Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 I think we've all done this... envied a band that was playing a room that you've desired to get into for years. Maybe a A-list room in your local area or an agency room somewhere hosting marquee bands. In the five years we've done agency shows, time and time again we gain a room that we see as 'key' to spreading our name and value, only to arrive and have it be the biggest hassle we've ever played. I write this because I just got an email from our manager for an agent room we have next month that's 2 hrs away and requires us to bring full sound and it read: Hey Guys we may have a problem with Parking both the Van and Trailer there. Agent said it was worse then Boston so i called down there and the club says the Band usually unloads in the fire zone and then drives around and looks for a metered parking spot. The Garage does not accept trailers.. Maybe we should meet early , take out the seats and put the equipment in the van. If we brought one sub we could probably get away with only taking one seat out and we can have 5 riders in the van. The other option is to take out all seats and fit 2 subs and possibly the light show but either way we would need others to drive down separate. We've done entire weekends away in Boston, a week down in Key West, overnights in A-list clubs 2-3 hours away... I'll say this. There is nothing like leaving your house 2 hrs before a show, driving 20 minutes, setting up with an easy load in. Most local rooms we have free reign. If we want to eat grapes, and have tranny-hookers load our gear in and soundcheck the bars could care less, as long as we are there. I find that most of rooms you look at from afar and and say "I wonder what it's like to play there"... in most cases a big hassle. A bar is a bar. The most special rooms that you've seen are just like any bar you've played at home... except with more rules. The older I get the more I say it... "there's no place like home". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rog951 Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Yeah, I think sometimes it's "the grass is always greener" syndrome. But of course, occasionally it really is greener. Every venue has its own set of quirks and pros and cons. But I 100% agree about trying to stay closer to home - extra travel time is like $$$ down the drain to me - and I understand the whole "devil you know" thing when it comes to familiar venues. Sometimes it just don't need to be fixed if it ain't broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Gigs on the road are like a box of chocolates or hanging out with Tijuana hookers... ...you never know what you're gonna get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crustee Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 That's the case with just about every A room in my area. The management also acts like they're doing you some great favor allowing you to play there. Only thing it's good for is for bargaining purposes with other rooms. I have more fun in the little rowhome sized pub gigs we play around town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Gigs on the road are like a box of chocolates or hanging out with Tijuana hookers... ...you never know what you're gonna get... Don't get me wrong... there have been a few occasions where we have walked into a bar and said "this place is cool". One club in Long Island claimed they had spent $100K on their sound and stage... and I believe it. It was the best we ever looked or sounded. Other places you arrive, double park, load in through a working kitchen, get to the stage only to find it's 6'x10' (but it looked so big in pictures ), and has a crowd that wouldn't even react if you screamed 'fire'... and actually lit the place on fire. We find that alot of agency bands play these rooms because... they have too. They have no management, no sound, no equipment expect backline. We're more self sufficent so it's disappointed to walk into a club that has been touted for years only to find their PA is two steps below the one you own. We're finding more and more of these agency bands looking to book in our back yard... which tells us one thing... things are probably not so great at home for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 I think we've all done this... envied a band that was playing a room that you've desired to get into for years. Maybe a A-list room in your local area or an agency room somewhere hosting marquee bands. In the five years we've done agency shows, time and time again we gain a room that we see as 'key' to spreading our name and value, only to arrive and have it be the biggest hassle we've ever played. I write this because I just got an email from our manager for an agent room we have next month that's 2 hrs away and requires us to bring full sound and it read: Hey Guys we may have a problem with Parking both the Van and Trailer there. Agent said it was worse then Boston so i called down there and the club says the Band usually unloads in the fire zone and then drives around and looks for a metered parking spot. The Garage does not accept trailers.. Maybe we should meet early , take out the seats and put the equipment in the van. If we brought one sub we could probably get away with only taking one seat out and we can have 5 riders in the van. The other option is to take out all seats and fit 2 subs and possibly the light show but either way we would need others to drive down separate. We've done entire weekends away in Boston, a week down in Key West, overnights in A-list clubs 2-3 hours away... I'll say this. There is nothing like leaving your house 2 hrs before a show, driving 20 minutes, setting up with an easy load in. Most local rooms we have free reign. If we want to eat grapes, and have tranny-hookers load our gear in and soundcheck the bars could care less, as long as we are there. I find that most of rooms you look at from afar and and say "I wonder what it's like to play there"... in most cases a big hassle. A bar is a