Good question. I’ll just address the music side, as no one has ever wanted to see me indulge in sporting activities, let alone pay to do so. I think it depends on how you view it. Are you playing gigs to provide a service or just to have fun? If you can have fun, whilst providing a service doesn’t negate it being a service. I used to enjoy and have fun in my day jobs, but I definitely wanted paying. So I think it comes down to would you do it anyway if there was no renumeration involved? In my current band, the answer is no (charity gigs notwithstanding), as I’m not playing the music I would normally choose to, I don’t mind it, but it’s not my chosen genre. If my band was, for want of a better word, a vanity project, I might play for free, certainly expenses. The problem lies when those who are happy to play for free take work away from those who provide a service and want paying.