I don’t know if this post/subject fits into that forum… I couldn’t find one that really matches it, but well…
I am trying to organize regular session along with musician fellows where I live.
Do you have tips on how to introduce the subject to the bar tender and convince him that hosting a band is a good idea?
I live in France, so the bar tenders here might have a (very) different mind (actually I’ve been in more american or english bars/pubs thant french ones!) but every advice is very welcome.
Are you sure you mean a session? A session is for the musicians, not for an audience. If you intend to perform for an audience then it is not a session.
Because the session is for the benefit and enjoyment of the musicians, you must pick a time that the bar is regularly empty. That is usually when the bar owner will allow you to have a session. Sessions are for whichever musicians choose to show up and share the music. No-one gets paid.
Do not expect free food or drinks from the bar. That is a gift, not a right. If the musicians’ session starts to attract customers at a time when the bar is normally empty, then the bar owner may choose to offer the musicians free food or drink.
Well, that’s certainly one description of one concept of a session. But not a universal description of all kinds of sessions. Variations abound regarding payment, audience, food and drink, attendance, etc., according to local standards.
There’s no mention of audience in the original post, so it’s not clear that that’s an issue. I take the word “band” as merely a translation or terminology issue.
Pascal, is there a tradition in your region of Burgundy of what the Germans call a Stammtisch? This is a group or club that meets regularly at a restaurant or bar. If so, perhaps you could present your session idea as a kind of musical Stammtisch, with the benefit that the bar owner gets the extra business from you and the other musicians who attend, and the other patrons can enjoy free, live music. And if your town is touristic, you can include some French traditional music in your repertoire, and entertain the wine tourists with “un goût du patrimoine franco-celtique de Bourgogne”
Actually, I already meet musicians in “private” sessions, so gathering in itself is not the main goal.
Making an atmosphere in a pub/bar and communicate with people is what we are aiming at, basically.
Being too close to Paris, local traditions are unfortunately gone for long. But people playing trad music from France (mostly Brittany and also from the center area, even bulgarian and romanian music sometimes) is still popular here. We have lots of celtic groups playing around also, so I guess there is a potential playground for what we want.
I guess also that extra business and enjoyment is an attractive cocktail for patrons…
As for “un goût du patrimoine franco-celtique de Bourgogne”, I like the formula very much… Have you copyrighted it
Thanks for advices… and extra ideas are still welcome.
