So we booked a New Year's Eve gig at a new venue we'd never played at before. So the Friday before we decided to go have dinner there, check the place out and set some final details with the owner. We were set to start at 8:30 and play to about 1:30 based on our original discussion. However, that Friday before New Years while talking with the bar owner, she remembered that the Packer/Bears game was on that night a lot of people would be in the bar to watch the game. She was reluctant to have us start too soon so she sad to plan for starting out show at 9:00.
So we show up on Sunday at about 7:00 figuring we'd eat dinner first and then setup. Well we were told to hold off on setting up because of the game. We stood around watching the game (which was well in hand by the time 8:30 rolled around the Packers had a huge lead and the Bears were packing it in anyway), but still no go ahead to setup. Finally we decided at 9:00 to bring some of the equipment in and set it in their coat room so it could warm up to room temp before the show.
Finally at 9:30 my business partner's wife went over to the owner to press the issue. We got the go ahead to setup which took us about 20 minute but then we were still held off until the game was completely over.
Now I have to admit this was pretty frustrating. We were expecting to go on at 8:30 or 9:00 and had advertised as such to our "fans". We pulled a good draw for them but these people ended up standing around for the first hour or so of the night. I'm a huge Packer fan but I don't see how us starting Karaoke would interfere with people watching the game. I've never needed sound to watch a game, especially at a bar. I mean from my personal perspective, we got paid the same whether we played for 2 hours or 5 so I don't really care, but it sucked that we brought a big crowd in only for them to sit around for a while when they were expecting to sing.
I'm curious what you think. Am I over-reacting? Is this typical? How would you have responded? Etc.
Ever had this happen to you? How would you react?
Hello! Well, in answer to your question~ ~ Yes that has happened in my experience also. It is very frustrating when you advertise for an establishment, the customers show up and then are so frustrated because they are spending money while waiting and can not do what they came for. It is not fair to them and certainly not fair to you. I very diplomatically explained to the bar owner that I am here for a service to them, and in turn of giving them that service, my customers are repeat customers who came for the sole purpose of singing Kaaoke. They advertise as such and I do also. If they want to leave a game on, regardless whether football, hockey, baseball, etc, then advertise "Come watch the game with us", not "Karaoke Friday". I explained that eventually they would lose that crowd and they will not come back. I proved that, and ended up doing Karaoke somewhere else because they did lose the crowd.
No, you were not over reacting!
No, you were not over reacting!
First thing you have to realize is that bar owners are idiots that do not know how to make all the money they could be.
Karaoke crowds are loyal paying customers, week after week. Usually the game watchers are not that regular and most of the time you are only talking about a handful. As opposed to the regular 50-75-100 weekly karaoke people.
To me a bar owner that wants to cater to a few game watchers is telling the regular karaoke people that, "Your money is no good tonight because of the game. Come back next week and I'll take your money." You just insulted them and I wouldn't blame them if they never came back. Karaoke is advertised, the game is not a regularly scheduled event. As soon as the game ends that watchers leave. The karaoke people stay till the last song. Who is going to spend more money???? Week after week.
Karaoke crowds are loyal paying customers, week after week. Usually the game watchers are not that regular and most of the time you are only talking about a handful. As opposed to the regular 50-75-100 weekly karaoke people.
To me a bar owner that wants to cater to a few game watchers is telling the regular karaoke people that, "Your money is no good tonight because of the game. Come back next week and I'll take your money." You just insulted them and I wouldn't blame them if they never came back. Karaoke is advertised, the game is not a regularly scheduled event. As soon as the game ends that watchers leave. The karaoke people stay till the last song. Who is going to spend more money???? Week after week.
