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mota Inner circle 1658 Posts |
Just got Balloon School by Joe Montella. In it he states emphatically to not busk in bars. On balloon HQ though some post they do well with bars but they don't go into details.
I was wondering what the thoughts of those here are. What are your experiences busking in bars? How does it compare to street busking? How does the money compare? Do you have to do "risky" balloons or can you do g-rated stuff? Am I out of my mind to even consider it? Any other thoughts? Thanks...assume I know nothing about this field and you will be pretty close to right. I've done magic in bars a long time ago and did fine so am wondering if there is something about balloons I don't know. |
nums Veteran user I have a life, or I would have more than 366 Posts |
My wife and I were at a bar one day getting some Blue Crabs to eat in the very small dining room when a family of four came in and I asked if they could have a balloon or two while they waited for their dinners. After asking the manager if it was ok I went to the car and got my balloons and went at it. After those kids got balloons a lady at the bar asked for one, then another lady and then, the next thing I knew the whole bar was covered in balloons. The tips I made more than covered dinner for me and my wife, the owner said we could come back and "work" anytime.
Another time I stopped in the american legion to shoot a game of pool and one of the women there asked if I had any balloons. I do the Christmas party so they know me, anyway I started with the balloons and the next thing I knew I had about $50.00 bucks in tips, I bought the bar a round of drinks and left. Now whenever I go in they ask if I have any with me and most of the time I say no even if I do. Bottom line, people love balloons, ask permission, learn a few adult balloons, have at it. NUMS |
Stevethomas Inner circle Southern U.S.A. 3728 Posts |
It depends upon YOU and the type bar it is. We have some bars here in the South where you'd be dragged behind a motorcycle if you did that, and some where it would (and has for me!) work very well. If you know the place and can get a feel for it, I'd say to go for it! However, as I tell everyone..don't work for just tips. You're (literally) short changing yourself. If you work for just tips, you're making the establishment more money, and they're not compensating you at all!
Steve |
magicgeorge Inner circle Belfast 4299 Posts |
I busked in bars (with permission) when I was a poor student trying to make some extra cash.
I wouldn't do it if you are starting/have a career in family entertainment. Ironic thing about making a balloon in a bar is that people won't think twice about buying you a drink for a balloon in a bar but on the street the monetary equivalent of a drink is often thought of as too expensive. You will get more money in a bar because the money someone has in their pocket in a bar has less value than the money someone has in their pocket when on the street. Odd that. Some weird spending money/shopping money psychological tosh. George |
KeirRoyale Special user Denver, CO 550 Posts |
Quote: "The owner said we could come back and "work" anytime."
I would imagine the owner of almost any business would be delighted to have you come in and work at their place free of charge. I would have to encourage people not to give their services away like that though. It might be fun for a while but soon you will find that you are just lowering industry standards and that you should be getting paid for your time. Best regards, Keir
DVD author of "The Master Prediction System Done Solo"
http://www.DenverMotivationalSpeaker.com http://www.DenverKidMagic.com http://www.LifeIsMagical.com http://www.WichitaComedyMagician.com |
Pokie-Poke Special user Bensalem, PA 883 Posts |
Keir I don't think Nums is going to work for free, but the one off hit and run is a good way to wet there apitite. The first one is free....
I just did a line of bar bar/restrants in nj. tips are good. I still get paid but tips are good.
www.pokie-poke.com
The Adventure cont... |
mota Inner circle 1658 Posts |
I wonder what is the end result?
In other words, if you busk bars you can work every night pretty much. If you want to be paid by a bar owner this might be a more uneven proposition. Which one would show more money at the end of the year? It really doesn't matter to ones pocket whether it came off the table or from the bar owner. In some other fields (I won't go into) you make more working for tips than if you get hired, plus you can work more. I am not saying I know...I am only asking those with more experience in balloons. |
KeirRoyale Special user Denver, CO 550 Posts |
Pokie-Poke, well I don't really get the impression that the previous posts were in regards to just offering a one time freebie to sell the idea. That may be OK as a sales tactic but I agree with Steve in that you are short changing yourself (and every other entertainer for that matter) if you work for just tips on an
on-going basis. Mota. I think it does matter who is paying you, so that the entire industry of entertainers is not to be seen as panhandlers. Accepting a tip when offered is one thing, to rely on it is another entirely. (My intent here is not to offend anyone so please don't take it that I am doing anything other than encouraging people to raise the bar a bit by charging bars and restaurants for their time and talents.) Best regards to all who have posted... Keir
DVD author of "The Master Prediction System Done Solo"
http://www.DenverMotivationalSpeaker.com http://www.DenverKidMagic.com http://www.LifeIsMagical.com http://www.WichitaComedyMagician.com |
mota Inner circle 1658 Posts |
No offense taken...I have always enjoyed the kindness in the balloon forums. Other forums are a bit more excitable at times.
I do want to gently suggest that the idea of buskers as panhandlers is a US perception. Jimmy Talksalot, in his absolutely wonderful book on street magic, "TO LURE WITH SPECTACLE AND OUR MYSTERIOUS SOCIETY", addresses this at length. Do people consider Cellini a panhandler? Gazzo? Also, though waitresses and bartenders depend on their tips for their livings (their wages are an insult) no one thinks of them as panhandlers. BalloonHQ has a very large section on busking balloons with many recognizable names having been involved or are currently involved. I do understand the perception of buskers as panhandlers but realize that is only a perception. Many talented people in magic, music, juggling, and balloons would take issue with that. For more on this see Jimmy's book. http://leapinglizardsmagic.com/lure_with_spectacle.htm |
derrick Inner circle I dug holes for 1044 Posts |
I've never tied balloons on a regular (weekly) basis at bars but have had great success on special events. On St. Patrick's Day I worked an Irish Pub and cleared $100 plus an hour making huge green and white party hats. I ran out of all my green and white balloons in 2 hours which was great since I was exhausted by then anyway. I did almost as well during a recent Cinco di Mayo Party at a popular Mexican restaurant, this time incorporating red, green, and white into the party hats.
