How many of you only play if you get paid

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Bluz57
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Post by Bluz57 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:40 am

or do you play outdoor concerts and festivals for free?
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notagain

Post by notagain » Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:46 am

I will play for free anytime just to
get off my ass and get in front of a
crowd. Being paid is almost sinful.
After the hundreds of times I did
get paid in the 70's-90's.

Now it is just fun to play

LeonC
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Post by LeonC » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:19 am

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by notagain</i>
<br />I will play for free anytime just to
get off my ass and get in front of a
crown. Being paid is almost sinful.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hey I don't care if the queen shows up at our gigs, we gotta get paid! ;)

JK! I'm sure you meant "crowd", heheh.

Seriously though...a couple of the guys in my main band won't play if we don't get paid. Personally, I'm willing to do a freebie now and then under the right circumstances. And most of the time, we play for peanuts anyway.I swear I don't make any more now--in real dollars--than I did when I was playing all the time in the 70s and 80s! If I adjusted for inflation, I'm probably earning a quarter of what I did back then...

Satanic_Versus
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Post by Satanic_Versus » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:20 am

i don't care about getting paid. whatever, yeah if we make 50 bucks its great. if we were the road then, yeah might be necessary for gas money and food.

our band, EasterBloodHounds, does have a bank account, any money we do make just goes to that for recording and crap like that.

but just playing local Boston clubs, don't care, i just love to rock.

Jon
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LeonC
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Post by LeonC » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:24 am

In a weird way, I kind of feel obliged to get paid--for the sake of the guys who are trying to make a living at this. If there's always someone willing to work for nothing, then it makes it that much harder for some "real" musicians to get paid for their hard work.

I guess my philosophy is, if someone is putting together a charity event and I get asked to play for free, hey, no problem (assuming I like the charity and trust the people involved). Done this many times. I've also been willing to play "an audition" for free on occasion under the right circumstances.

But if someone else is going to make money off of my band's effort, then that's a horse of a different color...

Bluz57
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Post by Bluz57 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:27 am

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by LeonC</i>
<br />In a weird way, I kind of feel obliged to get paid--for the sake of the guys who are trying to make a living at this. If there's always someone willing to work for nothing, then it makes it that much harder for some "real" musicians to get paid for their hard work.

I guess my philosophy is, if someone is putting together a charity event and I get asked to play for free, hey, no problem (assuming I like the charity and trust the people involved). Done this many times. I've also been willing to play "an audition" for free on occasion under the right circumstances.

But if someone else is going to make money off of my band's effort, then that's a horse of a different color...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Do you play original music, or copy band material?
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Satanic_Versus
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Post by Satanic_Versus » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:37 am

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by LeonC</i>
<br />In a weird way, I kind of feel obliged to get paid--for the sake of the guys who are trying to make a living at this. If there's always someone willing to work for nothing, then it makes it that much harder for some "real" musicians to get paid for their hard work.

I guess my philosophy is, if someone is putting together a charity event and I get asked to play for free, hey, no problem (assuming I like the charity and trust the people involved). Done this many times. I've also been willing to play "an audition" for free on occasion under the right circumstances.

But if someone else is going to make money off of my band's effort, then that's a horse of a different color...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

i thinks its all about how good you are, you know supply and demand.

some bands always get paid, i mean if you can pack a club then your getting the money no doubt.

Jon
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Bluz57
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Post by Bluz57 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:43 am

In my area if you can cover ever Lynard Skynard and Eagles song, you can get you a paying gig anytime you want it.I really don't want to play that badly.I play the black mans blues,and the market has always been limited for that. Go to any music store and check out how big a section they have for blues..Yeah not very big.I am at home doing Willie Dixon songs,but Skynard ha not in this life.I refuse to be a musical prostitute.If you can play your own compositions and get a lot of paying gigs then you have arrived.
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Bentfinger
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Post by Bentfinger » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:50 am

It depends... I've played for tips, and I've played for for decent money. I've done studio work for N/C, but only if I like the music and the musician (s).. But I believe that getting out, making music, and meeting new friends/players has it's on rewards. I do it cause I like it.. But it is kind of a drag to bring thousands of dollars worth of equipment to a gig and not get paid. I'll do it once to get my foot in the door of a new venue, but not twice...
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LeonC
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Post by LeonC » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:04 am

Bluz, this is a cover band, in the Los Angeles area. Most clubs out here don't pay squat. Most of our gigs are private parties at rented halls, clubs, places like that. We *can* get paid okay doing this kind of work, but playing clubs here SUCKS in terms of pay.

Jon - yes, supply and demand always rules, no doubt.

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Post by Bandeapart » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:05 am

I was that way with my old band because we were able to be that way, but starting over with a new band, I just want the exposure.
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JackoMBA
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Post by JackoMBA » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:11 am

My neighbors pay me to stop playing :)
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JJMellow
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Post by JJMellow » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:15 am

my band usually always gets paid, heck i think we made lik 1200 bucks the other night but thats all a big bonus, im happy to just be able to play places and be asked to return.

thetrans5
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Post by thetrans5 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:40 am

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bluz57</i>
<br />or do you play outdoor concerts and festivals for free?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We usually have a guarantee for each show if it's sponsored by clear channel/ritual/etc. Otherwise, if it's just a small bar or club we get a cut of the door and a free tab. If it's a house party or benefit or friend putting on a show we usually do it for free.

Joshlespaul1952

Post by Joshlespaul1952 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:52 am

I'm lucky to get applause, much less money :D

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