Havent Made Enough Behind The Bar

[Hobbayne]

Well, In 40 years of playing, Tonight is a first. We were booked to play The Brickhouse in Slough. The first rock band to play there apparently. Its more of a soul R+B DJ place.

We went down really well with the older crowd, but when it came to paying us, we were told 'Sorry but people have not spent enough behind the bar so we cant pay you the full agreed amount' 

Our singer is practically fuming with rage and trying to sort it out. I have heard of this happening to others, but this is the first time I have been shafted.

I,m having a few large scotches to calm me down. 🤬

[Jackroadkill]

That's fecking outrageous. 

[tubbybloke68]

32 minutes ago, Hobbayne said:

Well, In 40 years of playing, Tonight is a first. We were booked to play The Brickhouse in Slough. The first rock band to play there apparently. Its more of a soul R+B DJ place.

We went down really well with the older crowd, but when it came to paying us, we were told 'Sorry but people have not spent enough behind the bar so we cant pay you the full agreed amount' 

Our singer is practically fuming with rage and trying to sort it out. I have heard of this happening to others, but this is the first time I have been shafted.

I,m having a few large scotches to calm me down. 🤬

That’s f***king out of order! The bastards! 😡

[chris_b]

We got short changed when we were on a percentage of the bar take. At the end of a well attended gig we discovered they were only counting cash purchases and didn't include credit card purchases, which were the majority of the take for the night! As you say, B*stards!!!!

[uk_lefty]

Utter gits. Not your fault their clientele are tight/ the venue isn't popular enough for people to come to/ only sells sh!tty beer... What if a band said sorry mate, you don't sell McCoys crisps so our fee is up by 25%.

[joeystrange]

Tell them they can pay in money or teeth. Let them decide.

[lowdown]

Name and shame 'The Sh*thouse pub in Slough' on all the Social Media sites to let other bands/musicians know what happened.

[casapete]

Wonder if they’d taken more than expected on the bar they then would have paid you extra?
Absolute tw*ts.

[la bam]

Your agreement wasn't:

 

Play for £xxx and if we make enough over the bar we'll pay it you. 

 

It was:

 

Play for £xxx. 

 

Any other factors aren't your issue. 

 

 

Pathetic from the venue. 

 

[NHM]

Last year we offered to take a much-reduced fee at a pub we play regularly because really bad weather meant there was hardly anyone there - but I've not experienced the venue telling you the fee has been reduced. Also, there have been times when a pub has paid us extra if they've had a bumper take. I guess it's about partnerships, we each need the other.

[Paul S]

My lot had a 'similar' situation at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket.  A venue run by volunteers, which is relevant.  A 3 band Blues and Brews event with speciality local ales, we were headlining and doing the venue a favour by providing the drum kit.  The deal was £50 per band plus a % of the door money.  Which is rubbish but we have been hoping for a gig in our own right as it is a good venue.  My share of £50 just about covered my petrol, buying my dinner put me out of pocket, which was a discussion I'd had with the other 2 guys but they were keen ...  On the night it was fairly well attended 60 people at £10 a time plus the bar took £900.  When it came to being paid - a month later - we got £50 and no share of the takings.  Expenses, apparently.  We aren't playing there again.  

[Beedster]

39 minutes ago, casapete said:

Wonder if they’d taken more than expected on the bar they then would have paid you extra?
Absolute tw*ts.

We had this last night, lovely small bar in Kent which was unexpectedly rammed for our gig, fixed fee agreed, owner comes up at the end of the gig to tell us she's adding some cash to the fee as we went down so well. Confused the singer who now couldn't do the maths for the split  

 

Re the OP, it's frustrating but if the agreed performance fee was based on bar receipts - which we've had a few times - than it leaves it open, in short you have to really trust the place to go ahead and gig with that being the arrangement. If you agreed a fixed fee for the gig then yes, it's very poor and you should go medieval on their social media about it 👍

[12stringbassist]

I've had that happen years ago. It was in a pub with really old and beautiful etched glass windows. I mentioned quite pointedly that if they kept doing that to bands they were very likely to lose them. He promptly went upstairs and found the cash. 

[EssexBuccaneer]

“No problem, we’ll tell everyone on social media what a sh**house operation you are, and use our contacts to make sure that all the bands in the area know it as well. By the way, you still owe us the agreed amount”

[EssexBuccaneer]

8 hours ago, Hobbayne said:

Well, In 40 years of playing, Tonight is a first. We were booked to play The Brickhouse in Slough. The first rock band to play there apparently. Its more of a soul R+B DJ place.

We went down really well with the older crowd, but when it came to paying us, we were told 'Sorry but people have not spent enough behind the bar so we cant pay you the full agreed amount' 

Our singer is practically fuming with rage and trying to sort it out. I have heard of this happening to others, but this is the first time I have been shafted.

I,m having a few large scotches to calm me down. 🤬

I *may* have just submitted a tripadvisor review…

[police squad]

I did a gig a couple of weeks ago and they only had enough 'cash' in the till to pay us. The doorman only got half his fee but they promised to make it good te following day. Landlady wasn't about (unusually, this is a well run place) and they couldnt get in the safe.

They were moaning that people just mainly use cards these days and not cash.

I can see a time where we may have to start taking credit card payments  via these iZettle terminals etc, which measn the money will be tracked and prices will go up because of having to pay tax on it (not bothered as I declare my gig earnings anyway)

[Burns-bass]

Take them to court. A small claim will cost you about £35 and is worth doing. It shows you’re serious and also that you won’t settle for less. 
 

When they settle (which they will) they’ll pay your costs back. I run a small business and have done this several times.

[Guest]

And raise it with the MU if you're a member.

[casapete]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

had this last night, lovely small bar in Kent which was unexpectedly rammed for our gig, fixed fee agreed, owner comes up at the end of the gig to tell us she's adding some cash to the fee as we went down so well. Confused the singer who now couldn't do the maths for the split  

 

Yup, we get this sometimes. A nice gesture which doesn’t go unappreciated.

 

The OP’s venue sounded like they would never do this though, if they’re trying to underpay bands

due to their drinks sales. Wonder if they try it on with tradespeople - ‘sorry mate, can only give you

half the money for fixing our plumbing as it’s been a bit quiet today’? 

[Hobbayne]

Well, we finally got paid in the end. However, a few of the punters have refused to drink in there again.

There was no agreement about payment based on bar receipts as far as I know.  

[fretmeister]

2 minutes ago, Hobbayne said:

Well, we finally got paid in the end. However, a few of the punters have refused to drink in there again.

There was no agreement about payment based on bar receipts as far as I know.  

Still post it online to warn others. 

[fretmeister]

What happened to change their minds?

 

Good tactics should be shared too!

[Hobbayne]

27 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

What happened to change their minds?

 

Good tactics should be shared too!

I think some of the punters who enjoyed it sort of 'encouraged' them. 😉

[diskwave]

11 hours ago, Hobbayne said:

Its more of a soul R+B DJ place

And there you have it, plus older peeps dont drink as much.  However it was up to them to spec you guys out so they would be happy, but that's their problem and they should have honoured the agreement. Happened to me a few times over the years...maddening!

[Lozz196]

If that happened to a band I was in I would, for every gig the venue had booked, in the week the gigs were due to take place, contact the bands that were scheduled to play and advise them of what had happened.