How was your gig last night?

[Bluewine]

We played The Ziegler Winery yesterday 7/13/24, 3-6.

 

Finally a good gig. We were tight and hitting on all 8 cylinders. The sound on stage was beautiful. The crowd got us . Tips were lucrative an extra $50.00 for everyone. 

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

12 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

If you don’t mind me asking, is the tip bucket a regular thing or needed to top up your fee? I’ve often wondered, but have aeen them most in the States where bands often play for nothing. 

 

For us tips are icing on the cake. We have standard fees to perform. I don't know of any bands in my neck of the woods that play for nothing. Keep in mind I don't know any teen bands or originals bands. Those types of bands might be playing for nothing.

 

Blue

[Mickeyboro]

You are the expert Daryl! 🙏

 

I was thinking of Nashville and New Orleans where there are bands who I was told get tips only. 
 

In NO I learned the importance of the bass solo in the penultimate song - it let the guitarist circulate with the tips jar!😂

[Bluewine]

24 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

You are the expert Daryl! 🙏

 

I was thinking of Nashville and New Orleans where there are bands who I was told get tips only. 
 

In NO I learned the importance of the bass solo in the penultimate song - it let the guitarist circulate with the tips jar!😂

 

My brother was in Nashville last week and spoke with a guy playing in a club. He said most gigs are tips only.

 

Daryl

 

 

 

 

[Bluewine]

27 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

You are the expert Daryl! 🙏

 

I was thinking of Nashville and New Orleans where there are bands who I was told get tips only. 
 

In NO I learned the importance of the bass solo in the penultimate song - it let the guitarist circulate with the tips jar!😂

 

From what I understand the tipping culture is different for you guys.

 

In the States you can walk down Main Street and ask anyone for a tip for doing nothing.lol

 

On the serious side we've had gigs ( not many) where there was over $900.00 in the jar at the end of the night. 

 

Daryl

[jimmyb625]

1 minute ago, Bluewine said:

 

From what I understand the tipping culture is different for you guys.

 

In the States you can walk down Main Street and ask anyone for a tip for doing nothing.lol

 

On the serious side we've had gigs ( not many) where there was over $900.00 in the jar at the end of the night. 

 

Daryl

I think someone must be stealing our tip jar...

[tony_m]

8 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

You are the expert Daryl! 🙏

 

I was thinking of Nashville and New Orleans where there are bands who I was told get tips only. 
 

In NO I learned the importance of the bass solo in the penultimate song - it let the guitarist circulate with the tips jar!😂

 

Yeah, when I was in NO with some mates we saw a band - can't remember their name, but the venue was the "Funky Pirate" - and the tip jar came round *very* regularly, accompanied by a fair amount of encouragement / haranguing from the stage!

[Bluewine]

28 minutes ago, tony_m said:

 

Yeah, when I was in NO with some mates we saw a band - can't remember their name, but the venue was the "Funky Pirate" - and the tip jar came round *very* regularly, accompanied by a fair amount of encouragement / haranguing from the stage!

 

I guess we could look at this as two methods of collecting tips. Having someone work the crowd with a tip jar (which can be a little aggressive). Or , my preferred method. Merely have the tip jar placed  in front of the band. Less pressure. 

 

Daryl

[Mickeyboro]

8 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

I guess we could look at this as two methods of collecting tips. Having someone work the crowd with a tip jar (which can be a little aggressive). Or , my preferred method. Merely have the tip jar placed  in front of the band. Less pressure. 

 

Daryl

Probably also depends if its the icing on the cake or the cake itself! From what I saw, New Orleans bands do an hour tops and then move on to another bar, another audience. 

[msb]

We never had a tip jar until things opened up again after the Covid closures. There usually is a cover charge at the door , and people are now encouraged to tip as well. 
 

It can make quite a difference. 

[dmccombe7]

3 hours ago, tony_m said:

 

Yeah, when I was in NO with some mates we saw a band - can't remember their name, but the venue was the "Funky Pirate" - and the tip jar came round *very* regularly, accompanied by a fair amount of encouragement / haranguing from the stage!

That would annoy me. I wouldn't mind leaving a tip in a jar on the stage area but not shoved in my face on a regular basis. I guess if its in Nashville its the only money the band would get then that's probably a bit different but i'd hope the band would tell the audience it was tips only for them tonight.

Even worse if i had paid to get in. 

