm-9pm.

Band can have 30-minute opening act if desired, and it is recommended so the opener can add to ticket sales.  Pay to the opener is entirely up to the band.

Venue will work with any sponsorships and print sponsor coupons on back of ticket - the only deal is that the sponsor must purchase 20 tickets to distribute or sell however they wish.  In an example, a restaurant sponsored a friend's band, bought the tix, and has a coupon for 10% off entire check (dinner) on the back of the ticket.

The math, as it happens, is if we sell 120 tickets, we make $700.  If we sell 220, we make $1400.  If we sell 30 tickets, we make $70 .. lol.

I met with them for an hour today discussing all the possible angles and they are very agreeable and flexible, and frankly, NOBODY in this area offers 70% on tickets.. most don't even offer half.

So whatcha all think?

(edit)  Oh yeah.. one thing... no bar / alcohol- not even byob.. it's in every aspect like a concert hall with exception to a concessions stand with popcorn/sodas.

[CliffordN]

Run, run just as fast as you can!

[StratGuy22]

Hmmmm I wouldn't want to be the first band to do this. Actually I don't know if I'd do it at all.

Interesting idea though.

[capitalist]

Unless the bands are playing "Disney songs" for the children, how would you get anyone else to attend at such an early time? Heck, I have friends that don't get out of bed until 3:00 p.m. The earliest we ever begin a bar gig is about 10:00 p.m.

[trevcda]

Or you can rent a hall and do your own promotion and do it yourself and risk losing money.  

If your the kind of act that can put on show that people will want to pay to watch, it sounds like a pretty good deal.  It sounds like the worst that can happen is that no one shows up and you don't make any money.  Meanwhile the venue has lost advertising, labor and overhead costs just by being open.  I suspect they may have a built in core audience that may be interested in this kind of a show, even or especially sans alcohol.  It sounds like a decent opportunity if you have drawable act.  At least their not making you purchase all of the tickets to sell.  Maybe I'm missing something.

[jimiv]

Unless you are an all originals band, what is the point for playing for that kind of money.  I just booked a wedding reception gig for this august above 3000.00.  For covers, I am thinking that is where it is at, at least out here.  I dunno, I just don't want to play cover gigs for that kind of money anymore.  Actually, i can't remember when i played a cover gig for money like that.  It really sucks right now for cover bands ( yes i know Grant, your cover band is getting $$$$$, but man I gotta tell ya, I just don't know how that gig would work out here.

I get it if you are an originals band, but why would you play for that kind on money as a cover band?

[Drummer44]

Given the CONCERT setting -- no drinks, food, etc. -- believe to be successful it would have to be every bit as much a visual show as it is music. Music itself is available online, etc., so many maybe wouldn't pay just to hear it unless SEEING it is an additional attraction.

OTOH, if your thing is worth seeing as well as hearing, it sounds like an interesting approach to experiment with. Prob'ly wouldn't want to dilute your market if it works occasionally...

And what he said, about originals versus covers.

-D44

[guido61]

In my experience, bands that can sell 200 tickets at $10 a pop don't need to do gigs like this in the first place.   They've got enough of a following that the clubs are working hard to book THEM and their schedule is so full they don't time for this sort of event.

Do you know 200 people willing to pay 10 bucks to see you "in concert" with no other event attached to the show or even booze for sale?  If so, then go for it.   If not, then be prepared to work hard promoting an event no one will be at.

[mstreck]

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Kramerguy wrote:

Well... Interesting for us, anyways.

At a local theater, set up for plays, screenings, etc.  They now do a "Friday Night Concert", every friday.  Here's their arrangement:

Venue does promotions, posters, prints tickets, lists in 4 local papers, two of which are the "big" ones.  The band is also responsible for doing their fair share of promotions, but venue will provide all printed materials and also deliver digital posters and stuff for online promo.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.  Venue gets first 20 ticket sales at 100%, then split goes 70% to the band and 30% to the venue.  The venue capacity is 240.  Concert is 7pm-9pm.

Band can have 30-minute opening act if desired, and it is recommended so the opener can add to ticket sales.  Pay to the opener is entirely up to the band.

Venue will work with any sponsorships and print sponsor coupons on back of ticket - the only deal is that the sponsor must purchase 20 tickets to distribute or sell however they wish.  In an example, a restaurant sponsored a friend's band, bought the tix, and has a coupon for 10% off entire check (dinner) on the back of the ticket.

The math, as it happens, is if we sell 120 tickets, we make $700.  If we sell 220, we make $1400.  If we sell 30 tickets, we make $70 .. lol.

I met with them for an hour today discussing all the possible angles and they are very agreeable and flexible, and frankly, NOBODY in this area offers 70% on tickets.. most don't even offer half.

So whatcha all think?

(edit)  Oh yeah.. one thing... no bar / alcohol- not even byob.. it's in every aspect like a concert hall with exception to a concessions stand with popcorn/sodas.

