Sent out the following message to our electronic newsletter list, accessable from our Website (Reprise60s.com).

Important notice from Reprise 60s:

The competition is fierce. Local rock bands far outnumber the entertainment venues and, in today’s brutal economy, club owners are looking for acts with the potential to draw the largest crowds. Reprise 60s is the only Binghamton area group that brings you the songs of the Sixties and only the Sixties, performed as they were originally recorded by artists including the Rolling Stones, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits, the Grass Roots, and of course, the group that started it all - the Beatles. If you haven’t seen us yet, now is the time to find out what all the buzz is about. And if you have enjoyed our shows in the past, please continue to support us and insure that we will be able to go on performing the music we all love to hear again and again.

Reprise 60s will be at Jonathan’s in Endwell this Friday, October 9, at 9 p.m. Following this appearance, we will be taking some time off to work on a new demo recording, so, although we will be accepting new bookings as opportunities arise, this is currently our final scheduled show of 2009. DON’T MISS IT! And don’t forget to tell your friends to be there, too.

Playing for the Door

Last Saturday, Reprise 60s had a gig at a popular bar in Binghamton. The arrangement we had with the manager was that we would be working for “the door”. This meant that incoming customers would pay a cover charge – five dollars in this case - and the money collected would be ours. Also as part of the agreement, we were to provide the door personnel. Our wives agreed to handle the job. However, when we arrived to set up, we were told not to “worry about it” and that the bar bouncers would be collecting the cover charge.

Throughout the night we watched as one of the bouncers celebrated his birthday at the bar while several new customers arrived and walked in without paying. We worked hard, playing from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m., per our original agreement, with just two 15-minute breaks between sets. As we packed our gear at the end of the night, the birthday-bouncer walked up to Kevin, our sound man, and handed him a cup filled with a few bills. We were shocked to discover that our total take was $175. Apparently, only 35 customers had paid to get in that night, though we could count many more bodies in the room at any given time during our four-hour performance.

Musicians beware! If you’re playing for the door, make sure collection of the cover charge is being overseen by someone who will watch out for your interests.