The rash of "What's Wrong With The Music Industry" articles is welling up again. I read these and just shake my head. Pretty much everyone has a theory or a story, but few can make any really sense of it.
I've been a working musician for 35 years. For the first few of those years, I played music that few wanted to hear at the time (punk, mostly). Really, that shit didn't flush in the redneck dives where I lived. There weren't enough of us around to even try to get an indie event going (you know, rent a hall and a PA system, bring in some bands, charge a cover, etc). If I was really lucky, a band I was with would get to play a house party or some skeevy underground club an hour or three away. And we wouldn't make squat. But it was fun.
I started playing in a rockabilly band when I was 16. This is when I started to see MONEY. We'd play old rockabilly stuff, throw in a lot of 50s covers, some country, some Beatles songs, and at least one slow song per set. We usually did 4 sets per night. We often played from 9pm to 2am. We earned our money. We brought our own PA system, and on occasions, our own lights.
When I was 18, my rent was $150 a month, all utilities included. I made my rent with one weekend of gigs. The rest was gravy. We played dive bars, redneck bars, animal clubs (Moose, Elks, etc.), VFW's, and places like that. We always went over well...even if they thought we looked like freaks (me especially, with lines shaved in the side of my head or a mohawk). But as long as we didn't suck too bad, played stuff the people recognized, and could dance to, we were fine. Our job was to entertain the venue's crowd.
Sure, we had a following, but they didn't come to every show. Hell, I didn't always feel safe in some of the joints we played...so I could see how some of my more freakish friends would be reticent to show up. But like I said, the venue had a regular crowd who wanted to hear live music and be entertained. Our job was to do just that. If a fight broke out (and this happened at least a few times a month), we usually just played louder and faster, or were told by the bartender to stop playing until they got the situation under control. More than once I smacked someone in the head with my bass. (NOTE: a P-bass makes the ideal weapon AND it will stay in tune)
We always got paid and we always got free drinks. That was a given back in the day. Not anymore.
Nowadays, things have changed. Venue's might have regulars, but they couldn't care less about live music. They've heard so many crappy wannabe bands, that they just can't take it anymore. The venue now expects the band to bring in the crowd. Sure, sounds good on paper...but it doesn't always work that way.
Yes, a lot of venues now have house PA and lighting systems. This helps the bands, as well as the venue. The band has less gear to haul, and it takes less time to set up and tear down...so less hassle for the regulars and the venue. The venue also can make sure the sound will be, at least, decent.
So what are the problems? Why can't anyone make any money? Simple. The venues, bands, and crowds have changed.
The Bands: Nowadays, everyone thinks they have what it takes to be a rock star. Their mom told them so! They got a trophy just for showing up, so they must be great! Right? Wrong. Most of you suck. Take the time to learn what you're doing. Just because mom & dad bought you the most expensive shit they could find doesn't make you sound any better. You don't write interesting songs. Your 3 best friends might think your latest opus is downright awesome...but if Bubba at the bar thinks it sounds like ass, you just lost your gig.
You better be able to play some requests. You don't have to know it verbatim, but it helps to be able to at least wing it. People will appreciate that you at least tried. You better be able to play all night too. Oh wow...you and your band learned 10 of your awesome songs, and you think you're ready to headline. Think some more. I remember a friend's band being caught in this situation. They had booked themselves and two other awesome bands at a decent venue. I played the venue often, always got paid well, and played from 10:30p - 1:00a. We changed our sets every time we played, to keep it fresh. But my friends...oh these poor slobs...they got caught in a bind. They had maybe 12 songs in their repertoire. The other two bands never showed. Rather than cancel, they tried doing three sets of the same 12 songs. 10 minutes into their 2nd set, the place was a ghost town. If you can't do the whole job, don't book it. Period.
There's a lot of competition...and most of them suck just as bad as you do. So, putting three mediocre bands on one bill...that should bring in a huge crowd, right? All of them have friends. If each musician gets 5 friends to show up, and an average of 4 people per band, this adds up, right? That should be at least 60 people. Guess again. Your friends might show up...or they might not. No guarantees there. If the venue doesn't have regulars, you're playing to the bartender...who really probably doesn't care. He or she is looking at empty seats and an equally empty tip jar. Regardless of how awesome you are, you probably won't be coming back.
So what if your band really IS awesome? Guess what kiddo...you've been screwed by the aforementioned "bands". They left a bad taste in people's ears. They don't want to risk it. You're going to have to raise your level of awesome to "freaking amazing". You still might not get a gig. Be sure to thank the wannabes.
If you're going to book a show, make sure of you have the following: decent gear, transportation, and more than enough songs to play at least 3 hours. Keep the music fun. No one cares how deep or introspective your music is. Not in a bar. They don't want to hear the depressing ass dirge you wrote about your friend that died. (Don't mention death onstage...it's a downer) Know how to talk to the audience. ENTERTAIN THEM! Be personable. Be amusing. Be charming. Contrary to what your girlfriend/boyfriend/online sycophants say, you are not The Screaming God Of Love. You're just another schlub on a stage in a bar, pretending to be a star. If you really were a star, you probably wouldn't be playing in a bar. Dig?
I'm a songwriter, and I play a lot of original songs. I learned long ago to mix it up. As much as people enjoy my music, they like to hear something familiar. It's the nature of the beast. Know some cover songs. Like I said, you don't have to learn it verbatim. Make it your own. If that was good enough for Elvis, The Beatles, and The Stones, it's good enough for you. Hell's bells, even the Sex Pistols did a few cover songs. Get off your wannabe high horse. Remember, your job is to entertain people. Nothing else. If you entertain them, you will make money. You just might move some of that merch!
