Random bar-related stuff

[JackANSI]

In looking over the numbers more from a bar owner's point of view I've started to feel their true pain.

First some assumptions to make it easier:
1 Band per weekend at $246 flat pay.
Taxes are 0%.
Profit and mark-up is 0% (calculations are made on break even).
No cover.

If a bar is paying minimum wage of $6.15/hr (yes I know wait staff get paid less per hour, but the house is on the hook for tips totaling less than $6.15/hr) and lets say the average band gets paid a flat rate of $246 (to make the math simple ) thats like having another 10 people on for 4 hours (or one more minimum wage full-time employee).

If the wait staff makes their quota of tips, the house is on the hook for just $2.89/hr. This roughly halves the cost of the employee and a band making $246 flat would be equal to just over 2 minimum wage full-time employees.

Assuming your crowd is made up entirely of 110lb women who stay under the legal limit (.08 BAC) and stick around for the entire time between 10pm and 2am, you'll sell about 3 drinks each. If you figure they are all drinking shots and there are 17 shots per fifth, and the stuff they are drinking is $15/fifth. To pay for the band at $246 flat and with 100% of your shot sales going to them until they are paid, your crowd would need to be about 92 strong to pay the band.

About 44 would be required if the crowd were entirely made up of 200lb males, but really who wants to imagine that?

[faceoffmuzik]

Very interesting read.

I think we see now why many bands get paid "from the door"

[DirtySanchez]

Cover charge should be 10 dollars everywhere and bands should get the door.

People have been paying 5 bucks since the fucking 80's.

[Bag]

Cover charge should be 10 dollars everywhere and bands should get the door.

People have been paying 5 bucks since the fucking 80's.

I'd still pay it but alot of people wouldn't. Would you rather play for 100 people and make $500.00, or play for 50 people and make $500.00?

[Lisa]

Good thought, however, there are a lot of expenses not covered yet such as higher insurance premiums because you have entertainment, bmi fees, higher utilities, oh, more toilet paper usage...lol...

But, in our case, we hope that those 120 lb women would get hungry for a change and buy food and decide that its really good so they are coming back with their friends and family on a non-band night as well. They see me wearing my stained jeans with bleach spots and feel bad for me so they will play the lottery, win $100 and give me $25. Hey, a person can dream.

Seriously, what you put down is somewhat accurate and well thought out. I would LOVE to be able to charge a $10 cover and let the band take it all. But no one will show up and the band would really loose out.

There are some nights that we would have been better off not having a band because we've had to turn folks away who just wanted to come in and eat or drink. One night, we turned away about 25 four wheelers. That hurt us big time. But they were all muddy and just weren't going to pay to listen to a band. This past weekend we had the 4 wheeler group call and ask if they could come in and eat without paying...we did talk to the band about it. They were cool about it even though they lost their butt in the end. I wish that I could pay them out of my personal pocket.

[DirtySanchez]

The only reason people won't pay it is because bar owners like to cut each others throats and would never unite and all increase the prices.

One thing I'm gonna cover in the Major Miner Documentary is this very topic.
It really fucks me off that people bitch about paying 5 dollars to get in the door, but will pay 7 bucks for a white russian that would cost you about 75 cents to make at home. Or buy some dicktease about 50 bucks worth of red headed sluts or some equally "cool" named drink in the hopes of borderline date raping her later on.

/rant

[JackANSI]

Good thought, however, there are a lot of expenses not covered yet such as higher insurance premiums because you have entertainment, bmi fees, higher utilities, oh, more toilet paper usage...lol...

I wanted to make it simple so people can really see this.

There are countless taxes and overhead costs I did not include.

And other not so apparent costs, like how much extra food related business you could possibly do with those 1 or 2 extra wait staff employee over the course of a week compared to what you'll make off a band for one night.

[PanzerFaust]

What time does the train leave Chicago going 100 miles per hour?

[Lisa]

What time does the train leave Chicago going 100 miles per hour?

4:36pm

[Killjingle]

Cover charge should be 10 dollars everywhere and bands should get the door.

People have been paying 5 bucks since the fucking 80's.

LOL; I have seen some ppl jumpin it back down to 3...

[Killjingle]

About 44 would be required if the crowd were entirely made up of 200lb males, but really who wants to imagine that?

Il take that any day of the week; thats a fuckin original metal show! And 44 thats way on the short side.

[Banned]

What time does the train leave Chicago going 100 miles per hour?

4:36pm

Lisa, its 4:20.

[Lisa]

What time does the train leave Chicago going 100 miles per hour?

4:36pm

Lisa, its 4:20.

Crap, I missed the damn train again.

[Ron]

4:36pm

Lisa, its 4:20.

Crap, I missed the damn train again.

I think JackANSI caught the 4:20 train because I can't make sense of the math.

[songsmith]

You really checked the math?
High-five me when you see me, fella's, I'm not the biggest nerd on the internet! Woo-Hoo!--->JMS

[DrumAndDestroy]

in the hopes of borderline date raping her later on.

remember that time those 2 fat chicks fought over me at aldo's?

i don't really know how this is relevant, but it was funny.

[slackin@dabass]

The only reason people won't pay it is because bar owners like to cut each others throats and would never unite and all increase the prices.

One thing I'm gonna cover in the Major Miner Documentary is this very topic.
It really fucks me off that people bitch about paying 5 dollars to get in the door, but will pay 7 bucks for a white russian that would cost you about 75 cents to make at home. Or buy some dicktease about 50 bucks worth of red headed sluts or some equally "cool" named drink in the hopes of borderline date raping her later on.

/rant

hmmm....


you, sir, speak the truth. actually, most people i know just won't go out to see a band. they'd rather not pay 5 bucks because it's another beer they could drink so they can get fucked up and drive home.

but, i digress...

bag: i'd rather play for 100 people and make 500 because if each one of those people tells 2 friends or whatever, that's the chance of playing for more and more and more... know what i mean? leave the door charge where it is. really, who here is doing this for a living?

[Bag]

I think EVERYONE would rather play for 100 people than 50. That was my point.

[tornandfrayed]

Hey I agree that bands deserve to make more but....

Are people in these bars to drink or to listen to music? I know that some bands work there ass's off to get e following and do draw a crowd. It is hard to get a crowd when you are playing twice a month in a 30 mile area.

I think that most of the people at a bar on any given night are there to drink and would be there whether there was a band or not.

In that case people will not pay the extra money in cover charges, they will just go somewhere else. That is when the DJ becomes a real threat...

I always felt that if you played even once a month you were over exposed in this area. There are bands that play a wide ranging area and play frequently and do well. I think they are the exception though and not the rule.

So I guess that my point is that if the cover was $10, you wouldn't have to worry about the 50 or 100 question....

Times are different and people do not seem to be into the live music scene.... It sucks but it is what it is.

I do think that starting the discussion is valid and a good way to start to see a resolution...

Should i kiss ass's now?

[onegunguitar]

in the hopes of borderline date raping her later on.

remember that time those 2 fat chicks fought over me at aldo's?

i don't really know how this is relevant, but it was funny.

They must have been drunk!! Hahahaha!!!!

[DirtySanchez]

I think EVERYONE would rather play for 100 people than 50. That was my point.

Not if they have social anxiety disorder. Haha, just figured every other thread had an argument in it. sorry, Bag.

[DirtySanchez]

in the hopes of borderline date raping her later on.

remember that time those 2 fat chicks fought over me at aldo's?

i don't really know how this is relevant, but it was funny.

They must have been drunk!! Hahahaha!!!!

They were! It was hilarious.

[JackANSI]

Lisa, its 4:20.

Crap, I missed the damn train again.

I think JackANSI caught the 4:20 train because I can't make sense of the math.

You sound like a math teacher

"Don't just write the answer down, show your work!"

[Bag]

I think EVERYONE would rather play for 100 people than 50. That was my point.

Not if they have social anxiety disorder. Haha, just figured every other thread had an argument in it. sorry, Bag.

Fuck you Brian! (BTW, I sent you a PM saying I'm gonna kick your ass!)

[CrossfireRadio]

Its a shame that people wont "pay" to watch their favorite band play. $5.00 some areas (as someone else stated) $3.00... Only time ive ever seen it $10.00 is if its a benefit and theres more than 1 band playing (or more than 3)

One of the worse places to "Advertise" is on myspace, Facebook, fubar, etc. Because most of your "friends" on there are 4-5-6 states away, so obviously, their not going to show up.

Maybe a bar can set up a nice video camera for bands with an internet connection, and charge people $5.00 to see live feed of the bands playing. It would be like getting a movie on pay-per-view (which even that costs more) Then those people in other states could get to watch your shows... and you still get an extra $5.00. How many would pay that? prolly not many at the start, because it would be new, and people are scared of new lol.

CrossFire-Radio wanted to do something like that.. but we don't have a $1000.00 video camera, just a $250.00 video camera and a laptop.. So the sound would be crappy and the internet connection would have to be strong"ish".