What is Wrong, with Local/Area "Live Music," these days?!

[zigzag]

"Saloons"... funny.

[Silenced Fred]

Jocko, you pretty much summed up all of my musical experiences playing with bands in Colorado except for no wives or girlfriends were cute :)

[ShredAstaire]

"Saloons"... funny.

 

I thought the same thing!!

[milod]

Well...

 

Where I live the major music venue is "Cowboy Saloon," formerly known as the "Cowboy Back Bar Saloon" when the back bar was roughly 100 years old from the open range days. Next to the Cowboy is the "Outlaw Saloon" that doesn't have music.

 

The "Circle Lounge" has occasional music, and for my money it's a saloon like the other two downtown except the guys who hang out there tend to wear baseball caps 'stedda cowboy hats.

 

The Branding Iron on the south edge of town occasionally has music. It's often called a saloon too, except it also has some exceptional hand-cut steaks and prime rib on weekends at prices to make city folks weep.

 

Smoking's illegal nowadays, but there tend to be spittoons under the foot rail in the saloons.

 

m

[charlie brown]

I think the way is to tackle the bull by the horns yourself and begin a music club etc in your area.

 

A few years back tired of the lack of live music in our area; my wife and scouted around for a venue that would be fairly cost effective and would let us hold a regular live music event. Now five years onwards (with the usual ups and downs) I can honestly say it has been entirely worth while and has been a great way to hear local talent in the open mic as well as offering a venue for established artists.

 

After realizing that ex Ozzy and Gilan guitarist Bernie Torme lived only 20 odd miles away; we wrote to him asking if he'd like to give a masterclass - we never thought he's agree, but he did!! He has been back three times now.

 

In the area now we have three local acoustic music clubs and a big venue that holds jazz, blues and rock open mic as well as a true improvisation night!!

 

So yes, if your pissed off, take the bull by the horns; it is well worth it and it is amazing how many local people yearn for live music!!

 

Matt

 

 

Good Idea, Matt...my only real concern is, there aren't enough people, in this area, to support

that. I live in a "wide spot in the road," (Town, of 800+/- people). The closest City, that

could probably support that kind of endeavor, is 100 miles away.

 

But, it's a good suggestion, for other's that do live in larger towns/cities.

 

Thanks,

 

CB

[milod]

CB...

 

They tried that more or less in the big town an hour from here. BMI functionally shut 'em down.

 

m

[Duende]

Good Idea, Matt...my only real concern is, there aren't enough people, in this area, to support

that. I live in a "wide spot in the road," (Town, of 800+/- people). The closest City, that

could probably support that kind of endeavor, is 100 miles away.

 

But, it's a good suggestion, for other's that do live in larger towns/cities.

 

Thanks,

 

CB

Do you know what?! I know America is big - but I still forget (being used to every thing local) how damn big!!! Lol

 

100 miles wow!

 

We'll have to organise the Gibson forum road trip to the uk!! Lol the Brits could all put you guys up and we would have a blast!!!

 

Matt

[charlie brown]

CB...

 

They tried that more or less in the big town an hour from here. BMI functionally shut 'em down.

 

m

 

Seriously?? Amazing! I know that ASCAP/BMI is on a crusade, of late, but

that seems a bit "overboard?" What's next, a tax/fine/fee, on ANY musical

endeavor, public or otherwise?! They going to raid our houses, next?!!

 

"It's a Madhouse, A MADHOUSE!!" (Planet of the Apes)

 

You know, I'm sure, that's probably one of the things, that's at least partly to

blame, for the current lack of "live music," nowadays. The vendors don't

want the fines, or fee's associated it. Just that much more overhead,

for them to have to deal with. :angry:

 

CB

[milod]

Matt...

 

From where I live, east, north and west, you'll hit spots where it's 70+ miles between fuel stops in the daytime. At night, it's yet farther.

 

It's not difficult in winter to be stranded 30+ miles from the closest "town" and there's not even a ranch house for miles. At -30C, it's not hard to get dead. I've helped pull a body from a ranch type truck that had frozen solid in under six hours at only -20 F.

 

It's a different world. North and west from here into Canada it's often yet more isolated in many places.

 

The high plains of the north central US and Canada make Kansas look crowded. <grin> And cell phone coverage? Whazzat?

 

m

[charlie brown]

Matt...

 

From where I live, east, north and west, you'll hit spots where it's 70+ miles between fuel stops in the daytime. At night, it's yet farther.

 

It's not difficult in winter to be stranded 30+ miles from the closest "town" and there's not even a ranch house for miles. At -30C, it's not hard to get dead. I've helped pull a body from a ranch type truck that had frozen solid in under six hours at only -20 F.

 

It's a different world. North and west from here into Canada it's often yet more isolated in many places.

 

The high plains of the north central US and Canada make Kansas look crowded. <grin> And cell phone coverage? Whazzat?

 

m

 

LOL, yeah, no doubt! Kansas can BE Crowded, in places! Not MANY places, but some...

