Two drink dilemma

When they proposed a 2 drink minimum, did they realize who's been sponsoring your podcast for the past ten months? It's a good thing you didn't choose that option, since it would have been extremely demoralizing for the bartender without context. "Why doesn't anyone even want me to fill the glass!?"

I own and run a small bar in Brisbane. When we first opened I negotiated with live performers to pay them a smaller fee than they asked, but pay them the full whack if we hit enough revenue that night. Is the venue open to doing something similar with you? Seems unfair that they get an extra 25% from you no matter what. P.S. Post lockdown every hospo business I know including mine saw a significant boost for weeks afterwards. If the venue can't get people in on its own merit, well it has bigger problems. I guess you can't really use that argument with them though 😁

Peta Thames

I myself would happily buy a quarentine tee.

Camille R

please take my plague state victorian money for livestream oh my god. in less selfish thoughts, i think livestream at same time would be good? i'd certainly be way more keen to see a livestream of a show that had an actual audience. and it would help me in my current quest to get several friends into your stuff by buying them a ticket.

A livestream is a great idea, and one that the venue should support given that your fanbase extends well beyond Sydney, and much greater than a 225-seat half capacity Comedy Store.

i've never liked a system which stipulates a minimum amount of consumption. Though the venue needs to make monies, it should not come at the cost of personal choice and freedoms. The additional fact that you have to front an extra 25% fee for the pleasure of performing at the venue is also rather shocking but i'd imagine most of that is due to the fact that i am foreign to the ins and outs of performance art and bookings. Please simply imagine a 6 foot plus Chinese man shaking his fists angrily towards the direction of Sydney. A suggestions that i have not seen (or have missed due to my general lack of attentiveness to words in these blended days), i am happy to chip in some monies for Patreon specific merch or "goods" (in quotes because this can vary in form, from whimsical and valuable only to those who choose to be here or collectible to all who is on this and other dimensions...a teeshirt that says "i bought a ticket to Alice Fraser's Nov 27th Sydney show, but all i got was this quarantine Tee"?)

Tony Liang

I never drink at shows because: 1) I’m a cheap drunk B) I’m always driving But I’d be happy to pay whatever the asking price is to see you perform again.

It’ll be a mostly new show, I think, which is another reason not to livestream it, but also another reason not to mind if I just break even

Is it a new show, new content or a slowcase? You can only really livestream a new show once whereas you can do it live many many times. We don't have the minimum drinks thing in the UK but I am aware the bar is a vital part of the financial intake to the point that comedians are asked to have an interval to encourage drinks orders. I'm not a big drinker myself so 2 drinks in top of flights to Sydney would be to much. I guess I'll have to wait 13 months when to come and visit

The fact that you're in the dilemma clearly shows you're a good person. Now, with that out of the way, make it a 3 drink minimum! Jk. Out of the existing options I would agree about the tricksy feeling and would go for the standard price and no minimum drink option (or at least try to negotiate one drink (so long as it can be a soft drink) which feels normal as everyone will probably get something anyway.) I would then also do all the livestream or recording sidehustles to make up the difference. You have a great rep now with the bugle crowd surely and enough people who would pay a few bucks for some new content. This of course depends on your financial state and how much you feel like using this as promotion for future shows at that venue. If you need the money more desperately price higher and believe in yourself that you will sell out and if not, squeeze us for the difference, we can take it 😉.

Also I don't know the 'socially distanced' capacity of the spot, but you might be able to cut back on advertising a bit as you'd need fewer people to come than normal.

As someone in Hungary, I'd gladly pay for a livestream , but I'm a sample of one. I hate mandatory drinking/eating minimums, but I'd understand the need. A possible solution might be a higher ticket price that includes 1 or 2 optional drink in the bar. That'd need them to be flexible, I don't know if it's feasible.

I feel like the issue for me lies in the sneakily compulsory additional cost. I mean, of course people can buy a $5 Fanta if they want, but I just feel icky about the whole model.

I see I am too late, but my question was whether they had to be alcoholic drinks. I mean if people have the option of a soft drink it's a) not expensive and b) not going to interfere with their enjoyment of the subtlies of your comedy. I know the bar won't like it, because they'll make less money, but too bad.

I have my credit card poised to pay for a livestream ticket. 💝