How do you handle the dreaded/beloved benefit show?

[Bunk McNulty]

In 2016, we began playing once a year for a charity that helps abused women. The first year, we charged them. Because we knew we'd draw a bigger crowd than they could on their own. Which we did. The result was a pleasant surprise: The head of the charity began bringing friends to our club gigs. Like 20 at a pop. Ever since, we've played it for free, because we get so much back for it. This past September, she hired another band, which had to cancel because a few of them got sick. Their BL asked our BL if we'd sub, and we were happy to do it. And the charity folks were glad to see us, all over again.

 

[boxerrider]

I don't gig but this is the policy I learned from my little photography business. If the organizer is making money from the event or other vendors are getting paid then I don't work for free. It's as simple as that.

When I was gigging regularly, late '90s/early 2ks, we fell into this. We were asked by a friend of the BL to play for a benefit, which we did. Then asked to play another, which we did. We then found out that the friend was identifying people in need, and getting them to pay her to organize benefits for them. It all took on a predator/user feel at that point, and we bowed out of anything associated with her. We did continue to play for free at a couple of separate events that we felt were legitimate and worthwhile.

 

[tothemax]

While I'm not a working musician (part time and for fun) most of my bandmates are. We'll play for free if the benefit is legit and local, supporting the community is never a bad thing. We usually end up getting some food anyway...

 

[Jefenator]

IME benefits vary, perhaps more than any other type of gig.
At worst, the only thing that will benefit is the ego of the person pretending to organize it.
At best, everything goes like clockwork, a worthy cause gets a shot in the arm and sometimes I even get paid well! (That's an important thing to remember: when a fundraiser is really done right, some grocery money for starving musicians should not be a problem.)
I already volunteer at a food bank and fix bicycles for the needy. So I am certainly not opposed to donating the skills I have honed more (i.e. music).
But I have become very, VERY wary of the cluster%#@&. After doing a few super lame benefits, you learn to spot red flags. When they talk a real big talk and assume that every band should be falling over each other for the honor of partaking... that's not good.
Without delving into politics, let's just say that sometimes I feel like I'm tied in with the health care system; every time someone has a medical crisis, chances are I'll be getting a call to play a benefit. And hey: if I know the individual, why the heck not? Go ahead and show a little solidarity. Someday it'll probably be my turn. I'm not really the GoFundMe type, but having a few bands play might help lift my spirits.
Which reminds me: I do like to think musicians are ultimately in the spirit lifting business. I once did a celebration of life for a buddy's 21 year old son who died from cancer. We ran a big band chart he wrote and at the end the father turned around and his face was purple... with elation! That was one of my all time best freebies.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

If I'm in an original band, I'll play such gigs for free. My originals projects don't make crap for pay anyway, so might as well play for a good cause.

Cover band that actually gets paid? Hmm... guess it depends on the cause.

 

[Fuzzbass]

At worst, the only thing that will benefit is the ego of the person pretending to organize it.

Technically, the worst would be benefit to the ego and wallet of the organizer, but perhaps that goes without saying.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

My music is copyrighted, corban and that about covers it.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I voted "rate discounted" because that's the closest to playing a benefit for no cash. The provisions for those "free" gigs are when there is PA provided, usually part of a multi band event.

We get asked a couple times a year but haven't actually had one work with our schedule for quite awhile now. The last one we did was for a young mom who is a big local music supporter. She has a son with cerebral palsy who is known to most musicians around here. The benefit was to help raise some money to assist her purchase of a van she could get his wheelchair into because he had grown too big for her to lift easily. 5 bands, 1 1/2 hr slot for us where we only had to bring instruments, we're in for no $$. It was a great day for all. No regrets.

 

[Ignatius]

With our band it depends on the cause and organizer.

I posted a while ago about a gig we played at a school for kids with severe CP. we would have done it for free but they had a “use it or lose it” arts budget. We were going to donate it back to them but they refused…. Said that the auditor would ding them for it.

During the Covid lockdown we produced 3 web concerts. We all recorded our parts at home , mixed them and created some “performance” videos to go with them. We did not get paid or ask for money but instead we asked that everyone viewing the concerts buy some food and drink from their favorite local restaurant to enjoy while watching the concert. I do not know how much local restaurants made from this but we tried to support our community and bring a little bit of joy to people at a very dark time.

 

[Jefenator]

It is also worth mentioning that local musicians are a worthy cause in our own right!
My scene would be that much less vibrant if I had to start bagging groceries full time.
That's why I have zero problems with getting wedding pay for a gala fundraiser thrown by the Chamber of Commerce at the country club for some shelter.

 

[biobass]

I’ll play for charities that I believe are truly supporting the stated cause, i.e. most of the money or other resources raised actually go to the intended recipients. What I would like to see, and what I suggest to the band leaders, is that we charge our regular or perhaps a slightly lower rate, with the understanding, agreed to by the band members beforehand, that most or all members would contribute their fee back to the charity. That way there can be legitimate tax records on both sides. That said, it usually doesn’t work that way. Most often the band leaders just want to tell the charity organizers that the band has agreed to play for free. In those cases, with my tax accountant’s approval, I keep records of my milage and expenses, as I do for all music business related activities, and put down my regular banquet/corporate fee as a charitable deduction from my music business.

One band that I am in plays the annual carnival at the band leader’s business partner’s church. I have no real problem donating to the church, although I frankly don’t agree with some of their positions on social issues, I believe that on the whole their greater good to the community is worthwhile.

