BRUTAL TRUTHS Part 2 - When Vegas Fails Its Entertainers (An op-ed by Vincent John)
BRONX WANDERERS frontman Vincent John shreds Vegas hotels and the "four-wall" entertainment concept.
Las Vegas was once known as "The City of Entertainment". We still use that phrase, but only out of habit. That's because it's a bald-faced lie. Sure, there are plenty of shows and headliners here, but most of them aren't necessarily welcomed with open arms.
As my August 11th article explained, it actually costs entertainers a great deal of money to set up "shop" within a Strip resort. Unless you're a megastar like Katy Perry or have the corporate backing of entities like Cirque du Soleil or Spiegelworld, chances are that you'll be paying hotels for the right to perform in their rooms.
That's a huge departure from a few decades back. This practice is called "four-walling". As a result, most show performers are barely able to eke out a living...and will most likely close their productions within a year. In order to stay afloat, many entertainers perform in other cities on their days off...and it's absolutely exhausting.
Singer/writer/musician Vincent John is fed up with that truth. He's mad as Hell and isn't going to take it anymore. Yesterday he took to social media to unleash a torrent on the situation. You can read about it right here in Part One. I offered Vinny an opportunity to express, in his own words, why he chose to take that route. Here's what he had to say:
"I love Vegas with all my heart. I've worked and sweat on the majority of stages in this town from Ballys, to The Linq, to Harrah's, and finally to Westgate, seven nights a week. You can say I've had the full Vegas tour experience. But the way things are currently done needs to change."
"Hotels used to support the shows. Now shows support the hotels. This town has become a laughing stock of a revolving door of shows opening and closing because 99% of people who come out here with a show, think they will sell their rooms out on day one. Wrong. So very wrong."
"It costs money to go on Vegas.com and sell tickets ($2,500-4,000 a month.) It costs money to be FORCED to pay a union and its employees every night ($6-8,000 a WEEK.) Every show needs marketing like taxis, billboards, the airport, shuttle bus wraps, etc (call it $4,000 a week on the LOW end). Then you need to give a piece of your tickets to the hotel, Ticketmaster, fees, and Total Rewards."
"Then you have companies like House Seats that take away ALL ticket sales from locals so shows can "fill the room" - thanks, but that doesn't fill our pockets and mortgages. I haven't even mentioned paying the cast yet. Therein lies the problem. Before I even walk out my door in the morning, my show is in the negative."
"My show brings people to your hotel. To be entertained, to eat, to drink at your bars, to gamble. And shows just lose money and accept this. This is 90% of hotels in town that expect you to four-wall a room, and give you 0% of the bar in your four-walled room."
"This needs to stop. This has to end. Bronx Wanderers are done with this method. We are not working seven nights a week to lose money and make a hotel money. We are going to go where we are appreciated for the business we bring in. And we know, after 19 years of doing this show, we bring in business. Come next year, we're doing what's right for us. Not working seven days a week, not paying ridiculous fees, not supporting million-dollar companies and hotels- we're going to support us and find a hotel that believes the same. Luckily, we did. That news is coming out in November."
"It's thanks to our amazing fans we've lasted 7 years, won 2022 Best of Vegas "Best Tribute Show" - 7 Best Of Las Vegas awards, #3 show on TripAdvisor out of 211 shows, and are rated in the top 10% of global attractions in the world."
- Vincent John, THE BRONX WANDERERS
Photo by VegasPublicity.com
THE BRONX WANDERERS performs Monday through Thursday at 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday at 6 pm, through November 14th. Tickets start at $49.95 (plus taxes/fees) and can be reserved here.
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