Remember, you have a lot of competition. Some are better, some are worse. Your opinion doesn't matter. What does matter is how much money the venue makes. Years ago, I was in the house band at a local joint. Popular place too! We played every Saturday night. We got a guarantee, free booze, and were treated well. How did we get this gig? Because the owner knew that we brought in a drinking crowd. 50 of our "fans" (I loathe that word) would drink more than 150 of someone else's. We were a money maker for the venue. If you're not generating money for the venue, you won't be back.
NOTE: Be courteous to the venue staff, as well as the patrons. Work WITH the soundman. His/her job is to make you sound good, but he/she also knows the room and their gear better than you do. They are not miracle workers. Tip the bar staff. They will appreciate it and most likely remember it. This can work in your favor. If a patron says they would love to hear you play ______, make a note of it.
The Venues: First off, to all of the venues that have learned the value of a house PA and/or lighting system, THANK YOU! You have done yourself, and the musicians a great service. Now let's work on your other problem; empty seats.
You need regulars. Those are the people who are going to keep your lights on. How do you get them? A number of ways: location - be someplace they can easily get to. (Duh) Keep your prices reasonable. (Duh) Have a good atmosphere. (Duh) MAKE SURE THE DAMNED BATHROOMS ARE CLEAN & FUNCTIONING! I really can't stress this one enough. If, after 35 years in the biz, I am reticent to use your bathroom (and I survived CBGB's), you have a serious problem. It's probably a miracle that the health department hasn't shut you down yet. All of the fixtures should not only be clean, but functioning. Broken sink or toilet? Get it fixed immediately! No one wants to wait in line, so make sure that you have an ample number of facilities. The longer people have to wait to use the toilet, the less time they have to spend money on drinks. See the correlation?
Should you have live entertainment? In this day and age, the venue has a number of options. You can have a jukebox, DJ, karaoke, or live entertainment. Which is right for your venue? What do your REGULARS want? Remember, they want to be entertained. When in doubt, ASK THEM. If the answer is "I don't know" or "I don't care"...probably best to not waste time with live entertainment. These folks will show up, night after night, and drink...and you'll make money. Will you get rich? Probably not...but adding a band to the mix won't necessarily fix that either. If your regulars want live entertainment, they have to be willing to foot the bill, not the other way round. Raise your drink prices or charge a cover. Those are pretty much your options. If there is a cover charge, even your regulars have to pay it. If they don't like it...don't have bands. You want to stay in business, so you have to give the people what they want. You have to decide who is spending the most money in your place. Is it the regulars who want cheap drinks so they can get drunk or is it the crowd that wants live music? If it's the latter...what is going to keep them coming back?
To answer that, I will reference a venue that existed here for 20+ years; The Decade. The Decade wasn't the biggest place, nor was it the smallest. It wasn't the classiest either. What it did have was asses in seats, listening to music, and paying a cover charge and drinking overpriced drinks. Night after night, week after week, month after month, year after year. Why? Simple. The Decade made damned sure they had QUALITY music. You didn't get a gig there just by asking. You had to prove yourself. If Dom didn't want you, you weren't going to play there. He understood that quality brings in quality. That was his secret weapon. When "Roxanne" hit #1 on the UK charts, The Police were playing at The Decade to a small crowd during a snow storm. They were touring in a station wagon at the time. They did pretty well from there on. The next time they played Pittsburgh, it was to a packed house at the Civic Arena. The list of national and international acts that played there is mind boggling. The list of people that frequented The Decade is just as amazing. I can honestly say that I never saw a bad act there. I saw some under-attended shows...but the next time those acts were in town, they played to packed houses. Remember, this was in the pre-internet days. This was all done word of mouth. People knew The Decade would have a good band...so if they wanted to hear good music, that's where they went. If you want to run a music venue, THAT is the model you need to follow. It might cost you in the beginning, but it'll pay off in the long run. 20 years is a LONG time in the bar biz. I also have to make note of two other local establishments: Moondogs and The Electric Banana. Moondogs has long been a mainstay for the blues crowd. If you dig the blues, you've been to Moondogs. It's not in the best location, but Ronnie has been bringing in top notch acts since Day 1. He still is. The Electric Banana was best-known for it's days as the areas' "punk bar". You didn't make money there...but you got to prove yourself onstage. Johnny & Judy gave you a shot. I played there bunches of times. Johnny Banana has often said that he and Judy practically raised a lot of us. And it's true! They were supportive as can be! A lot of great folks played that stage. It was a great starting point for so many...locals, nationals, and international bands alike. Again, why? Quality. If you sucked, you weren't coming back. But...if you had that something special...even if you had a bad night, they could tell, and they had you back.
So, if you're booking music acts into your venue, what reputation have you developed? What have you done to fill YOUR seats? It takes more than a PA system and a steady string of bands. All bands have these in common: they all want a gig and they all think they're great. It's up to you to decide who is and isn't. Sometimes, you have to say NO. If a band that you've booked happens to have a large following, that should be seen as bonus, not your business plan.
OK...but what about the "major" music scene? Isn't that supposed to be ruined too? Yes and no. The old ways are done...and probably for good reason. But, Steve Albini can explain the upside better than I can, so I suggest reading THIS.
Next time: Touring: Maybe you shouldn't bother.
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