Tips during a show?

[DrumWhipper]

What's the best kind of monetary tip you and your band has received during a show - regardless if you set up a tip jar or not?

We played a gig last year where a guy walked up to our lead guitarist and asked us to play two Jimi Hendrix songs and two Stevie Ray Vaughan songs. He said he'd leave a tip if he liked it. During the middle of the fourth song he walked up and dropped four $100 bills and a piece of paper at the foot of our guitarist, then turned and walked out the door. He ended up being the owner of a local towing company and the paper had his name and number on it. We've played several gigs for his company when they do parties since then.

[weezy]

I don't think anyone ever dropped more than a twenty in the jar.

[DrumWhipper]

I asked this same question on a Facebook group. A guy said that someone gave him $400 and he pocketed it, and the band broke up after that. I imagine so. They played the songs as well, and the money should have been split.

[late8]

I guy offered me $100 if he could sit in and play two songs with the cover-band I was in a few years ago. It was a slow night and we were playing for tips and our jar was empty. I took one for the team and let the guy play kit. I should of known something was up when I noticed sticks jammed in his back pocket as he sat at the bar waiting for his chance to ask me the $100 question before we started playing our first set.

In hindsight, I'm glad I let him play. I made some money for the band and gained a fan.

Here's that special night I mentioned. Nothing like being upstaged by a pool table.

[drummer]

If you get 'em drunk enough, you can pick their pockets while they're on the dance floor.

[Texdrumr]

I actually have no clue. Tips weren't shared with me. But...that's how I negotiated my 'deal' with them up front.

[N2Bluz]

I don't think we've ever got "tips" per se, but we usually have someone in the crowd buy us beers on almost every gig. We've gotten an extra $50 from the bar owner at the end of the night before. I wouldn't really consider that a "tip".

A couple weeks ago, there was a rather hot brunette at our gig. I spoke with her and her boyfriend several times during our breaks. At the end of the night, she requested Lay Down Sally. I said no at first, because I was dead tired and the last thing I wanted was to play a train beat. (That song in particular has a double accent (from what I can tell), and I've yet to get the exact feel right)....
Anyway, she gives me this "look" and a smile, and I immediately gave in, LOL. At the end of the night, I'm on stage packing up my drums. She comes up on stage, puts her arm around my waist, and starts talking to me about how much she liked the band and other stuff. The bar owner then walks up to talk to me about future bookings and I turned my head to talk to him. After about 15-20 seconds, I turned my head back around to talk to her and she plants a big kiss right on the side of my cheek, says see ya next time and runs off.
The bar owner said, "wow, I guess everyone really liked you guys!". I just smiled and said, "appearantly so...I think I'd like to play here again. "

Not really a "tip", but for a guy like me, it'll do.

[inthpktplayer]

Couple years ago at a private party.....$1,000 tip.

[slinky]

were not big fans of the tip jar but we played at an outdoor backyard bbq thing put on by a friend of ours with stage lighting sound the whole 9 yards... Duke, the property owner had a tip jar out for all the bands in it was $175 when we were done playing. Its was about a 4 hour round trip to get there and back.. we didn't mind the drive and we weren't expecting all the tips..

[Stoney]

There's a local venue called Old Nicks Tavern you are only paid £125 by the landlady but they pass a bucket round the audience and you usually get about another £100 or so which makes it worth while plus they are usually an appreciative crowd so a good night

[rickthedrummer]

Never put a tip jar out, nor would we accept tips. If people wanted to buy us a drink at our break, that was OK.

I made the mistake once when a young couple, as we were ready for our break, if they could buy us a drink and what drink did we want. I made the mistake of saying to the girl that I'll have what she's having. At the end of the night, I had several sloe gin fizzes on our table.

If any band I was ever in had put out a tip jar, I would have felt like a DAV sitting on the sidewalk in NYC passing the hat. Never was going to happen, never did happen.

[nubdrummer]

My previous band played a private party a couple of years ago. The agreed upon fee was $1000. At the end of the party the host told us how much he liked us and gave us a check for $1700. Despite our protests, he insisted we keep it as it had been a tough year for many people at the party and we apparently helped them celebrate coming out of it. An odd number for a tip, but we were very grateful.

[N2Bluz]

We never put out a tip jar, but there are many local bar bands that do. I'd rather see people tip the waitresses & bartenders.

[late8]

I'd rather see people tip the waitresses & bartenders.

That's a fair and humble statement but it goes both ways in my opinion. In many instances, if it wasn't for my band showing up, there was no draw or hot and sweaty dancers to pay for the over-priced watered down drinks.

Some semi-pro musicians feel that it's unprofessional to accept tips or put out a tip jar. In some situation like a wedding or a "show" where multiple bands pay to play, I can see it inappropriate to put out a tip jar but 9 times out of 10 if we didn't put one out, people would just throw the money on the stage and how were we supposed to refuse that?

[inthpktplayer]

I'm not a fan of putting out a tip jar, and we don't. However, if people start throwing money at us, we don't give it back. Tipping, for us, doesn't happen at regular gigs.......only at private parties.

[rickthedrummer]

I slept through the whole thing............................................. ................what happened?

[Stoney]

Never put a tip jar out, nor would we accept tips. If people wanted to buy us a drink at our break, that was OK.

I made the mistake once when a young couple, as we were ready for our break, if they could buy us a drink and what drink did we want. I made the mistake of saying to the girl that I'll have what she's having. At the end of the night, I had several sloe gin fizzes on our table.

If any band I was ever in had put out a tip jar, I would have felt like a DAV sitting on the sidewalk in NYC passing the hat. Never was going to happen, never did happen.

Ain't to proud to beg......if someone tipped me it would be a gesture that they enjoyed the gig.