 

CB

[milod]

CB... anything over .5 people per square mile starts to get crowded. <grin>

 

BTW, my grandpa had his first memories in western Kansas - during the Cheyenne Autumn. He watched his widowed mother use one rifle while his older brother loaded the other. But that ain't quite politically correct to mention much nowadays. Later on he was a horse trader before there was much of the automobile around here.

 

m

[charlie brown]

Like maybe Ft Riley.

 

Well, in some ways, yeah. Wichita, Kansas City (Ks. & Mo.), and...at times, Lawrence, Manhattan, etc.

Especially on "Game Days!" LOL

 

CB

[charlie brown]

CB... anything over .5 people per square mile starts to get crowded. <grin>

 

BTW, my grandpa had his first memories in western Kansas - during the Cheyenne Autumn. He watched his widowed mother use one rifle while his older brother loaded the other. But that ain't quite politically correct to mention much nowadays. Later on he was a horse trader before there was much of the automobile around here.

 

m

 

Understood!

 

CB

[lespaulj45]

Good topic! As a restauranteur/ bar manager, perhaps I can shed some light:

Bottom line, most bands just want too much money. The pros that do this for a living have priced themselves out. There are too many 9-5 guys with bands that are pretty good, and will play for next to nothing. There are guys we will go out of our way to hire when they roll through, even though they are expensive. But the pricier acts only get hired a few times a year. We used to hire a funk/rock 6 piece with horns and sax a couple times a year. They were tight, but when you do the math, they wanted like $40 an hour per person, $700 for a Tuesday night (weekends were more)! You figure I have to sell $1500-$1800 in food and booze just to break even on them. I might bank, but I might tank, too. Just not worth the risk. Especially when a bunch of tech support guys will come play for a gas money and free drinks.

Also, look at how many games are on TV now. Back in the 60s and 70s, you were lucky to get more than a couple football games a week. With season ticket, I can get any NFL game in high def. Cost wise, its not much more for a whole season than to hire a couple bands for a weekend. The three busiest days we have ever had have been when USC came to play us in 2008, when Oklahoma came to play us in 2001, and when we got the Tyson-Lewis fight on pay-per-view. No band has ever come close to bringing in as much business as those events. I'm all about hiring good bands to play, but I'm not going to pay anyone $400 to play on a snowy Tuesday night. Just cant afford it!

 

Exactly! As a younger man,I owned a bar that provided live music-It really didnt matter if I hired a band for $200 or $1000-I got the same size of crowd-with the limited seating capacity of your average bar.Also one of the bigger issues was behaviour of live music patrons-the bigger the draw,the rowdier the behavior-and I had to deal with state liquor inspectors who,could be very hard to deal with if they chose to-problems that you dont have to deal with in a non-alcohol beverage facility such as a small non-licensed night club. Food and drink was where I made my money and on weekends that I didnt have a band booked I relied on a reel to reel deck with a good PA and the crowd stayed pretty normal in size. Eventually I sold the bar as I was getting into my 50's and no longer had the patience for some of the over-the-top behavior of the customers-not all of them,but some were real outlaws!

[stein]

Do you know what?! I know America is big - but I still forget (being used to every thing local) how damn big!!! Lol

 

100 miles wow!

 

We'll have to organise the Gibson forum road trip to the uk!! Lol the Brits could all put you guys up and we would have a blast!!!

 

Matt

In the past, I knew some guys from here that would go to Europe for a few months to play and get a good wad of cash.

 

This was about maybe 7-10 years ago when there was still quite a few that were doing it professionally making a living at it playing clubs and bars here. Not big names, but apparently the fact they are American, and play Blues, made them well enough received to at least make what they were making here and have a little extra.

 

They said they were very well received and appreciated.

 

Another thing they would do is leave here with a guitar or 2, and come back with a different guitar. Usually they would leave with Gibson's or Fender's and come back with a cool Jap Fender we don't see here too much.

[stein]

There was a guy here in Portland, BOB, who with his wife started a club (at what seemed like the worst time financially) called BEALE ST. NORTHWEST.

 

This guy, along with his wife Margaret, was a CLASS act. I recall a time where he accidently double booked, and called the guy AHEAD of the gig to let him know and apologize, and ask him to come in and get his pay.

 

He also had the layout where the smoking section was in the very back where the bar was, and put two LARGE air filters there to suck in the smoke. It actually worked to keep the air clear, and even though it was a little odd at first usually having most of the patrons sitting in the back, turned out pretty nice. (it was situated where sitting in the back still had a clear view of the stage).

 

The other thing that set this guy apart, was he INSISTED on paying the musicians a fair wage. He did this even though he was struggling, not just struggling from opening a new place, but the economy was particularly bad for a club at this time. Everyone knew it and knew he was struggling, but his philosophy was he was going to do it right, and if he couldn't do it right, he didn't deserve to be in business.

 

I know of some that played for free in SECRET in an effort to support him. I think there is a lesson there.

 

He had some health problems that force him out of the business, and the place got sold and went belly up. But I am sure it would be around now had he been able to continue.

[Silenced Fred]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of money do cover bands get?

 

I play originals, and most places I play have a 7-10 cover, and when people come to the door and say they're there for your band, you get about half of the cover charge per person you bring