Should local bands play for free? (1 Viewer)

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

Venues should solicit demos.

Venues should book bands.

Venues and bands should promote gigs.

Venues should pay bands.

That's the entire plan in the states... including Arkansas.

That's not a plan,that's just saying what you'd like to see happen.


A plan would be suggesting how you will make it happen.

 

[MilanPan!c]

That's not a plan,that's just saying what you'd like to see happen.


A plan would be suggesting how you will make it happen.

Well, I'm NOT suggesting:

I'll be the one to make it happen
It'll be easy
There won't be a backlash

But if someone were to want to make it happen you could:

find a venue that's open to the idea and convince other bands that normally pack places like Whelans to ONLY play places that agree to PAY bands.

Bands would have to boycott venues that don't pay bands.

If they did that, the venues would be forced to change.

Venues won't do it out of the kindness of their hearts, and obviously they LIKE not paying bands unless they HAVE to.... so force them.

It's you guys music scene after all.

So you can make it function the way you want with just a tiny bit of effort.

But you'd have to organise a bit and some bands would have to go out on a limb.

Either that, or, find out who makes these decisions, approach them with the other "way" ... If they don't agree to change, try and create a publicity campaign.

"Musicians for equitable treatment" or something.

Make myspace pages with songs from bands that support it, make a facebook group. Contact magazines and blogs.

There's two ways, you could even do both at the same time.

 

[hugh]

find a venue that's open to the idea and convince other bands that normally pack places like Whelans to ONLY play places that agree to PAY bands.

A band who can normally pack Whelans can make a packet out of the rent-the-venue system. I don't see any reason why they would want to switch to a fixed fee.

By the way, what you are suggesting is not unusual at all outside Dublin. I gave the example of the Roisin earlier, but now that I think of it, most places outside Dublin seem to work on this basis as well ..... as far as I remember anyway from the endless time I used to spend trying to book gigs outside Dublin.

 

[worthit]

Well, I'm NOT suggesting:

I'll be the one to make it happen
It'll be easy
There won't be a backlash

But if someone were to want to make it happen you could:

find a venue that's open to the idea and convince other bands that normally pack places like Whelans to ONLY play places that agree to PAY bands.

Bands would have to boycott venues that don't pay bands.

If they did that, the venues would be forced to change.

Venues won't do it out of the kindness of their hearts, and obviously they LIKE not paying bands unless they HAVE to.... so force them.

It's you guys music scene after all.

So you can make it function the way you want with just a tiny bit of effort.

But you'd have to organise a bit and some bands would have to go out on a limb.

Either that, or, find out who makes these decisions, approach them with the other "way" ... If they don't agree to change, try and create a publicity campaign.

"Musicians for equitable treatment" or something.

Make myspace pages with songs from bands that support it, make a facebook group. Contact magazines and blogs.

There's two ways, you could even do both at the same time.

http://www.siptu.ie/musicians/

 

[Deleted member 3435]

..... as far as I remember anyway from the endless time I used to spend trying to book gigs outside Dublin.

Yes!

There's a thread topic...why is that so difficult? answers up to and including "because your band is shit and no one wants to see you".

eh...not directed at anyone in particular like

 

[MilanPan!c]

A band who can normally pack Whelans can make a packet out of the rent-the-venue system. I don't see any reason why they would want to switch to a fixed fee.

By the way, what you are suggesting is not unusual at all outside Dublin. I gave the example of the Roisin earlier, but now that I think of it, most places outside Dublin seem to work on this basis as well ..... as far as I remember anyway from the endless time I used to spend trying to book gigs outside Dublin.

Two things:

I wasn't trying to say there should be a fixed MAXIMUM, just a fixed minimum. So you can still earned based on draw, but you're give a GUARANTEE of a certain amount. Depending on the night, the room size, the venue, etc.

Say, you play Wed night at Whelans and you're the first of three you're gonna make 50, but if 100 people show up, maybe you'll make 100.

For example.

And if it works in Cork, why is it different in Dublin?

 

[Gambra]

A band who can normally pack Whelans can make a packet out of the rent-the-venue system. I don't see any reason why they would want to switch to a fixed fee.

By the way, what you are suggesting is not unusual at all outside Dublin. I gave the example of the Roisin earlier, but now that I think of it, most places outside Dublin seem to work on this basis as well ..... as far as I remember anyway from the endless time I used to spend trying to book gigs outside Dublin.

Nowhere in Limerick operates that system. Dolans and Bakers certainly don't.

Isn't the system being advocated here the norm for pretty much every genre of music in Ireland apart from "alternative"? Like if a pub want a band (any band, as long as they're competent) to play on a Saturday they'll hire them for €X and that's that. The problem happens when bands start to claim originality..

 

[MilanPan!c]

The problem happens when bands start to claim originality..

Stupid bands.

 

[egg_]

The nearest village to me is Collon, Co. Louth, with a population of around 1500 people. It has 5 pubs, and on any Saturday night at least 2 of them will have live music and you can be damn sure they'll be paying the musicians

I wonder is it something to do with sky-high rents in Dublin? Or its just easier for a venue to not bother with promotion, and leave it all up to the bands/promoters? Or the fact that "original live music here tonite" is just not something that draws in the punters?

I think there is probably a place for a promoter-run venue like the Roisin in Dublin. Dermot Doran used to book the bands himself and pay everyone once upon a time, IIRC

 

[snakybus]

High rents, limited number of licences and competition from super pubs has lead over the years to the Dublin pub market being the most competetive in Ireland. Also, most of the 20something population is centered around Dublin, and this group tends to be the one that sets up bands. So the band-to-pub ratio is stacked dramatically against the band. There's also a culture around indie music that you nearly never consider it to be a possible career choice, or even a part-time career choice like a sound engineer might. In fact, even thinking about making money out of music is almost frowned upon (which is silly, I think--though I've never made a penny and don't expect to).

All this leads to venues being in a very strong position when it comes to the pay-to-play debate. If they cared about that particular debate. Which they don't.

 

[hugh]

Yes!

There's a thread topic...why is that so difficult? answers up to and including "because your band is shit and no one wants to see you".

That would be the main one.

 

[ann post]

The nearest village to me is Collon, Co. Louth, with a population of around 1500 people. It has 5 pubs, and on any Saturday night at least 2 of them will have live music and you can be damn sure they'll be paying the musicians

and also that they will play sweet home alabama and past the point of rescue. and that someone will tackle their cousin. I've plenty of mates who are full time musicians in these local rural bands, all you have to do is stop caring about what you play entirely, follow trends and aim to please. strangely though technically they are independent, whereas independent bands are not.

 

[ann post]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzrl8UNj51g&feature=related

 

[Lili Marlene]

Tip Jar on stage

Pass the hat around inbetween songs and refuse to play a note until you get enough money to continue. If you're any good this will happen.

 

[ernesto]

Tip Jar on stage

Pass the hat around inbetween songs and refuse to play a note until you get enough money to continue. If you're any good this will happen.

reminds me of a friend's truly awful awful band from Lucan..

 

[Lili Marlene]

Haha, there's cd of theirs knocking around my house. They are awful. I would not tip them.

 

[MilanPan!c]

Haha, there's cd of theirs knocking around my house. They are awful. I would not tip them.

Link. Link. Link. Link.

 

[Lili Marlene]

www.google.com

 

[MilanPan!c]

www.google.com

http://www.lazybum.com

whoops! that's an actual site!

how about

http://www.MilanPan!cIsALazyBum.com

 

[ann post]

so i think its pretty unanimous that local bands should play for free then??