Cover at door
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no surrender
that just ges to show a LOT of people hate covers, not just me.byndrsn wrote:There are places that do not charge a cover. For instance, Beyond Reason played Friday and Saturday night at the Hitching Post and then at Victory Lanes - neither of these bars charge a cover - ever!no surrender wrote:
ya i guess you gotta make it worth your while but you'd ever think of making it up on numbers? NO cover would bring in a lot of people. bar owners wood be happy, and they happy YOU are happy cause they want you back.often.do you ever think it may be a numbers game.
So, there are places to go where you don't need to pay the cover charge and still see decent bands. Not to mention, I don't feel that either of these establishments charge too much for drinks - so that is also a plus!!
There are choices out there and personally, I would rather play somewhere that never charges a cover than somewhere where there is a cover and you have to bring your own door guy (I've been the door guy before and it really sucks because you have no authority because you are not an employee - and there are a lot of total assholes that try to start shit with you).
Urbs
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RobTheDrummer
- Diamond Member
- Posts: 5227
- Joined: Tuesday Dec 10, 2002
- Location: Tiptonia, Pa
This is an age-old subject/argument. But, in the real world you don't get
anything for free. Most bars/clubs can't afford to pay bands outright from
their bar sales, so they must charge cover to recoup costs. Many bands do play for "the door", etc. Musicians understand that there are expenses
involved with playing out. Try buying guitar strings/picks/etc., drum sticks/heads, and a plethora of other unseen expenses. Also, there are costs for bands to travel to/from shows. Some bands have to pay for production (i.e. PA, lights, etc.) and these don't come cheap. Overhead
costs for bands is pricy when compared to the average musicians' take
(pay for a show). Musicians also don't get paid for all the practice and
time it takes for songs to be learned, etc. COVER CHARGE?
PAY IT, Most musicians earn it with hard work and sweat (literally)!
As mentioned earlier, you pay to see movies and other forms of entertainment don't you?
I don't gripe over paying cover to see other bands on the rare occasions
I get to see them. I feel they deserve it.
On the other hand, there are bar/club owners that take advantage of
bands and pay them less than the cover taken for a night. I think this
is just wrong! I've had plenty of squabbles with these types over the
years I've played out. In most cases, I refused to play at these places anymore. Don't like getting f#%^$*!
As always this is my opinion, you are entitled to yours.
anything for free. Most bars/clubs can't afford to pay bands outright from
their bar sales, so they must charge cover to recoup costs. Many bands do play for "the door", etc. Musicians understand that there are expenses
involved with playing out. Try buying guitar strings/picks/etc., drum sticks/heads, and a plethora of other unseen expenses. Also, there are costs for bands to travel to/from shows. Some bands have to pay for production (i.e. PA, lights, etc.) and these don't come cheap. Overhead
costs for bands is pricy when compared to the average musicians' take
(pay for a show). Musicians also don't get paid for all the practice and
time it takes for songs to be learned, etc. COVER CHARGE?
PAY IT, Most musicians earn it with hard work and sweat (literally)!
As mentioned earlier, you pay to see movies and other forms of entertainment don't you?
I don't gripe over paying cover to see other bands on the rare occasions
I get to see them. I feel they deserve it.
On the other hand, there are bar/club owners that take advantage of
bands and pay them less than the cover taken for a night. I think this
is just wrong! I've had plenty of squabbles with these types over the
years I've played out. In most cases, I refused to play at these places anymore. Don't like getting f#%^$*!
As always this is my opinion, you are entitled to yours.
We played somewhere out of town and we were told that we would only get the door for our first time being there. Well she said that she would leave the cover charge up to us when we got there. Well when we had got there she said that she was going to charge $5.00 at the door and we were kinda like um ok. I mean dont get me wrong we thought that was nice and all but was also scared it might hurt us. Well we did very well but you have to no we also had a few people bitch about the cover being they diden't even no who the band was. I think a normal cover charge for any band is usually 3 or 4 dollars. If you charge anymore than that usually in most cases people are like (I'm not paying that). I don't mind paying $5.00 to see a band. I look at it this way. Some bar owners actually tell the band what to charge, so you really cant blame the bands when it happens. 
Jason Satta / CYPHIN
Jason Satta / CYPHIN
I have never liked charge'n a cover! I've always felt it's sorta a deterent .
