Members BlueStrat Posted January 25, 2014 Members Share Posted January 25, 2014 Sheesh, I just called a regular venue that has been a staple for me good for two weekend nights a month and two weeknights, and they just informed me starting in April they're "making adjustments to meet the current economic reality." Translation: cutting out live music except for a few downtown events every year. At least they're honoring the bookings they do have until then. This is the third place that has canned it altogether in the past two months here I town, and another one up north of here as well. This has resulted in a loss of about 400 to 600 dollars a month for me. I keep hearing how things are getting better, and perhaps in some regions they are, but I certainly am not seeing it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted January 25, 2014 Members Share Posted January 25, 2014 Everything passes. I occasionally play with ex-big-band guys (yes, they're very old) and they went through the same thing--at a certain point, the venues would no longer pay for a seven-piece when they could attract more and younger patrons with a four-piece. The past while it's become not paying a four-piece when you can pay a solo with BTs or a DJ and attract more and younger patrons. Now it's, why pay anyone when people come out anyway?I don't think it has much to do with the economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted January 25, 2014 Members Share Posted January 25, 2014 pogo97 wrote: Everything passes. I occasionally play with ex-big-band guys (yes, they're very old) and they went through the same thing--at a certain point, the venues would no longer pay for a seven-piece when they could attract more and younger patrons with a four-piece. The past while it's become not paying a four-piece when you can pay a solo with BTs or a DJ and attract more and younger patrons. Now it's, why pay anyone when people come out anyway? I don't think it has much to do with the economy. Indeed. There aren't many places that have music because they just love it. Most have music because they make more money with it, than without it. For that matter, if folks can make money from coffee instead of booze they'll go that route. There are exceptions, but large screen sports, bands, DJ's, coffee culture, pool, food, mud wrestling, bull riding, booze and so on, are all there because they make money. If they don't, they're gone.I guess we have to enjoy the few owners that actually care about live music.BTW BlueStrat, sorry to hear about your work shrinkage. I'm down a few rooms this year as well, but it looks like I'll pick up a few new ones. Here's hoping your situation improves soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted January 26, 2014 Members Share Posted January 26, 2014 Don't know what to say. I'm hearing a lot of this in my area. Or one solo gets replaced by another (probably price) instantly. One has to keep looking for new places to play even when booked solid in this field. I may be repeating myself, but many gigs in this area don't pay anything now days. So so musicians will play for free drinks and put out their tip jar for a few bucks, so why should they pay $150 for a seasoned entertainer? There will be ups & downs in this business for those that stay in it long enough to realize it. I've had a few repeat gigs, some that lasted years, but there comes a time when they don't repeat any more. So if your finances aren't looking too good, you find some one nighters, change your repertoire, or join a band for a while. Good luck, it's a little rough out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 26, 2014 Members Share Posted January 26, 2014 The stock market is up, but the liars on political TV "news" stations keep telling people the world is coming to an end (they use fear as a tool to promote their agendas). So many people are afraid to go out and spend money. The market is changing -- DJs play records that can't be reproduced by live bands The market is changing -- a place we couldn't get into because the hired nothing but 5 piece bands a decade ago hired our duo a couple of years ago and now do nothing but singles and we can't get in anymore because they don't want to spend the money The market is changing -- clubs that we used to play two nights a week in now only have entertainment one night a week, and a couple of decades ago it was 4 nights/week, and a few years before that 6 The market is changing -- we have a few clubs doing open mic nights on the weekends - some people come as much to laugh at the amateurs as to get good music. How can a pro compete with free entertainment? The market is changing -- KJs - there are Karaoke Jocks singing along to purchased tracks who do not play instruments undercutting us price wise MADD mothers - the DUI laws are stricter, and the penalties severe, and the taxes per drink shot up with the same effort. I agree that keeping drunk drivers from killing others is a good thing, but it hurt our business as the club makes less money. Tests show that driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as driving drunk, but so many MADD mothers are driving around talking on their phones - that makes them nothing but prohibitionists and hypocrites. The market is changing -- and music doesn't seem to be as important to people today as it was years ago TV - when I was young, TV was black and white with a 2" speaker, then came color with bigger speakers but a grainy picture and narrow audio bandwidth so it still sounded tinny. Now we have >50" screens with 7.1 surround sound and a few hundred channels plus a cable bill that can run $300/month easily - money that should be spent in the bars with bands where it belongs Yes, when I was young, the oldsters were waiting for the "big bands" to come back. Now people are hoping 5 piece guitar/organ/horn bands are coming back. The world changes and we can't always see it coming. What accountant could have predicted TurboTax? What receptionist could have predicted those irritating automatic phone menus (press 6 to speak to the person in Asia with an accent you can't understand)? What floppy disk manufacturer could have predicted the CD and then the flash drive? The list can go on and on. We had our peak years in the Clinton era, when we were puling 6 figures - I don't think I'll see that again. Then came the war which bleeds the economy, and the slow recovery mostly due to partisan politics and a dysfunctional government. Will the live entertainment industry ever recover? I'm not holding my breath. We do what we can do, seek out the markets that still hire live duos, and tailor our song selections to the changing tastes of our clients. And we have the never-ending lose a few clients and gain a few new ones. The finding new ones is the least pleasant part of my job, but it's necessary. What else can you do but keep on or find a new trade? Fortunately we can still make the mortgage payments and take a vacation once a year. There are people in many trades not doing as well as us, and we are thankful for what we have. