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Pay-to-play gigs?
- Thread starter walker rosewood
- Start date
No to ptp..
.. but at least everything is honest.
a deal could be the door split between the promoter/bands...
... but the door doesn't add up to the headcount
... or the promoter doesn't pay
Unless it's under contract or you're friends... everyone's a shaister here. Always
.. but at least everything is honest.
a deal could be the door split between the promoter/bands...
... but the door doesn't add up to the headcount
... or the promoter doesn't pay
Unless it's under contract or you're friends... everyone's a shaister here. Always
Did that twice. First time, my band tied for first place and won 8 hrs recording time. Second time we would've won but because we didn't sell 25 tix (@ $10 each) we got bumped to third place.
I'd never, ever, ever do it again. There's too many other places that'll let ya play. You might have to do it for free, but at least you're getting some free beer.
I'd never, ever, ever do it again. There's too many other places that'll let ya play. You might have to do it for free, but at least you're getting some free beer.
Even though it's MORE of a gamble out of your pocket...
... Rental venues. That way you can run the show how you want
I love throwing shows XD
... Rental venues. That way you can run the show how you want
I love throwing shows XD
My bands last show was kind of a combo rental/pay-to-play. A gun club in the middle of town rented thier stage to us for the evening, but we couldnt charge an entry fee or sell tickets, so there was no getting our money back or anything. To top it off, the other bands we scrounged up to play with us ducked out of paying thier share of the fee, so my band had to pay it all. 
IMO, id never do another pay-to-play again when i could just as easily rent a pavillion in the park or something like that (though that would be kinda hard to get an entry fee for, but i digress). That, and you run the risk of getting gipped like i did.
IMO, id never do another pay-to-play again when i could just as easily rent a pavillion in the park or something like that (though that would be kinda hard to get an entry fee for, but i digress). That, and you run the risk of getting gipped like i did.
hmmm... my band just got an email from a promoter. The gig is opening for Local H at a 700 capacity theater. Wants us to do ticket presale....
gonna get details and see if this one might be worth it.
gonna get details and see if this one might be worth it.
How can anybody have the nerve to pester their friends and family to buy "tickets" for these scam shows? Especially more than once.
Ah, so you disappoint your friends and family consistently.
Your logic, or lack of it thereof, apparently escapes me.
That and there are always people willing to give it away for free...it amazes me any band takes this approach deliberately or frequently. You get more exposure putting vids up on youtube and myspace etc...and you don't have to eat unused tickets!
Your logic, or lack of it thereof, apparently escapes me.
Ok, I pestered my friends and family to come to the show once. I paid for most of their tickets. They brought some additional people who bought their own tickets. We packed the place and broke even after promotional costs.
At the show, we delivered to excess.
Now the friends, family, and friends of friends, contact me and ask me when they can buy tickets to the next show.
But I imagine that if we disappointed the friends and family, I would have to pester them again. And since you mentioned pestering your friends and family more than once, it appears to me that you've disappointed them. I have no experience with pestering friends and family more than once.
No; I haven't disappointed my friends and family as you have illogically suggested. I only play gigs where the club pays me and there is never a cover. Not to digress, but I don't play in an all originals band where this sort of exploitation is rampant. So that, obviously, may have affected my bias.
I have, however, been annoyed by people who have implored me to go to their pay to play shows and sometimes it gets tiresome. Capiche?
Did two battle of the band shows, where the promoter required ticket sales. I don't think we had to pay up front for the tickets, just sell as many as we could, then turn the cash over to the dude at the gig. Then of course, the winner of the show gets a portion of the take (it was $500 both times). I know for a fact that a couple bands didn't sell hardly any tickets. One guy told me their band sold one! One ticket.
Of course the band that sells the most tickets and/or has the most enthusiastic crowd is gonna win.
One band I was in won, the other didn't. Its a lot better when you win.
So you pack the place and only break even. Sounds like your band is clueless business wise.
So you pack the place and only break even. Sounds like your band is clueless business wise.
You're right! Dangit! I never thought of that! I wish I took some advice from this guy:
If you've never done a "pay to play" gig, I wonder from where all your expertise on the topic comes from.
Did you enter this thread just to complain that somebody has asked you to buy a ticket to an all originals show?
PS - Look into going to a show by famous band sometime. It's a brave new experience. They play all original music and charge money for the tickets. They might not play Mustang Sally, and there's always the risk that the whole thing is rampant exploitation, but sometimes it's fun to try something new. Good luck.
My situation is different then your average cover band (we don't play at bars, but at like actual venues), but I don't see selling tickets as pay to play. The shows I play that require ticket sales means there is going to be a decent amount of people, not just the other bands and their friends/girlfriends. In my case, if you're selling tickets, you're going to be playing pretty decent venues and probably opening up for a touring band.
I see it as the venue making sure that the band actually brings people. Anyone can say they can draw X-amount of people, but alot of that is talk. The venue has people it needs to pay too.
I see it as the venue making sure that the band actually brings people. Anyone can say they can draw X-amount of people, but alot of that is talk. The venue has people it needs to pay too.
