The Lack of Communication

Why in this day and age do I not know of every band/event function happening in a town the size of Grand Forks?? I know! NO ONE TALKS TO ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CIRCLE!!

I'm a sound guy, I'm young I know, but I used to be selling equipment for bands for 5 years, and in the last year I ran into more bands than I did in the previous four. Why is that? Do these bands not understand that Networking is the main thing they need to be working on? Let me give an example.

Lets call our band "Bananasaysno" We're a four piece, Drums, guitar, bass, and vocal. We start practicing and making a set list. We go and see a few bands at some places we'd like to play at (LOOK THIS IS NETWORKING!!) We get to know the band that we went to see, get some idea's from them, and then get introduced to the owner of the place (MORE NETWORKING!!) We then try and get booked. They might give us an off night, or call us up if someone cancels at the last minute, but we're ready! BSN is working hard, We've put together a decent sound, a nice show, Decent PA (consult a sound guy *wink* *wink* for pointers and if you need a direction), and a pretty basic light show.

That first show went great! You nailed it!, the turn out wasn't all that great but you told all your buddies that you were playing! (HEY LOOK NETWORKING!!) and told them to come on out and see you suck it up, er... ROCK OUT! Hey even a member of the band that was suppose to play came out and hopped up on stage to jump in a song, Make sure to give that dude some thanks! They got you the gig pretty much, and you want to be nice to the other local bands, because they'll scratch you're band if you do the same (NETWORKING HERE TOO!!!)

Suddenly you might get a call from another bar, because that same band couldn't do a gig there but they said you guys rocked and to see if you were available! Since you're just starting out you're price is pretty good too (Come on, who expects to be making major $$ when you first start out?) Well now you're on the call list for these two places. you've NETWORKED with the two owners/managers and they know you well. Now comes the extra work that bands SHOULD BE DOING!!

GO OUT TO OTHER BANDS SHOW'S!! Talk to the bands, say hi, tell them they sound good (Even if they don't sound that great... hey maybe the sound guy is having a head cold or something :P ) Don't be anoying, just say Hi, be supportive, be positive. If you can't do a gig at one of your two places recomend them! This is the back scratching again! Now you're on their good list! They should be doing the same!

All this time while you're out rocking out, you should not just play your songs and be anti-social, its all about the NETWORKING!! On break, go out and talk to the people! Ask them what they think, what they would like to hear (anoying sometimes also because honestly who is going to play freebird!?) Get to know their names! Tell them to check out you're website and come out to other shows! YES THATS RIGHT!! BUILD A FAN BASE!!

Six months have gone by now and the first gig place is PACKED because of BANANASAYSNO!!! You're a HUGE draw! You have talked to people, and made a name for yourself... Now comes the fun part. Raise your price! Thats right! You no longer have to deal with the cheap pay of a new band anymore! RAISE THAT PRICE UP! You are the reason the people are there! The reason they are choosing to buy their booze there, and not anywhere else! Why shouldn't you be getting reimbursed for your NETWORKING WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE!?!?

Sweet, you're now making some good $$ for your time on the weekend nights. So now you just sit back and relax and let the money and calls for gigs flow in right? WRONG! GET OUT AND NETWORK SOME MORE!! Eventually people are going to start getting tired of you, and you'll have fan rollover. (come on, honestly? you remember what you used to like back 10 years ago, do you want to admit it now? I know I don't)

This last step is where most bands fail! Why do you not have a press kit? Make some posters!, carry some around in your car! throw some up at the local BK Lounge, or the BurritoQ Eattery! Help that bar out! They'll feel like they're not getting ripped off then! They like that! To top if off they might start giving you some good deals on your adult beverages that you drink throughout the night!

DON'T FORGET TO GO SEE OTHER BANDS!! EVEN THE NEW GUYS ON THE BLOCK! They are where you once were! They are part of the family. Get them up to speed faster and more people get more money all around! Don't sell yourself cheap... Honestly is that 300 bucks for a night full of work worth it!? Lets do some math.

You get a gig at the last minute but they only pay 400 bucks. ah, what the heck I'm not doing anything else am I?? Why not, lets gather up the dudes and get rocking!

Show starts at 9pm, goes to 2am so thats a good 5 hours of songs, Lets do 4 sets so we have 3 breaks in there. Well if its out of town, we'll have to load up our gear if it isn't already loaded. We'll say we leave it in a trailer to make it easier. We better meet up at the singers house at at 6 to get going because the drive is a 45 minute event but someone forgot to gas up the van after the last gig... so we have to waste 15 minutes to do that. So now we've made it a 8 hour event. But wait! Now we have to load out! Well thats going to take another hour and a half so we're now up to 9.5 hours of skilled labor!! Oh! we have to drive home also!! 10.5 hours of our night we're up to!! Lets do some math now!

10.5 hours x 4 people = 42 hours of time!
400 bucks / 42 hours of time = 9.53 an hour.... Not bad not bad... But wait! We have to pay for gas and insurance on the band vanmobile. along with saving up for those new stage monitors or lights we want! (come on, you have to have a band fund!)

