Not sure what it's like going there as a punter yet but just thought I'd add some comments about our gig experience there.
- Great venue. Original '70's decor.
- Great pa. Costs $75 though and you have to provide a sound guy.
- Nice bouncer
HOWEVER there is a definite dark side to playing there (or there was for us anyway.....)
- Crap bar staff. Slow as and no system whatsoever.
- A bit of a dodgy smoking area - could easily let in non paying customers. Dogs Bollix is horrendous for this too. Be warned.
- Finally, the manager. He has no idea about putting on bands (at least original ones anyway) and is arrogant, rude and greedy. He complained the crowd weren't drinking enough all the time, promised free drinks that never happened, tried to get tough on what time people were playing unnecessarily, tried to find out how much the door was taking and was generally a pain to deal with. When I went to pay him (early in the night) for the pa I wanted to have something in writing that I'd paid it - he wasn't keen and just said "No, I'll remember it".....which kinda could lead to misunderstandings later - fortunately it didn't.
I believe they're expecting huge crowds every time and will get nasty if you don't get them. We got the best crowd they've had so far (about 150 all up) and still got hassled by him, even though at the end of the night they were pleased with what had gone on.
Worst case scenario - it becomes a covers band only venue.
Be interested in anyone's thoughts/experiences on this......
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Technorati
Well I am going to second you on this ...
Well I am going to second you on this one. Quite frankly the manger of the schooner tavern is a dick! When an unnamed artist played there at a gig the other night despite holding a crowd that was clearly about to leave the manger declared that this artist was never allowed to play at the schooner tavern again. What type of venue manager declares who can/cant play there?… I mean if they pull a crowd. Ironically everyone left after unnamed artist finished……hmm. Perhaps he was annoyed that people stopped drinking and started listening to the music?
Later that night which… went a bit late (2am)... which wasn’t that much over schedule... the manager pretty much pulled the plug on the last band. Well that pissed them off as you can imagine as they had waited to watch all the other bands play. I would not recommend anyone plays at the Schooner. There are better venues and artists shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of shit from bar managers.
ooooo (rubs hands in glee) i got a ...
ooooo (rubs hands in glee)
i got a gig booked there in June. I can't wait... I love bitching at venue owners. haha, I'm a whiney bitch and i love to take it out on dickhead venue managers.
yeah blink you should take it to him. ...
yeah blink you should take it to him. The guy does have a serious attitude. No idea how to handle gigs - just power mad and seeing dollars. Unlike yourself of course!
There's potential for bands to really have a bad experience there. I hadn't heard about the whole power thing being switched off either, that sucks. And having stood at the front door for a while it wouldn't surprise me if they get sound complaints from the apartments near by....
Wll it wasnt' literally pulling the ...
Wll it wasnt' literally pulling the plug basically he just told them to stop playing halfway through their set.... wouldnt that make you happy
"What type of venue manager declares ...
"What type of venue manager declares who can/cant play there?…"
The one that own the building or the lease.
In a free society it is possible to say no! (as long its not racist, sexist, homphobic (or subjective based on physical charcteristics)
Grow up people, no one owe's you anthing in this world...
Yeah yeah. The fact is, the place has ...
Yeah yeah. The fact is, the place has got the potential to go either way, and be a.) A great "character" live music venue (that incidentally makes stacks of cash over the bar) or b.) Another shitty pub (that gets by unspectactularly). I'd say option b is looking very likely at the moment, given the management's attitude.
This happened in Dunedin - the Travel Bar, a tiny little live venue (approximately 8 metres by 4 metres), did really well and made a (relatively) tidy profit under the expert guidance of a well-loved manager/owner and several very attractive young ladies on the bar. The manager knew everyone's name, gave discounts to basically everybody, and had musicians lining up to play for very little money, for the great vibe. He was forced to sell (family illness) and the new owner did everything wrong, most infamously asking people to leave if they were only ordering water. He lost all his clientele, the old staff quit and all goodwill was effectively gone. The musicians stopped asking to play and the bar now struggles to break even. It doesn't take much to fuck up a good thing.
