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Justify Playing For Free
- Thread starter bluewine
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If you don't charge for your music, you will not be treated properly. Play a free gig and they'll stick you outside in the yard while the guests are under the gazebo.
Charge a couple of grand and you get a stage, dinner, drinks, and an introduction from the host.
This has nothing to do with whether you need the money.
Charge a couple of grand and you get a stage, dinner, drinks, and an introduction from the host.
This has nothing to do with whether you need the money.
Here's another one for the pay to play / play free camp:
The people that come to see you, they buy the tickets, they pay the cover, they find monetary value in what you do.
The venue owner sells what you do or he wouldn't sell it. He profits from what you do, He finds monetary value in what you do.
You know who doesn't find monetary value in what you do?
You don't. Why is that?
Why is that?
My current band did our first show last year for free. It was for a local small town festival, and was sort of a favor to our guitarist's company who happened to be sponsoring the event. They said they liked us and wanted to have us again this year. Turns out they wanted us to play for free again. We had to decline.
Just today I had someone on our Facebook page ask if we would be at this festival again this summer. It was very satisfying to answer, "No, but we'll be at XYZ bar on that day!" And of course it's a paying gig.
Just today I had someone on our Facebook page ask if we would be at this festival again this summer. It was very satisfying to answer, "No, but we'll be at XYZ bar on that day!" And of course it's a paying gig.
Yeah, you typically get offered a lot of gigs when you're willing to play for free.
My experience with small town festivals is that you get paid for playing the festival then get a bar gig in the evening. If there is traveling involved, you can often get a bar gig on the way to the festival (the night before), play the festival and the same night bar gig.
Playing for free is always a bad idea, IMO. If I want to make a charitable contribution, I make a charitable contribution...and the check will be payable to a REAL charity and not to Bill's Bar. When somebody plays for free, somebody else is taking a disproportionate share of the proceeds and that doesn't benefit anybody anybody except the skimmer of the funds.
My experience with small town festivals is that you get paid for playing the festival then get a bar gig in the evening. If there is traveling involved, you can often get a bar gig on the way to the festival (the night before), play the festival and the same night bar gig.
Playing for free is always a bad idea, IMO. If I want to make a charitable contribution, I make a charitable contribution...and the check will be payable to a REAL charity and not to Bill's Bar. When somebody plays for free, somebody else is taking a disproportionate share of the proceeds and that doesn't benefit anybody anybody except the skimmer of the funds.
School groups, civic bands and orchestras, charitable events, performances of esoteric or historical music, and so forth.
My criteria include whether it's a legitimate venue or event for a band that plays for free, such as a civic band, or if established professionals are in the band. I have played these events. None of them involve playing rock music in bars.
In my opinion, there are cases where it's unclear who is providing entertainment to whom. If a bunch of beginner bands spend an evening in a bar, playing for one another and for family & friends, and spending their token guarantee on drinks, who is really being entertained?
My criteria include whether it's a legitimate venue or event for a band that plays for free, such as a civic band, or if established professionals are in the band. I have played these events. None of them involve playing rock music in bars.
In my opinion, there are cases where it's unclear who is providing entertainment to whom. If a bunch of beginner bands spend an evening in a bar, playing for one another and for family & friends, and spending their token guarantee on drinks, who is really being entertained?
I play for fun, not money. There's my justification.
Even when I was in bands that gigged frequently and sold CDs and t-shirts and stickers, I just didn't care about getting paid for playing. The gigs I had where I made some real cash were among the most boring and unfulfilling I can remember. I've got lots of great memories from my years of playing, and none of them involve getting paid. They're mostly about stupid things like making friends for life, writing original music, having people say they really enjoyed the show, stuff like that. Kumbaya.
Even when I was in bands that gigged frequently and sold CDs and t-shirts and stickers, I just didn't care about getting paid for playing. The gigs I had where I made some real cash were among the most boring and unfulfilling I can remember. I've got lots of great memories from my years of playing, and none of them involve getting paid. They're mostly about stupid things like making friends for life, writing original music, having people say they really enjoyed the show, stuff like that. Kumbaya.
Just a little imput from one of my favorite bassists, Donald "Duck" Dunn:
"We were a white band trying to play rhythm and blues music, kinda the first in Memphis to do that. We used to play for, like, five dollars and a few free beers. It was just a joy to play."
D. Dunn
"We were a white band trying to play rhythm and blues music, kinda the first in Memphis to do that. We used to play for, like, five dollars and a few free beers. It was just a joy to play."