bar. The most special rooms that you've seen are just like any bar you've played at home... except with more rules. The older I get the more I say it... "there's no place like home". You think you have it bad? We don't even *have* tranny-hookers around here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Well, you've already made the smart move in advancing the gig far enough to make a smart plan on how to attack things... ASSUMING that you still want to do the gig (It makes sense in the long run from a business ($ and other considerations) standpoint), this is what I'd think about: Rent a cargo van and leave the trailer at home. Load gear that's critical (and that fits) into the cargo van and your band van and split people across those vehicles.Park both vans in a garage.Done. Obviously, only you can do the actual math based on what you'll take in for the show, calculate POTENTIAL future bookings, cost of renting the van & additional gas, etc., but that's how I'd approach it. I'll say I'm lucky enough to live in a market with A-list clubs (mostly geared towards original music) where they pretty much are the best/what you'd hope for. And I've played them enough to be happy. As far as goals I've had related to "I want to get into [Venue X]", I set one for myself when I was 23 or so, and it's the only one I ever had: since then, played several times at and even headlined Chicago's Metro. Beyond that/since then...I'm good: all I ask from any other venues is...don't make me feel like you don't care about having bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 ", I set one for myself when I was 23 or so, and it's the only one I ever had: since then, played several times at and even headlined Chicago's Metro. Beyond that/since then...I'm good: all I ask from any other venues is...don't make me feel like you don't care about having bands. Well we're committed to the gig. These rooms all book 8 months to a year in advance so it's too late to back out now. We would never cancel once we booked anyway. Just bear with the aggravation and hope for a great show. We have a cargo van already. We'll just drive down seperately or carpool. NYC, Boston and Philly (as I'm sure Chi, San Fran, Atlanta) all have the same challenge in that the older properties nightclubs are opened in were never really designed well to support businesses. Even the loading zones at times are paltry... It's amazing they can accept deliveries. It's often why you see beverage trucks double parked, blocking traffic making delivery runs. One venue we play in 90 mins is terrific though... load in is from the street to the stage (a sliding glass door that looks onto the street), in house sound and great lighting... a parking space resevered for the band, and pre-negotiated 1/2 price rooms at the super comfy Hilton across the street. Now that's a room I LOVE to play. I'm not complaining... as much as lamenting at the irony that large name clubs that tout entertainment often are set up worse than your local bars to support it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wardjames Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 You think you have it bad? We don't even *have* tranny-hookers around here... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 NYC, Boston and Philly (as I'm sure Chi, San Fran, Atlanta) all have the same challenge in that the older properties nightclubs are opened in were never really designed well to support businesses. Even the loading zones at times are paltry... Well, all I can speak to is Chicago, and all the A-clubs IN the city handle load-in/out, officially signed & marked loading zones, etc. and other band logistics as best as could be expected. MOST (if not all) also have barricades from the city that they can place out when needed to reserve logically-located parking and access for band gear load-in, and those vehicles stay there for the duration: it's common (almost without exception) to see vans & trailers, etc. parked smack-dab in front of the venue, with the back-end/trailer doors closest to the area where load-in takes place. But we're 'the city that works', so there you go. Of course WITHIN the city itself, A-clubs/venues cater almost exclusively to original music; in the suburbs where most A-list cover bands play, there's far more room, and it's usually not a problem either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members New Trail Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 This thread reminds me of a thread I was going to start. Lately it seems like every gig we play has had horrible load-in situations and really not very good 'stage' situations either. I think it is because someone opens a bar or restaurant and THEN says "hey, let's have bands, and set 'em up OVER THERE!" and there's inadequate electricity, load-in all the way thru the bar or up flights of stairs, and little to no parking for the van, and the 'stage' is a 5x5 space on the floor between dining tables. Oh well, I guess it's all just a part of the price of doing business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Well, all I can speak to is Chicago, and all the A-clubs IN the city handle load-in/out, officially signed & marked loading zones, etc. and other band logistics as best as could be expected. MOST (if not all) also have barricades from the city that they can place out when needed to reserve logically-located parking and access for band gear load-in, and those vehicles stay there for the duration: it's common (almost without exception) to see vans & trailers, etc. parked smack-dab in front of the venue, with the back-end/trailer doors closest to the area where load-in takes place. But we're 'the city that works', so there you go. Of course WITHIN the city itself, A-clubs/venues cater almost exclusively to original music; in the suburbs where most A-list cover bands play, there's far more room, and it's usually not a problem either. Reallly??? Wow! Sounds like a dream. In NYC, play ACME Underground and you are on your own on the street to find