Two interesting MySpace bulletins:
(What? Since when can a MySpace bulletin be interesting? Well, read on...)

"Puccini's Golden West is Finally offering local band members drink tickets the night they perform. Two drink tix will be given to each band member upon arrival...good for either PBR or well drinks. Make sure to ask for those tix!!!"

and

"Puccini's Golden West will now be cover charge free before 10pm (Local shows ONLY-excluding CD Release parties). Come and get your drink on!!!"

Now if they would just book good bands.........

We played there a couple of weeks ago. Decent crowd and, sure enough, there were drink tickets. (Tell them you're bringing your horn section, you'll get more.)

They were charging a cover at 8:00. Don't the bands split the door?

quote:

Originally posted by DaveFame:
Now if they would just book good bands.........

I think the change is happening because the list of bands who refuse to play there is getting longer and longer.

I flat out told them we will not play there unless it's a really cool touring band coming through or we get to set everything up ourselves. In that light, they've treated us well, although we've only played there twice in the past couple of years. Both of those times were with nationals we really like.

i told mike fleming over 2 years ago that my bands wont play there unless the cover and/or the price of drinks changed...i mean when your wife wont come to a show because drinks are expensive says fucking lot...either that or shes lush...j/k...

i might even set foot in there now...i kinda miss playing there...it was just a matter of money really...maybe the next step will be a better p.a....but i wont set by bar too high on expectations from the GW/ER

Our buddies from Cruces (worm~hole and Space Truckers) are playing there this Saturday so I'll be my first time there since we played there at the Crawl a long time ago.

Josh Timberland is doing the booking for GW and El Rey. I think he does the sound now also. He's a cool cat.

quote:

Originally posted by mc:
I flat out told them we will not play there unless it's a really cool touring band coming through or we get to set everything up ourselves.

Right on....MC layin' down the law.....

About time.

now if they would just fix thier crazy power problems maybe my band will play there again

The GW power grid blew up my Farfisa amp at the second to last crawl we played there. Sucked. Jeremy from Supergiant was kind enough to lend me his amp so that we could do our set. I'd consider the GW again, but not without a power strip plugged into their wall. We've played some great shows there!

I got really pissed at them when my old man was playing and he asked me to get him some water. They wouldn't just give me a glass of water to take up to the stage, I had to buy bottled water. That was pure B.S.

I have to wonder, if the ticket is only good for PBR or a well drink, are they going to put any booze in that drink? Why only PBR? Christ! Beer ain't that expensive.

I had my share of good times at that place, but I'm just not sold on them getting it back up to par yet.

I, too, have fallen victim to the water thing. If I want a pint of water and they try to sell me a $2 bottle of water, well, no way. As per their sound system whic we usually find to be lacking,witness a victim's critique found online:

"Back off the wagon at Puccini's - damn this place was loud. They had the PA up WAY too loud. It was mind- and ear-numbing. Rage Against Martin Sheen was exactly what I had expected, silly and fun. The music was great and they did a fantastic job of keeping the crowd entertained. I have no idea what sort of effects they were using but somehow they managed to make a bass sound like a lead guitar. (I have no idea, but it worked.) Aside from singing songs about retarded people and hippies, well, that was about it, but it was good. They redid President's of the USA's "Peaches" and The Misfits' "Last Caress" but this time, as odes to killing hippies. Like I said, very entertaining. As much as I enjoyed the set, I can say I was more than happy to get the hell out of Puccini’s and away from their sound system"

Inconsistent, yeah, but they always bring out the shit for the Crawl, at least in our experience.

we are gonna play there should i bring my own pa? i played at our place 2 and wished i had brought my own as their pa was crap so i dont wanna do that again.

Well, it's a start for them.. I think to even get a few free drinks is a big step for them.....

For the most part most our gigs there in the past have been o.k., what I didn't like is when they woud call us to book a gig and bring up how many people we brought in the last time we played there....They would like, "You brought in 5 people last time", and I would be telling them that well, you booked us 2 days before the gig, you have us going on a 1am and closing out a gig with 3 blues bands .....Plus were a reggae punk band, nice odd billing dont ya think? We kinda do them a favor in coming in last minute and all we get is, you only brough in 5 peeps.

The sound was bad most of the times but we've had worse at other places too....As for the water issue, we've had the same deal, I even got told to leave my water bottle in the car because it was a different brand that the club sold and they didn't want the boss lady mad....I'm like, good lord, it's only water......!

But will we play there again? Sure, I guess if people start having good feedback there then we'll be back.

I stopped in on Saturday and it was a ghost town in there. What's the point of a $5 cover if no one comes? I say they do a no cover there for a while until people start going in there again. Seems like a no-brainer that they'd make more from alcohol sales if they'd get people in there!

quote:

Originally posted by WebMonkey:
I stopped in on Saturday and it was a ghost town in there. What's the point of a $5 cover if no one comes? I say they do a no cover there for a while until people start going in there again. Seems like a no-brainer that they'd make more from alcohol sales if they'd get people in there!

Yeah, the cover there makes no absolutely sense, especially right next door to another cover charging place-the Launchpad. On any given night, chances are the better bands and show will be at the Launchpad, so when you're faced with $5 to get into the GW or $5 to get into the Launchpad, well at least myself, I'm going to the Launchpad.

quote:

Originally posted by WebMonkey:What's the point of a $5 cover if no one comes?

a no-cover policy might attract more people who wouldn't normally go to shows and maybe result in the venue selling more drinks but my unpopular view has always been that no-cover hurts the music scene generally.

maybe there was more interest 10 years ago during the "alterative rock" thing but all the venues downtown were consistently well-attended if not packed. are there rocksquawkers who've been gigging here that long? (looking your way here, mr black, if you're up and about). i hear that bands got paid better then.

i don't really buy the "we're in tough economic times" line. i was old even back then but most of the audiences were college kids who somehow managed to scrape up a few bucks. i don't think they are any poorer now than they were back then. they still have pizza money these days plus enough to waste on video games and xboxes. i dunno maybe everyone stealing mp3s thinks they have a right to free live music too. or maybe its just that fewer people give a fuck about music in general.


my standard line is that everyone can afford to have one less drink IF that money goes to the band.

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spend your economic stimulus refund check on shows!