Doesn't sound diva-ish at all to me. Don't waste your time with any future communication if you're getting attitude from the guy. If your goal in life is sainthood than play for free.
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Am I diva for not wanting to play for free?
- Thread starter BillyIVbass
- Start date
Doesn't sound diva-ish at all to me. Don't waste your time with any future communication if you're getting attitude from the guy. If your goal in life is sainthood than play for free.
Well, I guess if I take direction from some of the folks here on TB, I need to stop enjoying all of my hobbies unless I get paid to do those hobbies. My hobbies are:
Flying Cessna 172 airplanes
Playing bass guitar
Taking my boat out
Riding off-road and on-street motorcycles
I guess I have to stop letting friends fly with me unless they pay me (even though I would go flying anyway because I love doing it). And I guess I have to stop playing bass in a band unless I get paid to play (even though I love playing music). And I guess I have to stop taking friends out on the boat unless they cough up some money (even though I love being out on the boat). And of course I had better not go motorcycle riding unless someone pays me to do it.
Yeah, I need to stop engaging in these hobbies for the sheer joy of it, and only do them if someone gives me some money. I mean, what the he!! is the matter with me anyway?? Life isn't supposed to be filled with fun, it's supposed to be all business and work related. Yeah, that's it.
Flying Cessna 172 airplanes
Playing bass guitar
Taking my boat out
Riding off-road and on-street motorcycles
I guess I have to stop letting friends fly with me unless they pay me (even though I would go flying anyway because I love doing it). And I guess I have to stop playing bass in a band unless I get paid to play (even though I love playing music). And I guess I have to stop taking friends out on the boat unless they cough up some money (even though I love being out on the boat). And of course I had better not go motorcycle riding unless someone pays me to do it.
Yeah, I need to stop engaging in these hobbies for the sheer joy of it, and only do them if someone gives me some money. I mean, what the he!! is the matter with me anyway?? Life isn't supposed to be filled with fun, it's supposed to be all business and work related. Yeah, that's it.
The truth is (at least here in LA) original bands don't get paid. As an original band, if you want to make money, there are 2 ways to go about it. 1)Pay to Play - meet your ticket sale quota & then some, keep the then some. 2)Have lots of merch that people will want to buy. Venues don't pay original bands a guarantee unless they know the band will bring in a large audience and make a lot of money. When youre in an original band that doesnt play music that caters to a mainstream audience this is no easy task.
Thats a big part of it. I don't fill in for other bands (I would if I liked the band and they paid me) but I dont really seek out these types of jobs. I am not really a for hire bassist, as that would require extra work I really dont feel like doing.
Great post!
While this is certainly true, idealism will never prevail.
But there isnt an audience in the basement...
I Agree 100%
Thats asinine. Of course, my sole intention of playing for free is to screw over 'professional' musicians. Uh huh.
I have no problem with others being or wanting to be paid for playing. But Im sorry, I want to play out so Im going to and if you don't like it then thats really on you.
Originally Posted by SteveC:
"Sounds like some of you are playing for free just to be pricks."
MatticusMania's reply: "Thats asinine. Of course, my sole intention of playing for free is to screw over 'professional' musicians. Uh huh."
LOL!! Yeah, that post cracked me up too! Can you imagine? Just because I play a gig here in California for free, some dude on the east coast isn't going to get a gig????
I say, everyone should just do what they want. If ya wanna charge money, go for it. If ya wanna play for free, go for it. What is most important (at least in my mind) is that ya play music and ya have fun doin it. That's why I do it. And that is the only reason I do it. If that bends the mind of some out there, then I guess they will just have to walk around with a bent mind. Either that, or just get over it and get on with life.
"Sounds like some of you are playing for free just to be pricks."
MatticusMania's reply: "Thats asinine. Of course, my sole intention of playing for free is to screw over 'professional' musicians. Uh huh."
LOL!! Yeah, that post cracked me up too! Can you imagine? Just because I play a gig here in California for free, some dude on the east coast isn't going to get a gig????
I say, everyone should just do what they want. If ya wanna charge money, go for it. If ya wanna play for free, go for it. What is most important (at least in my mind) is that ya play music and ya have fun doin it. That's why I do it. And that is the only reason I do it. If that bends the mind of some out there, then I guess they will just have to walk around with a bent mind. Either that, or just get over it and get on with life.
So do I. I also expect to be paid [with rare exception - as has been noted by several others].
Is there some requirement that you NOT enjoy something if you want to get paid to do it?? When did that become the standard?
If you get a group together to play touch football, because you enjoy it, well yeah, you will not get paid.
However - in that scenario - you are not providing a service to anyone.
If you are in a band and meant to entertain the clientele at a bar, festival, county fair, whatever, you are providing a service, you should be paid, regardless of the fact that you enjoy it.
And certainly if you are a sub/fill in/what have you (with no long term interest in the success/failure of the act), I dont see why anyone would think you should do that for free.
For those who play for the love of music, man and have no need or desire to get paid, well why dont you stay out of the clubs? Rent a community hall somewhere and put on your own free shows, for the love of it.