Dave

Edited July 15 by dmccombe7

[Muzz]

Satdy night was a pub in Preston we've played before - half an hour trip for the other guys, an hour for me (I live further East), but an easy hour sat on the motorway with the cruise control on saving diesel. Agency gig, and to echo other sentiments, I've no idea why some pubs put bands on, there was little to no interest. Apparently there never is, according to the bar staff. It wasn't helped that the patrons were thin on the ground (tho we've played to much, much less of a crowd) - chatting to the bar staff when we got in they were expecting a quiet night as a lot of people were holding out for a big Sunday for the match. So we were left with 80% hard-drinking 60+ blokes, a smattering of borderline-underage kids in the pool room, and a few bored 60+ wives who'd been dragged out for a brandy and babycham. And lots and lots of tellys...

 

3rd choice drummer (we're undergoing some Drummer Hoohah at the moment) and we were a 3-piece (percussionist dipped out so we'd make enough to justify the trip), so it was more by the way of a paid rehearsal to bed the guy in to the versions of the songs we play. 2 x 45, one encore (shouted for by the landlord after an embarrasing minute's silence when I'd started to pack up), pack and go.

 

Upsides were the paid rehearsal thing, better money than usual, and an 11:04 finish. On the road home for 11:20 - the landlord had bitched on last time about the time it took us to break down and pack up, so we'd taken minimal gear. Oh, and I got to watch Argentina beat France on the telly, too.

 

The Sonic Precision was really good, and the Stellartone Tonestyler (bought from Ead in this very parish) I'd fitted worked very, very well in a live setting. It's all about dem mids...

 

Sonic P, Stomp, inears. That's it.

[casapete]

Two gigs for me this weekend - a local jazz and blues festival on Saturday, where I was depping

with blues band ‘The Alligators’ (hopefully more on that one later).

 

Then last night we played in Scarborough at The Lookout on the Pier ( Milestone acoustic Duo). 
The usual full house of punters at this super harbour side cafe, where we juggled our two sets

of audience requests around a bit to finish at 7.45pm so folk could get off home and watch 

some football match or other. Nice varied requests including ‘I wish I knew how it would feel

to be free’, originally by Billy Thomas and made famous by the BBC as the theme to ‘Film …..’

Other tunes included ‘Take it easy’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and ‘Flowers’ (which was a nice change

from the more usual older stuff). We declined ‘3 Lions’ but relented on ‘Sweet Caroline’ as 

as a token footie reference. Not back there now until September due to the influx 

of holidaymakers, but have been promised two gigs a month from then so all good. 
 

(Ibanez PCBE12MH into a Fender Rumble 100v3 / DI into house PA for anyone who’s interested.)

 

 

 

[cetera]

Quick 24hr trip over to Switzerland on Saturday to play bass for US blues rocker Dudley Taft, headlining a blues festival at the bass of the Alps. Splendid! 😃🎸🎶😎👍

Pic is of support band in action....

 

 

Edited July 15 by cetera

[Muzz]

Bass of the alps? ISWYDT... 😁

[cetera]

1 minute ago, Muzz said:

Bass of the alps? ISWYDT... 😁

Oops.... I'd correct it..... but it cheesily works

 

[WalMan]

Played Kingsfest in Emsworth on Saturday for a British Heart Foundation benefit.

 

late afternoon/early evening set that went well. Lots of singing along and a pretty tight set as planned.

 

No IEM’s which would have been nice but stage sound and monitors were ok and good practice for the Gosport Waterfront Festival next month where we’ll also be reliant on stage monitors and no IEM’s for me which is annoying because I’ve got used to them now and miss them.

 

Guitarist started the second half of Final Countdown where he does the horn part a semitone flat and I had to nudge him. Noticeable on a recording/video but most likely gone in the moment live

 

[Oopsdabassist]

Crocs on stage.....brave move!  😄

[Stub Mandrel]

We got some pics from Sunday.

 

[andytoad]

We played at a pub with a loud obnoxious drunk last night (before the football)..

 

'Been doin' music for years mate I know what it's all about...'

 

Yadder yadder yadder...

 

'You can sing....' to the singer

'You know that's got wheels..' to us loading the van with a drum case over shingle.

 

All very slurred.

 

He also took offence at me sitting down like I should be doing some sort of Christina Aguilera dance routine for him?

 

One of those typical annoying tw@ts at a gig, not had one for ages, glad I didn't bite.

 

 

 

Edited July 15 by andytoad

[ricksterphil]

On 14/07/2024 at 20:51, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Becoming more common down here.

