Tip jar question

[Vito Corleone]

cowboy hats = friends in low places

 

 

I don't think Jason's band plays that song. They play the other two regularly, I believe.

 

I don't think every band needs to be in the business of having something in their back pocket for every possible yahoo who might walk into where-ever they might be playing. But if you gotta couple numbers that are at least pretty close to what they are asking for, no reason not to bust-em-out, IMO. Unless maybe if you've already played them and you don't want to annoy the other 85 people in the room just to please 15.

 

Seriously, if Proud Mary isn't good enough for a rock band to play for some guy in a cowboy hat asking for a "something for the old people" then {censored} him.

[Vito Corleone]

Which reminds me, I just worked up a mashup of Friends in Low Places and F*** You.

 

 

Perfect! Next time such a situation comes up, you can address the guy on TWO points at the same time!

[TIMKEYS]

I don't think Jason's band plays that song. They play the other two regularly, I believe. I don't think every band needs to be in the business of having something in their back pocket for every possible yahoo who might walk into where-ever they might be playing. But if you gotta couple numbers that are at least pretty close to what they are asking for, no reason not to bust-em-out, IMO. Unless maybe if you've already played them and you don't want to annoy the other 85 people in the room just to please 15. Seriously, if Proud Mary isn't good enough for a rock band to play for some guy in a cowboy hat asking for a "something for the old people" then {censored} him.

 

 

My inner geezer hates that fnk song lol.

[MDLMUSIC]

OT, but we had a weird situation at a show last month where I ended up having to get a little loud with a patron. It was towards the end of the night, we're playing to about 100 people - 85 in the 20-30 demographic which we cater to and 15 or so older people in cowboy hats. Well one cowboy had dude puts a dollar down on the stage with a napkin with a bunch of songs we don't do written on it and yelled out "Play something for the older people". At first I ignored him... well the dick got mad and yelled "Play what I requested, I gave you a dollar!". So... I responded... And provided him a $1 refund for services not rendered. Like his freakin' dollar all of a sudden gives him some kind of clout...

 

 

A principal at one of the schools in my district told me this story. I don't know whether or not it's true, but it's still a good story.

 

A parent came into his office complaininig angrily about something and used the oft-quoted line, "Hey, you 're a public employee and I pay my taxes, so you work for me, which means I'm your boss and you have to give me what I want!"

 

The Prinicpal reached into his pocket, pulled out a penny, threw it on the desk in front of the guy and said, "There's how much of your taxes went to paying my salary. Now we're even. Get the hell out of my office!"

[kmart]

A principal at one of the schools in my district told me this story. I don't know whether or not it's true, but it's still a good story. A parent came into his office complaininig angrily about something and used the oft-quoted line, "Hey, you 're a public employee and I pay my taxes, so you work for me, which means I'm your boss and you have to give me what I want!" The Prinicpal reached into his pocket, pulled out a penny, threw it on the desk in front of the guy and said, "There's how much of your taxes went to paying my salary. Now we're even. Get the hell out of my office!"

 

 

Too good of a story to be true.

[wardjames]

Thats pretty funny ,, but in all reality, you should have been able to play at least one song to honor his request just to help out the wait staff. A group of 15 is a big deal to a waiter.

 

 

I think you've got to be very careful when honoring requests not to piss off the bulk of the crowd you're playing to as well. When we get requests for well know songs that the bulk of the crowd will like from polite people, we try to honor them as best we can. When we get obscure or vague requests from people that we think the crowd won't be into, we decline.

 

Also, when we get rude drunk guys requesting "SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!!!!!"...we ignore it. When we get hot girls requesting "Sweet Home Alabama", we play it.

[wardjames]

Which reminds me, I just worked up a mashup of Friends in Low Places and F*** You.

 

 

Sounds fun!

[wardjames]

Seriously, if Proud Mary isn't good enough for a rock band to play for some guy in a cowboy hat asking for a "something for the old people" then {censored} him.

 

 

I'm guessing the guy was so drunk he couldn't have known the difference between Proud Mary and Wind Cries Mary

[TIMKEYS]

I think you've got to be very careful when honoring requests not to piss off the bulk of the crowd you're playing to as well. When we get requests for well know songs that the bulk of the crowd will like from polite people, we try to honor them as best we can. When we get obscure or vague requests from people that we think the crowd won't be into, we decline. Also, when we get rude drunk guys requesting "SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!!!!!"...we ignore it. When we get hot girls requesting "Sweet Home Alabama", we play it.

 

 

Big tables that are spending alot typically get their requests played at our gigs. We tend to play all requests if we can. As for the tip jar. Doing requests is a way of letting people know you appreciate their business and doing what you can do so they have a good time. people like to tip the band ,, no reason to stand in the way of their fun.

