Venues: Part 1

Now we all know that we need venues and we have all played somewhere that required us to play to the staff because no one came out on the night after Thanksgiving or the Wednesday after Fat Tuesday. But this post is not about that kind situation. This post is about playing the places where you have a good fan base and they come out pay the cover to see you, spend money at the bar and everything is just fine until you are packed up and ready to go and the manager pulls you in the office to settle up. So, you have been looking out at the crowd, getting into the show and have forgotten about the business for a little while, but now you have to switch gears. In saying this, it is imperative that you set up what the terms are before the show. How much of the door are you taking? Is there guarantee? Do you have to pay for the sound person or the door person out of what comes in at the door? Do you have to pay for drinks? There is nothing worse than sitting in that office with the manager, counting the door and watch them take the money that your band brought in to pay someone else and then making you pay your bar tab on top of that. Make sure that there is no question about the terms before hand can keep a couple hundred bucks in your pocket!