Maybe the Underground Bar is going to be the one that flies in Auckland - had a chat to the new manager there and he sounded like he knew exactly what he was up to. Anybody been there yet?
I just put this out there as a warning ...
I just put this out there as a warning to others - it was just our experience. I have no idea how future gigs will pan out there, probably fine. If you're skilled at dealing with people like that (Blink) then you'll be sweet.
True I'm not owed anything - but a bit of courtesy and respect from the venue goes a long way.
Jack indeed, White Rhino. "White ...
Jack indeed, White Rhino.
"White Rhino"... oh, now I get it. Good one.
Plug!Plug!Plug! time. . . Speaking ...
Plug!Plug!Plug! time. . .
Speaking of future Schooner gigs. . .
The Fanatics
The Demi Whores
James Duncan
DJs Stiv & Jessica Franco
Friday April 21 at the Schooner Tavern, Doors 8pm, $10.
It's our first and last Auckland show for quite some time and we have an all-new set of all-new songs.
Hope the PA can handle it.
Bet you CAN'T WAIT!
(come on, you all knew somebody was bound to hijack the topic)
[ http://www.thefanatics.co.nz ]
Oh yeh I forgot about the whole free ...
Oh yeh I forgot about the whole free society thing
Very nice hijack tclak
Back when I lived in NZ, the Schooner ...
Back when I lived in NZ, the Schooner was a real rough-house place; you went there at your peril. Glad to see it's now a place where you can go for a bevvy and a band.
With a history which includes sex, ...
With a history which includes sex, murder, receivers and deceivers I think that changing over night (or five weeks) into a venue for a different kind of patron is not so easy.
I think these teething problems will give way to more positive experiences for bands and am keen to hear about this weekends shows.
I visited The Schooner two weeks ago and thought it was a really neat little set-up!
Curious,
Tane
yeah you're probably right. Looking ...
yeah you're probably right. Looking forward to visting as a punter!
I'm sure this has already been ...
I'm sure this has already been covered, but where is the Schooner and what did it used to be?
quay street- just down from queen ...
quay street- just down from queen elizabeth square/britomart. used to me a seedy hangout for ex-swashbucklers and true characters of auckland's yesteryear.
i loved the irony that it was just minutes walk from where the kids where donning their tight white pants and polo shirts and lining up at float.
i havent been to the new place, but if the fanatics are playing a show it might be the perfect time to go have a jack
Pretty much any time's the right time ...
Pretty much any time's the right time for a jack. I might go and have one now.
when did "jack" come back into popular ...
when did "jack" come back into popular usage? the only place I've heard it in the last 20 years is on Two Cars One Night...
i wouldnt say popular usage.. just an ...
i wouldnt say popular usage.. just an iconic phrase of my dad's that's somehow made it's way into my vocabulary.
must say, i kinda like it..
Hello everyone, Not sure if this ...
Hello everyone,
Not sure if this thread is dead... but it's worth me posting a thread stating our case.
I've had a number of calls from concerned promoters wondering if they're going to have a nightmarish experience at the Schooner Tavern; all thanks to this one post. Well done NZMUSIC.COM! It's good to know people can make a difference, for better or worse.
I'd just like to point out that at the time these posts were written, the Schooner had been running as a venue for around three weeks. That's not long to iron out the creases... The bar manager you're referring to is not the owner, the owner was in Wellington on business and had left this guy in charge. This guy has been reprimanded for mistreating bands, and will not be in charge of things in the future. The rider situation has also been rectified and improved, there is security posted full-time in the area where people could potentially have sneaked in previously...
The Schooner is a fantastic venue; good looking, good sounding, a nice alternative to grotty old "other venues", and 99% of bands who have played there have loved it - increasingly so. Ian Svenonius of Weird War said it's the best room he's ever seen, and if was to have a pub he would make it exactly like the Schooner.
The drinks are reasonable, the tall beers are economical and a nice novelty, there are tap beers...
We have a brand new P.A. which cost a lot of money; hence the reasonable p.a./venue hire. Currently we have two recommended sound guys, but have found that most artists prefer to use their own people - so we've not seen much point hiring someone full-time (this may change if demand is there...)
