Newbies Beware!!!

taw2870 · Post by **taw2870** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:20 pm

Three Bands performed at a popular Fort Wayne local bar on Friday evening. Thier eyes were really opened wide.

Arrangements between this establishment and the Bands Promoter were as follows:
The Bands could set thier own door price and would recieve 100% (full till) of these monies
That the promoter's sound person was fine to do the show
All drinks for the band members were to be free.

At the end of the evening, the door person, a Bar employee, told one of the members of the band that 169 people come thru the door. Let's do som math!! Let's say the promoter set the door price at $4.00 per person. 169 x $4.00= $676.00. The promoter thinks to himself, Wow we did good, $676.00 to split between three bands. Great! Or so he thought...........

This establishment didn't stick to the verbal agreement made between the promoter and several of the bands members! They first cut the $676.00 in half....1/2 for the establishment adn 1/2 for the entertainment... What?

Thats not all! Then they made the entertainment pay for THIER sound person. The promoter told this writer that they had already hired a sound person and that the night of the performance was informed that was not happening. We had to use THIER sound guy!

Wait! Then Then they made the entertainment pay for THEIR door person. The promoter goes on to tell us that had he known that fees would be paid from the entertainments take that he could have had his own door person.

It gets better! They also paid the Bartender a gratuity! Many of the band members had to pay for their beverages, an also had long waits for this privelege. Also, had to pay what this writer thought was hig pricing.

If the promoter had known these facts, he may have thought twice before puttinh his bands through turmoil. If the entertainment is to pay all these fees...shouldn't they have been informed at the time the verbal agreement was made! And even further, shouldn't they choose the amounts to pay the BAR EMPLOYEES!

These three BAR EMPLOYEES, together, made more than the three bands that generated the paying customers. $75.00 for THEIR sound person, $75.00 for THEIR door person, and whatever for the Bartender.........

At the end of the night, $200.00 actually went to the entertainment! That figures out to about $15.00 a band member. (not even gas money!)

Luckily, the bands were there for the exposure, not the Cashola!!!!!

What's up with that?

SHAWN · Post by **SHAWN** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:57 pm

Beware of. . .where?

HillgrassBluebillyFTW · Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:25 pm

no sh*t.. where did this happen.

i have a guess.

fragile_funk · Post by **fragile_funk** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:53 pm

I also have a guess...but there are probably a few good guesses.

7WetCigarettes · Post by **7WetCigarettes** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:11 am

I have a spot in mind as well, but I don't think they would've been nice enough to take some of the band cut to pay their employees.

Morphine Child · Post by **Morphine Child** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:14 am

It's tough to get paid as an original band in Fort Wayne.

echosauce1 · Post by **echosauce1** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:42 am

There is a lesson here.....get it in writing.

XsaintsneversurrenderX · Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:47 am

shouldnt the money go into a band fund and not to the individuals?

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:24 am

I see the words "verbal agreement" a lot in your initial post. As a promoter you should know to get written contracts. That's your job! Now, where did this happen? I think we're all thinking of the same place, but just so we know... Also, you broke part of your verbal agreement by not having your soundman there and the venue did have to pay their soundman to run sound for your show - that's legit. And you should always give your bartender and waitresses a gratuity anyway - even more if the drinks are free! Maybe if you had tipped as part of an ongoing drink ordering process you might have had better service and not had the gratuity taken out of the band take.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:45 am

XsaintsneversurrenderX wrote:shouldnt the money go into a band fund and not to the individuals?

there's a concept. . .

we can invest money in our art, our brand, our promotion, our merchandise, etc. oooooor. . .we can get paid.

many people find themselves on different sides of this coin.

songbirdfortwayne · Post by **songbirdfortwayne** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:50 am

I bet we are all thinking of the same place. Unfortunately you have some extremely seedy joints out there that do take advantage of musicians this way.

If this is the place I am thinking of you will NEVER get them to sign a written agreement, and that, in and of itself, should make you suspicious!

One rule of thumb - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true, otherwise there would be a line of bands a mile long waiting to get into the venue, and you'd be booking your act out about a year in advance.

Post by **cwallace** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:11 am

What venue? I would love to know.

Chris

The_Dude · Post by **The_Dude** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:24 am

Yes, please elaborate more on this legendary story...

7WetCigarettes · Post by **7WetCigarettes** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:35 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

WBOB · Post by **WBOB** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:40 am

...next time...

Sine zee papers furst.