Re: [Harp-L] Tip Jar

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Jun 30, 2007, at 2:05 PM, Bobby BlackHat wrote:

> I'm curious.  How many of you folks set out a Tip Jar at your gigs?

We do.

>   I usually point it out when I remind the audience to tip the wait  
> staff and
> bartenders.

We do.

>   On some nights I pull in a nice chunk of change to share with
> the other musicians.

What about 'sit-in' musicians? Reason I ask is that there are these  
'jams' down here in S.W. Fla and the only person actually getting  
paid is the keyboard man (who got the gig). These keyboard men will  
convince the owners that a jam will AUTOMATICALLY bring in a full  
band. And they DO. There are so many older retired (mosty  
professional) musicians, ex music teachers, music professors, former  
members of KNOWN bands, etc. that it isn't hard to fill out the band.

As a famous player (name ?) once said: "If they knew we would play  
for nothing, we would NEVER get paid", most of these old guys play  
for nothing. Then, at the end of the night, the keyboard man grabs  
the tips. Sometimes they will toss a few bucks to the drummer &  
guitar player, but the rest? naaaaada.

There was even one guy who had the audacity to tell the crowd  
"TIP..Ping is not a city in China, put something in the kitty so the  
guys can make it home back across the toll bridge. After all, they're  
playing for nothing". I thought his was in poor taste as he wasn't  
sharing these tips anyway. So I told him to shut up.

>   I like to think of it as a blues tradition.

It is.

smokey-joe
> Bobby
> http://bobbyblackhat.com
>
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