The owner has had run-ins with a couple of bands, it's true - but what these bands have not mentioned in their complaints is that they were all caught smuggling their own alcohol into the venue, and drinking on the streets; an offence that we get massive fines for if caught.
From now on, there will be a HAPPY HOUR introduced from when the doors open. Cheaper drinks from 8.30-9.30, or 9-10 depending.
These next few weeks are looking amazing; kicking off with tonight's Ryan McPhundraiser (Chris Knox, the Reduction Agents, the Nudie Suits...and maybe even an appearance by McPhun himself!), the Fanatics/Demi-Whores/James Duncan on Friday, and XIU XIU (USA) with Phelps & Munro with Pumice on Saturday (tickets from Real Groovy).
For any bookings/queries/etc call Matthew on 021 66 95 94 or email schoonertavern@gmail.com.
Cheers!
//all thanks to this one post. Well ...
//all thanks to this one post. Well done NZMUSIC.COM! It's good to know people can make a difference, for better or worse.
Umm, are you angry at the site, or just a couple of people who posted? Or did you think that Cat was the Official Voice of Us All and NZM? I think it's awesome that you've come here to state your case, and isn't it great how you could just get a login and post? That's the beauty of website forums.
Thanks for the post mathew. On the ...
Thanks for the post mathew.
On the night of our gig no one smuggled in beers or was drinking on the sidewalk (must have been other nights for those two occasions) but as I mentioned in the start the bar manager could have handled things way smoother than he did.
I also mentioned the good points (pa, decor, bouncer, venue itself) and it's great that some action has come about that can only improve the experience for all concerned. I reckon it has the potential to be the best small(ish) venue in auckland if it isn't already - that's pretty much the reason I raised concerns in the first place, I wouldn't want to see this lost to auckland. As I say, it was just our experience on the night. It probably wouldn't hurt if the bands and venue got together on the night to sort out expectations (playing times etc) up front so everyone's on the same page.
Great post, thanks for following up with things too. I guess I could have done this a bit more discreetly but there you go!
big ups to venue managers who argue ...
big ups to venue managers who argue their case like this (ie respectfully!). after reading through this topic i was admittedly a bit more wary of booking a night at the schooner, but after reading this post from a venue manager who is willing to communicate with bands and not just harass them and give them shit (what a concept!) im all up for it.
if bands are doing stuff like sneaking in drinks, they dont deserve to be playing there. shit like that can ruin a venue. it's just dumb. sneaking a hip flask into Dylan Moran at the Aotea Theatre tonight is a completely different story however...
big ups to tall beers also. nothing makes a great beer like a big fuckin (preferably ice-cold) glass. ive had it with going to bars where everyone just slaunters around stroking their fuckin bottles of Becks.
god im thirsty
//sneaking a hip flask into Dylan Moran ...
//sneaking a hip flask into Dylan Moran at the Aotea Theatre tonight is a completely different story however...
hmmm a thought for this coming sunday at the james hay.... i'm looking forward to dylan moran like nothing else.
nice reply matt....
nice reply matt.
Yeah $75.00 is reasonable for PA Hire, ...
Yeah $75.00 is reasonable for PA Hire, not like those raping c*&ts at the Dogs Bollix eh?
Actually, Horses ass, Schooner. You ...
Actually, Horses ass, Schooner. You charge $75.00 for a PA and still dont provide a sound man? Get real! What happens when you've had a hundred gigs in there and paid back your PA? Will you then stop charging? This is a thinly veiled guise to rip off bands who make fuck all money out of putting on gigs anyway. Join the National Party dude.
Yo! I'm not angry, I'm actually ...
Yo! I'm not angry, I'm actually genuinely impressed that people can make a difference on one site. It's great...
I do apologise to all the people who were involved in early teething problems, and without taking a cheap shot at myself... it's better than Edens Bar at the very least!!!
Good ...
Good luck......................
I'll see you again in about two weeks time!
BTW - What have you got on the next three Saturday nights?
It is great to see that posting on NZ ...
It is great to see that posting on NZ Music actually causes effects outside the virtual world!
