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A 90-minute boat ride from Belize City, this is a resort island with a small pedestrian and golf-cart village and boat taxi service up and down the coast to the resorts.
The pitch - We performed during the Chicken Drop on Wednesday night at the Pier Lounge (on the beach in front of the bar) and inside Fido's (pronounced Fee-do's) on Thursday night.
Pier Lounge was great fun - we did two fifteen-minute sets. The bar crowd was mostly tourists and some expat locals, and tips were good. We also attracted a side of people watching from the beach a little further back who did not/could not tip, but were thankful for the show and recognized us positively around town the next few days. The bar kicked in money and an open tab, and we enjoyed hanging out and schmoozing after the show. Very positive experience. PM me for contact info if you go.
Fido's was more challenging - there's a stage and a good performance space on the dance floor, but there was some confusion about our agreed-upon start time, and the owner had to be nudged to make a contribution to the hat (we had agreed with both bars that they could throw in whatever they thought was fair, since we set up the gigs with only two nights' notice). The audience was good but not as into it as the bar crowd, probably because this is a restaurant and most of the audience had food. We were also fed the staff meal.
Pier Lounge also kept our stuff overnight, and the guys at the ferry dock kept our stuff over the next night, since we left early the next day. It was very easy to find helpers to carry stuff (our show has a LOT of equipment) and everyone was friendly and kind.
Belize City Tourist Village, where the cruise ships dock, was recommended to us, but we did not see a place to perform, and the place is very, very secure - advance permission would certainly be needed, and you can't get in without a cruise ship card or a visitor pass. There are armed guards.
Belize City proper did not appear to have a pitch, and the level of visible dirtiness suggested to us that it would only be worth doing a show if arranged through a community sponsor.
The Deal - we were personally introduced to the owner of Pier Lounge and the bar manager of Fido's; we also met another Fido's manager on the boat taxi. We negotiated in person a few days prior. Shows would have been bigger with more notice or in high season, but we made enough to cover our total expenses in the country of Belize (gas from border, meals, ferry to and from the mainland, boat taxis to and from lodging). Our accommodation was in a private home, but cheap lodgings are available.
Notes - the Belizean dollar is 2-1 with American $. Watch out for prices that you believe to be quoted in local currency getting switched on you. I found more than one situation where the price was in US, but by paying in Bze I got a better price without asking for it. Also watch for getting shorted on your change for odd dollar amounts - we got "I don't have the change" a few times, never in our favor.
It helps A LOT to know locals. This is a very personal-connection driven town. PM me if you go and would like to get hooked up (and you and I know each other enough for me to do that).
The pitch - We performed during the Chicken Drop on Wednesday night at the Pier Lounge (on the beach in front of the bar) and inside Fido's (pronounced Fee-do's) on Thursday night.
Pier Lounge was great fun - we did two fifteen-minute sets. The bar crowd was mostly tourists and some expat locals, and tips were good. We also attracted a side of people watching from the beach a little further back who did not/could not tip, but were thankful for the show and recognized us positively around town the next few days. The bar kicked in money and an open tab, and we enjoyed hanging out and schmoozing after the show. Very positive experience. PM me for contact info if you go.
Fido's was more challenging - there's a stage and a good performance space on the dance floor, but there was some confusion about our agreed-upon start time, and the owner had to be nudged to make a contribution to the hat (we had agreed with both bars that they could throw in whatever they thought was fair, since we set up the gigs with only two nights' notice). The audience was good but not as into it as the bar crowd, probably because this is a restaurant and most of the audience had food. We were also fed the staff meal.
Pier Lounge also kept our stuff overnight, and the guys at the ferry dock kept our stuff over the next night, since we left early the next day. It was very easy to find helpers to carry stuff (our show has a LOT of equipment) and everyone was friendly and kind.
Belize City Tourist Village, where the cruise ships dock, was recommended to us, but we did not see a place to perform, and the place is very, very secure - advance permission would certainly be needed, and you can't get in without a cruise ship card or a visitor pass. There are armed guards.
Belize City proper did not appear to have a pitch, and the level of visible dirtiness suggested to us that it would only be worth doing a show if arranged through a community sponsor.
The Deal - we were personally introduced to the owner of Pier Lounge and the bar manager of Fido's; we also met another Fido's manager on the boat taxi. We negotiated in person a few days prior. Shows would have been bigger with more notice or in high season, but we made enough to cover our total expenses in the country of Belize (gas from border, meals, ferry to and from the mainland, boat taxis to and from lodging). Our accommodation was in a private home, but cheap lodgings are available.
Notes - the Belizean dollar is 2-1 with American $. Watch out for prices that you believe to be quoted in local currency getting switched on you. I found more than one situation where the price was in US, but by paying in Bze I got a better price without asking for it. Also watch for getting shorted on your change for odd dollar amounts - we got "I don't have the change" a few times, never in our favor.
It helps A LOT to know locals. This is a very personal-connection driven town. PM me if you go and would like to get hooked up (and you and I know each other enough for me to do that).