Hey All! Don't ya just hate it when you try to negotiate a reasonable deal with a club owner and you're told that they just can't swing it? Sure, there are places we love to play that we KNOW are struggling, but i'm not talking about those places. I'm talking about places that you can clearly see are making really decent money on both drinks and possibly food, and just can't seem to pay their entertainment - which actually is what really helps THEM make the bucks! A friend recently told me that the musicians in his area got together and literally all agreed on how much to charge, and nobody would go below that limit. In pretty short time, the club owners were then forced to raise their pay or they had nothing. How do you all deal with/feel about this?
One idea i've had recently for those places that can't really pay what we'd like (and we KNOW this) yet we'd still like to play there, is to offer them a "tips deal." Negotiate your bottom line, with the understanding that whatever you and THEY can drum up in that tip jar will offset what THEY have to pay you. For instance, a solo act asks for $150/night at a small, fledgling "wine bar" in Deland that we'd really like to see make it. The idea is that the bar will only have to pay the balance of what the tip jar doesn't make, but will actually help out in promoting that jar and your efforts there. What do you think of this idea?
I kinda like the tips idea, Marylea. Have you tried it yet? The getting-together-with-all-the-other-musicians rarely works: 1. Hard to find all the other musicians. 2. There are always players so hungry for a gig they'll work for nothing.
I've had some success this way....... Mgr: how much do you charge? Me: I normally get around $200. (then not say another word...wait for response) Mgr: That's more than we can afford. Me: What's your budget, then? Mgr: We normally pay $75.
If that's acceptable to me, for whatever reason, I'll say something like....
Me: Well, that's pretty low, but I understand your position and I like this place (etc blah, blah, blah). How about this: I'd like to work with you. Give me a contract for X nights, I'll do it for X amount (plus other considerations) the first X times. Then we renegotiate. Sound fair? (This would be where you may want to add your tips idea. On the other hand, you may want to leave that out as it could be your chance to make up some of the low fee)
The "other considerations" that may make the low pay more palatable to me: Maybe I offer a Monday night, or ask for free meals and drinks, or a three-hour rather than 4-hour night, they provide PA, they supply an advertising budget.
With the promise of successive weeks of work, then I have time to promote. If it's four weeks of work on, say, a Wednesday night, then at least I'm assured of $300 that I wouldn't have otherwise. If I can't build things a bit in those 4 weeks, I cut my losses and move on.
If the $75 offer is NOT acceptable to me, I'll do the etc blah blah blah part and counter-offer something closer to what I want, still trying to get the month-long contract and some other bennies.
I used to do the tip thing when I first started hosting open mics. Put the bucket up on stage or pass it around for each artist. In certain venues it works great.Some club owners will either support it,or think that its gonna grind into the bartenders tips. Ive seen this happen, thats why I dont do the tip thing.But I support the idea.
Yeah, i understand that the tip jar thing at open mics could be a nightmare. I mean not everybody even wants to hang out until the end, so then what do you do to divvy things up? I would think that it really would be too intense all around to pass it for each performer. Here's another rub about open mics, or at least those i've seen around here . . . most of the people attending are MUSICIANS. So to discount drinks or food while we're they only business there is crazy for them too. Just an observation.
