Bar gig etiquette

OK...after about 30 years of bar gigs, here's a question.
Do you tip the bartender?
On one hand:
We're both employees of the same place
As a front man, I always talk up the service people and remind the patrons to tip the service people.
He/she sure isn't doing any more for me than I am for him/her.

OTOH: Service people work for tips and I get a flat rate.
It's just feels weird to not tip a bartender.

What say y'all?

We usually get some sort of deal from the club concerning drinks...a couple of free ones, discount prices, etc., and we take advantage of it. So I always give the bartender or whoever serves our drinks at least $5.

And if someone from the club is taking money at the door for us I'll throw in $5 bucks there, too.

It builds goodwill and hopefully they'll chat us up to the booker.

I tip well. One or two bucks per drink. Especially if I'm gettin' em free. I order a drink right after I set up ... to set the tone.
Musicians have a well deserved reputation for being cheap.
I like to be one of the exceptions. It insures that they won't ignore me on a break when I need my drink (or some food) 'fast'. They'll also give the owner or the manager a 'good review'.
*Yes, I do this even when I'm making ***** money. It's not the staffs fault.

I always tip servers and bartenders.

You tell everyone in the bar to tip the bartender well, he gives you a free drink, you tip that. -

I do. Always. To me, the bartender is the most important person in the bar. I typically hit the bar during set up, (one all the gear is in) and order a drink. Whether or not the drinks are free, I'll slide the barmaid a $20. That pretty much ensures that we'll be taken care of all night. Occaisionally, the 'tender will be a creep, and it won't matter, but those occaisions are less frequent.

I'm a tipper.

But I put them back in their upright position when I'm through.

But seriously, I DO tip the Bartender.

Always.

Tim

Do you tip the bartender?


Yes, you do.

Always. The bartenders are a clubs frontline. They have a tremendous impact on whether or not you and the audience have a good time. They can also have a great deal of influence on an entertainment buyer's decision to have you back again.

Doesn't matter if I'm a customer of the bar or playing there, I take care of the people who bring me drinks and food. Why would one think otherwise?

Tip, and tip good! And when the owner asks the bartender,"who do you think is the best band we have in here?", she/he will think "the one who tips me decent", and she will say your band's name!

I'm a cheapskate and I always tip them, so I think the answer must be yes. My only problem is that the keyboard player always tips a lot, so I look bad if we're doing it at the same time.

I tip the bartender/waitstaff.. however lately I don'y have to worry to much been playing more private than bar stuff..IMO bars are dead in ontario..DJ anyone..

I'm a tipper

Yeah...I do always tip...but I still think it's a bit of an odd situation.
Almost like the waiter tipping the bus boy...2 people working for the same establishment.
I guess it's more like greasing the wheels (bribe?) because the bartenders have so much pull in terms of booking the bands.
They know which bands sell the most beer.
And we are, after all, beer salesmen first and musicians second.

Yeah...I do always tip...but I still think it's a bit of an odd situation.
Almost like the waiter tipping the bus boy...2 people working for the same establishment.


The waiters do tip out the bus boys ... cooks and hostess's.

This is something I haven't really thought about...but thinking back, I DID tip the bartender at my gig last night, and so did the other band members.

Hell, SHE tipped us too, which was nice!


The waiters do tip out the bus boys ... cooks and hostess's.

Truth, when I worked as a bus boy the waitresses all tipped us

Gotta tip the bartender or he/she will ignore you all night.

I tip the bartender/waitstaff.. however lately I don'y have to worry to much been playing more private than bar stuff..IMO bars are dead in ontario..DJ anyone..

This is why sadly these days, we have to go above and beyond to stay working. Bands are clearly more fun and exciting, but DJ's are way less hassle. Around here, its always some 21 year old kid with an iPad and headphones. They plug into the house system....and done. And its only one guy.

Former restaurant guy here, I always tip

first bar gig I ever did I was underage. That didn't stop me from buying a beer, but I didn't know i was supposed to tip. The bartender almost had me bounced until he realized I was in the band. What a jerk!
Since then I always tip even if drinks are free.