I'd only come across the tip bucket at gigs in Sheffield and farther North (Cas Vegas for example) until t'other weekend when we played The Donkey in Leicester on a Sunday afternoon and we got £75 in tips

[ricksterphil]

On 13/07/2024 at 11:37, ricksterphil said:

 

Our gig this evening is at The Speakeasy in Hinckley. Bit different to playing at the Dog n Duck next to one of the big TV's 😊

Speakeasy gig last Saturday for Southern Frontier was a stormer. Place was full, although it's only a capacity of 70. There was some mighty shape throwing by the crowd during set 2. Country Roads always gets everyone singing and we've added MIFLAW (clue, Shania Twain song) as last song for set 2 so everyone was up and grooving. Threw 3 originals in this time which were well received.

My goto gigrig of Mike Lull P4, Handbox R400+cab and Thumpinator did the bizzo.

The drummer from my previous band turned up and was genuinely complementary which was nice. 

 

[casapete]

Saturday night I was playing with blues band The Alligators at Burton Agnes Jazz& Blues Festival,

just on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds near Bridlington.

I was originally asked to dep for their long standing bassist ( another Pete ) who was having some

health issues, but as he declared himself up for the gig I was then persuaded by my old pal and

band leader Tony to join them on second guitar. I haven’t played guitar on stage for many a year,

but was told it would be good fun so thought I’d give it a bash. 
On the day the weather had turned horrible, so rain and mud everywhere. We set up on a small

stage in the beer tent, and then watched some of the other bands until our set (as the closing

act ) started at 11pm. By this time the audience were well lubricated and just wanted to dance,

so we obliged with mostly uptempo stuff. Towards the end of our set we were joined by Simon

( owner of the wonderful venue / estate ) and friend Ben on saxes which really made the night.

Finished around 12.45am, packed down in the cold and rain and just got my car out of the 

field without getting stuck in the mud. Home around 2.15am, absolutely knackered but certainly

a gig to remember. 
 

Pictures show Pete with his fretless Wal / MarkBass set up ( and me with my 59 Les Paul

Junior straight into my Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 reissue for any guitar nerds.)
 

 

 

[Bluewine]

14 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

That would annoy me. I wouldn't mind leaving a tip in a jar on the stage area but not shoved in my face on a regular basis. I guess if its in Nashville its the only money the band would get then that's probably a bit different but i'd hope the band would tell the audience it was tips only for them tonight.

Even worse if i had paid to get in. 

Dave

 

Dave,

 

In my neck of the woods only national signed acts are pay to get in shows. The 5 and 10 dollar cover at the door for local bands died out years  ago. 

 

I agree, I don't mind dropping 5 bucks in a tip jar as I'm leaving. I don't like having the jar or bucket pushed in my face.

 

Daryl

Edited July 16 by Bluewine

[WalMan]

5 hours ago, andytoad said:

We played at a pub with a loud obnoxious drunk last night (before the football)..

 

'Been doin' music for years mate I know what it's all about...'

 

Yadder yadder yadder...

 

'You can sing....' to the singer

'You know that's got wheels..' to us loading the van with a drum case over shingle.

 

All very slurred.

 

He also took offence at me sitting down like I should be doing some sort of Christina Aguilera dance routine for him?

 

One of those typical annoying tw@ts at a gig, not had one for ages, glad I didn't bite.

 

 

 

years ago my partner in crime in the rhythm section had a set of sound edge hihats and a “knowledgeable” drummer punter told him “I had a set that went like that and I sent them back and got them replaced “ 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

6 hours ago, Oopsdabassist said:

Crocs on stage.....brave move!  😄

Worse. Barefoot shoes but comfortable 😁

 

13 hours ago, msb said:

We never had a tip jar until things opened up again after the Covid closures. There usually is a cover charge at the door , and people are now encouraged to tip as well. 
 

It can make quite a difference. 

Post Covid one of the venues we do went to a lower flat fee and bucket and it has actually worked better for us. One of the barmaids circulates with said bucket and I believe a contactless machine early in the second set when punters are suitably oiled and enjoying themselves, not utterly bladdered.

 

As I say we’ve been better off generally on this basis with the only potential issue being we have no audit over the bucket and accept what comes our way. That’s always a round number, which could feasibly have been rounded up from bar take, but I know of a number of bands who have come away from a busy night with less and feeling shortchanged. Maybe we’re all just too polite as Brits to push back