For those of you not in or familiar with the glamorous life of show biz, a door gig is where the act gets paid whatever is collected at the door (or a portion of it), aka the cover charge. In a large venue with a built in crowd, this can be a nice payday for the act. The reality though, is less wonderful.
20 or so years ago, I used to play a joint called Kangaroo's. It was a large venue and there were easily 400-500 people there on any given weekend night. When we discussed our deal with the manager, I suggested giving us a buck a head. He was more than happy with that. We usually made at least $500 a night out of the deal, it was close to my house, the drinks were free, and all was well in the universe. Mind you, this was one of 4 or 5 shows we'd do every week. We actually made some decent jack for making music.
Things have changed. A lot of venues now go for the 'showcase' type show. This means 3 or 4 acts sharing the bill for one night. I understand the idea - it will, ideally, bring in more people. More people equates to more money, right? Wrong.
The showcase show is almost always done wrong. All this leads to is one group of patrons coming in to see their friends while the others are leaving. It also leads to long lags between bands while they switch over gear. If you're going to do a showcase, set up a backline. All of the acts get there early, set up the gear they're going to need. Share some gear. It ain't that hard. If you really know how to play, your sound will be the same as if you're playing through your own oh-so-unique amp. The trick to these showcases is fast turnover. If you can't do that, don't play a showcase. Get there early, stay the whole night.
A bigger problem for bands, with these type of gigs, is the pay. There won't be much of it. The average bar will hold 50-70 people comfortably. If there's a $5 cover charge, which is really pretty low considering how many need to be paid from it, this means $250-$350 coming in, minus whatever you're paying the door man, security, sound man, etc. This equates to little more than gas money. Is it worth it? Are you that much of an attention whore? Is this really the best way to promote your new and exciting sounds?
It is what it is. If you expect to make any kind of living as a musician, you have to ask yourself if it's worth doing these shows or these venues. They're a great way to get your name out there, provided anyone sticks around to actually hear you and pay attention to what you're doing. You have to be even better when doing these shows. You have to catch everyone's attention and get them excited. If you don't, you probably won't be back...and you probably won't be getting many other gigs in the area.
If you're a musician, here's a few tips for doing the door gig/showcase gig. Come in with the realistic knowledge that you're not going to make money. Be there on time, or better yet, early, for load in. If there are 3 bands on the bill, EVERYONE should be there at least 2 hours prior to show time. This gives you time to figure out the backline, how long each set will be, and what order every one is going on. None of you are rock stars. If you were, you wouldn't be playing these gigs. Leave your ego at home. Act like a professional. Be polite and courteous to the other acts, as well as the venue staff. Especially the venue staff! They will remember you. Act like a douche, and that will be your reputation. Act like a civil, professional musician, and that will be your reputation. Once you have a bad reputation, good luck getting rid of it. The people in this industry all know each other. They talk. They network.
So you say these are the only gigs available to you. It looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you then. No one, especially in this day and age, is going to hand you gigs. You have to search for them and work hard for them. Each show has to be better than the last one. You like to be a drunken smart ass onstage? Dandy! Some places are OK with that. Some ain't. A lot ain't. Treat this like your job. If you're lucky, it will be. Do you get drunk at work? Probably not. If you do, you probably won't be working there for long. That said, it's OK to have a drink or two...just don't get hammered. Don't go get high. Trust me, you might THINK you play better then...but you don't.
Unless you want to do nothing but play these types of door/showcase gigs, you better have your shit together. You better be able to play at least 4 hours, nonstop. You're not guaranteed a break. Think about the last major concert you went to. Do the bands onstage take a 'pause for the cause'? No. They keep on playing. I've seen a lot of acts do nonstop 3 hour shows. If you can't, stay home until you can. Stay in shape. Keep your energy level up. The audience will be infected by your energy and they will groove right along with you.
Here's some things you shouldn't do: Do not show up late. Showing up during another act's set is disrespectful. If you can't bother to be on time, just don't bother. Sure, things happen sometimes...but do your best to not let it happen. Once you're there, don't leave! Stay the whole night. Get to know the other acts - network a bit! You just might even enjoy their music. If you can't do that, don't bother. Here's a biggy - do NOT try to cut out early and ask if you can get your band's cut of the door. Ain't gonna happen. That money has to be counted and accounted for. If the door man, security, and/or sound man is getting paid out of it, they're getting paid first. Unless you have a contract that states how much you're being paid, when, and in what form (cash, check, etc.), you're just going to have to wait. Balking at the money that came in the door won't win you any friends either. As a musician, you should know what's going on. If the cover charge is $X and there are only XX number of people in the room, you should be able to figure out how much money you're going to make, if any. No one cares how much you made last night, or how much you made the last time you played here. Seriously...as a door man, I'm forced to endure these conversations. As a musician, I'm appalled at how unprofessional a lot of acts are. It's that type of behavior that makes us all look bad.
Want to know why your band isn't making any money or any progress? Think how many things you're doing wrong. What have YOU done to pack the house? Oh sure...you've written some amazing, mind-blowing songs that will change the course of mankind as we know it. Who hasn't? How much promotion have you done? How much time and effort have you put into the show? If you're counting on the venue to do it all...think again. If you're lucky, the venue MIGHT have a person who is dedicated to good shows at their venue. Most joints, though, do not have such a person. Music is merely an added bonus to bring in warm bodies that they can sell booze to. If your crowd of 300 friends/fans shows up and only drinks water...you probably won't be back. If your crowd of 50 shows up, and they each spend $25 or more, you will. It's economics.
If you're planning a tour, and you have a bunch of door gigs, I hope your piggy bank is full...because kid, you're gonna need it. Door gigs, as I said, equate to little more than gas money. If you're on the road, you need to eat, pay for motel rooms, do laundry, AND buy fuel and maintain your vehicle. Plan for it.
Lastly, tip the servers/bartenders. That's how they make their money. They are busting their humps to serve YOUR friends/fans. Their prompt, excellent service will often be a deciding factor in just how good a time your fanbase has at your show. Make it worth their time and show them your gratitude. A decent tip plus some free merch is always a nice touch. Give them a CD and a t-shirt. They'll remember it. They'll wear that shirt. They'll be more likely to say, "Hey! THESE GUYS are coming back. They were awesome last time! You should come check them out!" Treat them with anything less than respect, you've just lost a big chunk of your PR frontline. Years ago, I used to give shirts to the bartenders BEFORE the show. A lot of them would wear them during the show...MORE PUBLICITY! Then the patrons would ask where they can get one of those cool shirts...CH-CHING! Merch sales!
Yeah...show biz is harder than ever...but it IS do-able. Approach it professionally. Leave your ego at home. Don't be greedy. Don't be an ass. Play your ass off. Push yourself. Promote your shows. Promote your merch. Need help? Ask someone. If you see a band doing better than yours, ask them what, if anything, they're doing that maybe you're not. Ask the staff at the venue. They'll tell you. Most importantly, use a contract. Always. It takes out any and all guess work.
Bottom line: In the words of Dave Courtney, OBE: "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice."
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