Читать книгу How to Run a Successful House Show Venue - Roy Silverstein - Страница 2

House shows (i.e. musical concerts put on at private residences) have become a common phenomenon across the United States (and likely much of the world) in these times of struggle in the economy and the music industry. I’m not talking about the random house party with a band playing, but the trend of a particular house putting on regular shows for a sustained period of time. This I shall call the “house show venue.”

There is often a close-knit relationship between small venues (usually doubling as bars) and the local music scene. Small venue owners rely on small bands to bring in patrons and small bands rely on small venues to have a place to play and build an audience. But the success of bands to bring in an audience is never certain. It relies on a healthy attitude toward live music among the town/city’s populace, a somewhat “luck-of-the-draw” pool of talent, and a booker that has his/her finger on the pulse of what’s en vogue. Small venues that book the most recognized up and coming talent in the area stand to benefit greatly and outpace their competitors. However, when times are tough, this means that outpacing is really just staying alive, and, for those who are outpaced, it means death. And fewer venues in a given town/city means fewer places for bands to play. Hence, the ever-growing need for the house show venue.

But house shows are not merely a side step in an economic downturn. House shows also offer an alternative arena to the usual bar venues. Bar venues can be great for certain types of music. Depending on the bar, though, some places are more bar than they are venue. That means there will likely be a large group of people at the show who are really just there to drink and socialize. To the great annoyance of those people that came out that night to actually HEAR SOME MUSIC, the band (especially mellower bands) can actually face sonic competition from their supposed audience! It’s rare that a bar owner would do anything about this in fear of upsetting some of his best customers (the ones who drink the most). Remember that if there is a door charge, the band usually gets a healthy percentage of it. But it is the alcohol sales that the bar owner is really after. It’s most often that the bar keeps 100% of the alcohol income.

So, house show venues not only provide increased numbers of places to play for bands, but they also offer an environment where the music can be better presented. On top of that, who can deny the novelty of going to see a show in someone’s living room! It’s nice for the audience and the band to be in such an intimate and comfortable space.

But house shows are not a perfect solution to the problems of the typical small venue. The main reason lies in their very definition. House shows are put on at houses, and houses are not given the same flexibility by the Law as a commercial venue is. This means that there are number of ways in which house show venues die early deaths. The most obvious way is death by disturbing the peace. Bands and crowds of people are loud, and the neighbors don’t always appreciate the entertainment you are so conveniently offering them. But over-ambitious house show hosts can also find themselves victim of other legal maladies. Did you know that most cities require an entertainment license if you are going to profit from the display of live music? And I need not mention the selling of alcohol without a license. This is a serious offense that can carry heavy consequences.

This book attempts to give you guidelines on how to run a successful and lasting house show venue, complete with the do’s and the don’ts, tips, hints, and tricks. I offer these up based on my experience of running such a venue out of a house I rented in San Diego, CA from 2004 to 2009. Dubbed The Habitat, this 3 bedroom Craftsman in the Golden Hill neighborhood served up bi-weekly events to an eager audience and provided much needed outlets for local and touring bands looking for a place to present their more nuanced soundscapes.

(Note: In my mind, there is a house show venue continuum ranging from the “punk house” to an elaborate custom made in-home concert hall. This article attempts to provide guidance for something fairly well in the middle of that continuum.)