Are you experienced????

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

Okay, here's my question. The band has been approached to play a 6 band bash at Crocodile Rock in Allentown in June. This is one of those things where you sell tickets & maybe rent a bus and drive your fans (ie. Mom & Dad) to the gig and party like a wanna be rock star. I need to know, has anyone done this at a venue such as this? OR is this just a glorified version of the band bashes that we have here.

I'm always up for road trips and gigs that could lead to something more and press but is this gonna be worth it.

Please be gentle. My ass hurts from all the smoke blown up it....

Feelgood · Post by **Feelgood** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

Pass on it. Every time I had an opportunity to play there we got fucked some way or another. Once, the venue had booked three shows at once. One show up stairs and then two drastically different shows on a cramped, shitty stage in the basement where nobody even acknowledges. I think the guy's name is Joe; he's a fuck. His daughter is nice but Joe is a douche. I'd pass on the show and save the gas and time.

JackANSI · Post by **JackANSI** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

I've had good experiences there, but we (an old band I was in) were the only act plying upstairs. Made great money and had the big room more than half filled.

Multi-band gigs usually leave a good portion of those bands screwed to make sure one band gets what they were promised (usually the biggest (HA!) out-of-town band gets the take of the local bands' friends cover/ticket sales).

Unless you can get the whole place to yourself, I can't help but think you'll get screwed.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

WoW!! A 50-50... Don't listen to anyone but yourself. Go by what's up front...is it worth it to you?

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

Come on gentlemen. I know ya have more for me. Professionally speaking....

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

OK, professionally speaking....Scrub it. Don't give it the time of day.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

REDillon wrote:Okay, here's my question. The band has been approached to play a 6 band bash at Crocodile Rock in Allentown in June. This is one of those things where you sell tickets & maybe rent a bus and drive your fans (ie. Mom & Dad) to the gig and party like a wanna be rock star. I need to know, has anyone done this at a venue such as this? OR is this just a glorified version of the band bashes that we have here.

I'm always up for road trips and gigs that could lead to something more and press but is this gonna be worth it.

Please be gentle. My ass hurts from all the smoke blown up it....

Run, don't walk away. Selling tickets is bullshit, and promoters need to do their fucking jobs instead of passing it off on bands. This selling tickets garbage is akin to us booking a gig, then having another bass player learn all of the material and play the gig, but then I collect the pay check at the end of the night.

I'm not saying that bands shouldn't do their part to promote a gig, but advertising a gig and hitting the streets is a lot different than being told to sell tickets. Just my .02 cents.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

OMG!! I got nothin' else!!

EyesOfAnguishbassist · Post by **EyesOfAnguishbassist** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

I don't know from experience but a few of my friends bands have played there and they more or less said it was an unpleasant experience. If it were up to me I would if I could sell the tickets without having to break into my own pocket but thats just me. Im always down to try anything once and I don't play to "make" money but I def don't play to loose my ass either lol.

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

gahh, thought this was gonna be a hendrix thread

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

Colton wrote:gahh, thought this was gonna be a hendrix thread

me too

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

I'd say if you are out to make money don't do it. If you are out for a road trip and an adventure than try it.

Mistress_DB · Post by **Mistress_DB** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

if you have to sell X amount of tickets, it sounds like it's pay to play. Basically how many tickets you sell will determine your place on the bill. The money you make for the club will go to pay whomever the headline act is. Sure sometimes that can get your foot in the door at a bigger club that hosts nationals but sometimes it can get you screwed real damned fast too. (and not screwed in a good way)

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Colton wrote:gahh, thought this was gonna be a hendrix thread

Me three.

r:>)

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Yeah, it's gay. The gayest thing I've ever heard of. Local bands should sell tickets, but even then, they shouldn't have some fucking quota.

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the input. You all are great. No matter what I write about you in the bus station bathroom.

Trucula · Post by **Trucula** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

REDillon wrote:No matter what I write about you in the bus station bathroom.

That explains all my recent phone calls!!..THANKS!!!

We received the same offer twice . Once for opening for Jackyl and then Disturbed. And first thing he asked was , "How many tickets can you sell???" Couple guys wanted to do it. Then I said,"How many tickets can we sell?" One said 100???. I said NOWAY!!...I know we have friends and all but who from here is going to drive 4 hours to see us open for anyone and drink???...Not a 100 people!... Hell Motley Crue is in Hershey Sunday and I only know one other friend that's going. Do you think 100 of our friends are going to drive 3 hours more for a band that isn't as popular? All it would be is a "pay-to-play-deal-so-you-can-say-we-opened-for-so-n-so" deal. Fuel+food+time+maybe a motel+wear/tear= minus money!