Always tip. I've played many a bar in my time, and we always tipped, and when we came back they always remembered us, liked us, and took care of us and us them. Good all around.

I've gotten many a free drink from the bartender, "just tried some new drink, try this", or "We just got a new bourbon in, whatcha think", and so on.

Those guys and gals usually work for about 1/2 minimum plus tips...so I always tip cash.

When we play gigs where we drink free, whoever is serving us( waitress, bartender) gets a $20 straight up. If its a gig where we have discounted prices for the band, I just tip for each drink as I would at any bar.

Tip. If the bartender isn't happy, nobody is. It sounds crazy but they have the power to make or break your night if they want to.

EDIT: Trust me, I'm a bartender

Always! If the bartender takes care of us, we take care of him. Many club owners rely on the bar tenders comments when evaluating a band.

I always tip. I strongly dislike cheapskates.

OK...after about 30 years of bar gigs, here's a question.
Do you tip the bartender?


After 30 years, I'm kind of surprised you have to ask. Yes of course we should tip. Just cause the bar is giving away "free" drinks to the band, doesn't mean the wait staff, which works for tips, shouldn't get a little something for their efforts.

After 30 years, I'm kind of surprised you have to ask. Yes of course we should tip. Just cause the bar is giving away "free" drinks to the band, doesn't mean the wait staff, which works for tips, shouldn't get a little something for their efforts.

They're still working even though you're not paying so the least you can do is tip them.

ANYBODY who brings you a drink, gets a tip. Even the wife!!!!!

Here's a tip...

Cereal first THEN milk.

At a regular gig I usually make a lot more in tips than the bar girl, so I'll leave her something after the gig. I'm starting to think I should do it everywhere if I make tips.

I always do. We play a regular gig at a local bar/restaurant and I always order my
food and drink for the night at the bar. The bartender has the routine down so well that he has food ready for me when we take our first break. He also has a fresh tumbler of iced tea waiting for me at each break. If I want something other than tea I just have to tell him before we start and he takes care of it. I tip the guy 20% at the end of the night. It's not gonna change my lifestyle to tip a bartender for treating me well all night and it guarantees that when we play there he's always on his game and I don't have to wait.

Always tip them! The last thing you want is the staff disliking you!! It's a quick ticket out the door if the staff is not on your side!

You've been gigging 30 years and really have to ask this question?

You've been gigging 30 years and really have to ask this question?

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

You've been gigging 30 years and really have to ask this question?

If they have been bringing the band buckets of beer all night a $10.00 bill out of each band members pocket isn't such a big deal. Plus that cute little ting might just remember your name next time your band is in town.

You've been gigging 30 years and really have to ask this question?

Hey...we all know the rules are changing out there.
I live in my little world, so this discussion board gives me a chance to check in.

I always tip the server well on free stuff, is the easiest tip ever. Same when I have some discount coupon for a restaurant I give a very big tip.

my grandad said it's bad luck to NOT tip a bartender! one of my schticky lines i use at gigs(and you guys feel free to use it too!!)is this "Remember folks.....it ok to OVER TIP your bartender, but PLEASE don't TIP HIM OVER!

I know this is an old thread, but I'd rather resurrect it than start a new one! So here goes, looks like I'm not going to be the most popular guy in the room here! but...

I believe that here in the US, we tip to a fault. Even if the waitress messed up the order, took forever bringing us drinks, and we're late for the movie afterwards, we tip! It's just so ingrained in our mindset that WE pay the servers, not the restaurant or bar.

I'm going to give you a scenario of a place I play. It's a somewhat upscale restaurant on a street in a tourist-y town with a fair amount of walking traffic, slightly off the beaten track of the main happenings. The restaurant owner has wired the house system so that live music can be heard inside and out. The thought is not only to entertain guests inside and on the patio, but to coax people in off the street. If the music's to their liking, they come in. So I play there every week, and every week at least a handful of people are coming off the street to have a drink or dinner too.

