As a man who has started and run a successful business for over 21 years..... (security contracting/installation/servicing) there is one thing I do understand....
For me to get what I want, I have to give something to the customer that they feel has them winning the deal..... it has to be a win/win for both parties or the deal doesn't get signed or done.
This same principle applies to bands and clubs. Nobody's getting rich but at the same time neither side should feel that they were screwed in the deal. If we felt a club was doing us wrong we would talk with them first and if that didn't get through, we would not play there. Most club owners were upfront with us on the reality of the profit and loss statement for the weekend. Often we played for a set fee and knew the club owner made a profit well beyond our cost.
In the band, I ran a merchandise operation on the side. There were plenty of nights where I walked out with more from T-shirt sales profits than from my cut of the gig. I never had a club owner complain that I was selling merch in his club. Looking at it now, that was surprising since a customer/patron walks into the club with a fixed number of dollars in their pocket...and I was competing for a good chunk of those dollars with my merch. Maybe they didn't care as long as the bar numbers were up and consistent with other bands compared to the number of paying patrons.
I don't play live gigs any more so this is nothing but an interesting discussion to me.
In a different location on the net this same discussion is happening with a group of musicians all of whom I grew up with and played in various bands with. Those who are still playing have lamented the fact that the club biz now is not like it was back then. A few who do still play are the 2 guys or one guy, with the laptop in the corner of the lounge or restaurant playing for tips and a meal in many cases.
Here in NC they are contemplating and discussing lowering the legal limits for DUI ..... from .08 to .04 BAC....... basically set at the same table with someone drinking and you are over the limit. One drink will get you handcuffed if stopped. What's left of the club biz will be down the tubes if that passes.