Good on ya Cat for raising the concern in the first place ... and good on the Schooner for replying thoughfully and fixing the problem.
ahh... and you wonder why Matthew is ...
ahh...
and you wonder why Matthew is regarded by "Local Knowledge" as the best venue booker in the country.
haha, no offence to tane and the other ...
haha, no offence to tane and the other bookers who use these boards. but seriously. matt is a booking god.
Fuggin well said Matt - Venues street ...
Fuggin well said Matt - Venues street creed is vital, often punters dont get to here the venue's side of the story.
Studio almost got worked from stories of security being heavy handed at one particular band, the venue took the brunt of it - if only the punters and other bands had known what the band had done to deserve being dragged out by there ears. (not sure the exact details but involved band members telling security to F off and spitting at them for bringing in booze to an all age show)
Funny old world.
Cold glasses is most welcome, ill buy heaps.
I, too, have heard good things about ...
I, too, have heard good things about Schooner from punters (haven't been there myself yet) and now that problems have been raised and addressed I think I should probably book m'band in.
Although I do agree that $75 is a lot for a PA hire... ouch. And we'll have to get a mate to do the sound, cause God knows we can't afford to pay someone to do it. So, Schooner mate, if you're trying to recoup the cost of the PA, then that's fair dinkum in the short term. Long term though, that's a lot of money for us struggling bands... the King's Arms have a great PA as well, $30 hire, and sound guy provided.
That said, I'm looking forward to hopefully playing your luvverly venue.
At $25 per band, $75 isn't a huge deal ...
At $25 per band, $75 isn't a huge deal in my opinion. Even if you're charging $5 to get in the door, that's only 15 people you need to cover costs. True the Kings Arms charge you $90 ($30 p/ band) but the Kings Arms have gigs 7 days a week.
You have to understand that while "struggling bands" struggle to pay for a venue hireage... we don't want to become a struggling venue. My official charge as venue booker (hello, I'm Matthew) is to book bands and events that are likely to get 200+ people through the door in a night. I'm the first person to champion local acts (often literally the first!) and I'm all about getting underground entertainment out there. I've worked with a lot of the more known bands in town and have done all I can to push them further into places they might not have otherwise gone...
BUT!
I can't give a Friday or Saturday night away to just anyone, as that's the time our bar will make its money. Bar needs money to survive (pay barstaff, rent, alcohol, security, promotions...) and we can't just do things for fun. If you seriously think $75 is too much, then you might just have to deal with not getting more mics, doing without turntables at the venue, etc etc etc... These are all things I'm pushing to get as I want it to be the best bar in town. What I often suggest to "strugglers" is to try a Thursday night show for starters, or to pair up with a band that has a bigger following... I have most of the contacts for bands like these and if you like I can try play band-Cupid... schoonertavern@gmail.com.
If your band gets 50 people along at $5 a head, then that's $250 all up... I see how $75 sounds like a lot then. But if you're charging $8-$10 and you get 150 people along... then you're getting over $1,000... see?
To whoever asked if "once we've paid off the p.a. will we stop charging?" ... Maybe. Like I've said before, it's an exercise in fairness and trial & error. The Kings Arms is a pretty established venue who have found their niche. Can you guys tell me the score at Dogs Bollix? What's the setup there? As far as I know they don't have a set sound person...
Just to let you know, the Schooner Tavern is now sponsoring a segment on my radio show (Wed 10-12 on bFM) which will be an album of the week type thing, followed by my "casual" insertion of what's happening at the Schooner that week, this also qualifies all acts to get on the gig guide... (also if you know of a free gig guide we can help you get on let me know - currently we're in the Herald, on bFM, Cheese on Toast, Groove Guide, the Fix...) We're getting more and more publicity with your shows listed in them... and we're working on a special price for bands who want to advertise on bFM but don't have a huge budget.
All the bands I've talked to have had a great time at the Schooner, and the international acts who've played there have all commented on how much they love the place. We're still working on the stage, perfecting the lighting, etc etc etc... and as always comments and criticisms welcome. You might just have to deal with an overly long response from me!!!