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So.... the first 20 tickets sold at the venue don't count towards your pay, and every 20 tickets bought by sponsors don't count towards your pay. Capacity for the venue is 240?  How many people in the area are going to go to this kind of show? if the venue finds just five sponsors for the show, you'll already have 120 tickets floating around out in the community, leaving 120 available for purchase. If they find 10 sponsors, that leaves only 20 tickets that can earn you money towards your pay. And I bet the venue isn't going to slack off on finding sponsors when that's guaranteed money for them.

That math stinks - unless you're the venue.

[guido61]

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mstreck wrote:

So.... the first 20 tickets sold at the venue don't count towards your pay, and every 20 tickets bought by sponsors don't count towards your pay. Capacity for the venue is 240?  How many people in the area are going to go to this kind of show? if the venue finds just five sponsors for the show, you'll already have 120 tickets floating around out in the community, leaving 120 available for purchase. If they find 10 sponsors, that leaves only 20 tickets that can earn you money towards your pay. And I bet the venue isn't going to slack off on finding sponsors when that's guaranteed money for them.

That math stinks - unless you're the venue.

---

Well, unless I read it wrong, I don't think it says that they don't get a percentage of tickets sold to "sponsers".   But it doesn't say they will either.

But even if they do---I'm still asking what's the draw here?  Why is anybody going to pay $10 or $15 to see a cover band in a concert-setting at a theater?  Who are they planning to sell tickets TO?

[mstreck]

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guido61 wrote:

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mstreck wrote:

So.... the first 20 tickets sold at the venue don't count towards your pay, and every 20 tickets bought by sponsors don't count towards your pay. Capacity for the venue is 240?  How many people in the area are going to go to this kind of show? if the venue finds just five sponsors for the show, you'll already have 120 tickets floating around out in the community, leaving 120 available for purchase. If they find 10 sponsors, that leaves only 20 tickets that can earn you money towards your pay. And I bet the venue isn't going to slack off on finding sponsors when that's guaranteed money for them.

That math stinks - unless you're the venue.

---

Well, unless I read it wrong, I don't think it says that they don't get a percentage of tickets sold to "sponsers".   But it doesn't say they will either.

But even if they do---I'm still asking what's the draw here?  Why is anybody going to pay $10 or $15 to see a cover band in a concert-setting at a theater?  Who are they planning to sell tickets TO?

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No matter what, I think it's a losing proposition for the band(s).

[trevcda]

Oh, yeah, without a doubt not a cover band situation.  Who would sit and watch a cover band, unless it was a tribute act, anyway?  I'm with you guys in that I make infinitely more on the wedding/corporate circuit, but those shows are what allows me to do shows like this when I want to.  For the art of craft, if you will.    And would provide an opportunity to sell music and merch for additional income.  Unless they're charging movie theater prices for popcorn, it still doesn't seem like anybody is pulling in huge pile of cash and it seems like more of a collaborative effort than most situations like this.  I didn't consider the multiple sponsorship angle, and how those monies are divvied up, in my assessment.  Depending on how that was defined, there would have to be a limit on available sponsorships per show for me.

[guido61]

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mstreck wrote:

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No matter what, I think it's a losing proposition for the band(s).

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I would agree.  Like I said before, if the band has the kind of draw to sell a couple of hundred tickets at $10 a pop, then they probably don't need to be doing gigs like this and wouldn't be asking if they should.  

[wesg]

This MIGHT work as an All Ages show.

Where is Jeff42? ISTR There And Back Again have played venues like this.

For me, the fact that is a no booze, no dancing environment really makes it tough. You could probably make more money by renting a licensed hall and throwing a party for your friends.

[vablows]

I think that if you are doing orginals and looking to build up your fan base, why wouldn't you do this?

I don't know many bands playing original material that get paid at all, in fact I know of none.

In my mind, if you are playing original material, you are doing it for the love of your craft, but at the same time you are concerned more just about doing gigs and getting exposure than you are about the pay until you get signed or have sponsorship.

[jimiv]

Yep, no brainer,....if you are an originals band

[guido61]

Agree with the above two posts.

Problem is, I'm pretty sure Kramerguy plays in a cover band.  But I could be wrong.

[vablows]

I guess we need some clarification form the Op, huh?

So here's the verdict:

Cover band- run

Originals band- good gig

[jeff42]

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wesg wrote:
This MIGHT work as an All Ages show.

Where is Jeff42? ISTR There And Back Again have played venues like this.

For me, the fact that is a no booze, no dancing environment really makes it tough. You could probably make more money by renting a licensed hall and throwing a party for your friends.

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we have played a few places like this but they were usually special event type things (opening day of a local performing arts center for one) but we were always paid a flat fee. 

[stratotastic]

I agree with gweed - if you have what you need to be successful with this type of gig in the first place then you really don't need this kind of gig in the first place!

I know that the type of show we try to put on at least is more geared toward the drinking/dancing crowd and it would be a pretty big shift for us to adjust toward the all-ages, popcorn, 7pm scene. We do have a couple earlier beach bar type things we do in the summertime where kids are allowed to hang out, and even though the booze is plentiful, that environment can even feel a little stiff as we have to be mindful of toning down some of the lyrics, adjusting our banter, etc. Takes us off our game. 

Serious question: what are the benefits for a band like kramerguy's to play this type of gig?