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| Mug kindly bought for me by Jonathan White |
One of the results of our 'AGM' (see previous post) was the felt need to set up an online payment system.
Our last couple of shows at the wonderful Tom's Tap in Crewe were "pay what you want" affairs, this was our decision having previously sold out shows in ticketed events here, but these particular shows were unusual in either being a support slot or more recently an EP launch show which included only a play-through of 4 tracks, audience Q&A and so on, so we were on for a different kind of night than had previously worked on ticketed nights.
What we found with the "cash only" aspect of these events were that many present wanted to support us but didn't have cash on them, offering to buy us drinks instead. While this was endearing to have people feel this way, even in the tastiest of brewery-venue (& believe me, Tom's stouts in particular are the best there is) there's a limit to how many freely offered drinks me and the rest of the band can consume(!) especially when packing everything away post-gig is a major, though familiar, undertaking.
According to some research I read recently something like 70% of people never carry cash now. Like it or not, queuing up at cash machines to get physical notes out has become a lot less convenient than the alternatives. I have to say that in my own experience since Covid, and particularly since bus services went cash free, I only really have to have cash for my laundrette - & would, to be honest, love it to go to a cash-free option (post-Covid you could start paying by cash for bus fares again, but if you don't have exactly the right amount for the fare on you, you are likely to lose your money or lose your ride as there just isn't the change available when so few use it now).
We don't mind the pay-what-you-want idea, and have indeed opted for that for a coming show. Most people are quite generous-mined. If they have already opted to go out they are already committed to spending 'some' money, and many will give generously towards a would-be ticket fee before or oftentimes during a show, while they're enjoying it.
This option opens it up to the many who now never have cash on them, and have lost the habit of queuing up at a cash point, and are probably not missing the growing tension of knowing your train or bus will soon leave for the gig while you're queuing up for cash!
So.. feel free to support us at a gig, or indeed any time at https://buymeacoffee.com/theblueyellows