Business' can't operate long with those profits. I could spend that much on something closer to home that would be more to our advantage in the long haul.

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Yeah, I really doubt a BUS LOAD (LOL) of fans would want to pay the ticket price, plus drink. AND what put me off was that the first 4 bands would only play for 35 minutes. So our fans, get to pay money to hear us play for 35 minutes. The band before the headliner play for 45 minutes. The more that unraveled the less excited I got about the gig.

Sometimes you just need bounce this shit off each other to realize what you already knew.

See, Rockpage isn't just for assholes who say F%@K anymore.

moxham123 · Post by **moxham123** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

I agree with the Rockpagers telling you to run away screaming in the opposite direction. Sounds like a recipe for disaster unless you just want to go through the experience and not care about making money like some have stated. you might have some stories to tell.

This is just a twisted version of a door deal. I bet they don't call a plumber to fix their toilet and ask him to sell tickets or pay him based on the number or people who pay a cover charge. A band is also a contracted service provider.

Helping to promote your band at shows is a necessity for all your gigs and business efforts. It is part of the job.

Throngs of people will not drive 4 hours to support you playing a 35 minute set when they can see you locally.

There are only three ways that I sell tickets to our LOCAL shows and it benefits my band and me.

1. I own the show and I am responsible for its success and have booked the bands, venue, and pay for all advertising and everything else.

2. I am hired by a third party to manage and direct a show for them.

3. I will sometimes have tickets available as a "convenience to our fans" who cannot get to a venue to purchase tickets when it is open or they live out of the area. They appreciate it and so does the venue and so do we that they want to attend the show.

JackANSI · Post by **JackANSI** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Wow they really turned Crocs into a dump.

I'd have to say avoid this one.

evil_one · Post by **evil_one** » Thursday Mar 12, 2009

Actually, we didn't HAVE to sell 100 tickets. One of us said that we would try to if we had to, so we could get the show. Other bands are needing openers, too. They ask you how many tickets you think you can sell. I know a band that only sold thirty tickets to open. Also, if you're the only opening band, you get $1.00 a head. Now if 1000 people show up, that's $1,000. Would it be worth it? I think.

The Defining Hour · Post by **The Defining Hour** » Thursday Mar 12, 2009

We had a similar experience. We were asked to play this venue in Pittsburgh and were told to sell 30 tickets IF you can. Needless to say when we got out there we only sold 20. Once we got to the venue we found out that we had to come up with the money for the other 10 tickets (80 bucks). And our friends were on their way from Johnstown to watch. SOOO, we had to dip into our pockets just to get on stage.

Another experience I had was in my old band (about 9 years ago). We went to do a battle of the bands at club laga put on by ROAR productions.... FUCK THAT.

Those are just my experiences though. If you feel like you guys just want to get out of town and try something new do it. Just be prepared with some extra cash.

Lew

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Thursday Mar 12, 2009

I spoke with the one band who was putting it together and they can't find ANY band to play the joint. I had already turned down the offer a week ago and I was more than pleasant about it. No sense being a dick, or a twat, in my case. Anywho, he called me to offer the band an out of town gig with no ticket sales, AND to tell me that the gig may be cancelled anyway because of clubowner asshole factors. *

I like road trips and out of town gigs like most of us do but when it's not in anyone's best interest EXCEPT for the club owner, I must use my best "just say No," attitude.

* not all clubowners are assholes. I am only referring to the one's that are.

UNEARTHA7XMatt · Post by **UNEARTHA7XMatt** » Thursday Mar 12, 2009

Feelgood wrote:Pass on it. Every time I had an opportunity to play there we got fucked some way or another. Once, the venue had booked three shows at once. One show up stairs and then two drastically different shows on a cramped, shitty stage in the basement where nobody even acknowledges. I think the guy's name is Joe; he's a fuck. His daughter is nice but Joe is a douche. I'd pass on the show and save the gas and time.

Dan, was this the show that we did with SeVeR and Subdue? If so I remember that. It sucked pretty bad. Decent crowd but other than that it blew goat Dick!

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Friday Mar 13, 2009

The Defining Hour wrote:We had a similar experience. We were asked to play this venue in Pittsburgh and were told to sell 30 tickets IF you can. Needless to say when we got out there we only sold 20. Once we got to the venue we found out that we had to come up with the money for the other 10 tickets (80 bucks). And our friends were on their way from Johnstown to watch. SOOO, we had to dip into our pockets just to get on stage.

Another experience I had was in my old band (about 9 years ago). We went to do a battle of the bands at club laga put on by ROAR productions.... FUCK THAT.

Those are just my experiences though. If you feel like you guys just want to get out of town and try something new do it. Just be prepared with some extra cash.

Lew

What happened at the battle of the bands put on by ROAR Productions??

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