[tim_7string]

 

My thoughts on tip jars in a typical bar setting with a cover band: no. Why? Because you are already getting paid, and the wait staff depends on tips for their living. When you start competing with the staff for tips, you might be pissing off people who influence the decision to book you for a return engagement.

 

 

This is the way I look at it as well. Acoustic solo or duo? No problem. Cover band rocking the local tavern? Seems a bit odd to me and I personally would be turned off if I saw it in front of the stage. I'm with Jerry Seinfeld on that...it seems like you see tip jars everywhere, including next to cash registers and I'm always irritated when I see them. What am I tipping you for? Doing your job? It is EXPECTED that a waiter/waitress or pizza delivery person be tipped (although there are many people that refuse to do that as well).

 

But if you can get some extra dough out of it, what the hell, let the tip jar stay, especially if the venue is the one putting it there. Perhaps it's just a tradition of sorts for that particular place.

 

Funny thing: there is a guy who loves music and goes out and checks out the local band scene in the bars around here. If he likes what they are doing, he will throw a bunch of coins onto the stage. I always chuckle to myself and wonder if he's making a wish or something.

 

And I'm with the others that say tips should be split equally between bandmembers, unless they are so low, it isn't worth it. My ex-bandleader gave me the tip that someone gave him once (a dollar). I actually asked everyone if they wanted a quarter each, but they declined. However, if someone gave him a $20 tip, he would give everyone $5. I just feel that the tips are for the BAND, even if someone gives it directly to one of the members or the lead singer.

[pickinatit]

Good to read a couple responses that actually consider that equal distribution of the contents of the tip jar isn't necessarily obvious. It's part of the bigger picture of compensation based on work, investment in equipment, commitment as a leader, sideman, or co-op member . . . or even talent. Are tips different from pay, and if so, why? The majority view seems to be dividing it equally regardless, and I think that's how servers' tips are divided at the end of the evening, even though it's obvious that the amount of the tip is often influenced by the quality of the service by the individual. How do you all feel about applying this practice to your day gig? After all, isn't the guy who takes the initiative and implements it himself entitled to some form of compensation. Most leaders/bosses get paid more than those who work to support his enterprise. So what are the limits of your socialistic leanings here?

 

 

I am of the opinion that a boss that pockets the tips....well that's just wrong, wrong, wrong. Outside of a band situation I think it would be extremely poor etiquette for a boss to do that, in fact, I think it's bad etiquette for someone in a management situation to accept tips at all. I know that etiquette wise it's impolite to tip an owner of an establishment (even supposed to be an insult of sorts).

[pickinatit]

We did those in the second set. By the time set 3 comes around, those songs are generally used...

You play "Sweet Caroline" and "Proud Mary" but bulk at the idea of playing maybe ONE more old song for the "old folk" in the bar? That logic just doesn't make sense to me.

[pickinatit]

My inner geezer hates that fnk song lol.

 

 

That damn "Proud Mary" was the "Mustang Sally" of my busiest band days. ("Jerimiah Was a Bullfrog" was "Brown Eyed Girl" LOL) Now, after not gigging for a lot of years I don't mind playing them so much any more.

[TrickyBoy]

You play "Sweet Caroline" and "Proud Mary" but bulk at the idea of playing maybe ONE more old song for the "old folk" in the bar? That logic just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Well lets see if I can explain it... We cater to the 18-35 demographic exclusively. We only play places that cater to this demo. The place that we played on the night in question is making a concerted effort to cater to this demo. The owner specifically stated that she doesn't want bands that "play stuff like Mustang Sally".

 

We do very few songs that came out before 1980:

1. Play that funky music - Probably going to be cut from our regular rotation soon

2 and 3. A medley of Proud Mary and Shout - Definitely a keeper. Meagan absolutely nails Proud Mary, we generally close our second set with these two songs into....

4. Sweet Caroline - Done with a very punk rock vibe

5. Iko Iko - which is mashed up with Blister In The Sun

6. Brown Eyed Girl - One verse mashed up with I Like Cold Beverages and Can I Getta

7. Sweet Home Alabama - One verse mashed up with It Takes Two and Jump Around

 

Other than that, we play all more current stuff, and EVERYTHING we're adding now is a mashup. So far we have about 20 in place and my goal is to double that by years end. So even if I was going to add an older tune, I'm probably going to mash it up with something more current. Or if I'm going to do a country song (ex. Chicken Fried) I'm going to mash it up with something NOT country (ex. Gin and Juice) BTW we did that - it's awesome.

 

As I stated earlier, we are not a variety band. We are purposely painting ourselves into a corner as a very niche band. Some people love us and follow us to every show. Others don't like us at all. Very few people don't have an opinion about us.

