Re: [Harp-L] Tip Jar




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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