The worst night out I've ever had.

[FiddlePicker]

I will never again grace Peter C's with my presence or my money again. I mean, I have had family and friends in bands all my life. I could name you at least a dozen off the top of my head. Successful bands. Not just up and coming, wet behind the ear bands. I know how a good business is run between bands and event places...and I've never heard so many bad things about a bar in my life. I've Never seen so many bad things either. Welcome to getting screwed over at Peter C's.

It is not my place to rant about them. At all. But I cannot sit by and not say anything either. I have been there several times in the past few years, and I'm seeing repeating complaints from your customers and bands:

1) You need to clean that dive of a bar up.

2) That includes the poor excuses you call restrooms.

3) Get someone who honestly knows how to work the sound monitors. Turning the volume up to ear shatter does not constitute as good sound quality. And actually on that note, what the hell? "Oh hey, we're going to pay the band this much...but it's a hundred dollars to use our sound equipment, fifty dollars to not use it because of our sound guy." I think that is a piss poor way to mooch off the bands that are trying their damnedest to make some money. Because God knows Peter C's must not make anything on alcohol sales to pay their sound guy (if he "must" be there anyway) out of their own pocket.

4) Get better people to watch your money. I don't know if it's the door man who's slipping some green off the top, if it's John or any of the other workers there skimming, or if it's the bands themselves pocketing it and stiffing the other band or their own band mates. I know I've heard about New Years. Two bands not getting paid and, magically, no one seems to know where the money went. At all. To have over a hundred people in the bar itself and only make a hundred dollars at the door? That is nonsense. For eight dollars ahead, ten dollars a ticket at the door that night...ridiculous. Stop screwing your bands over. They bring in the money. Good thinking on the parts of the few bands that I've seen bring their own door people.

5) The bartenders can be very nice people. I appreciate them. At one time in my life, I was one. I know how busy the bar gets. But pay attention to your bar. Most of the evening I got charged differently for the same drinks. Change would be any where from a quarter to two dollars off.

6) I was there Saturday night. That was ignorant bad talking the opening band and then shutting off the main band. There were people in there that paid good money to get in (I was one of them) to watch both of those bands. You pissed off a lot of people. I don't seem to recall you ever kicking your DJ out the nights that there are only a handful of people at the bar. No one honestly enjoys that hip hop rap crap he plays. Nevertheless, the tunes are up full force sonic boom style. It's pathetic. (Please note that I'm not trying to slam the DJ at all. My point is that he's still there regardless if it's three people at the bar or thirty.)

Last night was the end all. You have not only lost my boyfriends' and my business, but that of our friends. I can personally guarantee that I will inform my friends bands to never set foot in Peter C's again. Get better management and a better attitude and maybe, just maybe, you'll have a business that bands could be proud of playing at. I'll not hold my breath though. I'd suffocate waiting.

[Colton]

I personally have no problems with Johns place... actually, its probably my favorite place to go. John is probably the the easiest to deal with bar owner ive dealt with.....and those bathrooms are exquisite compared to the old G-Man's.. hehe.... broken stall door, main bathroom door didnt close completely, more flies than the Martinsburg farms' cow pastures.... and lack of toilet flusing capabilities... i still cant tell what the black/green stuff was on the ceiling of the that place.. and i think one of my shoes is still stuck to a chunk of the now torn up floor.... muhahaha... i think next time im at Peter C's, ill take a level and fix that pool table up for the guy

[byndrsn]

I, too, was at Peter C's on Saturday night. I believe Fiddle Picker has valid points. I know that some of these same issues were discussed on another thread not too long ago. I guess I would have to say that maybe Big John needs to at least consider some of the criticisms in a constructive manner. I just think that some of the things may need addressed such as the bathrooms and the volume. (And, I was in the G Man and they were not as bad as the bathrooms at Peter Cs.)

Regarding a few of Fiddlepicker’s statements in their post: I don’t know about the drink prices as I had somewhere else to be and didn’t stay long enough to have more than 2 beers. Also, although I know a member of Ever Since Yesterday, I haven’t had the chance to ask him about what he knows about bands being stiffed . Since I left early, I wasn’t there to see the plug pulled on the band early, and will also have to get more information before I feel free to form an opinion.

The one main point I want to make has to do with charging bands for use of the sound guy. Personally I have mixed feelings about this: If we are using Peter C's equipment, have a say in how it is mixed and at what volume it is played, plus we do not need to haul our own equipment in, then I think the sound guy needs to be reimbursed ; that is only fair. However, charging bands for not using the sound guy and Peter C's equipment - that does not make any sense to me.

What I REALLY want to point out here is that I would not be willing to pay for the sound this past Saturday night, regardless. I hope the bands did not pay a dime!!! I don't think the regular sound guy was there - unless one of the members of Driven is a new sound guy. Here is what I saw: Ever Since Yesterday began their first set. During the first song the guitarist was attempting to sing backup vocals, but the mic was either not turned up enough or there was some sort of technical difficulty. The sound guy was nowhere to be seen until the last song of the first set. That is almost a dozen songs without the presence of a sound guy (who is getting paid because the band is using the house equipment!)! To me, that is not acceptable, and not a good way to do business.

On a personal note - even though the style of music is not my cup of tea - Ever Since Yesterday rocked! For a new band that has only been playing together for a very short time, they were very tight and the energy was unbelievable. Good Job Guys.

And, for Big John – these are just my personal observations. As stated in the first paragraph, I do think you need to maybe sit back and take notice of some of the recurrent themes in a lot of these posts… it’s not a personal attack, just some suggestions on how to better serve the bands who are playing at your business AND, most importantly, how to make it a better experience for your paying customers.

Tom