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No Pay Benefits Shows

#41
I just remembered that you have no desire to do this gig. In which case, I'd say don't worry about it. Let the other members sort this issue out. If this is the same band you were having issues with earlier then I think it's about time you go ahead a quit since this band leader isn't leading in a manner that makes you happy or content.
 
#42
jmattbassplaya said:
I'd look to get the setup time changed because 10 minutes isn't nearly enough. 20 minutes, in my opinion, is barely enough. Unless some band is willing to rent their gear out for the day to everyone there's going to be two or three bands that won't get to play at all. It'd suck to be your band.
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Being the first band is especially risky IME. If the sound system setup runs late the promoters can easily decide to try to keep the rest of the show on schedule, and you're hosed.

I'm not a pro and I make so little on most gigs anyway that I'd just as soon play the occasional benefit for free as long as decent sound reinforcement and publicity is provided. I won't travel more than a few miles for free though.
 
#43
No pay, no play...
....give a discount on your regular fee + tax receipts. Get paid just like any other service they require to make their benefit a success... ie: the other vendors who are getting paid. Are you worth any less?
If you want to donate your earnings after getting paid....that is your perogative.
Never give it away.
 
#47
It is what it is, but here's what you do to make the best of it. Have them write you a check for $500. Then give the $500 back to them. Its under $600 so it doesn't have to be 1099'd but you can say you donated $500 to a charity and save $250 on your taxes. That is if it is a legit nonprofit.
 
#48
All I know is that expecting to get paid to throw down a short set at a benefit is not classy and 10 minutes between bands on a multi-band bill is plenty of time to get set up, unless your drummer is like, 100 years old or something. Your band leader sounds like an idiot for booking a benefit way out of town, though... keep it local, y'all.
 
#50
bolophonic said:
All I know is that expecting to get paid to throw down a short set at a benefit is not classy and 10 minutes between bands on a multi-band bill is plenty of time to get set up, unless your drummer is like, 100 years old or something. Your band leader sounds like an idiot for booking a benefit way out of town, though... keep it local, y'all.
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10 minutes really isn't a lot of time. Even if you're using another guys drum set you'll still be swapping out snares and symbols. Guitarists also have to setup their boards, and most of them will "have" to use their own heads. Then you have to consider keys players, bassists having their own boards to setup, and the band before you actually getting off stage on time and removing their own gear. 10 minutes isn't enough time at all.
 
#51
There are benefit gigs everywhere, so at least keep them close to home.

A few years ago, I with some buddies (band that didnt' work out) headlined one, a vetaid concert, but it was five minutes from home, and backline was provided, but we brought our own gear ‘cause it was way better.

So, it didn’t really cost me anything, and I didn’t have a paying gig that night, anyways.

Turned out to be a bust, anyways, as they didn’t promote it very well, but it was nice interacting with some of the other musicians.

Blue’s situation, no way, no f’in way.
 
#52
jmattbassplaya said:
10 minutes really isn't a lot of time. Even if you're using another guys drum set you'll still be swapping out snares and symbols. Guitarists also have to setup their boards, and most of them will "have" to use their own heads. Then you have to consider keys players, bassists having their own boards to setup, and the band before you actually getting off stage on time and removing their own gear. 10 minutes isn't enough time at all.
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+100

Whoever is putting on the festival doesn't have a clue.

What if the previous band takes up your ten minutes to get off stage?

For events(non-music related) that I've been in charge of, the tighter you schedule things, the looser the actual event becomes.

I'd plan on a 1/2 hour set and take the additional 15 minutes (25 minutes total) to set up.

How about a sound check?
 
#53
Wow, I understand not getting screwed, but some of you people are really cold about benefit gigs. Not playing a benefit gig if you're not comped for gas? I can understand getting a break on drinks, but getting paid for gas?

As Steve pointed out, not all benefit-charity gigs are created equal. Like many of you here, I'm game for the gig as long as it's something I can get behind. And I can get behind most causes that would necessitate a charitable or fundraising gig unless it's for a white nationalist organization or the Society for Drop-Kicking Cute Puppies or whatever. Also, I'd rather do a benefit with a small bill - 3 to 4 bands, really no more than 7. I've played and seen benefits with 15 bands on the bill, many of them crappy garage bands that are playing because they couldn't get a paying gig anywhere else. Those are always painful. Promotion is also key. I don't know what it's like in other regions, but here, a benefit usually will be pretty successful if it's some efforts put into its promotion and the bill has some acts with name recognition. When you get that many musicians around each other, sometimes egos flair. Fortunately, my experiences playing benefits has been pretty positive in that regard. I know some regions are more competetive than others.

I do agree that playing too many benefits can be a bad thing. It's possible to get the reputation as "that band who will play for free." You do need to unapologetically know what you're worth. My biggest worry with benefits is having an organizer who has no idea what he or she is doing. Often, benefits are put together by good-intentioned people who have never done anything like coordinate a benefit. This can lead to all kinds of SNAFUs. I do understand that sometimes things do get a little behind schedule, but being continously bumped back irks me to no end.
 
#54
P.s. Provided that a drum kit is permanently on stage and the sound engineer is competent enough to get guitar and bass levels within 30 seconds each, my band can set up on stage and be ready to go in 10 minutes. That includes a single bass cab, bass head, and pedal board, as well as my guitarist, who uses a MIDI-controlled rack system and generally brings two guitars to benefit shows/opening gigs for multiple tunings. Ten minutes isn't ideal by any means, but it's do-able for us. Fifteen minutes is easy-peasy.

A lot of it comes down to how quickly the previous band can tear down and exit the stage. Lolligagging drives me nuts. Whenever I'm part of a multi-band bill and there's a band coming on after me, I scramble to tear down. Bass is immediately in its case after the set. Rack panels are quickly put on. The cabinet's slip cover can be put back on once it's off stage.
 
#56
Nothing wrong with a charity event once in a while. But 10 different bands?? You're not going to get the exposure people think you will get. The majority of the audience won't care about the bands and probably won't distinguish between them.

Plus, under the conditions set?? Brother, I've played a few of these types of "benefits" years ago in Wisconsin. I promise you it will not end up well. This gig will not only cost you money, my prediction is you will net 0% in any type of collateral benefit. Sure, charity does mean to do something without expectation of return, but let's face it, most bands may do a benefit because they believe in the cause but also to promote the band favorably.

As many problems as you have described with this band Blue, I think you should just walk away and cut the ties. It's obvious it's not going to get better.

PM me, maybe I can help if you're looking for another band.
 
#57
My BL articulates my band's policy about as succinctly as possible: "We don't play for free." The only way we will even consider appearing at a benefit event is if our expenses are covered and we don't have to bring any of our own production. In the four months since I joined the band this has not happened once. We never go out-of-pocket to play no matter what the cause.

As for "exposure", well, our calendar is plenty full of (good) paying gigs so that's not really an incentive for us at all.
 
#59
This is where I'm working this weekend as a stage hand.
Changeover time allowed between sessions: 10 minutes
Actual usual time based on previous years: about 10 minutes
Of course, we have a crew of 7 experienced folks (including operators)

Invalid Link Removed
 
#60
It's one thing to donate your time and talents for a cause you believe in, particularly if it's well organized, you get actual playing time (not 15 or 20 minutes), the money is going directly to the cause (rather than the venue or some promoter/organizer), the organizers are willing to do the marketing/publicity to get people to the show, and the people putting it on treat you as musicians, not commodities - the most basic way of doing this is to provide drinks/food for the performers.

It's another to be taken advantage by folks just wanting something for nothing.

You have to know the difference.
 

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