Matthew @ the Schooner - 021 66 95 94 - schoonertavern@gmail.com
you should put up a website. (is ...
you should put up a website.
(is there already one?)
Seeing as how I started all ...
Seeing as how I started all this.....
$75 is more than reasonable, it's a great pa! Matthew is a lovely man and the original issues have been handled very well. The schooner is the best "small" venue in Auckland at the moment (I don't count the ka as a small venue). And finally, my hangover sucks immensely.
'Nuff said!
//If your band gets 50 people along at ...
//If your band gets 50 people along at $5 a head, then that's $250 all up... I see how $75 sounds like a lot then. But if you're charging $8-$10 and you get 150 people along... then you're getting over $1,000... see?
Firstly I'd just like to say that I think $75 sounds pretty fair for the PA.
However on the above remember that most new bands won't be able to charge beyond the $5 mark and they also have to cover for postering and advertising (easily over $100 for printing and postering if you use commercial companies). Then include hiring a sound guy ($150 for three bands seems about right for a low level sound guy) and transportation and the costs all add up.
Having said that I don't think what the schooner is offering is untenable - in fact I think it's a pretty good met in the middle point. Have you guys thought about having a regular weekly poster run (ala Bar Bodega in Wellington) which has a listing of whats happening on each night of the week? Works both as a gig guide, advertising and minimises the amount of postering/advertising bands need to do on their own. Even a carefully selected run of a hundred or so a week (or fortnight) could make a big difference.
Just some thoughts - always good to see new venues springing up!
Best of luck
[ http://dukes.lucidtone.com ]
Absolutely. This is sort of what we're ...
Absolutely. This is sort of what we're doing in the Fix already, and plan to do on websites, etc. I'll chat to the boss about the idea of a poster run too. Cheers!
No problem - if it means better ...
No problem - if it means better promotion of gigs and more punters at your venue then it's a win win situation for everyone. The biggest issue for new venues seems to be getting people aware of whats actually occuring there...
Have a good weekend!
[ http://idlefaction.wadda.org/ ]
Aaarrrrggghhhh sorry forgot to check ...
Aaarrrrggghhhh sorry forgot to check this thread, I'm not on nzmusic much these days.
Yup, sorry, I thought the PA was $75 per band for some reason. For the whole night, that's more than reasonable :-)
I'd also like to say that I was at the Schooner on Friday night for Dan's birthday (first time I've been there) and thought it was great. I'll be in touch regardings gigs and stuff, Mr Schooner!
p.s. here are some contacts for sound ...
p.s. here are some contacts for sound guys we've used before and found reasonable:
Antony 021 231 7930
Hayden 027 270 4580
this punter's point of view: effing ...
this punter's point of view: effing ay. It's a great venue, right next to britomart, nice size, the decor's awesome, the PA sounds awesome and they've booked all the best bands. Every time I start worrying "oh, this just-advertised band-I-love might clash with that other-band-I-love", I found out that - no, they're all playing the schooner. My stay-at-home weekends have vanished, as has my resolve to avoid going out on thursdays.
...except for tonight, obviously. But ...
...except for tonight, obviously. But I've just been fighting so I REALLY needed a quiet night in. Will save The Situations for another day.
..that's right - fighting. I've been ...
..that's right - fighting. I've been fighting. You wanna make something of it?
Finally had first Schooner (punter) ...
Finally had first Schooner (punter) experience on Friday. Had been very dubious about it being all the way down on Quay St but it really was great. Tasteful decor, decent bathrooms, nice space and seating, reasonably priced drinks and a good sound. I think I might have to move in.
Hmm,, I heard a rumour that Connan and ...
Hmm,, I heard a rumour that Connan and the Mockasins are playing there this saturday.... is it true???
Doesn't look I'm able to edit my ...
Doesn't look I'm able to edit my above post, so I'll just add the following which I forgot:
1) Schooner also do quart (=swappa) bottles, at around nine dollars, which is pretty darn good by Auckland standards, and they give you a glass with it too so you don't have to look like a bogan by drinking from the bottle.
2) Yup, Matthew, I'd say that a poster run as suggested by Scott would be a great idea if your boss is keen to do it.