Should bands get money for playing gigs?

[*K*]

Live music venues are dependent on live acts and vice versa so there should be a mutually beneficial relationship between the two. As music venues are competing with each other for custom I think it is in their interest to offer bands incentives for playing gigs. The incentive doesn't always have to be financial. I prefer playing a gig for free at a professional venue with friendly staff and quality sound engineering than playing for money at a venue which that lacks these aspects.

[jester1470]

It depends on the gig as to whether you play for free etc, I've seen people playing to gigs of over 1000 people and getting only 100 as they were in support, what they did get was a lot of merch sales, or I've seen someone doing a free impromptu hour set in a pub and making over 400 in merch sales. To me the merch is where a band makes their money, on the sales of their CD. Not every venue can afford to pay, but it's good to get out there sometimes and play what you've got to play, if you're good people will buy what you have to sell and ytou'll make some money, not all payment comes from a venue !!

Cheers

Stuart

[Guest hexagram56]

24 - 2 hours practice night before

5 - set of new strings

6 - cans of juice drunk at practice (so you don't die)

2 - handful of plectrums

if you're not so lucky to have transport

15 on taxis (both ways)

30 on blank CD's to sell at gig (and a whole day wasted copying them, and no ones buying any)

20 on drinks at the gig (at some venues, this can consist of as little as a pint each member)

come on get real, you dont need a new set of strings everynight nore the plectrums, but i get your point

[delboy]

you should never pay bands at toilet level, make em thankful they've actually got a gig (this doesnt actually work in practise!)

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

to be fair del, the best pay we ever had was from you, very generous indeed

as long as i have money to get klobbered at the bar (see drakes) i dont really care, whether it is my own money or money we have been paid

the money we are paid usually goes back into the bar anyway,

i do remember being extremely pissed off at being paid 11 in glasgow once,

[delboy]

i always paid when i could to be serious....

[Biz]

I have not read anything about this but...

my bands would gladly play Dr Drakes,The LemonTree,and Drummonds for free,that's because they are worth it,anything less have got to pay for it,but I think bands would be well advised to put up posters and flyers and become bar flies for a while as I never turn down a band if they ask me to go and see them .BANDS must GET OFF THEIR ARSES AND PROMOTE THEIR GIGS.I feel sorry for the venues which are being spurned in favour of cheaper drink elsewhere and free admittance.I never mind paying a few quid to get into Dr Drakes or Drummonds ,these places are businesses and need too turn a profit which is sadly missed by the mummys boys and girls of the world,Dr Drakes rules Miller on tap and interesting music EVERY night,go there or be a suit.

[soundian]

my bands would gladly play Dr Drakes' date='The LemonTree,and Drummonds for free,that's because they are worth it,anything less have got to pay for it,but I think bands would be well advised to put up posters and flyers and become bar flies for a while as I never turn down a band if they ask me to go and see them .BANDS must GET OFF THEIR ARSES AND PROMOTE THEIR GIGS.I feel sorry for the venues which are being spurned in favour of cheaper drink elsewhere and free admittance.I never mind paying a few quid to get into Dr Drakes or Drummonds ,these places are businesses and need too turn a profit which is sadly missed by the mummys boys and girls of the world,Dr Drakes rules Miller on tap and interesting music EVERY night,go there or be a suit.[/quote']

I agree Biz, the promoter asks you to play, pays all the expenses (PA, engineer, house equipment etc) and chucks you some cash and you can't be bothered to print out a few posters and put them where you know people will be interested.

Most venues put on a lot of gigs, and to do wide promotion of all of them would wipe out any (as if) profit that they generated.

[Chris]

come on get real' date=' you dont need a new set of strings everynight nore the plectrums, but i get your point[/quote']

If you're gigging you should at least have a fresh set of strings before every gig (and broken in), minimises string breakage and means your guitar is sounding it's best. Between gigs you should try and change your strings reguarly. Once a month is good, every two weeks if your practice a lot is better.

[Hog]

If you're gigging you should at least have a fresh set of strings before every gig (and broken in)' date=' minimises string breakage and means your guitar is sounding it's best. Between gigs you should try and change your strings reguarly. Once a month is good, every two weeks if your practice a lot is better.[/quote']

Fuck! I change my strings like once every 6 months unless they break! Although regarding money, the only reason I think its good to get paid is to put it towards recording more shit!

[Guest scott cs.]