While I have not attempted this yet, I think it would also work at a sports bar during a popular play off game of any type. The combination of drinks, rabbid sports fans and huge balloon hats could bring in big tips. Good luck, Derrick |
gsidhe Inner circle Michigan 1725 Posts |
I started out doing balloons in a bar environment long before I was doing them for kids (Back in the early 90's). I didn't charge the establishment and worked five nights a week solely for tips. I never had much trouble paying my bills this way, and it was my only job. After a while I started picking up side gigs and parties as well, but the bar ballooning was my bread and butter.
Doing bar stuff would net me anywhere from $35 an hour on up to an amazing $600 in two and a half hours. Many of the balloons I made were innocent sweet things that you could hand to anybody, but a lot were of a "questionable" nature, as that is where the big tips in bars usually come from. There is a very different approach to working in bars, far to complex to really go into here, very different from doing party work, but it is doable. As for the "not charging" bit... I do a lot of street busking where I have to buy permits to perform (If I want to do it legally), my audience is strolling by and I have to capture them. If I have a night off and nothing to do, why not go to a place where I know I can make money with a captive audience at no real cost to myself? I have arrangements at several bars that I can call up and say "Mind if I come in for an hour or two tonight?" at a moments notice and actually go out and make some money instead of sitting at home wondering how to go out and make some money. If they want me on a specific day or a holiday...Then they have to pay. If I have some time free and would like some cash in hand, why charge? I am used to paying to busk and making good money doing it. It is no different than working in front of a store on the street. I'm helping them in exchange for having a good location to perform. As to those bars like Steve mentioned, where you would get dragged behind a motorcycle... Choose your venues carefully. Make sure that they are a demographic you know how to handle. I could survive pretty easily in the scary biker bar establishments (And fetish clubs, punk dives and alternative hangouts) but that is me. Honestly, you probably want to find a higher class establishment (Yuppie hangouts, sports bars, Bar and Grille establishments) as the biker bars, goth clubs and fetish folks are generally filled with broke patrons. I know that my choice to "give it away" will rub a lot of you the wrong way. I understand. I would not do a regular gig for tips only. If they want to guarantee my services and put them on a schedule, they get charged. If I just feel like doing balloons on an otherwise wasted night, it is all on me. Just my thoughts, Gwyd |
JesterMan Veteran user Maryland, USA 319 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-05-29 12:48, gsidhe wrote: This is pretty much my stance, as well. The bored nights don't come along often, as I am in paid restaurants 3 (until this week, 4) nights a week. Add the weekend stuff in, and I don't much feel like going out to do more. However, I have had situations like NUMS', and have gotten tipped in the same way. Doing this has opened, or added to discussions about coming in on a regular basis (paid). (YMMV)
JM
Balloons, Magic, Mayhem & More! www.AArdvarkEntertainers.com www.JesterMan.com "... destined to take the place of the MudShark in your mythology... " FZ |
Joe Montella New user 4 Posts |
Mota I have answered your questions below...
Message to all... I want to thank you all for commenting on my DVD I did many years ago... Actually it was 13yrs ago long before youtube or many other balloon DVDS. I know when I pitched the idea one comment was they never saw a balloon DVD sell for more than 10.00 a copy... I hope I provided value to all who purchased it. There are some new and amazing balloon DVDs out there and who knows maybe I will even create a new updated version. That DVD took all of two days to shoot and two years to get edited and ready for sale... Maybe someday I will tell the whole story. Thanks for all the thoughts and comments (good and bad) it is very appreciated to hear. If you ever find yourself in Phoenix AZ I now have a brick and mortar magic shop. Just got Balloon School by Joe Montella. In it he states emphatically to not busk in bars. On balloon HQ though some post they do well with bars but they don't go into details. I was wondering what the thoughts of those here are. What are your experiences busking in bars? I won't go into all my experiences as I have far to many to list. Bars a totally different beast and are a world all their own. I have made as little as 3.00 at a bar and as much as over 1,000 at one bar one night... I got a 500 tip once at a bar... How does it compare to street busking? Totally different beast and unless you have experience in both talking about the nuance wouldn't make sense to a laymen. How does the money compare? How does it compare to what? On the street? Depends how good a performer you are. Do you have to do "risky" balloons or can you do g-rated stuff? The bar crowd is the bar crowd... People are going out for "adult" fun.... I use adult loosely by the way... What one things is adult fun and what is just crude and lewd... You have to decide where your line in the sand is and stick by it... Also, remember everyone these days have to take pics of EVERYTHING (including there food... I really don't get that one)... So, know what you do today will prob be seeing tomorrow. Am I out of my mind to even consider it? If you want to be a family or kids entertainer you are going to run into issues... Some valid some not... In the end its a balloon so how serious can you take it??? Any other thoughts? Take all advice from anyone with a grain of salt. Remember that anyone can tell you anything but, you have to live with it. Thanks...assume I know nothing about this field and you will be pretty close to right. I've done magic in bars a long time ago and did fine so am wondering if there is something about balloons I don't know. If you want to just toss some balloons in the mix with your magic that can be nice and maybe get you what you want. It all comes down to who you are and what you want to be known for... I got into to balloons by accident and it took me very far in life. I was lucky and was able to make some good moves. However, you have to decide what you want and how you want to be remembered. Good luck I hope this helps! |
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