Topic: bruce springsteen sues a new york bar

[the technological J]

if a band plays nothing but covers and advertises as that then i could kind of understand... but if its just some guys having fun then the asapbj whores could blow it out thier ears...another example of the rich getting richer and the poor crying on the curb

[bucky katt]

We might as well start staking out every bar that has a band.  I have been to many that have bands playing tons of different music from tons of different artists.  The bar charged a cover as well, so are they in trouble too??  I would agree, if the bar bands were making CD's or getting airplay, they should pay royalties.  But come on, a half drunk band thats getting paid on whiskey and cigarettes give me a break.  Look for it, because it is coming, you will have to pay to listen to the radio before long (other than XM or Sirus).  Your standard broadcast radios will become talk shows and news, and any real music will be on XM or Sirus.  Look at MTV for example, no music on the damn station anymore, you have to buy the upper cable packages to get your music videos back. 

+1  i cant even begin to tell you how many time's i played in various bands at bars or other places where admission was charged. 90% of the music i play is covers. from the sex pistols to charlie christian.

[MickeyX]

I have friends who own 2 bars back in PA. Yes, they do pay an annual fee (to whom I have no idea) to play the jukebox music, have karaoke nights and live bands. I'm not sure how much they pay but they figure on what they make extra for people coming in there and buying drinks and food while listening/singing to music, they make out like bandits. Just like paying for football coverage/package. They make tons more per week than without. They dropped karaoke for a while and added a pool table and averaged $2000 loss per week. They added the karaoke back in. I skipped going in there on those nights because I just couldn't take the dying cat sounds coming out of people. They packed the place with regulars who only came there for karaoke though. Those were traditionally their dead nights and slow times of the year. Would they prefer to not have to pay at all? I'm sure they would love to keep more of the profits. I can tell you this, they don't own big flashy bars, just small neighborhood places. I've been to their homes and to their kid's weddings and it would make your jaw drop how palatial they live for small bar guys. Giving their kids jaguars and paying for ivy league college outright should tell you something. Not all bar owners have it that good but these 3 guys know how to work the system to their advantage. No, they don't charge covers either.