I agree Biz' date=' the promoter asks you to play, pays all the expenses (PA, engineer, house equipment etc) and chucks you some cash and you can't be bothered to print out a few posters and put them where you know people will be interested.

Most venues put on a lot of gigs, and to do wide promotion of all of them would wipe out any (as if) profit that they generated.[/quote']

i like how Drakes does that massive poster thing each month where it advertises every gig for the particular month. i got a little shiver down my spine when i saw my bands name on it. but anyways, that one poster is all the promotion Drakes have to do, it's down to the individual bands to put up more detailed posters.

in regards to the money aspect, well i have no experience of gigging yet, but as of next week i will have. i don't mind if we only get paid enough so that all the guys in the band can get one drink, or we put it towards next practise as its out first gig (this dosen't mean that you can rip us off Kirk:P). however, three of the bands we are playing with are on tour, so i would rather see them get more money as obviously they have more expenses to cover. as has been said before, if your in it for the money, your in the wrong game.

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

strings ar a must for me

my strat goes painfully out of tune if i break a string

plus the one show where i didnt take a spare guitar or strings i broke one (important), ruined the already piss poor set

[Hog]

If I ever get paid for Spike or Element I always put it towards an Element recording becuase it costs nothing to recors Spike stuff (DIY!)

[GraemeC]

I had a huge argument on the underground scene message board a few months ago with these muppets who thought that bands should give away their recorded material also (CD's)

Aye....it must be grand to be rich....

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

yeah but underground scene is full of puddings

thou shall not be remotely interested in being sensible

its all abou the love of hardcore etc, remember the ethics or be shunned!

fucking twats

[Chris]

I'm all for bands giving away demos. It's far more useful than trying to sell them at a fiver a pop and will attract more fans. But don't just do it at random, target who you're giving them to (ie people who are going to listen to it and talk about it) and you'll find your audience grow at the next gig.

The lemon tree pay you 50 quid for a gig, that's a fair few blank cd's you can buy.

Obviously it's all relative, and you wouldn't reguarly give away CDs that were costing you hundreds to record and copy. If you're spending 200 quid in studio time you'd be as well spend the money on a nice package and sell the result at gigs and try and cover some of your costs.

But if you're just doing a quick 2 or 3 tracks for fifty quid or so then give the damn things away for free. Between 4 people the costs don't add up to much and it's well worth it in the long run.

[GraemeC]

But if you're just doing a quick 2 or 3 tracks for fifty quid or so then give the damn things away for free.

Well thats partly the point....in my opinion paying 50 to record three tracks isn't going to do any band any favours and wouldn't be fit to even give away.....

A demo should be something you're proud of, and only a band of exceptional ability would impress someone very broad minded with a 50 demo.

Its a tough old world out there and agents, promoters, a&r, radio stations, etc, etc expect the demos they receive to be of reasonable quality.

[jester1470]

Well thats partly the point....in my opinion paying 50 to record three tracks isn't going to do any band any favours and wouldn't be fit to even give away.....

A demo should be something you're proud of' date=' and only a band of exceptional ability would impress someone very broad minded with a 50 demo.

Its a tough old world out there and agents, promoters, a&r, radio stations, etc, etc expect the demos they receive to be of reasonable quality.[/quote']

Agreed, I guess it's also the difference between recording a demo and selling it and recording an album and recording it. We've just put out Jo's new album which is for sale for 10, which by the time you take in the recording costs (Cava in Glasgow) and the pressing costs for a few thousand means that you have to be selling it in order to make the money to record the next one, and to cover the costs which runs itnot thousands before you start. It may sound extravagent but that's how you make a good album, spend the money and get a good product. At the end of the day it may be 10 for the album, but it's a damn fine album with professional artwork, recording and pressing, worth that of anyone's money.

Gigs in general on a commecial touring way are seldom profitable for bands dependent on the size of the band, but most bands who play mid-sized venues will be luck to break even, the majority of any profit is made on merch sales at the venue... in general giging is not ever going to be profitable.

Cheers

Stuart

[GraemeC]

Just got back from Nearfest in America and the bands playing their were selling $1000's of dollars of merchandise, its the only way they can survive. Prog rock is a cottage industry.

[jester1470]

Just got back from Nearfest in America and the bands playing their were selling $1000's of dollars of merchandise' date=' its the only way they can survive. Prog rock is a cottage industry.[/quote']

Yeah prog merchandise does well, Marillion and Fish both survive on their merch pretty much. Bet Nearfest was fun, wish I could have went,

Cheers

Stuart