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Playing "Benefit gigs" (rant)

#141
I must live in backwards land. Most the benefit gigs I play pay better than bar gigs. We don’t do any for free, do 1-2 a year, and they always pay decent ($100-300/person). We get asked to do some for free but just quote our prices and let them decide if they really want us or not. Do the catering company, venue hosts, bar staff, DJ’s, or ANYONE else working benefit events do it for free? Why should musicians?
 
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#143
kev451 said:
I agree 100% you can be nice and do a few here and there for good causes. But this is also dependent on what you...
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...consider to be a good cause.
Sorry for snipping the rest of your post, but ^that's what I thought you were going to say ;-)
And therein lies the problem. I wouldn't consider all charities to be good causes; in fact I consider some to be downright bad. I doubt any two people will sort all charities the same. But this big blankett society has thrown over "charitable causes" and their pre-conceived goodness simply because of that, means to say "no thanks" to a particular cause can mark one as against Charity in general and it can feel uncomfortable speaking up in front of your friends and peers. But I can assure you, for your happiness, say no to anything you don't feel like doing.
 
#144
Royal Marine said:
...consider to be a good cause.
Sorry for snipping the rest of your post, but ^that's what I thought you were going to say ;-)
And therein lies the problem. I wouldn't consider all charities to be good causes; in fact I consider some to be downright bad. I doubt any two people will sort all charities the same. But this big blankett society has thrown over "charitable causes" and their pre-conceived goodness simply because of that, means to say "no thanks" to a particular cause can mark one as against Charity in general and it can feel uncomfortable speaking up in front of your friends and peers. But I can assure you, for your happiness, say no to anything you don't feel like doing.
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Well its all personal opinion as to what one considers a cause they seem worthy of their time and efforts. IMHO I’ll play any charity. A chance to play is a chance to play I dont care who’s in the audience. To me it’s another opportunity to gain more fans who would be willing to pay for the next gig at a bar and or club:)
 
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#145
SLO Surfer said:
I must live in backwards land. Most the benefit gigs I play pay better than bar gigs. We don’t do any for free, do 1-2 a year, and they always pay decent ($100-300/person). We get asked to do some for free but just quote our prices and let them decide if they really want us or not. Do the catering company, venue hosts, bar staff, DJ’s, or ANYONE else working benefit events do it for free? Why should musicians?
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This times 1,000.
 
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#148
It seems that those who contribute to "charity fatigue" have never heard the story of the boy who cried "wolf". In my daily life it is practically impossible for me not to be acccosted at least half a dozen times a day, ranging from the people holding up cardboard signs at the intersection, to notices posted on every bulletin board at every business, to the requirement to be Scrooge at every single cash register in town, to co-workers collecting for their children's football league uniforms.
 
#150
i've been paid for benefits and i've been asked to donate (and have). the upside of a real benefit gig is the 'goodwill' --- and its effects on future business. some bands never get to deal with that concept.

it's not binary. every situation is different with many possible layers of pros and cons. you're more likely to feel 'burned' by benefits if you don't know what you're doing. might be a case of 'experience is everything'!




.02 on a scale from 1 to 10
 
#151
freebie.jpg
 
#152
turf3 said:
It seems that those who contribute to "charity fatigue" have never heard the story of the boy who cried "wolf". In my daily life it is practically impossible for me not to be acccosted at least half a dozen times a day, ranging from the people holding up cardboard signs at the intersection, to notices posted on every bulletin board at every business, to the requirement to be Scrooge at every single cash register in town, to co-workers collecting for their children's football league uniforms.
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No doubt due in large part to the obsolescence (thankfully) of door to door canvassing.
 
#153
With charitable causes, it always depends. I agree that 50% is too much. You're not monks.

But to the question: what is a bad cause? While it is never a bad cause, there are plenty of bad charities. I judge them by how much of the money raised actually goes to the charity.

example: every year Walgreens as a "buy a red nose for the children" campaign. The fine print tells you that Walgreens pockets 50% of the money raised. I estimate each clown nose given out costs 2-5 cents. So I don't think that's a very efficient charity, even though it's only asking you for $1, in aggregate it is equally a free fundraiser for Walgreens, as it is for the children.

For this reason, I tend not to give money unless I know it's not equally a fundraiser for a for-profit corporation essentially using the suffering of children to get free money.
 
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#156
pwhalen said:
We do 2 or 3 a year, including supplying PA usually, but there does need to be a limit.

One good way to avoid having to play free shows is to get out there and book the band solid with playing gigs.
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Thanks for all the replies. I'm giving my notice for the end of the month. I think that's more than fair. We played a benefit last week and are playing one tomorrow.
I'll tell ya, we don't supply the PA. I've only been able to hear monitors on half our shows. As far as benefits go, I've never been able to hear the monitors on a single show. Not one.
I've had enough.

Now the only thing I'll have to go through is the OMG! from my wife if I find another band.
"What? Who? Why? Are you going to go through all this stuff again?", etc.
 
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#157
bumperbass said:
Thanks for all the replies. I'm giving my notice for the end of the month. I think that's more than fair. We played a benefit last week and are playing one tomorrow.
I'll tell ya, we don't supply the PA. I've only been able to hear monitors on half our shows. As far as benefits go, I've never been able to hear the monitors on a single show. Not one.
I've had enough.

Now the only thing I'll have to go through is the OMG! from my wife if I find another band.
"What? Who? Why? Are you going to go through all this stuff again?", etc.
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It's always fair to give notice but the end of the month is only 2 days away. I would also not stay in a band that plays so many free shows but I would have known that going in and would not have joined the band in the first place.

FWIW I've been on paying gigs where I couldn't hear the monitors so that's not exclusive to free benefit shows.
 
#158
oldrocker said:
It's always fair to give notice but the end of the month is only 2 days away. I would also not stay in a band that plays so many free shows but I would have known that going in and would not have joined the band in the first place.

FWIW I've been on paying gigs where I couldn't hear the monitors so that's not exclusive to free benefit shows.
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I meant to say October.
 

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