Save Ooh La Latte (and other) Nightlife!
sorren at mindspring.com
sorren at mindspring.com
Tue Oct 19 12:54:02 EDT 2004
MAB,
Thanks so much for bringing this up! I have been thinking about the same stuff. I would say it tips over to exploitation when the venue is making plenty of money and STILL doesn't want to pay the bands. Which is nobody around here. It seems really illogical to me for someone like the nightlight to pay 20 bands a month 11 dollars each, with which the band members can maybe buy a couple of frappuccinos, when the same $220.00 in the hands of the owners would make a big difference in the viability of the club. With a small business, even $5 a day in additional revenue can make the difference between success and failure. Believe me, I know. To me leaving the money in the hands of the club owners is a way of pooling the resources of the music community for the greater good of everyone. I would love to see more musicians playing just for the love of music and of the fans. I can buy my own frappuccino, or go without, thanks. I would trade that coffee drink for a great nightclub any day. Without the clubs, we have less places to exchange musical ideas and learn from each other. But to be honest, I haven't even brought this up with the members of my own band yet. It's hard to propose taking money away from someone. And just one band doing it wouldn't make any impact anyway. It would need to be a "movement," a Triangle Music Love Movement.
Rachel
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Anne Barckhoff <barckhoff at yahoo.com>
Sent: Oct 19, 2004 12:24 PM
To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene at lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: Save Ooh La Latte (and other) Nightlife!
The thing that seems unclear is whether or not OLL will even be open in the evenings at all and whether they would even be willing to rent out the space for such events. But these are the types of ideas that can keep it going, if folks get involved and offer alternative ideas.
It just really sucks that live music venues have such a hard time staying afloat. Recently, one of my bandmates objected to giving a venue $200 off the door for the sound guy, et al. for a multi-band event. Given the way that the live music scene has been recently, I don't find it unreasonable for the venue to try to make sure it stays afloat by specifying a cut off the top for services provided. Especially if they're up front about it and they don't make the bands pay out of pocket. But I can also see my bandmate's point of view-- that venues should make their money off bar sales and the bands shouldn't lose that cut at the door. Some consider that screwing over bands, while others might consider it motivation to try to draw a bigger audience. When does it shift from good business sense to just screwing people over?
mab
grady <grady at ibiblio.org> wrote:
Hm, well, if they're not into doing shows, then they're not into doing
shows. Any persuasion to the contrary would probably only be temporary,
as running a rockclub, even one that's subsidized by another business
during the day, is a labor of love, and you can't fake the love, baby.
On the other hand, one might could take a tip from the Nightlight
playbook (also the 70s/80s punkrock and/or small-town-America-always
playbooks) and mebbe rent out the space for rockshows, either on a
regular/continuing or one-off basis, unless they're planning on totally
scrapping the PA. Although it's a small enough room that all you really
need is a vocal PA, so some enterprising person could obtain & maintain
one for use.
DIY, if someone else won't DI for you.
Ross
Viva la Venus website: http://www.vivalavenus.com
Little Miss Messy website: http://www.littlemissmessy.net
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