The Tip Jar That Keeps On Giving

BobC

BobC

Silver Member
We played one of our regular gigs tonight in a bar in Morris Plains, NJ. During the second set, two young Indian guys who liked the band and were sufficiently well oiled, started throwing twenty dollar bills into the tip jar over and over. Then, they started stuffing twenty dollar bills into our shirts as we played. We were amazed at their generosity. A few other people tipped us too.

At the end of the night, we split $552 out of the tip jar alone, plus our usual $400 fee.

So, if you aren't working with a tip jar, by all means, get one!
 
We've had a couple of £50 or £100 bonuses down the years but you don't see tip jars in the UK. The closest I can think of it the local jazz pub where they pass the hat twice a night.

We're not a tipping culture, but having seen how it works both sides of the drink, if I was gigging in the states I'd definitely get one and a big flashing arrow pointing at it.
 
BobC said:
We played one of our regular gigs tonight in a bar in Morris Plains, NJ. During the second set, two young Indian guys who liked the band and were sufficiently well oiled, started throwing twenty dollar bills into the tip jar over and over. Then, they started stuffing twenty dollar bills into our shirts as we played. We were amazed at their generosity. A few other people tipped us too.

At the end of the night, we split $552 out of the tip jar alone, plus our usual $400 fee.

So, if you aren't working with a tip jar, by all means, get one!
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Which bar? I live 5 minutes from Morris Plains.
 
Agreed! We have both a tip jar and a venmo code, and it really helps. At a gig right before Christmas last year, some high roller who loved our group gave us each a $100 bill, and I was pretty much speechless.

At least in the U.S, the tipping culture has only increased. Might as well be a part of it.
 
Hollywood Jim said:
Yes !!
A couple of years ago we had a high roller guy with a very good looking female (probably an "escort") throw a $100 bill in our tip jar.

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That's happened to us too, but last night was over the top. Every time these guys threw $20s in the jar, we just looked at each other like, "What are these two doing?" One of them was getting married next week, and they were heading back to India for the occasion. I guess they were feeling no pain.
 
If you go to see music in Nashville clubs on Broadway tipping is how they get paid. Devil Went Down To GA is a $100 tip song. Not sure how much Freebird is. Or Wagon Wheel.

But the 1st band I joined after the gov shutdowns wouldn't ask for a tip for Freebird. The band leader just gave it away for free, hoping it was requested. Meanwhile the guitar player has to do 3 solos and the drummer had to work his ass off too. It was as though it was sacrilege to ask for a tip for the song.
 
BobC said:
That's happened to us too, but last night was over the top. Every time these guys threw $20s in the jar, we just looked at each other like, "What are these two doing?" One of them was getting married next week, and they were heading back to India for the occasion. I guess they were feeling no pain.
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No matter how much they were celebrating, I bet it wouldn't have happened if y'all weren't a damn good band.
 
MazdaRex said:
No matter how much they were celebrating, I bet it wouldn't have happened if y'all weren't a damn good band.
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Thank you. I think we're a good band. Obviously, the guys tipping us thought so too.
 
Jml said:
Nice! I’ve been there! Playing with my band there in June.
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Bring a tip jar. Maybe you'll get lucky!
 
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I've tried to get my band leader to put out a tip jar for a while now. He keeps refusing.

I guess he thinks it's tacky?

Sigh... Probably could've bought a Tama Bell Brass with all the tip money we've lost out on. 😉
 
We've had someone drop a $100 in our tip bucket a couple times over the last few years, and we've also had more $50's than that.... it's rare, but nice when it happens.

You never used to see bands with tip jars here before Covid. Solo's/duos, sure. Since Covid, and the economic challenges clubs have been facing, most bands are putting out tip jars as the pay hasn't increased to match expenses (gas, primarily).

I had a young lady I was working with at a medical appointment talk with me about this. Apparently we have to get with the times, and have a Venmo tipping option. She told me "I never carry cash. My generation is used to just scanning a QR code and sending it Venmo. If the band we were seeing last week had the Venmo option, I'd have tipped them." Eye opener.
 
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brady said:
I've tried to get my band leader to put out a tip jar for a while now. He keeps refusing.

I guess he thinks it's tacky?

Sigh... Probably could've bought a Tama Bell Brass with all the tip money we've lost out on. 😉
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Have him contact me. I'll straighten him out.
 
Don't be shy about tipping. In NOLA about 75% of the venues "pass the hat" at end of each set. Usually it's one of the band members walking through audience. They also keep the hat/ tip jar in front of band while they're playing, too.

Even if your band is getting paid by the venue, for goodness sakes use a tip jar. Our blues band uses a huge heavy glass canister. Our jazz combo uses a big champagne glass prop with lights in it.


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doesnt work over here in the UK sadly, a few of my bands have tried it and all we ended up with was some shrapnel (1p, 2p coins) and plenty of rubbish like empty vapes, spiiled bits of drink and the like in there.

the way 2 of my old bands made money was through merchendise sales at the gigs, t-shirts and the like :)
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Don't be shy about tipping. In NOLA about 75% of the venues "pass the hat" at end of each set. Usually it's one of the band members walking through audience. They also keep the hat/ tip jar in front of band while they're playing, too.

Even if your band is getting paid by the venue, for goodness sakes use a tip jar. Our blues band uses a huge heavy glass canister. Our jazz combo uses a big champagne glass prop with lights in it.


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You and I have the same legs, lol!
 
BobC said:
We played one of our regular gigs tonight in a bar in Morris Plains, NJ. During the second set, two young Indian guys who liked the band and were sufficiently well oiled, started throwing twenty dollar bills into the tip jar over and over. Then, they started stuffing twenty dollar bills into our shirts as we played. We were amazed at their generosity. A few other people tipped us too.

At the end of the night, we split $552 out of the tip jar alone, plus our usual $400 fee.

So, if you aren't working with a tip jar, by all means, get one!
Click to expand...

We came close to that once.
It was an RV convention gig for $1000.
The MC took the jar around and came back with 500 more.
 
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