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted January 27, 2014 Members Share Posted January 27, 2014 There are lots of people who would like to see you entertain and you're fairly well known in the area. Start organizing house concerts using social media to promote them. **** the venues man..Seriously..It's their loss...PEOPLE want to see live music!!! The home concert is the perfect venue for the solo acoustic entertainer. Just start a movement in your area and book yourself then start booking other performers as well, Use the web and connect with other's who host house concerts. Get a weekly thing happening where people pay $5-10 to get in and you'll see many buy CD's and other swag from the performers! ..Again, forget the bars..Seriously..They are shooting themselves in the food canceling entertainment. It's certainly not going to enhance their business as we've seen all of that before. Good luck brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted January 27, 2014 Members Share Posted January 27, 2014 LOL...You guys are some serious optimists but that optimism has no foundation in reality!! LOL Cracks me up!! Thanks though for the smiles because in this business there's little to smile about...I disagree, it's not getting better and never will for what we all do. There will be live entertainment but it will be of a different kind of which I suspect none of us do and mostly has yet to proliferate among the younger generation. I have 2 step sons, 8 and 11 and see where it's all heading. Those of you relying on bar/club gigs are in a losing game. Sorry. The money is never going back up and it has further down to go. Gigs will continue to deteriorate for various reasons we all know. Now, the good news is that people want to see good live entertainment. They always will! That's why Billy Joel Can tour and sell out after over 20 years without an album. That's why the Eagles can still tour and sell out etc etc..Fans revere what we can do and they want to be moved..DJ's don't move people emotionally..Karaoke sure as heck doesn't either. But Pat playing his acoustic and singing soulfully surely does and we all know it! We've experienced it!..So traditional venues and gig opportunities are drying up but for the innovative musical entrepreneur there will be new opportunities because we have a product that people want. We just need to figure out how to get it to them in a convenient, cost effective manner. Sure, some of the mediocre and less than mediocre part timers will lose out to the competition for fewer but lucrative new opportunities but that's capitalism and artistic Darwinism!! Happy hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoadRanger Posted January 27, 2014 Members Share Posted January 27, 2014 sventvkg wrote: Get a weekly thing happening where people pay $5-10 to get in and you'll see many buy CD's and other swag from the performers! Unfortunately it's illegal to demand payment or to keep any of the donations - they must go 100% to the performer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted January 27, 2014 Members Share Posted January 27, 2014 :sventvkg wrote: Now, the good news is that people want to see good liver entertainment. They always will! +1. I'm a firm believer in good liver entertainment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted January 28, 2014 Members Share Posted January 28, 2014 sventvkg wrote: Sure, some of the mediocre and less than mediocre part timers will lose out to the competition for fewer but lucrative new opportunities but that's capitalism and artistic Darwinism!! Happy hunting. Competition is indeed stiff. In my usual niche venue market, I have to "compete" with some pretty strong contenders, including these three guys - and two of them have Juno awards. http://www.kennybluesboss.com/index.php https://www.facebook.com/pages/MURRAY-PORTER/108126181953 http://www.wesmackey.com/ Luckily for me, one of them moved out of town But competition, as good natured as it is amongst the guys I know, is still fierce. Trying to up my game this year. One of my goals is better and more interactive promo. That and better threads! Unfortunately for me, house parties are a non starter. Besides the fact that my neighbours would rat me out, my wife would start cutting off my appendages if anything went wrong and we were consequently sued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nousername Posted January 30, 2014 Members Share Posted January 30, 2014 sventvkg wrote: There are lots of people who would like to see you entertain and you're fairly well known in the area. Start organizing house concerts using social media to promote them. **** the venues man..Seriously..It's their loss...PEOPLE want to see live music!!! The home concert is the perfect venue for the solo acoustic entertainer. Just start a movement in your area and book yourself then start booking other performers as well, Use the web and connect with other's who host house concerts. Get a weekly thing happening where people pay $5-10 to get in and you'll see many buy CD's and other swag from the performers! ..Again, forget the bars..Seriously..They are shooting themselves in the food canceling entertainment. It's certainly not going to enhance their business as we've seen all of that before. Good luck brother! I swear I read on this site about a band who would put on their OWN gig a few times a year. They would rent a venue, sell tickets, supply food and beer. That sounds damn awesome to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted January 31, 2014 Members Share Posted January 31, 2014 Jesus Christ...really??? Lmao!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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