Was on member boards - likely should be here
Quote:
Originally Posted by kitkat824
Oooooooh. So how come these clubs get away with charging stage fees and requiring specific tipouts???
Because the idea is you are an act.
When an act comes to a stadium, do they own the stadium? Or does the promoter rent the stadium to put the act on.
Coming from the professional "legit" theatre biz, I can say they are using some parallels to other entertainment business customs.
Just as a ballet group comes up to form a "company" - so is a dancer her own "company."
The ballet group decides to go out on tour - so they rent a stage to perform on. So does the dancer rent a stage to perform on.
Sometimes, like with music groups - you rent the sound and lighting from a sound and lighting company. In the case of exotic dancers - these items come with the stage.
So like a play or music group or dancer group, you're stage fees are LIKE a rental agreement for:
-- Sound Amplification
-- Lighting
-- Stage Construction
-- Dressing Room
-- Security
-- Building/Parking lot for patrons
-- Meeting Building Code Requirements
-- Meeting "other" code requirements (read that as city red tape for adult ent.)
Stage fees are probably the most legit thing in the business. I have seen stage rentals at $3,000 per night for 700 people (about 4 bucks per person) for "legitimate" theater acts. In a high volume (400 or more people in per night) club $300 bucks doesn't seem so bad eh?
It is required tipping of bouncers, DJ, house mom, etc. that have no legitimacy.
Re: Was on member boards - likely should be here
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deogol
It is required tipping of bouncers, DJ, house mom, etc. that have no legitimacy.
Thank You! Those people are all employees of the club and should be taken care of by the club.
Re: Was on member boards - likely should be here
But there is also a serious and successful attempt to "have your cake and eat it too" by many clubs.
Dancers are required to pay house fees and a percentage of the take, and are granted the 'independent' status of being contractual performers--but they are treated as employees--they must often work a schedule, be on time, go on stage whenever they are called, or be fined or fired.
Re: Was on member boards - likely should be here
Yep - DJoser, that is what the thread on the members board is concluding to.
I can understand a portion of the "ticket sales" as being owed to the house as that is common in other entertainment venue's as well, unless one pays a flat out fee to the stage owner (often pretty pricey like my example - but they knew they were going to get 700 people at higher than 4 bucks each.) It works out kinda, because the risk is shared by both the stage owner and the production company.
The whole idea of being late and fines - bullshit. I have never worked a rock concert where the house fired or fined a group for being late to the stage. The stage had their money, the promoter had his money, the group had their money - the only one's screwed were the fans and they didn't care much (unless it was really late!)
Of course, if one is a no show to often, it is the stage owners responsibility to get that stage making money and so rent it out to an act that pays the fee... unless somekind of reservation fee can be worked out....
(Now I am thinking to much like a Deja vu manager! But the stage - it is the restaurant grill - if it ain't making anything the company ain't making money!)
Re: Was on member boards - likely should be here
djoser is correct on this issue. Clubowners want to have 'employer-like' control of their dancers schedules, performances, costumes etc. but do not want the necessary cost of hourly pay, wage and tip accounting, comp/unemployment benefit premiums etc. which go along with the 'employer-employee' relationship. Clubowners then attempt to treat dancers as 'employees' where club rules / control are concerned, but at the same time treat them as independent contractors from a financial standpoint. In virtually every case where a clubowner has been 'called' on this issue, labor dept's and tax dept's have supported the 'employer-employee' position.
The closest analogy in the mainstream business world are independent contractor hardressers who 'rent' a spot in a large salon, independent contractor 'vendors' who 'rent' a spot at flea markets etc.
Re: Was on member boards - likely should be here
I glady paid a small "rental" fee for the freedom of no scheduling, and for the club to mind their own damn business. I happily paid my manager an extra $20 a piece. I hope they were also paid by the club. But the club doesn't NEED those fees, they make a killing off the alcohol. Its pure greed, and I accepted it. In return, I expected that the club leave me to make my own business and encourage customer spending any way they could, ie playing my musical choices and referring custs to me....