Should local bands play for free? (2 Viewers)

[e+s=b]

Just wondering who among this group play for free on a regular basis? It astounds me when I see listings for smaller gigs with lots of support acts. Always get the impression everyone is playing for nothing. Does anyone even ask for taxi money before agreeing to anything? How long should a band play for free before asking for something in return?

 

[Lili Marlene]

If a band can't exist exist without money, then the band shouln't exist.

 

[worthit]

I've always found it odd that it's considered the norm for promoters not to pay bands in this country. I spent years bringing amps to gigs never to even be given money for expenses. let alone a rental fee and payment for the gig.

 

[ernesto]

Le Cirk pay bands or so im told.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

i suppose its a fine balance between bands that nobody wants to listen to being allowed to play and bands that people do want to listen to getting a few quid

 

[D0njo]

I've played probably hundreds of gigs for nothing BECAUSE I LOVE IT. Or else lost the money in a haze, one of those.

 

[worthit]

How many times have you played a gig that has been absolutely packed and nobody has offered you any money?

We all do it because we love it but if money is made at the door, a share of it should be given to the band.

 

[Andy_aurel]

Buncha pinko capitialist pigs.

 

[hugh]

How many times have you played a gig that has been absolutely packed and nobody has offered you any money?

On the rare occasions that we have played to a packed room, we've always been paid something (I think). However, we have often played for free (or a few quid for petrol or whatever) as a favour/for charity/because we thought it would be a good buzz etc etc.

We all do it because we love it but if money is made at the door, a share of it should be given to the band.

True. But if the promoter has lost his/her shirt you can't really expect any cash ...

 

[Anthony]

It generally goes like this.
Venue, PA, Sound engineer (no matter how shit), costs, then, if there's anything left... main band, support bands.
I always think the musicians should be higher up this list.

 

[RayRay]

I've done/do gigs for free. But like its been said before, it is nice for promoters to cover costs like travel and a pint or two.

I've done a couple of support slots for biggish acts and the promoters just let us put a couple of names and the guest list and gave us a few bottles of booze. In most cases i would have paid to see the main act anyway so id generally be delighted with that.

 

[D0njo]

How many times have you played a gig that has been absolutely packed and nobody has offered you any money?

We all do it because we love it but if money is made at the door, a share of it should be given to the band.

Before moving to Dublin the bands I was in would usually get a bit of cash or a load of booze, after moving here we were exploited by punk promoters and regularly received nothing.. we did get to play a lot of gigs though... the contrast between playing gigs on the island and on the continent is fairly sharp, the last couple in germany and switzerland we were given access to umlimited (for real) booze and were payed handsomely.. I don't totally blame the people putting on the gigs though, shits expensive here.. yeah, I blame Ireland

But yeah, I still play loads of gigs for nutin, I would still have played gigs in the foreign if we hadn't gotten anything, I'd just be a lot poorer now

 

[mel gibson]

tbh you should be paid.
as a punter I've been lured to bars/venues that I'd never in a million years go near only for the bands playing
so seen as though it's a draw for business you should receive some of the benefits

 

[D0njo]

Tell that to them

 

[mel gibson]

aye...fucking Geebags!

 

[ann post]

to be realistic about it, even moderately successful bands essentially are playing for free. realistically bands put in 100's of unpaid hours rehearsing, writing and refining things, they spend a few grand on equipment and more cash on moving it around. stranglely a sound man gets a flat rate for showing up with gear and using it, and bands dont. If you asked a carpenter to bring his gear down to a bar and use it for 6 hours you'd get charged minimum wage + tax + extra for having a qualified proffesional working - maybe 100 - 150 euro. then consider that its actually a team of 4 carpenters your hiring, and in most gigs there's actually three bands, so you'd need to make a good 1200+ euro on the door (after paying the sound man and promotion costs) to actually fairly pay everyone who played on the night... so basically its almost impossible so the general 'fair split' type rule sort of naturally has evolved - pay the travelling band and pay the support if you can.

 

[Space]

(Random statement) The band market is oversaturated.

 

[Kid Lovebeach]

money is bullshit.

music too.

 

[Space]

Only death is real.

 

[e+s=b]

True. But if the promoter has lost his/her shirt you can't really expect any cash ...

Thats the problem right there.... If a promoter says the band will get paid then they should keep their word and pay the support act as well as the main act, venue and sound guy. Ballroom Of Romance has always been good this way and, to be fair to [the company that are banned from being mentioned on here], they have always paid support acts well without having to go looking for them after a gig. I know they have alot more money than smaller promoters but still. If someone doesn't think there'll be a big crowd at their gig then maybe they shouldn't have lots of support acts. That way they might be able to pay a little to everyone.