An Open Letter to Open-Letter-Writers
My response to the “Open Letter to Venues”:
http://www.grassrootsy.com/2012/02/22/an-open-letter-to-venues-that-exploit-their-musicians/
I’m not really sure who cares about my opinion, but I think that regardless I will share it because I hold a unique position of identifying with both sides in this constantly ongoing argument between clubs and musicians. I want to assure whomever ends up reading this that I do not think my position or public posting matters, but in some way I do hope to shed some light on my experiences and potential solutions. It seems that since I started paying attention to the scene, this letter or some variation has come about every few months, resulting in a new wave of public awareness on Myspace, Facebook, or Tubmlir. People in bands suddenly realize that they or their friends have been used to make someone else profit while only making gas money, nothing, or having to even pay for tickets.
The first thing that needs to be taken into account in this article is that the writer is a professional Saxophone player. Niches and genres need to be taken into account in the argument between venue and musician; typical classical/jazz musicians make their money at events that already have an audience and a budget. Examples are weddings, corporate events, school events, etc. They are rarely asked to pull a crowd in the private gig setting, because similar to the caterer or the decorator, their job is to entertain attendees who happen to be there.
The main argument from the writer is that “friends and family of a professional musician won’t come out that often” because he is a professional and that’s his job every night. In this, he fails to note that his niche is to play for high-paying, private events. However, when flipping it around (“Would you expect the chef’s friends and family to eat at your restaurant every night?”) it almost seems as if he’s in the wrong market. Music in bars and clubs is a way to pull more people during the week in hopes to get these patrons to eat and/or drink.
The author also fails to note that his “bar draws the crowd” scheme doesn’t make any sense on a larger level, or even with clubs that have a diverse range of music. Having worked in spaces that cater to everything from rap to metal to acoustic music, it’s pretty tough to have a regular crowd when the genres change each night. On the larger scale, it doesn’t make sense to tell Jiffy Lube Live that they’re wrong to ask Imagine Dragons to keep pulling their fans to the show; the venue needs to provide the fans from their regular fan base.
People go see concerts for the same reason they pay to see theatre plays, Chris Angel, the circus, and to touch weirdly realistic wax figures in museums; they want to be entertained. If they’ve never heard of you, then no matter how hard a venue promotes, nobody will show up (trust me). It’s up to you to bring something to the table and pull those you can to the show; your 20-person crowd may be significant to you as a local, but to a 200, 500, or even 1,200-cap room they may have well been closed instead. There are more aspects to this argument, but over the issue of bands not having to draw a crowd or pull people, if you’re in the bar business or want to develop a name as a popular touring band, develop a following by getting whomever you can out to your shows. By no means am I taking responsibility away from the clubs. Musicians should not be expected to work hard, sell tickets, play a tight set, and then be taken advantage of. Nor should a great band with a small draw be treated worse than a bad band with an unexpectedly huge draw. I’ve seen too many bands get booked on one show where they barely have a set time, have to sell or pay for tickets, and none of the bands fit together and therefore don’t gain many new fans. There is a world of issues that people running clubs face that most people don’t notice, but one of them is making coherent shows that actually help bands. If they don’t do their job on that end, then bands have all the right in the world to complain about fair treatment.
The article is right that saying the guy who takes a dump on the drum set should not be allowed to play, regardless of how many tickets they sell. This is an exaggeration, but clubs do need to draw the line between respecting the regular patrons they do develop and making a quick buck. Putting shows together that people actually want to see and that make sense is one of the hardest things about being a promoter; sometimes there are bands who are great but can’t draw a crowd. Putting them on a show may hurt turnout or ticket sales, but in the end it can help boost the establishment’s reputation for great music and will get more people back through the door on the next similar event. On the same coin, booking too many bands on one show can ruin a venue’s reputation and diminish a crowd, despite having a higher ticket gross than they would with fewer bands.
The bottom line for me is that musicians work hard doing what they love. It is true that many of them would play regardless of the money involved. However, if someone makes somebody else money, then they should be compensated for it in some way. Venues and promoters should pay bands fairly with what they can and should offer them shows that fit. If the pay is bad, then make sure they get some exposure (battles where they win prizes or money). I’ve learned that if you look out for the bands and consider their interests as well as yours, people will understand and support you. Clubs that have reputations for being a great place to see a concert often also have great reputations from bands. Remember to take everything you hear with a grain of salt. My word is not superior to anyone else’s, nor do I know everything (quite the opposite). Bands and musicians playing at bars should work as hard as they can to pull what fans they have and network with new ones who are there. It’s not fair to the establishment or other bands if the band doesn’t do their part to mobilize their fan base. Venues should be as fair as possible to their musicians if they hope to have them or their fans back. It’s a careful balance, but I think that when people look out for others’ interests, then everyone benefits.