Musings on music, sports, life in general from Quincy, Illinois.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Cover Charges

Heard there were a couple of really good bands at Turner Hall last Friday.

Also heard the cover charge was $10, and the crowd was really small.

I salute the young man who promoted the show for all his hard work and effort, and I hope he doesn't get discouraged.

The painful lesson, as always, is this - $10 is too much for a rock show in Quincy, unless you are bringing in a huge name band.

I have this argument with people all the time but I've seen it first-hand at our shows and other shows. The less the cover charge, the more people will come to see you play. A young person doesn't mind forking over a couple of bucks to get into Turner Hall to see Fielder or Predawn Hour. A young person may or may not even have $10, but that's not the point - they simply won't spend it.

This isn't St. Louis. This isn't Chicago. This isn't Columbia or Springfield, either. It's Quincy, a unique and quirky place where national trends hit the bubble and bounce back. 

It's easy for me to say this because The Funions have never been about playing for the money anyway, and never will be. For younger bands, finances are crucial and go hand-in-hand with marketing and promotion, and I understand how tough it is.

By the way, our Elks show Halloween night is for Elks members and guests only .... and there's no cover charge. All Funions fans are invited! Just let me know you are coming.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amateur bands/musicians that play for free (or cheap) make it difficult for bands/musicians that play at a high level to command a fair fee. Too bad --- if you can get it for free, why pay? Sound familiar? Only in this case, is it the musician who "gives it away" or the musician who charges a fair fee the prostitute? Young musicians out there --- don't be afraid to charge what you are worth. If you are GOOD, you'll get your fee.