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Justify Playing For Free

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#161
Frank Tuesday said:
You go back and read the responses. There are many justifications for playing for free. "Consensus" doesn't make any of those reasons valid or invalid. I understand the reasons why people do and don't play for free. When it is time for me to decide whether or not to play for free, I'm going to do it based on many reasons, and the consensus of an internet forum isn't going to be one of those reasons.
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I saw 2 maybe more aceptable justifications;

Opening for a major act.

Bar owner sponsors a charity. He books your band monthly and pays you well. He askes you to do the charity event for free. It wouldn't make good business sense to say no.
 
#163
Someone else mentioned this;

"I'm an atist and I'm not in this for the money, I'll play anywhere for free as long as I get to play my music."

This is usually from a band that for whatever reason can't find or get" paying gigs.

That's fine, but for me it's not an aceptable justification.
 
#164
Like I said before - when there is a lot of supply and little demand it drives the price down. In labor markets this manifests as unemployment. It seems to me that there are players who would rather play for free than not play. Of course this contributes to the excess supply and low prices but that's for another day.
 
#165
Ok, playing for free.

What venue worth playing even asked bands to play for free?

Here's another one:

"You guys can play on Tuesday night, no pay. If you do good, I'll book your band with pay on a Friday or Saturday night"

I say, no thanks.

Blue
 
#166
Ric5 said:
You know ... even when I get paid for a gig it isn't much better than playing for free. By the time I factor in the cost of a dozen basses, various keyboards, guitars, 7 amps, 9 speakek cabs, my effects, cases, gig bags, instrument stands, batteries, micrphones, mike stands, extension cables, instrument cables, monitors, speaker cables, strings, rehearsal time, travel time, set up time, playing time, tear down time, gasoline cost, wear and tear on vehicles ... with all of that I do a lot of work and invest a lot of money and get little in return.

Then I even have to buy my own drinks.

So much for getting rich playing music.
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Taking this a step further, even the best-paying gig costs me money because if I spent that time working on day-job stuff instead I'd get more/bigger raises every year which would amount to a lot more than what I can make from gigs.
 
#168
When a new pizza joint opens and gives away free slices, it is considered an advertising expense. In the pizza business, the taste of the real item is the key to success and slices are the only to get their hands on your product. In the music business, we have CD's, DVD's, etc., to get our music known; free performances are not necessary. Really, those who play for free are going to play for free; that's what they do. They have all the rationalizations and have made up their minds. That's THEIR business...I think they're wrong but that is my problem.
 
#169
Crazy_Jake said:
If there is a fund raising gig for a worthy cause ie cancer society , heart and stroke etc The publicity you can get from doing these gigs can be worth more then you would be getting paid anyway.
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Depends on the caliber of the event. The way it's organized, who's organizing it, how many other bands will be playing, time slot and how the band will be treated.
 
#170
I guess this is such a hot topic because of the people who dream of making a living from music.

I've personally found the industry follows normal rules of supply and demand, and a lot depends on the type of music you make. You have to make decisions about art vs money, and some types of gigs will be more or less profitable than others.

You get one life, we will all die. You want to measure it as success because you took the art that inspires you, and organised it around money, in some cases sacrificing the artistic reasons that drove you to pick up an instrument, go ahead. Lie there on your deathbed thinking "I didn't make the music I wanted, but I made enough money to own far more musical gear than I actually needed"

Not putting down those who want to make money from music. If that's your thing then great. I am just personally happier if I start by picking the gigs I want to do, and then negotiating for the best price I can as a second priority. And in some genres that has been nothing, simply because what I wanted to do had no immediate commercial potential.

If you have your act together you can get paid to play in bars. Never been an issue for me. But part of that is playing the material that sells.
 
#172
fingerbun said:
I guess this is such a hot topic because of the people who dream of making a living from music.

If you have your act together you can get paid to play in bars. Never been an issue for me. But part of that is playing the material that sells.
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I don't know if there are that many tbers that have replied on this thread that have dreams of making it.

Originals bands can have their act together and be great and will still have a hard time booking traditional bar gigs.
 
#175
bluewine said:
Someone else mentioned this;

"I'm an artist and I'm not in this for the money, I'll play anywhere for free as long as I get to play my music."

This is usually from a band that for whatever reason can't find or get" paying gigs.
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That's like saying cover bands play covers because they can't write originals.
It's not that they can't.. it's that they choose not to.
I'm only interested in playing original music, and I accept that most people aren't interested in hearing it. I'd still rather play originals for the bartender than covers for a packed house. But that's just me. In 25+ years of going to see bands play, I have yet to see a cover band that played the songs better than the original versions. I find it boring. I'd rather sit at home and listen to the real deal on CD for free. And my clothes won't smell like smoke the next day, either.
 
#176
bluewine said:
I think that's pretty much the average for cover bands

My band gets between $400- $500 for 4 hours, four way even split.

We have 2 corporate gigs this summer that both pay $1,100. Those are nice, but they are far and few in between.
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And you consider that well compensated?? My original band (well, to be completely fair, 85%j original) gets $1000 a night. And that's barely worth mentioning....

When I was gigging in Atlanta, cover bands were getting 2 grand a night - at least the circuit I was working on.
 
#177
bluewine said:
I don't know if there are that many tbers that have replied on this thread that have dreams of making it.

Originals bands can have their act together and be great and will still have a hard time booking traditional bar gigs.
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There's making it and there's making a living. Not necessarily the same thing.

Blue you and I are similar in this one. Both of us are older and easier to get work in a covers band. I play that game to an extent, but I also still do some projects that just interest me. And if the most such a project can get commercially is a freebie gig at an open mic night or the corner of a cafe, I won't say no to that if the music interests me enough. Mind you, such gigs you usually at least get food and drinks. Quid pro quo from venue owners.

I don't do a lot of gigs like that, but I've done a few. I own all the necessary gear anyway, so the only additional costs are petrol, strings, etc.
 
#178
Dave Siff said:
That's like saying cover bands play covers because they can't write originals.
It's not that they can't.. it's that they choose not to.
I'm only interested in playing original music, and I accept that most people aren't interested in hearing it. I'd still rather play originals for the bartender than covers for a packed house. But that's just me. In 25+ years of going to see bands play, I have yet to see a cover band that played the songs better than the original versions. I find it boring. I'd rather sit at home and listen to the real deal on CD for free. And my clothes won't smell like smoke the next day, either.
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You would be right in my case, have been in bands and playing bass guitar almost twice as long as you have been alive and I can't write songs.

You're second comment is relative to what you have seen. In my 59 years I have seen more originals bands and cover bands than you.
I have seen cover bands take a song and tear it a new one.

I'm not going to bash originals bands like you bash cover bands because I like originals bands and go to shows frequently.

I'm maintaining my position, it's easy to claim I'm an artist and I choose not gig or I'll play for free. It's hard to keep a cover band booked on a consistent basis.
 
#179
Pacman said:
And you consider that well compensated?? My original band (well, to be completely fair, 85%j original) gets $1000 a night. And that's barely worth mentioning....

When I was gigging in Atlanta, cover bands were getting 2 grand a night - at least the circuit I was working on.
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Pac, I play bass in a marginal at best blues rock biker bar cover band.

In our space $400.00 - $500.00 is more than what most bar bands are getting paid. So relatively, my band is compensated well.

Btw, I'm not impressed very easily.
 
#180
bluewine said:
I'm maintaining my position, it's easy to claim I'm an artist and I choose not gig or I'll play for free. It's hard to keep a cover band booked on a consistent basis.
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I've heard Dave play. The dude is legit, and could play covers in any number of bands in a major market. I take him at his word.
 
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