Another band plays an annual fund raiser for shelters and care for battered and abused women. That has occasionally been held at a golf course in central NJ owned by a very prominent person, whose views on just about everything I vehemently disagree with. From what I understand from the organizers, that particular golf course charges their full standard fee, which is rather above the local going rate. I won’t play there anymore. Interestingly, I have never known this prominent person to attend this event, even when it has been pretty clear that this person has been present on site. I do play for the same charity organization when the fund raising event is held at other locations where the business owners also contribute to the cause with a discounted rate.

I was playing a run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at one of the theaters that I have been playing shows at for the last 20 years. They were truly hoping for a big money maker for the group to help offset some of their less financially successful more experimental productions. We had large, for them, houses the first week of the run. The second week in March of 2019 was when Covid restrictions were put in place. We played to fewer people in the house than there were performers on stage. I donated more than half of my stipend back to the theater. It was in my best interest that the theater company survived. I am happy to say that it did and I am back playing shows with them again.

 

[turf3]

I haven't dealt with this issue in many years, but it used to be (U.S.) tax law that you could deduct your normal fee from your taxes, if you didn't take a fee from a benefit.

Other than the causes we wanted to support, if we need to "knock the tax bill on the head", we'd add a few benefits/discount gigs to the schedule.

Well, no; it would have been that you could deduct your normal fee from your TAXABLE income, IF the total of your allowable deductions (including other charitable contributions) reaches the threshold where itemized deductions are greater than the standard deduction.

 

[Fuzzbass]

As a beginning/intermediate band, benefit gigs are cool because there might not be many (or any) paying gigs.

Once you get into a busy gigging band, or begin juggling multiple gigging bands: everyone has to be on board. The higher up you go, gig-tier-wise, the more likely it is that some or all of your bandmates rely on gig income to pay bills.


"Everyone has to be on board" should go without saying, but that can depend on the BL. The BL of a fairly busy bar band I was in used to grab pretty much any benefit that came his way. They were the typical multi-band shows, often with bands he knew. He didn't care about gig money, he wanted to play as often as possible for the limelight, socializing, etc. He'd say "we all have day jobs, and these are worthy charities". Eventually the rest of us said "no more than three per year", which I thought was two too many, but the BL went with the compromise. (The BL was a good singer, but as you can imagine I don't miss working with him).

 

[Hasty]

It's not my main band, but I play regularly in a Big Band that is essentially a community band that raises money to provide college scholarships to underprivileged, musically inclined, high school students. Last year over $5000 was given out. I do that one for free.

 

[JonathanPDX]

I spent 9 years on a nonprofit board of directors and many more years networking with and supporting nonprofit organizations. When that crossed over into my professional music world I had a fairly straightforward approach:

1. If the event is a formal fundraising event and others are getting paid to work it (DJ, catering, etc.) it's perfectly reasonable to charge a fee. Those events have a budget for entertainment and are planned to make that back and then some by the structure of the event, so you aren't eating into anyone's actual service budget by getting paid.

2. If the event is a small grassroots fundraiser (IE X restaurant is donating a percentage or putting out tip jars) we'd follow suit but otherwise it's a normal gig with normal fees. If they aren't giving away their services neither are we.

3. If the event either doesn't have a budget for entertainment or is asking us to waive that, each member can make that decision on their own. It might mean bringing in a sub or different lineup in order to have everyone on stage 100% happy to be there. I've also had cases where we'd go out of pocket or charge a smaller fee to cover whoever we had to pay/hire for the event, adjusted for all the members who are willing to donate their time.

4. Once you are at the gig, you are happy to be there. Whether it's a black tie event paying you thousands or a freebie outside in the freezing cold for a dozen volunteers, you are 100% invested in doing a great job. Nobody pouts or half-asses it, because these gigs can make serious connections and lead to a lot of work and networking.


The only events that really fell outside the normal routine were when somebody got ill or died and the whole community came together to support them or their family. In that case it's always all-hands-on-deck and there was never a discussion about money.

For those who don't work in this field, remember that event planning is a HUGE endeavor! Planning a conference or fundraiser or special event can take months of planning and requires a massive amount of energy from a very dedicated team. Treat them with respect, respond in a timely manner, and it will pay off.

It can also make a big difference if you just say "Hey, I know this event is a lot of work for you and your team, so let me know how we can help. If there's anything we can do to make it go smoothly or take some pressure off your team don't hesitate to ask." Sometimes they'll come back with a request like loading in 30 minutes early or bringing an extra mic for announcements, and that care on your part will turn into another gig, more money, or a great referral down the road.

 

[Lowbrow]

Benefit show = band plays for free so the beneficiary can get the $.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Well, no; it would have been that you could deduct your normal fee from your TAXABLE income, IF the total of your allowable deductions (including other charitable contributions) reaches the threshold where itemized deductions are greater than the standard deduction.

Yeah. I put it in non-mathametician. I don't do very well with math, but obviously, you understood my gist. Thank you.

 

[juancaminos]

The band I'm in now does no charities. But my old band did. I would tell prospective band members to be aware that we do few charities a year. We felt that it was the responsible thing to do...giving back.

We were very careful as to what charities and more importantly what venue. Venue's that use charity events as a windfall profit day would not get our support. If we're giving, the venue has to give as well.

 

[micguy]

If I believe in the cause, I'll play it for free. If it's for a cause I disagree with, I'm not playing it, regardless of the money. In between, we can negotiate.

 

[smurfco]

In theory I will (and have) play benefit shows for free. Played a few to raise money for a kid with cancer, for a veterans fund, etc.

But in my experience - and maybe it's because none of my bands have ever realy been that successful - it would make more sense to just take the money from advertising, hiring light/sound, and all the other expenses of the show and just donate that instead of having a show in the first place. If more than 10 people show up that might be different but usually we'd wind up playing in an empty field.