D. Dunn
livinitup0 said:
I'm not missing the point, you would know if you read my previous posts. Actually, it's the fact that there aren't that many bands that are worth anything and the venue/bar owners won't pay, and won't budge paying a guaranteed minimum. There are a lot of two piece acoustic groups and VERY horrible heavy groups that just want to thrash around and aren't easy on the ears. There are a few descent bands, but they only play for the door or the bar just won't have them.
Regardless, living in an area with a thriving music scene will be easier to get paying gigs and because of this, motivate bands to form and play instead of move away. I saw this with many areas I have lived and played. One place had a band union that made it mandatory for bars to pay. So it was very feasible to be a full time musician.
+1 We have done 3 benefits in the last 4 months...Kids in need of medical attention that did not have the money, and one was for a local guy we all know that runs sound for a LOT of bands, all of his equipment was stolen so we had a benefit for him to help out a little!
My wife put on a benefit for a family of a patient who just died. I could play it or be banished to the couch.
People who say they will always play for free are bad at business. People who say they will never play for free are bad at business. Unless its a charity type thing all I have to do is look at my projected demand / supply curve and it will tell me wether or not I should play for free.
People who say they will always play for free are bad at business. People who say they will never play for free are bad at business. Unless its a charity type thing all I have to do is look at my projected demand / supply curve and it will tell me wether or not I should play for free.
"AMEN !!"The way I look at it, I always play bass for free..... I get paid to haul all our heavy gear around!
I have played for free MANY times - for charitable fundraisers, band showcases, and the like. We used to play a big local festival for many years when I was first starting out - where else could you play in front of thousands of people. It was great advertising. I have also played no charge for one of my best friend's son's wedding reception. I have always been treated well at these free gigs - everyone was very appreciative.
i knew there was a prtty good chance i was wrong, as i don't make a lot of donations. i have played in bands where the leader used the donation scenario to justify the gig (to the band).
was laying in bed when i got home last night thinking about getting a job at home depot or something. it occurred to me i'd have to work a pretty rough schedule to make what i'm making playing. i was laying here thinking about it nonetheless.
You're not wrong. I always try and usually succeed in getting a voucher out of the freeby. You just have to jump through the IRS hoops. If it's an established non-profit, they know all about it and deal with it frequently.
apparently it's pretty difficult to write good songs. it's even more difficult to convince a large number of people that they want to hear them.
as for cover bands hurting a scene, you may have a point... but only if there are a large number of awful cover bands. truly poor performing cover bands are probably not taking gigs from anyone though.
i'm definitely not offended.
If you good at something, never do it for free.
In my cover band, we never do shows for less that $500. This is a business.
When I was in an original band, we started out playing for free, but grew to where we would always make some kind of money. This is for fun, but if you play your cards right, you can turn a profit too.
In my cover band, we never do shows for less that $500. This is a business.
When I was in an original band, we started out playing for free, but grew to where we would always make some kind of money. This is for fun, but if you play your cards right, you can turn a profit too.
I'll go.
1-Fundraiser or Non Profit....
We have "band rules" if you want us to play for your benefit or fund raiser... you MUST be registered as a non-profit and guarantee a 500 person headcount.
2-Friend of the Band...
IF someone is a friend of the band "hard core groupie" we'll do a show for them... birthday parties etc. We normally schedule these for Sundays
3-Test/Demo/Live Practice
About 4x per year, there's a venue that treats us like royalty. They're VERY aware that we use them as live practice... we show up... play through tunes... they serve us food and beer... Simply put... we don't practice - ever.... we cold gig them and get fed/beer
NEVER
"Tests"
"Coffee Shops"
"Demos"
"Festivals"
"Exposure"
The dealio is your band needs rules and conditions... they should be written...
1-Fundraiser or Non Profit....
We have "band rules" if you want us to play for your benefit or fund raiser... you MUST be registered as a non-profit and guarantee a 500 person headcount.
2-Friend of the Band...
IF someone is a friend of the band "hard core groupie" we'll do a show for them... birthday parties etc. We normally schedule these for Sundays
3-Test/Demo/Live Practice
About 4x per year, there's a venue that treats us like royalty. They're VERY aware that we use them as live practice... we show up... play through tunes... they serve us food and beer... Simply put... we don't practice - ever.... we cold gig them and get fed/beer
NEVER
"Tests"
"Coffee Shops"
"Demos"
"Festivals"
"Exposure"
The dealio is your band needs rules and conditions... they should be written...
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