So lets take 50 bucks out for gas. then another 50 for some monitor/lights fund

300/ 42 hours of time = 7.15 and hour rounding up

So now each person is leaving with 75 bucks! Not bad is it!? Wait! You broke a string durring the show didn't you? Oh man you went through a set of drum sticks... Need some more guitar pick's because someone at the show started handing them out to their friends? Dang it. there goes 10 bucks of that!

oh wait! You still need to pay your tab at the bar!! Well lets give them 20 bucks for those beers and a tip!

75-10-20= 45 bucks

45 bucks per person / that 10.5 hours = 4.29 bucks and hour rounded up... Man... this is getting bad!!

But you want to save up for that new piece of gear for your rig also, that new PRS/Tele is calling to you... so you put some money away on that... so lets throw 20 towards that... Man we're losing money all over the place here!

we now have 25 bucks to our 10.5 hours worth of work... that is a lowly 2.38 an hour for your skilled labor!!

Maybe we should add in those hours of practice you put in between the previous gig and that one... you'd be really bad off.... You might as well have stayed home!! I mean after all... isn't your time work more than 2.38 an hour!?

This is the reason why there should be NO BANDS PLAYING FOR 400 BUCKS A NIGHT!!! Heck I've even heard of bands playing 4 nights at a bar for 1000 bucks... do the math... thats 250 bucks a night.... How is that even worth it!?

Ok sure you might do it just because you enjoy it! Hey you want something to do on the weekends! But is that worth your time? Why would you want to be hauling in big heavey gear for 75 bucks at the end of the night? What happens when you get a sound guy? He should earn his pay also, and get an even cut. He should also be there to help drive, pack, and he should be in charge of setting up the PA while your setting up you're rig... now that 4 piece has turned into a 5 piece...

If you are an established band, each person should at least be leaving with 100 bucks at the end of each night! The band fund should be pulling more than 100 a night also. Hey you're getting bigger, and you need to buy that bigger trailer, and that truck/van/suburban is not cheap on gas!

So the next time you get called to do a gig. Do some math! Figure out if its worth your time to play there, or gracefully recomend that new band that came out to see your show that is trying to catch a break. Heck they'll play for 400 bucks to get in the door, and start building...

The best rule of this whole post I guess is, Don't be afriad to ask for what you are worth.

/sign off
Meest

The State of the GF Band Scene

Up in Grand Forks, I've made the conclusion the main Issue is people have a problem with cover charges in this town. They don't see the bar as an Entertainment place, but a place to get stupid drunk, then proceed to make a fool of themselves. That's fine and dandy, as I'm well known for making a fool of myself also, but normally in the comfort of my own home or at friends party's. Not at a public establishment.

The main reason not having cover charges ruin the state of the music in the area is obvious. It limits the amount a bar is willing to pay the bands to play. If a band has a large following they can demand more at the door this way, and the bar owner will not worry about having to pay them at the end of the night. They are almost self sustaining. Yet you look at many places and people see it as a roadblock. Well hell I can just go down the street and drink there with no charge to get something from the bar, why should I have to pay to get into a bar? is there thought. They just want booze and touch tunes. They aren't looking for entertainment just a tap to drown their mind.

I love going to a bar for a great show. Be it smoking or non-smoking. I like going to see a band that can impress me. I like having the adult atmosphere, having a nice Sam Adam's or Fat Tire in front of me, and just enjoying the show, the music, and the vibe. I go down to the city's and the bands are playing in almost every bar around. They sound awesome and have a great light show to boot!

Sadly someone up here in the bar industry needs to get an awesome light show going. Along with a proper sound system and STAGE! Not a stage in a random corner...

I'll post more on this later... I think it needs to be addressed properly at some point and time soon!

The State of Grand Forks Bar Scene

Up in Grand Forks, I've made the conclusion the main Issue is people have a problem with cover charges in this town. They don't see the bar as an Entertainment place, but a place to get stupid drunk, then proceed to make a fool of themselves. That's fine and dandy, as I'm well known for making a fool of myself also, but normally in the comfort of my own home or at friends party's. Not at a public establishment.

The main reason not having cover charges ruin the state of the music in the area is obvious. It limits the amount a bar is willing to pay the bands to play. If a band has a large following they can demand more at the door this way, and the bar owner will not worry about having to pay them at the end of the night. They are almost self sustaining. Yet you look at many places and people see it as a roadblock. Well hell I can just go down the street and drink there with no charge to get something from the bar, why should I have to pay to get into a bar? is there thought. They just want booze and touch tunes. They aren't looking for entertainment just a tap to drown their mind.

I love going to a bar for a great show. Be it smoking or non-smoking. I like going to see a band that can impress me. I like having the adult atmosphere, having a nice Sam Adam's or Fat Tire in front of me, and just enjoying the show, the music, and the vibe. I go down to the city's and the bands are playing in almost every bar around. They sound awesome and have a great light show to boot!