I've played plenty of gigs for "free". in fact, when we did get paid, if we'd factor in all the hours we would spend on the gig (loading your gear, transpo time, load in, sound check, the gig, load out, transpo time, and loading back into your studio), well, even a $100 bucks for the whole gig wasn't much per hour, but hey,
I do it for the love of it. (of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't gig anymore, at least presently).
I do it for the love of it. (of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't gig anymore, at least presently).
I think that your particular life situation will also dictate what is proper "compensation".
I have a full time day job, and so I find that the little free time I have is highly valuable for practice and getting better at my instrument.
There are guys that I've played with in the past - and new people I meet - who want me to come play gigs, or start a small group, etc. But sometimes I turn them down, whether I would be getting paid or not, because I don't need the money so much as I need the valuable practice time.
Now, if the musicians are better than me, or they are playing a style that I want to learn - that's a different story. In my situation, proper "compensation" is just plain growing as a musician and I choose my gigs based on that criteria.
Just my .02
I have a full time day job, and so I find that the little free time I have is highly valuable for practice and getting better at my instrument.
There are guys that I've played with in the past - and new people I meet - who want me to come play gigs, or start a small group, etc. But sometimes I turn them down, whether I would be getting paid or not, because I don't need the money so much as I need the valuable practice time.
Now, if the musicians are better than me, or they are playing a style that I want to learn - that's a different story. In my situation, proper "compensation" is just plain growing as a musician and I choose my gigs based on that criteria.
Just my .02
Rocky, I gotta disagree with you. While it may seem that the playing for free hobbyist amateurs are stealing professional gigs, they really are not your competition if you are a real pro.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing: Practicing, learning new tunes, schlepping gear - all to be a "prick".
I don't get paid to race my bicycle - in fact - I PAY to race my bike.
However - I am also not providing anyone with a service when I do it either.......
That's my point. I just can't imagine groveling over a few bucks here and a few bucks there. If I were a starving musician, things might be different. But I can only comment from my perspective, and I am fortunate to have a career that allows me the flexibility of enjoying my hobbies without getting paid to enjoy them. IMO, once I "expect" to get paid, it no longer is a hobby for me. It becomes "work" at that point, and I never want to see the day when I look at my bass and think to myself "I don't really wanna play, but I have to."
One could say youre providing entertainment to all those you inviited to come and play along, much the same I provide entertainment to those I invite to come out and see my gigs.
What if no one shows up to the bar? At a fair or festival I would expect to get paid, but my band doesnt do those kinds of shows. Oh, whats that? Im not taking paying gigs away from people who want them...
Neither do I, unless it was a good friends band and he asked me a favor. And if he were getting paid I'd negotiate a cut for myself.
Because that takes way more time an effort to organize. It could end up costing a band way more than just gas money to set up and certainly a lot more time.
Wow, way to lay on the guilt. I guess all the Catholic Girls* who are giving it away should feel guilty, too, for driving down the price of sex on the street, huh?
I am going to play a gig for free on Friday. It's not that I have an aversion to getting paid to play, it's just that the venue is operating on a shoestring and cannot afford to pay the bands who play there. It's a cool little place, though, and we want the gig. It's play for free or don't play; we choose to play.
(BTW, none of us are rich, but none of us depend on music for a living. Money was not the reason we started playing music and it's not the reason we play now.)
It's a supply and demand thing, and there is a glut of musicians on the market. Musicians who are willing to play for free aren't the problem, it's just that there are too many musicians chasing too few paying gigs. It's the way the Free Market works, for better or worse.
*Invalid Link Removed
The place your a playing on Friday has convinced you they have no money, but they want a band right? Its play for free or don't play? Well then don't play, and if enough people stood strong guess what THEY WILL PAY! or they will not have a band. Are you really that desperate to play that you will do it for nothing? Maybe you have another profession that you don't need the money, and I have heard this reasoning before. All I'm saying is that realize you are hurting musicians that do need the money. Why should anyone pay a band when they can get a band for free? The reason there are too few paying gigs is because there are too many selfish "musicians" that bend over and play for free because they only care about themselves.
Sure you are, youre providing entertainment for those who like to come out and watch bike races.
If this is the case, then logic would dictate that you have nothing to be concerned about.
Of course, the foundation of your argument is bogus as you have no way of knowing the skill level of other posters in this thread. But if you are simply the spear throwing type, then there is nothing the rest of us can do about that.
I say, if you insist on getting paid, then please keep insisting that you get paid. And if you could care less whether you get paid, then care less.
Chill!
Playing for free at a for-profit club where everybody else who works the club is getting paid? Sorry, but that sounds like a chump move.
Could get you more no-pay gigs, though, I guess.
Could get you more no-pay gigs, though, I guess.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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This is an interesting point.
If you think you are "getting paid" to play music when you walk out of the bar with an extra $50.00 in your hand, you need to think in real terms of the economics involved.
Total the hours you have spent practicing the material at home, driving to and from rehearsal, rehearsing with the band, driving to and from the gig, playing the gig. Factor in gasoline.
Now, divide that $50.00 in your mitt by the number of total hours above. What are you worth per hour? Are you getting it?
I would hazard a guess that most of us here on TB are PAYING to play music, even when we think we're "getting paid."
