Summer Business Competition.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:06 am

We will face one of the hardest summer seasons ever.

1. High Gasoline Prices.
2. Vacations
3. Reunions.
4. Graduations.
5. Weddings.
6. Layoffs.
7. Plant Closings.
8. Business failures.
9. Higher credit card rates.
10. Less spending cash.

I look for shorter vacations and more money being spent on the house and fun things for staying home. With less going out and more home parties.

Our survival is going to be tested. Many bars may go out of business.

Crowds will definitely get smaller. Bar owners are going to get nervous.

Is anyone thinking about possibly reducing your fee to keep the jobs you now have?

What if the bar owner suggests it?

I'm trying to start a new week night job and it's really not been going well at all. Nobody is showing up. Just a handful of regulars from his other night. The owner said if I find something else he won't be mad. But he said he's still willing to keep trying. And I told him if he wants to quit not to feel bad, but I'm still willing to keep trying. So we have a mutual thing going on hoping for the best but expecting it could get worse.

Lately some weeks all the crowds/jobs are good and the next week all the crowds/jobs are bad. No rhyme or reason with no way to predict how it will be. This week 3 out of 4 nights were very good. The new job being the bad night. The established jobs are holding up pretty well considering the economy. For now but I think this summer could knock them all down.

letitrip · Post by **letitrip** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 1:14 pm

I don't know dog, I'm looking forward to this summer. Gas prices are half of what they were at this time last year. Yeah the economy is still in the toilet, but there are signs that consumer trust is returning. Also, I don't know about where you live but here the bar industry is almost immune to economic changes and often times economic hard times have a positive effect on tavern business. So I'm not anticipating problems.

I've got a weekly gig at a bar that's right on the lake. I'm looking forward to summer shows out on their patio on the shore with boats coming in off the lake all night long. They'll see the lights and hear the music, what better advertisement can you get than that?

As far as charging less, No. I've got great clients who believe in me and I believe in them. My Tuesday night gig is similar to the one you described. It's a new bar, Tuesdays are their quiet night and we're trying to build a crowd from nothing. It's out of my normal areas so I'm not getting much traffic from my regulars either. However, they have the mindset to stick with it and build it over time. My other gigs are performing well so I'm pretty comfortable there that I should not have any issues with my fees. I'd be unlikely to accept a pay cut from any of my clients at this, but based on the relationships I have with them I don't think it's likely that either would propose a cut anyway. Besides, my attitude toward this has always been if they can't afford me, they can't afford me. It doesn't do anyone any good for either of us to over-extend our budgets.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:00 pm

I just found out that any amplified music outside coming from a bar is illegal. Even if it's the radio. One of my bars just got a $300 fine for it. The LCB was there 5 different times to investigate alligations of serving visably intoxicated persons. They found no evidence so they got him for the music. But that means no amplified music of any kind. You can play acoustic music but nothing electrified. So much for trying to attract business outside.

The gasoline usually spikes up in time for Memorial Day & 4th of July traveling.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:49 pm

Do you have any plans if the new Swine Flu starts to take hold here?

I know there are lots of people that always come out to sing sick.

I also know I don't want to get sick. The microphones could turn out to be deadly.

The TV says the outbreak is too far already for them to stop. And they are getting very worried about it spreading around the world. Thousands of people could get sick and die. Many times in our history thousands have died from Influenza outbreaks. My Ex-wife's dad died at the age of 45 during the last major flu outbreak in the late sixties early seventies.

The bar owners might not like it, but shows may have to be canceled. Mexico has shut down all public gathering places and schools. Work places will be next. They are passing out face masks for everyone.

I'm sure the singers won't want to sing after someone that's sick.

There is no vaccine against it and it would take years to develope one. 50 dead in Mexico already.

The World Health Organization is getting ready as we speak, to declare this a public health event of global concern. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS NOW. They are starting to panic. Wonder what they are expecting to happen?

letitrip · Post by **letitrip** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:22 pm

Bigdog wrote:I just found out that any amplified music outside coming from a bar is illegal. Even if it's the radio. One of my bars just got a $300 fine for it. The LCB was there 5 different times to investigate alligations of serving visably intoxicated persons. They found no evidence so they got him for the music. But that means no amplified music of any kind. You can play acoustic music but nothing electrified. So much for trying to attract business outside.

The gasoline usually spikes up in time for Memorial Day & 4th of July traveling.

Any source for that claim? Doubt it, sounds like a local ordinance, nothing more. The bar has a large number of speakers connected to their jukebox that play onto the patio. By your definition, those would be illegal. Funny, when the ASCAP rep was at the bar he had no problem with it, neither do the local police. The bar is quite in line with paying all their public performance licenses, I'm sure they pay extra for the patio. But not my problem anyway, if anyone's gonna get the fine it's them. The bar in it's previous ownership had bands on the lake shore all the time without issue.

Gasoline is not going to double by Memorial Day or the 4th of July. Even if it did, $4.00+ a gallon last year didn't keep people off the lake.

I'll be fine BD but thanks for your concern.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:17 pm

Liquor Control Board issues the bar a license to sell alcohol. Has nothing to do with ASCAP.

I guess each state has it's own licensing rules.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:25 pm

If the Swine Flu catches fire in our area I think I will survey the crowd and announce if you are sick don't sing. To try to limit my liability.

I wouldn't want someone to get sick and die and end up catching it from my microphone.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:59 pm

Mexico is shutting down the public places for 10 days.

Sabrina59 · Post by **Sabrina59** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:09 am

One of the local KJ's keeps Lysol wipes handy and uses them throughout the show on the mics. I don't know if this will work on the swine flu or not, but a lot of people appreciate it during cold season.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:46 pm

I may start selling everone their own foam microphone cover if it gets that far.

I really don't want anyone with the flu singing...PERIOD.

djBe · Post by **djBe** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:45 pm

i've started wiping down mics periodically during shows - especially when some idiot ANNOUNCES to everyone they've got a cold, which happens alot. The ones most likely to get sick from a mic are the maroons who cover the ball with their hand, not those who just breathe toward it and keep it a few inches from their mouths. Foam screens get icky pretty fast and are hard to clean on the fly. I like the Lysol wipes idea, I've been using a rag with anti-bacterial soap. Definitely thin KJs should be proactive about this..it's a good way to stand out from the hacks (pun semi-intentional).