[TrickyBoy]

 

That damn "Proud Mary" was the "Mustang Sally" of my busiest band days. ("Jerimiah Was a Bullfrog" was "Brown Eyed Girl" LOL) Now, after not gigging for a lot of years I don't mind playing them so much any more.

 

 

I really don't like the CCR version of Proud Mary. We do the Tina Turner version, which I like a lot.

[GCDEF]

My thoughts on tip jars in a typical bar setting with a cover band: no. Why? Because you are already getting paid, and the wait staff depends on tips for their living. When you start competing with the staff for tips, you might be pissing off people who influence the decision to book you for a return engagement.

 

 

I don't think you're competing for tips. If the audience is tipping you, they likely like what you do which will keep them there longer and run up their check. The more the check, the more the servers' tips. I doubt many people would cut the server tip because they also tipped the band.

[TIMKEYS]

That damn "Proud Mary" was the "Mustang Sally" of my busiest band days. ("Jerimiah Was a Bullfrog" was "Brown Eyed Girl" LOL) Now, after not gigging for a lot of years I don't mind playing them so much any more.

 

 

Jerimiah Was a Bullfrog official title was joy to the world and it was written by hoyt axton.

 

We have a tip jar , but we also play the kind of shows where you get alot of requests. Whats kinda funny is, people will request things trying to be funny and we do them. Last night was it was Glen Campbell. Did two of his songs back to back. We do requests , we take dares. Its pretty hard to stump this band with anything thats older.

[StratGuy22]

I've never played in a band with a tip jar. I don't know if it's the norm here or what. We did take a $200 tip one night to keep playing. It was 2:30 am, and then we kept going until 4:30am

 

 

I think tips should be split evenly.

 

[MusicalSchizo]

My thoughts on tip jars in a typical bar setting with a cover band: no. Why? Because you are already getting paid, and the wait staff depends on tips for their living. When you start competing with the staff for tips, you might be pissing off people who influence the decision to book you for a return engagement.

Wow, that's a big stretch...bands don't compete with wait staff for tips. In most cases, a patron of a bar/restaurant does not come in with a fixed amount of money and whatever the band gets comes directly from what the person who wait on them gets. If both are good, both will be tipped. Hopefully well.

And I've NEVER in my 20-year career playing bars come across a venue manager who had a problem with a cover band putting out a tip jar. In fact, most of them at some point have asked where ours was (since we don't always have one). NO ONE sees band tips as taking away from wait staff tips. Unless, of course, someone on the wait staff is an avaricious psycho. And who gives a {censored} about them? They're {censored}ing nuts!

Brian V.

[wardjames]

I don't think you're competing for tips. If the audience is tipping you, they likely like what you do which will keep them there longer and run up their check. The more the check, the more the servers' tips. I doubt many people would cut the server tip because they also tipped the band.

 

 

I agree. I multiply the food tab by 20% and that's the tip, paid on my debit card. What I tip the band would be irrelevant.

[Marc G]

we don't do it...but there was this ONE TIME



all because I came to the band room the night before in a bad mood....at least it was a great gig, $100 and 2 condoms in the tip jar by the end of the night!

[modulusman]

 

I don't think you're competing for tips. If the audience is tipping you, they likely like what you do which will keep them there longer and run up their check. The more the check, the more the servers' tips. I doubt many people would cut the server tip because they also tipped the band.

 

 

Might depend on where you play. In my area most of the places with live music are just bars not bars/restaurant. People are there to drink and dance.

[rocket888]

Tips certainly should be evenly shared with the band.

 

We have a tip jar, but occasionally (actually, twice) someone has come up and personally tipped me after a tune, and said "This is for you...not the band".

 

I was uncomfortable with that, and told the bandleader that I would share it if he said so, (4 piece Blues band), and he said keep it.

 

Anyone else ever had that happen? And how did you handle it?

[TIMKEYS]

Tips certainly should be evenly shared with the band. We have a tip jar, but occasionally (actually, twice) someone has come up and personally tipped me after a tune, and said "This is for you...not the band". I was uncomfortable with that, and told the bandleader that I would share it if he said so, (4 piece Blues band), and he said keep it. Anyone else ever had that happen? And how did you handle it?

 

 

wait till the guy leaves or after the gig and just drop it in the tip jar.

[BlueStrat]

My rules:
If it's a restaurant, whether acoustic or with my band, there's a tip jar.
If I'm doing an acoustic set solo or duo in a club, gallery or private party, there's a tip jar.
If I'm sitting down to play, there's a tip jar.

If it's a dance club with my band, there's no tip jar. Unless management wants to put it out. Then I'm fine with any avenue of collecting more money.