So I've worked in commission sales jobs before. Am I asking for more based on the numbers? No. Am I asking the bar and waitstaff to tip me because my music is bringing them more business? No, I'm not. Do they tip me? VERY infrequently. Can you blame them? Not necessarily, especially if they don't know why they came in. But, often they do know. Do I give them a hard time? NO!!! I'm into the music, man.

But this anal, he didn't tip, she should've tipped stuff is really failing to see the big picture. When I show up to play a venue, I personally view the others working there as my coworkers - we work together to make this thing happen. And that means helping each other out so that everything works smoothly, everyone has a good time, the people working there make money.

So if I ask the barman to grab me a beer out of the cooler and there are four people at the bar that came off the street because of the music do I tip him? Or does he tip me?

I'd say let's just call it even. Fair enough?

Tip! I always tip the bartender or the waitress serving us. A lot of times that means the tea/soda/water I'm drinking on stage gets the "hawkeye" and replenished without me asking.

I waited tables for a while so I know what those shoes feel like.

In reply to pfitz, I always tip because (a) it's a nice thing to do and (b) waitresses and bartenders are paid bupkis. I know, musicians are paid bupkis too. But the way I look at it, we're all in this thing together and you gotta help out those who help you.

Depends on the bar tender/venue.
I rarely drink alcohol when I gig.
When I play busy, rockin' venues, I tend to tip less.
When it's less active, I tend to be more empathetic of my
fellow bar "comrade in arms".
Perhaps that's weird.
My regular gig is usually very busy, and I know the staff make good money.
I know this for a fact, having played the venue for decades.
My pay at this venue has not changed since the mid 1980s.
Perhaps this sounds like rationalization/justification.
Perhaps it is.

But the way I look at it, we're all in this thing together and you gotta help out those who help you.

But that's exactly my point... And if you look at it, you might be helping them out a lot more than they're helping you. When guests like the music they come in the door, they stay around longer, they buy more drinks, they buy dessert, etc...

And I know there are guys/gals out there that feel the same as I. But usually we follow the herd..

watering station: always a $5 up front, maybe another one at the end of the night if they were cognizant of my presence and need for diet coke...

sound guy - end of the night if they were exceptional

door man? really?

I always thought that the US tipping culture is strange; here we give very small tips, but at least I know the waitress is making at least 20$/h and won't starve if I don't tip.

Around here, its always some 21 year old kid with an iPad and headphones. They plug into the house system....and done. And its only one guy.

Ah! Sweet revenge, DJ's are obsolete too.

And tip always

I tip well. One or two bucks per drink. Especially if I'm gettin' em free. I order a drink right after I set up ... to set the tone.
Musicians have a well deserved reputation for being cheap.
I like to be one of the exceptions. It insures that they won't ignore me on a break when I need my drink (or some food) 'fast'. They'll also give the owner or the manager a 'good review'.
*Yes, I do this even when I'm making ***** money. It's not the staffs fault.

I pretty much do the same thing and for the same reasons. It pays off in the long run, too, because over time as they get to know me, they start giving me more free drinks even when I am not gigging on a night. I still tip even on free drink.

I personally don't purchase or ask for free drinks/food at my bar gigs, so I subsequently don't tip the bartender. If a customer buys me a drink, then I'll just leave it up to them to handle the tip as well. At many bar gigs the busboys and dishwashers are probably making more than I am.

I always tip my bartenders well when I'm working. I have to sing all night, I get thirsty. Most of the folks who serve in the places I play locally will watch my drink. If I'm running low, they'll just run me one out to the stage. I don't even have to ask. I take care of them, and they take care of me. It's that easy.

I also always remind the patrons to tip the staff, as well as tell them the bartender's name, and the names of the servers I know. It's a personal touch that really has an impact. I am very well liked by the staff everywhere I play locally, and it impacts getting repeat business with the bar. Truth.

When I am on the road, I tip well too. I don't know these people, but I see no reason to treat them differently than the folks at home. Back in October, I played a bar in Rochester that I had only been to once before, and that was almost two years earlier. The bartender and the owner remembered my name, even though I hadn't been there in nearly two years, and the last time was with a different band. They were very friendly.