Of course I will always pay a cover when need be because I love music, and if I drive to a place to see a band and find out it's a 5 or 6 dollar cover oh well , I sure as hell ain't go'n to turn around and leave! I've acctually went to see bands not have'n more than 20 bucks to my name and paid for a friend to get in also and that's at a 5 dollar cover. That doesn't leave too much money to drink on at 2 something a beer now does it , but I will still pay it with out cause'n a big scene! It doesn't matter to me cause me being in a band I know that's their bread & butter and I know how much it costs all of us to maintain our buisness also! I however do hate how some places know for a fact you bring in the money for them every single time you're there and they still do not want to pay ya outright but, as club owners that's their choice and we are happy to be there anyways and sometimes make out better that way. By haveing a club use their own door guy you stand a 50/50 chance of gett'n ripped off for sure and I don't care who or where it is! I don't give a fly'n fuck what anybody says I know how much a case of beer costs and when they mark it up to 2.50 or 2.75 when a band is playing they are make'n more than double the price than they normally would on a week night so if ya do the math yes they could pay bands outright 3 to 400 dollars, and that's not to mention the food or harder booze sales. You can't expect to make money if ya don't spend a little! We all spend our money buy'n equipment, gas gett'n there, promo stuff, ect. and we make a hell of alot less than the clubs do on a great night. We play in one particular bar that is very small and they have never charged a cover and do extremely well cause of this and when they make extra money they cut us in on a little also and they don't ever mind shelling out the bucks to make even more! NS if you don't like pay'n a cover then don't fuck'n go you'll prolly only bring bad EN_ER_GY with you anyways you cheap ass! When a band is charge'n 4 to 5 bucks to get into a show it's because they have to and YOU will more than likely get your 4 or 5 dollars worth! Don't you think that a band knows you are spending that kind of money at the door ? We put our hearts and souls into what we do for our fans and clubs and always try to give the best show possible and that's a fact no matter how much you think you know! There are many more sacrifices that a band makes to do what we do and most people realize this and if you went to any shows or PLAYED IN A BAND you too would realize this also! If I really like a band I don't care about the cover at all and will gladly cough up a meezly 5 bucks to see them even if I've seen them a thousand times before, it's called support ! Like I said I personally don't like a charge'n a cover but sometimes you have too to make anything at all and if everyone thought the way you do NS there would be no music scene at all IMHO. This is just my opinion and nothing more so please don't take it the wrong way.l.o.l.
Of course I will always pay a cover when need be because I love music, and if I drive to a place to see a band and find out it's a 5 or 6 dollar cover oh well , I sure as hell ain't go'n to turn around and leave! I've acctually went to see bands not have'n more than 20 bucks to my name and paid for a friend to get in also and that's at a 5 dollar cover. That doesn't leave too much money to drink on at 2 something a beer now does it , but I will still pay it with out cause'n a big scene! It doesn't matter to me cause me being in a band I know that's their bread & butter and I know how much it costs all of us to maintain our buisness also! I however do hate how some places know for a fact you bring in the money for them every single time you're there and they still do not want to pay ya outright but, as club owners that's their choice and we are happy to be there anyways and sometimes make out better that way. By haveing a club use their own door guy you stand a 50/50 chance of gett'n ripped off for sure and I don't care who or where it is! I don't give a fly'n fuck what anybody says I know how much a case of beer costs and when they mark it up to 2.50 or 2.75 when a band is playing they are make'n more than double the price than they normally would on a week night so if ya do the math yes they could pay bands outright 3 to 400 dollars, and that's not to mention the food or harder booze sales. You can't expect to make money if ya don't spend a little! We all spend our money buy'n equipment, gas gett'n there, promo stuff, ect. and we make a hell of alot less than the clubs do on a great night. We play in one particular bar that is very small and they have never charged a cover and do extremely well cause of this and when they make extra money they cut us in on a little also and they don't ever mind shelling out the bucks to make even more! NS if you don't like pay'n a cover then don't fuck'n go you'll prolly only bring bad EN_ER_GY with you anyways you cheap ass! When a band is charge'n 4 to 5 bucks to get into a show it's because they have to and YOU will more than likely get your 4 or 5 dollars worth! Don't you think that a band knows you are spending that kind of money at the door ? We put our hearts and souls into what we do for our fans and clubs and always try to give the best show possible and that's a fact no matter how much you think you know! There are many more sacrifices that a band makes to do what we do and most people realize this and if you went to any shows or PLAYED IN A BAND you too would realize this also! If I really like a band I don't care about the cover at all and will gladly cough up a meezly 5 bucks to see them even if I've seen them a thousand times before, it's called support ! Like I said I personally don't like a charge'n a cover but sometimes you have too to make anything at all and if everyone thought the way you do NS there would be no music scene at all IMHO. This is just my opinion and nothing more so please don't take it the wrong way.l.o.l.
A person is getting along the road to wisdom when they begin to realize that their opinion is just another opinion !
I like the comparison with other forms of entertainment. Try going to the Carmike and telling the girl at the ticket window you're not paying to get in. Guess what? You're not going to see the movie. Same with amusement parks, sporting events, county fairs ... hell, even "Lights on the Lake" carries a "cover charge." If you want to go, if you want to be entertained, you pay to get in. Period.
I've never seen a one-band show (unless you're talking national act) where the cover was more than $5. If you can't afford that, I'd suggest sending out some résumés or don't go out, one or the other.
Eluding to skip's comments ... a lot of work and investment goes in to putting together a quality show. Most shows, our production staff makes more per person than we do, but that's the nature of things.
Pay the cover and smile.
r:>)
I've never seen a one-band show (unless you're talking national act) where the cover was more than $5. If you can't afford that, I'd suggest sending out some résumés or don't go out, one or the other.
Eluding to skip's comments ... a lot of work and investment goes in to putting together a quality show. Most shows, our production staff makes more per person than we do, but that's the nature of things.
Pay the cover and smile.
r:>)
That's what she said.
If I ever had to choose between cover or beer... I'd rather be entertained than drunk. I'm happy to pay a cover to see a good band, especially a good friend's band. It says, "I appreciate what you're doing," and anyway, it's only money. I always have just enough, but never too much.
Plus, a musician can always find someone to buy them a drink, it's part of the return on your dues-paying investment.
------>JMS
Plus, a musician can always find someone to buy them a drink, it's part of the return on your dues-paying investment.
------>JMS