available parking/loading. One club in Boston is a real treat... double park somewhere on the periphery of Fanueil Hall... walk several hundred feet through throngs on tourists to the building, up a flight of stairs and then to the stage where the management can yell at you all weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 For an example... Play Metro, which is located in the 3700 block of North Clark St., about 1/2 of a block up from Wrigley Field. Metro has been a club since 1983 or so. The building has been there much longer, of course, and obviously, Wrigley has been where it is for a hell of a long time. Metro has a capacity of around 1100.Wrigley has a capacity somewhere around 40k (give or take). BOTH are located smack dab in a residential neighborhood which has never been able to keep up with the volume of people who LIVE in/around the area, much less the influx of people from outside it. With the advent of night games at Wrigley, there is clearly a potential for a cluster-{censored} and conflict if you were to play Metro on the same day as a Cubs game, and clearly, the volume of people parking for a Cubs game far outweighs the volume of people for Metro. Yet Metro has a tiny space next to the building where 4-5 smaller vehicles can park right next to the load-in doors, and a loading zone (with barricades if they want) immediately in front of the venue on the street for vans w/trailers up to full-on tour buses. AND...Despite the fact that there is a large double-set of stairs to tote everything up (they do have ramps), venue staff always assists with load-in and load-out. But again, Metro is a world-class club. The ONLY bitch is that you have to navigate THROUGH all the Cub game traffic to get there. THAT's enough to make you want to kill yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Even the loading zones at times are paltry... It's amazing they can accept deliveries. It's often why you see beverage trucks double parked, blocking traffic making delivery runs. Yeah, big city venues can be a challenge sometimes. Especially for a mountain boy like me... But I'm glad you posted this! That reminds me...we've got a gig in downtown SF next weekend at some restuarant that I'm not certain is used to having a band dragging a trailer-full-of-gear pull up and load in. Probably should give them a call so I know what we're up against! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnelly428 Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Reallly??? Wow! Sounds like a dream. In NYC, play ACME Underground and you are on your own on the street to find available parking/loading. One club in Boston is a real treat... double park somewhere on the periphery of Fanueil Hall... walk several hundred feet through throngs on tourists to the building, up a flight of stairs and then to the stage where the management can yell at you all weekend. I've been there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 That's my turf. Where is it? I can probably give you he story. Yeah, big city venues can be a challenge sometimes. Especially for a mountain boy like me...But I'm glad you posted this! That reminds me...we've got a gig in downtown SF next weekend at some restuarant that I'm not certain is used to having a band dragging a trailer-full-of-gear pull up and load in. Probably should give them a call so I know what we're up against! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 I've been there! I bet you have... there's another room on Union St. that was similar... chinese firedrill load in... steep flight of stairs... twitchy club management. Had a good time during the show... glad to say we played there... but no desire to make the 3 1/2 hr drive to go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TrickyBoy Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Back in 94-96 I was playing somewhat regularly in Hoboken and NYC. It took me about 2 months to sell my half stack and rack of effects and replace it with a combo amp and multi-effects pedal. I'd take the train into the city for gigs with my guitar on my back and amp in my hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 Back in 94-96 I was playing somewhat regularly in Hoboken and NYC. It took me about 2 months to sell my half stack and rack of effects and replace it with a combo amp and multi-effects pedal. I'd take the train into the city for gigs with my guitar on my back and amp in my hand. We're playing Hoboken tomorrow. Again... similar situation... load in will probably be rough. But the management at this clubs seems cool. They at least seem to get that it's not easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 There used to be a club here in Lancaster, CA, called the Desert Inn, or more commonly, the DI. It was the place to play during the 1990's and 2000's. If a local band could get a gig there, you felt that you had made it up through the bar band ranks to the "big time". So I finally got in there with my oldies/classic rock trio. What a letdown. The stage was very narrow, to the point that the drumkit had to be even with the rest of the performers. Half of the outlets on the stage didn't work. The stage lighting that was provided by the venue was pretty much inoperative, so I used my own. And to top it off, the club had their own DJ who would crank up his sound system during the band's breaks to such an ear-splitting level that most of the patrons left. So what was all the hype about? Beats me. The club has since closed down and doesn't show any signs of re-opening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 16, 2011 Members Share Posted June 16, 2011 So what was all the hype about? Beats me. I felt similarly when we played a showcase at the LA Troubadour in the early 80s. We were excited just to be playing AT the club! All the legends that had played there! So yeah, I guess it lived up to the hype in THAT regard.... ...but still....what a DUMP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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