Behaving professionally, and tipping well, are the two biggest things you can do to help your business. You don't stay as busy as I am without learning a few things here and there.

I know this is an old thread, but I'd rather resurrect it than start a new one! So here goes, looks like I'm not going to be the most popular guy in the room here! but...

I believe that here in the US, we tip to a fault. Even if the waitress messed up the order, took forever bringing us drinks, and we're late for the movie afterwards, we tip! It's just so ingrained in our mindset that WE pay the servers, not the restaurant or bar.

I'm going to give you a scenario of a place I play. It's a somewhat upscale restaurant on a street in a tourist-y town with a fair amount of walking traffic, slightly off the beaten track of the main happenings. The restaurant owner has wired the house system so that live music can be heard inside and out. The thought is not only to entertain guests inside and on the patio, but to coax people in off the street. If the music's to their liking, they come in. So I play there every week, and every week at least a handful of people are coming off the street to have a drink or dinner too.

So I've worked in commission sales jobs before. Am I asking for more based on the numbers? No. Am I asking the bar and waitstaff to tip me because my music is bringing them more business? No, I'm not. Do they tip me? VERY infrequently. Can you blame them? Not necessarily, especially if they don't know why they came in. But, often they do know. Do I give them a hard time? NO!!! I'm into the music, man.

But this anal, he didn't tip, she should've tipped stuff is really failing to see the big picture. When I show up to play a venue, I personally view the others working there as my coworkers - we work together to make this thing happen. And that means helping each other out so that everything works smoothly, everyone has a good time, the people working there make money.

So if I ask the barman to grab me a beer out of the cooler and there are four people at the bar that came off the street because of the music do I tip him? Or does he tip me?

I'd say let's just call it even. Fair enough?

so, if your method 'sees the big picture' how come it isn't the custom?

It stands to reason that people do what is in their own best interest, so why don't more people do what you do?

so, if your method 'sees the big picture' how come it isn't the custom?

Now that's just funny! If seeing 'the big picture' was custom this would be a different world lol

Well, I'm not sure you got my point by the "big picture", by that I meant you're bringing business through the door because people like your music in addition to them helping you get a little food & drink. Your music is keeping people around longer than the guy the night before, more people walking in the door to hear ya, and, thus, their tips are increasing. So whether you're tipping or not, they should be quite happy.

I always get great service when I play, but I'm pretty diligent about producing good music that fits the setting. And restaurant and bar staff appreciate that alone. And when it's making their patrons happy, everybody's happy. And if they're not, get over it and poor another drop of wine in my glass!!! haha Oh there comes three more walking in the door, saying they like the music, can they get a drink at the bar... No, but seriously, I don't get vibes from the staff. I guess it's entirely possible that they're talking when I'm not a around! HAHA

But do you tip your buddy when he grabs you a beer out of the fridge? Of course not. When you arrive at a gig, do you tip the staff when they graciously help you carry your gear from the car? Probably not. Because they're you're compadres, AND they happen to dig your music. But later the bartender leans down to grab you a beer out of the cooler, and you must tip him? What's the difference?

Why doesn't everyone 'do what I do'? Maybe because they just hadn't thought about it too much, or been exposed to culture outside of the US. Like I alluded to, tipping is generally taken for granted here. I was born in Ireland, been around Europe a lot, Asia, Central America. The tipping culture of the US is very unique. But Americans tend to be quite isolated relatively speaking. So I can understand why this concept is so foreign! Just trying to present another way of thinking about it. If that means to you I'm a cheapskate, than to you I'm a cheapskate haha! It's all fine & good, a very American consumerist philosophy, but I can live with that. Just a cultural thing.

But I hear you, and others, tipping bartenders can mean getting better service and perhaps free drinks. And when I'm just out for a bite or a drink, I tip 15-25% depending.

But, honestly, when I'm working, I don't like the idea of ever opening my wallet. Call me a cheapskate! :grin: