Re: [Harp-L] Cover Charge in General

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 20, 2012, at 1:50 AM, Steve Power wrote:

> I'm a little confused by Smokey Joe's comment that a cover charge is a way for a club not to pay talent.

Don't be confused Steve. That's not what I was saying. What I was trying to say, and I don't think it came out right (mebad), is that the cover is an appreciation donation/reward/boost so that the club can ease up the expenses to the point where it isn't so hard on them. Ergo, they can bring in a greater level of talent (which is what happened in THIS case), and survive a really hard business. 

I have no problem with that and would gleefully donate. What I was referring to were cases where the venues nickel dime. Where no one gets a 40 hour week, no one gets benefits, no one gets a decent wage and the venue expects the help to make up the difference in tips, THEY hoard the gate/cover, and all the while having a condo, a yacht, a Bentley parked out back. I wasn't attacking all small business owners. Just some. 

It's like the airlines. I buy a ticket to Dallas for $399.60. Then I don't to be bothered by details. Like preferred boarding, luggage charges, this tack on, that tack on. Just raise the ticket price and don't bother me with nonsense. A cover or drink minimum is no problem for me. Just don't drop details on me after the fact. I'm out for a good time. Not to juggle things in my sore old head.   

> I think that's too big a generality.

Yes, you are correct. And your entire post is correct. And it appears that the system in your area is more fair. Here it's: "Make it while you can...tomorrow it may rain". 

joe leone

> In this country it is normal for a club to charge a cover for a touring band and more popular local bands. In fact one of the most common deals is a percentage of the door or even a percentage against a guarantee. The percentage can vary but 80% to the artist isn't too uncommon. The 20 % isn't necessarily pure profit for the bar. They have to pay for extra staff as just one factor. The band, depending on the draw, can do quite well out of a straight door take. I've played places where we even got 100% of the door but with no guarantee and still did quite well out of it.  Especially small town bars where the cover is standard and all the regulars are used to it.
> 
> When there is a just a guarantee with no cut of the door what's wrong with a cover to defray that cost or even to hope for a bit of profit? If there's no return on investment the business fails and no ones got a gig. And it's no different than any concert you ever had to buy a ticket to in your life. And if the guarantee is too small or the bar is taking way more on the door than the band takes, well whose fault is that? Did somebody put a gun to someone's head and force them to take the gig?
> 
> There's a movement in Portland, Oregon, if I remember right, called Fair Trade Music. It's basically an agreement by the clubs to pay a certain minimum percentage or guarantee. For that they get branded as a Fair Trade Music venue. The locals know what the program is about through promotion and hopfully choose to patronize those venues.. Its like Fair Trade Coffee and other products where the producers have been getting screwed but there are consumers who are happy to effect change if they know what's happening and you make it easy for them. There's more to it of course. You can Google Fair Trade Music and find the details.
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> I actually don't know how well FTM works but it is at least its an idea. As some bright spark once said, "If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem."
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