HANDY DANDY FAQ™
You've just booked a show at Le Voyeur. Here's what you should know:
1. There is not a “sound guy” or "sound check".
There is a 4-channel PA with a Mackie Sub and 2- Mackie SRM450
speakers. Microphones can be checked out at the bar in exchange for a valid photo ID. There are 2 mic
stands and cords if they were not recently stolen or destroyed. Some unknown ne're-do-wells have regularly come in and vandalized our gear and we can't afford to repair and replace that sort of thing so please keep your unimpressed whining to a minimum.
2. You are not getting paid. Each performer does receive 3 drinks: well or beer on tap. Most bands also ask for donations or charge a small cover at the entrance to the show and run their own door (that DIY thing cuts both ways). Every band on the bill must agree to the cover and the end of the night split. Usually locals donate their cut to the touring bands but nothing should be assumed. Issues with guest lists must be resolved by the bands themselves. Because of past experience with lackluster attendance for so many shows of unknown bands charging covers and the bar not being able to offset weak door takes, we encourage bands to run their own door (assuming they want to charge a cover at all).
I can pay someone to work the door, but the 40-50 bucks they would make (assuming you could get that many people at $3-$5 a head to come out and see you) comes out of the door money. So, if band members/friends can take turns running the door, I don't have to hire someone, and that is more money in your pocket for gas, food, drugs... we don't care how you spend it. We are a restaurant and bar first and have to conduct business with that mindset. We offer our back room as a performance space because cool shit can happen there and we like cool shit. We could very easily utilize that space for other things. Bigger clubs/promoters than us have tried doing pay shows and they went under or disbanded and that sucks, but it is reality. Most of the cool kids don't want to straighten up and fly right, cut their hair and get a decent job so they can afford the PBRs AND the cover charge. I guess... I am no socialogicolonoscapist.
3. You may load in using the alley
any time, but if there are multiple bands do not load in unless you
plan to play first, as space is limited. Parking is free in Oly
after 5:00 anywhere on the street, but lots may charge and if they do and you don't pay, you get towed 24 hours a day. Bands decide their own order, shows start at 10PM and everyone is heading out the door no later than 1:30AM. People ask about their set length and number of bands on a bill... use some common sense about that. I recommend 45 minutes per band INCLUDING SET UP AND TEAR DOWN TIME. If you want to jam for 2 hours, you can cancel here and kindly go fuck yourself on your way to the Eastside Club.
But John Manini! I still don't know how many bands fit on a bill!!!! Well, ok...
So, what are our constants? 45 minute set. 3 1/2 hour window. Our variable: X= number of bands. Let's solve for X then!
X(45 minutes) = 3 1/2Hours uh oh, better convert to the same unit of measurement.
X(45 minutes) = 210 Minutes hmmm... gotta get X all alone so we can find its' value. Let's divide both sides by 45 minutes cause whatever you do to one side of the equals sign, you have to do to the other!
X(45 minutes)/45minutes= X 210 minutes/45 minutes = 4.666666666666666667
therefore X = 4.666666666666666667 bands that can play on a given night within those specific parameters.
So, you can wiggle those numbers around to suit your needs, but there is no reason we can't all get along, play nice and have a good time thanks to our friend math.
Are a general rule of thumb, I recommend 3 bands on a weeknight (Sun-Thurs) and 4 bands on Friday and Saturdays and I am perfectly aware of the fact that I could have said that right at the get go and saved you 6-10 minutes of your life, but you would have pissed it away sucking down Pringles or playing Cranium with your boring friends.
3 1/2. Speaking of other bands, we can't promise local support on the bill. We do not actively seek out bands to play with you or trick out the bill. While it is true that you are not legally allowed to live in the Olympia city limits unless you are a member of at least 16 bands, we are all very snotty and don't want to make the effort to have our shitty band play with your shitty band until we have established that you are as cool as we are in some other forum. But if you think about it, that's how it is everywhere. So if your reputation does not precede you, make some friends here this time so you can have someone to play with next time. If your show date is approaching and you are the still the only ones confirmed to be playing, I will try to contact you to reschedule you some other night. If you want to try and hit up people that live in town, you can start looking on this sorta up to date directory. Of course, I get plenty of touring acts and kinda-local bands (tacoma, seattle, portland, bellingham) that may have fans up here and they are always looking for shows, so I add them as they ask for dates... I check in with bands already booked before arbitrarily adding someone just to avoid confusion and overbooking.
3 3/4. If you do book some band(s) to play with you LET ME KNOW that you did, who they are, and send me a link to their music; preferably earlier than the day of the show. No one likes it when shows get overbooked because Captain Dillweed, lead singer of The Stoned Hippie Idiots told his brahs that "yo, it's cool, room for all, hee hee hee." If you can't tell by now, I abhor slow-moving, easy going people.
4. John will not be there the night of the show to answer questions or break up fights so get everything ironed out before you set foot in the venue. No, you cannot have his phone number. The bartenders are tending bar and cannot get involved in the show goings. No, you cannot have their phone numbers.
5. We are a bar... that means shows are 21+... don't like it, run for elected office and show those fat cats downtown in the state capitol how much things are gonna change. If your band has performers who are under 21, you can still perform here after 10PM. Underage folks are allowed on the premises for the duration of your set but they cannot hang out before and after you play and watch the other bands. The front of our establishment is all ages friendly, and you are welcome to commiserate there. If you are interested in booking all ages shows, we are happy to discuss a weekend afternoon 2-5PM slot or even an earlier evening show on a case by case basis.
6. If you do have promo material, send it to the address below. No more than 5 of anything please... there are not that many windows in town and I know how to work a copy machine. Don't send a 12' x 12' full color PDF to my e-mail and expect I'll print it out. If I can't do it for everyone, I can't do it for you. And I can't afford to do it for everyone. If you know the other bands playing and you don't include them on the flier when you make it nor write then in Sharpie afterward, I am happy to do that work for you, but you should be warned that I have a medical condition which compels me to write slurs and draw swastikas.
Otherwise, all we can say is- send posters, create all the interest you can through local contacts, and hope the Olympians aren't feeling apathetic that night.
I am happy to answer any additional questions you have after reading this. While there are no stupid questions, asking me to confirm what I wrote here as if circumstances may have changed since you received this document is just wasting everyone's time.
This is how it is. And if you don't like it, you can lump it.
Love,
john manini